bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of the Implications of Visual Impairment for Illumination Requirements
Authors: Hauck Nico , Mahdavi Ardeshir
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The present contribution mainly focuses on the evaluation of the visual performance of people with impaired vision and, for comparison purposes, individuals with typical vision under different lighting conditions. Methods: A monitor with adjustable brightness facilitated various test runs to determine the visual performance as a function of the adaptation luminance and glare. In addition, the subjective impressions of the participants with impaired vision were queried via interviews. The study included 98 people with impaired vision and 38 people without visual impairments. Results: The interview results suggest that most people with visual impairments require special lighting conditions. An increased lighting requirement is observed amongst 50% of this group. Moreover, 75% of this group display increased glare sensitivity. Likewise, adaptation problems and critical issues related to nonuniform lighting are manifest. Individuals with impaired vision included in this study display a greatly reduced contrast threshold and a higher subjective level of discomfort compared to individuals with typical vision.Discussion: Most visually impaired participants state that they require a higher degree of brightness to achieve their maximum personal visual performance. However, about a quarter of the participants reported that they achieve a better visual performance at lower brightness, while displaying an increased sensitivity to glare. In general, glare has a decisive influence on the visual performance of the participants with impaired vision in our study. Implications for Practitioners: The study reconfirms the essential importance of glare-free and uniform general lighting strategies (e.g., via predominantly indirect lighting) as well as avoiding abrupt spatiotemporal luminance changes (e.g., via provision of a transition zone between locations with very different luminance levels).
glca: An R Package for Multiple-Group Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Kim Youngsun , Jeon Saebom , Chang Chi , Chung Hwan
Published: May 2022

Group similarities and differences may manifest themselves in a variety of ways in multiple-group latent class analysis (LCA). Sometimes, measurement models are identical across groups in LCA. In other situations, the measurement models may differ, suggesting that the latent structure itself is different between groups. Tests of measurement invariance shed light on this distinction. We created an R package glca that implements procedures for exploring differences in latent class structure between populations, taking multilevel data structure into account. The glca package deals with the fixed-effect LCA and the nonparametric random-effect LCA; the former can be applied in the situation where populations are segmented by the observed group variable itself, whereas the latter can be used when there are too many levels in the group variable to make a meaningful group comparisons by identifying a group-level latent variable. The glca package consists of functions for statistical test procedures for exploring group differences in various LCA models considering multilevel data structure.
Spillover and Re-Spillover in China’s Collaborative Innovation
Authors: Wang Song , Wang Jiexin , Wang Yixiao , Wang Xueli
Published: May 2022

The spillover effect serves as the basis of regional collaborative innovation. Existing research on innovation spillover focuses on the overall impact of a region's innovation factors on local and other regions' innovation activities. However, re-spillover may occur since the flow of innovation factors between any two regions may influence the innovation in third-party regions. This study quantifies labor flow, capital flow, and institutional learning between regions in China using a gravity model and a social network analysis model, and then applies a spatial econometric model to investigate innovation spillover and re-spillover. The results show that re-spillover can better explain levels of regional innovation. Capital, government support, labour flow, capital flow, and institutional learning have a positive spillover effect on local innovation, while labour flow also has positive spillover effects to other regions.
Through Jean Anyon’s “Screen Door”: The Differentially Racialized Incursion of the Neoliberal State in Milwaukee and Detroit Schools
Authors: Pedroni Thomas C.
Published: May 2022

Background/Context:

Research has documented educational neoliberalization as a disrupter of “failing” urban schools and a driver of the remaking of urban space for development interests, through the dislocation of low-income communities of color. Such research draws upon Jean Anyon’s work on cities, schools, race, and inequality, yet undertheorizes the nexus of race and political economy by positing their interplay as straightforward and unvariegated.

Purpose/Objective:

This article documents differential racialization in neoliberal education reform across two urban contexts—Milwaukee and Detroit—and therewith seeks to build theory aligned with Jean Anyon’s final wish to complicate her work in urban educational political economy with more rich accounts of the intersection of race and political economy.

Research Design:

This comparative study utilizes discourse analysis of key educational policy documents and ethnographic work with educational policy actors in both contexts.

Findings/Results:

Market-based educational reform agendas in the two cities’ school systems proceeded from differing assemblages of political actors and regional particularities, and had as primary demonstrative objective different neoliberal outcomes. While in Milwaukee neoliberals capitalized upon Black disaffection from public schools to demonstrate the political viability of diverting public educational funds to the private sector, the imposition of such reform in Detroit buttressed the spatial reorganization of a shrinking city for the purpose of accumulation by dispossession rooted in the real estate market.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

Drawing upon these findings, the study recommends a more refined critical racial lens to augment Jean Anyon’s political economy, arguing for a more nuanced and practicable understanding of racialized neoliberal urbanism and its contestation.
Desettling History: Non-Indigenous Teachers’ Practices and Tensions Engaging Indigenous Knowledges
Authors: Conrad Jenni
Published: May 2022

Background/Context:

For educators committed to unraveling racism and colonial bias in world history courses, challenges persist—particularly with Indigenous peoples and knowledges. Typical history curriculum, standards, and instructional tools misrepresent Indigenous peoples and knowledges in damaging and inaccurate ways. In cities, where Indigenous peoples and the natural world are often presumed distant, teachers may especially struggle to disrupt these patterns.

Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study:

This study explores the efforts of two experienced urban secondary teachers nominated by local Indigenous educators, asking: How do teachers craft globally-oriented history instruction that engages Indigenous knowledges in historical inquiry?

Population/Participants/Subjects:

Both participants were experienced social studies teachers in or near West Coast cities, in public schools with strong racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. Julie (a white woman in her late 50s) taught in a small alternative middle school, while Teacher X (a Xicano/Latino man in his early 40s) taught in a large comprehensive high school.

Research Design:

This qualitative comparative case study relied on teacher interviews, class observations, and document analysis. Student and colleague interviews supported triangulation.

Findings/Results:

Findings indicate three teaching practices for desettling expectations (Bang et al., 2012) in historical inquiry: (1) strengthening context for Indigenous knowledges and sovereignty to counter colonial patterns of erasure; (2) using historiographical counter-narratives to show how interpretations of history are situated in colonial power relations; and (3) offering experiential and place-based learning with Indigenous knowledges beyond the classroom. Although both teachers worked to desettle expectations in these ways, only one showed consistency with centering Indigenous knowledges in observed practice.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

Personal resonance with relational and place-based learning appears crucial for teaching Indigenous historical perspectives meaningfully, which may prove challenging for teachers who identify as “urban” in ways perceived as distant from the natural world. Combined with the three practices above, teachers’ ongoing, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples and homelands shaped their effectiveness in engaging Indigenous knowledges as valid and generative for historical inquiry, offering implications for practitioners and scholars in global historical inquiry and teacher education.
Collaborating for Improvement? Goal Specificity and Commitment in Targeted Teacher Partnerships
Authors: Patrick Susan K.
Published: May 2022

Background: Collaboration among teachers is now considered a marker of effective schools and key to creating successful professional learning opportunities. However, the nature and efficacy of collaboration vary widely, and research suggests that collaborative efforts often fail to promote teacher development.

Purpose: This study draws on goal-setting theory from the organizational and management literatures, as well as prior research on improvement-focused teacher collaboration, to explore specific features of teacher collaborative partnerships developed through the Instructional Partnership Initiative (IPI) in Tennessee. This analysis categorizes the goal specificity and goal commitment of teachers’ IPI collaboration and explores individual, relational, and organizational factors associated with high specificity and high commitment.

Setting: The IPI is a voluntary statewide teacher development program in Tennessee. Principals pair teachers based on complementary areas of strength and weakness in specific domains of teaching practice based on indicator scores from their teacher observations.

Participants/Sample: This study focuses on 48 Tennessee teachers who participated in IPI during the 2016–2017 year and who were interviewed as part of a broader implementation study of IPI. This implementation study purposively sampled schools and teachers who had more robust implementation of IPI.

Research Design and Analysis: This qualitative study uses teacher interview data to categorize the goal specificity, goal commitment, and perceived benefits of IPI for 48 participating teachers. After categorizing teacher partnerships using theoretically driven codes, this analysis compared high-specificity/high-commitment and low-specificity/low-commitment partnerships using four illustrative case studies.

Findings: Teachers’ reported experiences with IPI varied based on the level of goal specificity and goal commitment in their partnership. Teachers in high-specificity/high-commitment partnerships tended to describe more in-depth participation and perceived greater benefits of participation. Teachers’ mindsets about improvement, perceptions about teaching expertise, and their principals’ approach to implementing IPI all appeared to be associated with the reported level of goal specificity and commitment.

Conclusion: As posited by goal-setting theorists, teachers seemed to benefit the most from participating in IPI when they had a specific goal and when they expressed commitment to that goal as a mechanism for their own improvement. The findings reinforce how peer observations can be particularly fruitful sites for collaborative learning among teachers, highlight the challenges of using teacher evaluation data to support collaborative learning, and discuss the important role played by school leaders in implementing teacher collaborative efforts in schools.
In Vivo Label-Free Observation of Tumor-Related Blood Vessels in Small Animals Using a Newly Designed Photoacoustic 3D Imaging System
Authors: Asao Yasufumi , Nagae Kenichi , Miyasaka Koichi , Sekiguchi Hiroyuki , Aiso Sadakazu , Watanabe Shigeaki , Sato Marika , Kizaka-Kondoh Shinae , Nakajima Yukari , Kishi Kazuo , Yagi Takayuki
Published: May 2022

Photoacoustic (PA) technology can be used for non-invasive imaging of blood vessels. In this paper, we report on our prototype PA imaging system with a newly designed ultrasound sensor and its visualization performance of microvascular in animal. We fabricated an experimental system for animals using a high-frequency sensor. The system has two modes: still image mode by wide scanning and moving image mode by small rotation of sensor array. Optical test target, euthanized mice and rats, and live mice were used as objects. The results of optical test target showed that the spatial resolution was about two times higher than that of our conventional prototype. The image performance in vivo was evaluated in euthanized healthy mice and rats, allowing visualization of detailed blood vessels in the liver and kidneys. In tumor-bearing mice, different results of vascular induction were shown depending on the type of tumor and the method of transplantation. By utilizing the video imaging function, we were able to observe the movement of blood vessels around the tumor. We have demonstrated the feasibility of the system as a less invasive animal experimental device, as it can acquire vascular images in animals in a non-contrast and non-invasive manner.
Cardiac Segmentation Method Based on Domain Knowledge
Authors: Wang Yingni , Chen Wenbin , Tang Tianhong , Xie Wenquan , Jiang Yong , Zhang Huabin , Zhou Xiaobo , Yuan Kehong
Published: May 2022

Echocardiography plays an important role in the clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiac function assessment by echocardiography is a crucial process in daily cardiology. However, cardiac segmentation in echocardiography is a challenging task due to shadows and speckle noise. The traditional manual segmentation method is a time-consuming process and limited by inter-observer variability. In this paper, we present a fast and accurate echocardiographic automatic segmentation framework based on Convolutional neural networks (CNN). We propose FAUet, a segmentation method serially integrated U-Net with coordinate attention mechanism and domain feature loss from VGG19 pre-trained on the ImageNet dataset. The coordinate attention mechanism can capture long-range dependencies along one spatial direction and meanwhile preserve precise positional information along the other spatial direction. And the domain feature loss is more concerned with the topology of cardiac structures by exploiting their higher-level features. In this research, we use a two-dimensional echocardiogram (2DE) of 88 patients from two devices, Philips Epiq 7C and Mindray Resona 7T, to segment the left ventricle (LV), interventricular septal (IVS), and posterior left ventricular wall (PLVW). We also draw the gradient weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) to improve the interpretability of the segmentation results. Compared with the traditional U-Net, the proposed segmentation method shows better performance. The mean Dice Score Coefficient (Dice) of LV, IVS, and PLVW of FAUet can achieve 0.932, 0.848, and 0.868, and the average Dice of the three objects can achieve 0.883. Statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference between the segmentation results of the two devices. The proposed method can realize fast and accurate segmentation of 2DE with a low time cost. Combining coordinate attention module and feature loss with the original U-Net framework can significantly increase the performance of the algorithm.
Systematic Review of Studies Addressing Computer-Assisted Instruction for Students with Visual Impairment
Authors: Tuttle Michael , Carter Erik W.
Published: May 2022

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) gives students with visual impairment (VI) immediate access to information and enables direct collaboration with sighted educators and peers. This systematic review examined interventions addressing the impact of CAI interventions on school-age children with VI. Twenty-eight studies examined CAI interventions implemented with 339 students with VI. The CAI interventions fell into five categories: digital texts, word processors, haptic simulations, educational platforms, and serious games. Findings from this review highlight the need for: (a) addressing students’ preparation or mastery for technology skills needed to participate in CAI; (b) more diverse recruitment of participants with VI; and (c) incorporating educators as implementers of CAI. Implications for practice and research are also addressed.
A Comparison of Science Vocabulary Acquisition Using Keyword Mnemonics via Technology and Flash Cards
Authors: Slemrod Tal , Howorth Sarah , Wood Leah , Lemmi Catherine , Hart Shelley , Cheney Douglas , West Elizabeth
Published: May 2022

There is a growing recognition of the importance of effective instruction in the STEM subjects, including science. The movement towards increased requirements and expectations in science presents a challenge to both students and teachers as many students with Learning Disabilities (LD) often struggle, particularly in their science classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a technology intervention targeting the acquisition of science vocabulary for adolescents with LD in a general education secondary biology classroom. Additionally, a purpose was to examine the usability and feasibility of a tech-based science vocabulary intervention for secondary science teachers. Participants for this study included three secondary students with LD who were enrolled in a biology class. A multiple treatment reversal design was used to compare the effects of a keyword mnemonic vocabulary intervention via index cards or iPod touch on student vocabulary acquisition. All students acquired the content vocabulary equally well during both conditions. It was clear that the students had a strong interest in using technology to increase their grades and engagement; however, the teachers had little access and training on using technology to support their students with disabilities.
Paradoxical inclusion of India’s ex-untouchables in New Casteist media
Authors: Saha Ali , Gunawardana Samanthi
Published: May 2022

Media as a site of reproduction of existing social relations and inequality is a significant area of research. This article explores how mainstream print media contributes to an area of entrenched inequality in India: caste-based inequalities and dominant-subordinate power relations. It explicitly examines how Dalit communities, who for centuries were forced to abide by casteist notions of hierarchy, are framed by Indian news media. A comparative approach using content and framing analysis have been undertaken to analyse the news media reports on Dalit discrimination published in the leading English (Times of India) and Hindi newspaper (Amar Ujala) from 2011 to 2014. Conceptualising the data along the lines of framing theory in a transitioning society, this study explores a new-casteist approach to reporting Dalits. The news media reports the Dalit grievances but ignores the complexities of ethnocultural minorities in a transitioning democratic society and involves Dalit passive-fixation and/or demonisation.
‘Speak of me as […]’: Refashioning geographies of monstrosity in Othello
Authors: Compagnoni Michela
Published: May 2022

The connection between monstrosity, space, and power in Othello is explored through the notion of ‘geographies of monstrosity’. I argue that the play's spatial collocation of monsters and a-normativity echoes the Renaissance transition towards a more introjected perception of monstrosity, which does not occur when Othello is in a ‘central’ place (Venice), but when he moves to a frontier point (Cyprus) and refashions himself as the monstrous protagonist of tales to be circulated in Venice. As suggested, this emergence of an inner geography of monstrosity is strictly linked to the subversion of power politics.
The Remarriage Belief Inventory: A Validation Study in the Remarried Portuguese Population
Authors: Santos Carina , Higginbotham Brian J. , Costa Maria Emília , Martins Mariana Veloso
Published: May 2022

Dysfunctional beliefs from previous experiences and unrealistic expectations can lead to low remarital quality. This study assessed the factor structure of the Portuguese version of the Remarriage Belief Inventory (RMBI). Data were analyzed with 741 remarried individuals. Participants were recruited through a web-based survey (LimeSurvey software) between January 2019 and July 2020. Two independent researchers translated the RMBI, and retroversion was performed by an independent bilingual research. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed seven dimensions (Adjustment, Finances, Priority, Partner, Success, Stepfamily, and Past) confirming the original seven-factor structure. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed good fit of data (CFA) fit (χ2 (130) = 363.588, χ2/ df = 2.79, p = .000; CFI = .93; GFI = .95; RMSEA = .05). Results revealed good internal consistency (α = 0.72). The RMBI also revealed good psychometric properties for construct validity, with measures of dyadic adjustment, stress, and social support. Implications and future research were discussed.
The Anti-Intellectual Coach: The Cultural Politics of College Football Coaching from the New Left to the Present
Authors: McGregor Andrew
Published: May 2022

College football coaches often position themselves as defenders of American values. As popular figures with influence, coaches are able to shape public views about a variety of political and social issues. Coaches can also alter the ways fans perceive athletes, many who are racial and ethnic minorities, and understand the inner workings of the sports world. Relying on the popular press, this article explores the rhetoric of big-time white college football coaches and documents instances where they weigh in on social and cultural issues, such as the New Left and Title IX, to gain a fuller appreciation of the political and intellectual role coaches played during the culture wars. It argues that coaches became key conservative voices that adopted an anti-intellectual tone as college football emerged as a front in America’s polarized culture wars.
Adapting Teaching to Include Diversity and for Transition into Online Teaching
Authors: Gupta Santanu
Published: May 2022

I explain how the concept of profit maximization and its link with elasticity can be done without recourse to calculus for the benefit of students with non-mathematical backgrounds. In the time of the ongoing pandemic, I tried teaching methods that bring the advantages of off-line teaching to online mode, namely extensive use of blackboard, the use of WhatsApp for receiving solutions of students in class, and the use of an extra monitor for students to view, not only the instructor but also the person asking questions or simply putting a view.
The effect of vitamin D on sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mirzaei-Azandaryani Zahra , Abdolalipour Somyieh , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: May 2022

Background: Poor sleep quality is a common problem in the general population that affects the quality of life of individuals. Aim: This systematic review aimed to determine the effect of vitamin D on sleep quality (primary outcome) and side effects (secondary outcome). Methods: A systematic search was performed using Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Google Scholar, SID, and Magiran databases with no limit at the time of publication. Cochrane collaboration instrument was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. RevMan software was used for meta-analysis. Mean Difference was calculated due to the same sleep quality measurement tools in all studies. Heterogeneity of studies was assessed using I-squared ([Formula: see text]). Due to high heterogeneity ([Formula: see text] > 75%), Random Effect was used instead of Fixed Effect. Results: Out of a total of 1637 titles and abstracts found, after removing duplicate items (23 items), 1596 items were removed due to irrelevance and lack of inclusion criteria. 18 articles were fully studied due to insufficient abstract information and finally, 5 articles were entered into systematic review and meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the use of vitamin D supplementation significantly improves sleep quality (MD: −1.32; 95%CI: −2.55 to −0.09; P = 0.04). Conclusions: Also, according to the findings of this study, receiving vitamin D supplementation did not cause any side effects. According to the results of this review study, sleep quality in people receiving vitamin D significantly improved compared to the control group.
Bayesian Games with Rationally Inattentive Players
Authors: Wang Rongyu
Published: May 2022

We study how scarcity of attention affects strategic choice behaviour in a 2-player incomplete information entry game. Scarcity of attention is a common psychological character among population ( Kahnemann, 1973 , Attention and effort, Prentice Hall), and it is modelled by the rational inattention approach introduced by Sims (1998 , Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, 49, 317–356). In this game, players acquire information about their private payoff shocks at a cost, which follows a high-low binary distribution. We find that high information cost can generate multiple equilibria, and the number of equilibria differs with respect to different ranges of information cost. The number of equilibria could be 1, 5 or 3. Increasing the information cost could encourage or discourage a player to choose entry in some equilibria. This depends on whether the prior probability of high payoff shocks is greater than a given threshold value. We also exhibit a necessary and sufficient condition of parameter specification such that with the same set of parameters satisfying this condition, both the rational inattention Bayesian game and a Bayesian quantal response equilibrium game where the observation errors are additive and follow a Type-I extreme value distribution can have a common equilibrium.

JEL: C72, D91
Inheriting Cosmopolitics: Pericles, Whitehead, Stengers
Authors: Stürmer Milan , Bella Daniel
Published: May 2022

Isabelle Stengers’ cosmopolitical proposal is an influential attempt by a European philosopher to transform the burdensome legacy of Western thought. Reconsidering her comprehensive engagement with the cosmology of the British mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, this article reveals two concepts as foundational to Stengers’ cosmopolitics: civilization and commerce. While not usually associated with a critical political theory, in her development of what we call a commercial political ontology, Stengers explores the modes of inheriting these ostracized notions. By tracing the genealogy of this political ontology back to Pericles’ first explicit defense of persuasion as a requisite for civilization, we argue that Pericles’ famous funeral oration provides the structure for Whitehead’s cosmology, and, ultimately, Stengers’ cosmopolitics. As such, we understand her cosmopolitical proposal as a dress rehearsal of a funeral eulogy for bourgeois society.
A sequential approach to detecting differential rater functioning in sparse rater-mediated assessment networks
Authors: Wind Stefanie A.
Published: May 2022

Researchers frequently evaluate rater judgments in performance assessments for evidence of differential rater functioning (DRF), which occurs when rater severity is systematically related to construct-irrelevant student characteristics after controlling for student achievement levels. However, researchers have observed that methods for detecting DRF may be limited in sparse rating designs, where it is not possible for every rater to score every student. In these designs, there is limited information with which to detect DRF. Sparse designs can also exacerbate the impact of artificial DRF, which occurs when raters are inaccurately flagged for DRF due to statistical artifacts. In this study, a sequential method is adapted from previous research on differential item functioning (DIF) that allows researchers to detect DRF more accurately and distinguish between true and artificial DRF. Analyses of data from a rater-mediated writing assessment and a simulation study demonstrate that the sequential approach results in different conclusions about which raters exhibit DRF. Moreover, the simulation study results suggest that the sequential procedure results in improved accuracy in DRF detection across a variety of rating design conditions. Practical implications for language testing research are discussed.
Non-invasive and invasive measurement of skeletal muscular oxygenation during isolated limb perfusion
Authors: Corderfeldt Keiller Anna , Holmén Anna , Hansson Christoffer , Ricksten Sven-Erik , Bragadottir Gudrun , Olofsson Bagge Roger
Published: May 2022

Background

Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is a regional surgical treatment for localized metastatic disease. High doses of chemotherapeutic agents are administered within an extracorporeal circulated isolated extremity, treating the metastasis, while systemic toxicity is avoided. To our knowledge, indexed oxygen supply/demand relationship during ILP has not previously been described. Our aim was to measure and describe oxygen metabolism, specifically oxygen delivery, consumption, and extraction, in an isolated leg/arm during ILP. Also investigate whether invasive oxygenation measurement during ILP correlates and can be used interchangeable with the non-invasive method, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Methods:

Data from 40 patients scheduled for ILP were included. At six time points blood samples were drawn during the procedure. DO2, VO2, and O2ER were calculated according to standard formulas. NIRS and hemodynamics were recorded every 10 min.

Results:

For all observations, the mean of DO2 was 190±59 ml/min/m2, VO2 was 35±8 ml/min/m2, and O2ER was 21±8%. VO2 was significantly higher in legs compared to arms (38±8 vs. 29±7 ml/min/m2, p=0.02). Repeated measures showed a significant decrease in DO2 in legs (209±65 to 180±66 ml/min/m2, p=<0.01) and in arms (252±72 to 150±57 ml/min/m2, p=<0.01). Significant increase in O2ER in arms was also found (p=0.03). Significant correlation was detected between NIRS and venous extremity oxygen saturation (SveO2) (rrm=0.568, p=<. 001, 95% CI 0.397–0.701). When comparing SveO2 and NIRS using a Bland–Altman analysis, the mean difference (bias) was 8.26±13.03 (p=<. 001) and the limit of agreement was − 17.28–33.09, with an error of 32.5%.

Conclusion:

DO2 above 170 ml/min/m2 during ILP kept O2ER below 30% for all observations. NIRS correlates significant to SveO2; however, the two methods do not agree sufficiently to work interchangeable. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT04460053 and NCT03073304.
Study on the correlation between high density lipoprotein and lower extremities deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty
Authors: Li Yong , Shan Junbiao
Published: May 2022

Objective

To explore the relationship between high density lipoprotein (HDL) and lower extremities deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty.

Methods

A total of 348 patients undergoing hip arthroplasty in our hospital were enrolled, and divided into observation ( n = 154, 44.25%) and control ( n = 194, 55.75%) groups according to the occurrence of lower extremities DVT. The presence of DVT was assessed 1 day before surgery and routinely every 2 days after surgery. The factors of DVT were analyzed by single factor analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and Pearson correlation.

Results

The age and body mass index in the observation group were significantly higher ( p = .045, p = .041, respectively), while HDL-C was significantly lower ( p = .032) than the control group. Increase age, high BMI, low apolipoprotein-A1 level and low HDL-C level were risk factors for lower extremities DVT. The mean HDL-C in the observation and control groups was 0.91 ± 0.27 and 1.19 ± 0.37, respectively, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.050; 95% CI 1.010–1.092, p = .014.

Conclusion

Elderly patients with high BMI and low HDL-C level undergoing hip arthroplasty are at risk of lower extremities DVT, and should be paid attention to clinically.
Exercising with Parkinson's: The good, the bad and the need for support to keep exercising. A qualitative study
Authors: Flynn Allyson , Dennis Sarah , Preston Elisabeth , Canning Colleen G , Allen Natalie E
Published: May 2022

Objectives

To explore the experiences of people with Parkinson's disease exercising and to determine if the location (home versus centre) or exercising in a group impacted on their experience.

Design

A qualitative study.

Participants

Community-dwelling people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease who had undertaken a 10-week exercise intervention.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants; nine participants had completed 10-weeks of predominately home-based exercise and eight participants had predominately centre-based excercise. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Four key themes emerged. Two themes: ‘targeted exercise is important when you have Parkinson's disease’ and ‘support helps me to gain the most from the exercise’, were related to exercising with Parkinson's disease and were not specific to location. Two themes encompassed the perceptions when exercising at a centre in a group compared to exercising at home: ‘the good and the bad of exercising in a group’ and ‘exercising at home, can I do it?’

Conclusion

Experiences of people with Parkinson's disease when exercising were primarily influenced by the prescription of specific exercise and the support provided. There was no clear preference for the location of exercise but maintaining the motivation to exercise at home was challenging.
Efficacy and safety of supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine for patients with bipolar depression in adults: A systematic review
Authors: George Seena , Maiti Rituparna , Mishra Archana , Ranjan Mishra Biswa , Jena Monalisa
Published: May 2022

Background:

In bipolar disorder (BD), depression is the most difficult-to-treat dimension and available evidence suggests that add-on supraphysiological doses of levothyroxine may be an effective augmenting agent.

Aim:

This systematic review has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine in bipolar depression in adults.

Methods:

After a comprehensive literature search on MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane databases and International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP), reviewers extracted data from eight relevant articles. PRISMA guidelines were followed in the selection, analysis and reporting of findings. Quality assessment was done using the risk of bias assessment and a random effects model was used to estimate effect size. Meta-analysis could not be done due to the lack of randomized, placebo-controlled trials and adequate data. A systematic review was done on eight studies and analysis on the pre–post change in Hamilton depression rating scale score (HDRS) was done for six studies.

Results:

The random model analysis of pooled effects showed a standardized mean difference of HDRS score by 2.62 (95% CI: 2.21–3.04; p < 0.0001). The responder and remission rates were not significant as reported in one study. Markov chain analysis performed in one study revealed that patients in the levothyroxine group had a significantly greater increase in time in the euthymic state and a decrease in the mixed state. In most of the studies, levothyroxine therapy was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events.

Conclusion:

Add-on supraphysiological dose of levothyroxine has a potential role in attenuating depressive symptoms in bipolar depression, especially in therapy-resistant BD.

PROSPERO Registration Number:

CRD42020218456.
Males and females differ in reported sexual functioning with escitalopram treatment for major depressive disorder: A CAN-BIND-1 study report
Authors: Espinola Caroline W , Khoo Yuelee , Parmar Roohie , Demchenko Ilya , Frey Benicio N , Milev Roumen V , Ravindran Arun V , Parikh Sagar V , Ho Keith , Rotzinger Susan , Lou Wendy , Lam Raymond W , Kennedy Sidney H , Bhat Venkat
Published: May 2022

Background:

Antidepressant use for major depressive disorder (MDD) is frequently associated with sexual dysfunction.

Aims:

Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between antidepressant treatment outcomes and sexual functioning (SF) were evaluated separately for males and females receiving escitalopram. We further assessed the association between pre- and posttreatment SF.

Methods:

In all, 208 of the 211 CAN-BIND-1 trial participants (77 males and 131 females) with MDD and detectable drug blood levels were eligible for the analyses. All received escitalopram (10–20 mg) for 8 weeks. At baseline and Week 8, participants completed the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the SexFx scale, which measures sexual satisfaction and SF frequency. Mixed-model repeated measures assessed baseline to Week 8 SF changes among participants with different response/remission statuses. Multiple linear regression analyses examined SF differences between treatment outcomes at Week 8 as well as associations between pretreatment and eventual SF.

Results:

For both sexes, overall sexual satisfaction improved among responders but not among nonresponders ( p < 0.05). For females, overall SF frequency did not change significantly over time regardless of response status. For males, overall SF decreased significantly among nonresponders; orgasm decreased significantly among nonresponders and, to a lesser extent, among responders ( p < 0.05). For both sexes, pretreatment SF was significantly associated with SF at Week 8 across all domains ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

For both sexes, sexual satisfaction improves with response to escitalopram. For females, the response does not correspond to improvements in SF frequency. For males, SF frequency, particularly that of orgasm, declines regardless of response/nonresponse. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01655706
Determinants of Low-Income Women’s Participation in Self-Collected Samples for Cervical Cancer Detection: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Asare Matthew , Lanning Beth A. , Montealegre Jane R. , Akowuah Emmanuel , Adunlin Georges , Rose Tiffany
Published: May 2022

Background

Low-income women (LIW) are underrepresented in physician-provided cervical cancer screening. Providing women with an option for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling would increase cervical cancer screening. However, little is known about LIW’s attitude towards self-sampling for cervical cancer. We determined the associations between the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs and LIW intention for participation in the HPV self-sampling.

Methods

A 44-item survey was administered among women receiving food from a food pantry in central Texas. Independent variables included TPB constructs (i.e., attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control). The outcome variables were intentions and preference for self-sampling. Both variables were measured on a 5-point scale. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to analyze the data.

Results

A sample of 241 participants (age 50.13 ± 9.60 years) comprising non-Hispanic White (40%), Black/African American (27%), and Hispanic (30%) participated in the study. The participants were current with a pap test (54.8%) and preferred self-sampling (42%). The participant’s attitudes and subjective norms were significantly associated with their intention for self-sampling, accounting for 38.7% of the variance ( p < .001). Women who were overdue for pap testing versus current with pap testing had increased odds of preferring self-sampling (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.27, 6.04).

Conclusions

The key predictors for LIW’s intention for self-sampling included attitudes and subjective norms. Future research should use the TPB as a framework to examine whether intention predicts self-sampling behavior among LIW.
Delayed visit and treatment of lung cancer during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan: a retrospective study
Authors: Terashima Takeshi , Tsutsumi Akihiro , Iwami Eri , Kuroda Aoi , Nakajima Takahiro , Eguchi Keisuke
Published: May 2022

Objective

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cancer care remains a concern. We aimed to evaluate access to diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer during the pandemic.

Methods

Times (days) from lung cancer symptom onset or referral to visit (pre-visit time), from visit to diagnosis (pre-diagnosis time), and from diagnosis to treatment (pre-treatment time) during the pandemic were compared with the times during the pre-pandemic period.

Results

The number of patients diagnosed with lung cancer was 82 and 75 during the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods, respectively. The percentage of patients with advanced-stage cancer was higher (65.9% vs. 46.7%), the percentage of patients treated with surgery was lower and the percentage treated with medication was higher (24.4% vs. 41.3% and 57.3% vs. 40.0%, respectively), the pre-visit time was longer (28.2 vs. 11.4 days), and the pre-treatment time for surgery was longer (67.3 vs. 45.6 days) during the pandemic compared with the times during the pre-pandemic period, respectively.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in delayed diagnoses, which could have led to patients being diagnosed with advanced disease. The pandemic also resulted in delayed therapy owing to the requirement for available intensive care unit beds for emergencies, including surgery.
Role of cervical cancer screening during prenatal checkups for infectious diseases: A retrospective, descriptive study
Authors: Maruyama Yasuyo , Sukegawa Akiko , Yoshida Hiromi , Iwaizumi Yukiha , Nakagawa Sayako , Kino Tamina , Suzuki Yukio , Kubota Kazumi , Hirabuki Tomoo , Mizushima Taichi , Miyagi Etsuko
Published: May 2022

Objective

This study was conducted to evaluate the status and role of cervical cytology affected by human papillomavirus infection and other infectious diseases screened during routine prenatal checkups.

Methods

We retrospectively examined medical records containing the screening results for infectious diseases and cervical cancer in women who delivered neonates in our hospital from 2014 to 2017.

Results

Among 3393 deliveries, 18.8% of women underwent a regular cervical cancer screening within 1 year of becoming pregnant, and 2641 women underwent a cervical cytology screening during this pregnancy. The cytological diagnostic results showed that 2562 women (97.0%) were negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy, whereas 79 (3.0%) had abnormal results. Of those with abnormal cytology results, 70 had abnormal cytology that was newly detected in this pregnancy, and 42 had grade ≥1 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions. Spatulas were the most frequently used cytological sampling instruments, followed by cotton swabs. Cervical cytology revealed no major adverse reactions during these pregnancies.

Conclusions

Our results confirm the importance of screening for infectious diseases during pregnancy. Only 20% of the women underwent a regular pre-pregnancy cervical cytology screening. Cervical cytology screening during pregnancy may currently be playing a crucial role in preventing cervical cancer in Japan.
Aneurysmal bone cyst of the proximal femur concomitant with Graves’ disease and Moyamoya disease: report of a rare case
Authors: Gao-Rui Cai , Guo-Neng Chen , Wen-Xue Jiang
Published: May 2022

Aneurysmal bone cyst is a type of benign bone pathology with expansile and osteolytic features whose etiology remains unclear. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by diffuse goiter and hyperthyroidism. Moyamoya disease is a progressive cerebral vasculopathy. It has been reported that Graves’ disease and Moyamoya disease share a similar etiology involving cytokines and autoimmune and genetic factors. There are no previous reports regarding the relationship between aneurysmal bone cyst and Graves’ disease. Here, we present the rare case of a 25-year-old woman with suspected aneurysmal bone cyst of the left proximal femur and a definite preoperative diagnosis of Graves’ disease, in whom lesion resection combined with left total hip replacement was indicated. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst. Three days postoperatively, the patient developed acute ischemic cerebral infarction owing to Moyamoya disease, which was subsequently confirmed. This case elucidates the potential interaction among aneurysmal bone cysts, Graves’ disease, and Moyamoya disease and provides lessons regarding appropriate perioperative preparation for patients with Graves’ disease who require surgery to avoid potential severe complications.
Evaluation of health-related quality of life and influencing factors in patients with Crohn disease
Authors: Gao Nan , Qiao Zhenguo , Yan Su , Zhu Lanxiang
Published: May 2022

Objective

We assessed levels of anxiety and depression in patients with Crohn disease (CD) to identify predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

In this case-control study, we enrolled 50 adult patients with CD and 50 matched, healthy controls. All participants completed self-administered questionnaires including the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ, patients only). We analyzed the relationship between HRQOL and influencing factors.

Results

Mean total scores on the SAS, SDS, and SF-36 were significantly different between patients and controls. IBDQ scores among patients in the active phase of CD were significantly lower than those in remission phase. SF-36 scores were significantly lower in patients with CD compared with healthy controls. SF-36 scores among patients with active CD were significantly lower than scores among those in remission, and SF-36 scores in patients without complications were significantly higher than in those with complications. SF-36 scores in patients with good nutritional status were also significantly higher than scores in malnourished patients with CD.

Conclusions

Depression, anxiety, disease activity, complications, and nutritional status were predictive factors of decreased HRQOL in patients with CD.
Characterization of a novel HBB:c.194dup variant of the β-globin gene combined with six alpha genes
Authors: Huang Jungao , Ding Le , Chen Junkun , Chen Shiping , Tian Peirun , Xie Jun , Huang Xiaoyan , Xin Xiaoqin
Published: May 2022

β-thalassemia (β-thal) is one of the most prevalent inherited blood disorders in Ganzhou, south China. Next-generation sequencing was used to screen for thalassemia carriers in the general population. During the screening, we identified a novel β-thal variant in a 46-year-old Chinese man, which was validated by Sanger sequencing. Based on the patient’s clinical data, this novel mutation was classified as severe β0. However, the patient was mildly anemic (hemoglobin, 89 g/L), which was inconsistent with typical β0 carrier characteristics. On further evaluation, quantitative PCR indicated the presence of six α genes, while molecular analysis and pedigree analysis revealed the coexistence of αααanti3.7 and αααanti4.2. Therefore, we report a novel β-thal variant combined with six α genes. We describe the patient’s clinical phenotype and the process of molecular diagnosis. This case extends the spectrum of thalassemia variants.