bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrative description of Pilatobius nuominensis sp. nov. (Tardigrada: Hypsibiidae) from China
Authors: SUN XUE-LING , ZHANG JING-YU , WANG NING , ZHAO MIN , LUO XUE-GANG
Published: August 2021

A newly identified tardigrade species from China, Pilatobius nuominensis sp. nov., belongs to the group of species with cuticle of the dorsal and lateral caudal region with evident irregular polygonal sculpture. Nucleotide sequences of two nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA) and one mitochondrial (COI) DNA fragments of the new species are provided, which allows an independent verification of the taxonomic status of the new species. This is the first record of the genus Pilatobius in the Great Hinggan Mountains.
The Economic Status of People with Disabilities and Their Families since the Great Recession
Authors: Bengali Leila , Daly Mary C. , Lofton Olivia , Valletta Robert G.
Published: August 2021

People with disabilities face substantial barriers to sustained employment and stable, adequate income. We assess how they and their families fared during the long economic expansion that followed the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, using data from the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) and the March CPS annual income supplement. We find that the expansion bolstered the well-being of people with disabilities and, in particular, their labor market engagement. We also find that federal disability benefits fell during the expansion. On balance, our results suggest that sustained economic growth can bolster the labor market engagement of people with disabilities and potentially reduce their reliance on disability benefits.
Justice-Involved Individuals in the Labor Market since the Great Recession
Authors: Finlay Keith , Mueller-Smith Michael
Published: August 2021

We examine how individuals convicted of a felony or released from prison have fared in the labor market since the Great Recession. Using data from thirteen states in the Criminal Justice Administrative Records System (CJARS) linked with IRS W-2 information, we measure the employment and earnings of cohorts with focal criminal justice events before, during, and after the recession. These justice-involved cohorts experienced significant declines in employment and earnings during and immediately after the recession. Outcomes improved moderately during the long recovery but are still far below those of a reference group of people without high school degrees who were not involved in the justice system. We also correlate the employment outcomes of the justice involved to industry-specific local economic performance, finding that expansions in the construction and other services sectors are positively correlated with growing employment and especially earnings.
A Growing Divide: The Promise and Pitfalls of Higher Education for the Working Class
Authors: Webber Douglas A.
Published: August 2021

This article is an analysis of recent dynamics in U.S. higher education, paying particular attention to how the market for higher education has changed since the Great Recession and how those changes have affected the working class. I examine the evolution of higher education over the past decade from the perspectives of both students and institutions, and document ways in which the Great Recession exacerbated inequality in access to college and outcomes among those who attend. While the expected return to attending college remains high, the downside risk (driven largely by student debt and a high degree of noncompletion) is also nontrivial. As in many other contexts, the burden of this risk is not shared equally across the population but is shouldered most acutely by students from low-income backgrounds, particularly among underrepresented minority groups.
Improving the Fortunes of America’s Working Class
Authors: Burtless Gary , Sawhill Isabel V.
Published: August 2021

The prosperity of America’s working class depends on trends in their employment and earnings, but also on the social protection and income supplements they receive as a result of government policy. Since 2000, working-class wages climbed slowly once we account for the increase in consumer prices. Nonetheless, the total personal income of lower- and middle-income families increased considerably faster than their wages. As documented in the article, the income gains were in part the result of rising fringe benefits from employers and even more the result of rising government subsidies for health insurance and social protection. The article recommends a range of policies to increase the pace of working-class income gains, including macroeconomic policies that increase the duration of economic expansions, reforms in labor law to improve workers’ bargaining power, boosting the minimum wage, and revising occupational training of non-college-educated workers to boost their earning power.
Psychoanalysis and Telepathic Processes
Authors: Rabeyron Thomas , Evrard Renaud , Massicotte Claudie
Published: August 2021

Freud’s writing on the topic of thought-transference stimulated controversy among analysts and original reflection on psychoanalytic understandings of the psyche. The notion of telepathy has also contributed significantly to the development of fundamental psychoanalytic concepts, including transference, projective identification, and primary forms of symbolization processes. The notion of telepathy, especially in light of current trends in post-Bionian and field theories, is used to outline an epistemological framework in which the clinical relevance of this notion becomes clear. Epistemological questions raised by telepathy and how this notion relates to the most originary and primary forms of the intersubjective relationship are addressed before questioning the conditions for the emergence of telepathy, its integration within contemporary psychoanalytic theory, and its ontological nature.
Lee Jaffe’s Unifying Approach to Psychoanalysis
Authors: Sugarman Alan
Published: August 2021

Lee Jaffe’s presidential plenary paper demonstrates his career-long emphasis on unifying psychoanalysis and its theories. His use of Freud’s various technical concepts to make psychoanalytic theory applicable to talking psychotherapies of all kinds, analytic and nonanalytic, is a notable achievement and a useful pedagogical tool. By valuing common ground and unification, he aligns himself with luminaries such as Wallerstein and Rangell, who had similar goals. In keeping with these values, I offer a schematic outline of what the sort of integrated model valued by Jaffe might include.
Effect of MWCNT addition on the optical band gap of PVA/CS transient biocomposites
Authors: Mergen Ömer Bahadır
Published: August 2021

In recent years, as a result of increasing environmental concerns, biodegradable materials have gained great attention. With the rapid development of electronic technology, the importance of innovation and development of low-cost, sustainable, transient bioelectronics materials is increasing. In this research, the preparation of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) (PVA), Chitosan (CS), and Multi-Walled Carbon nanotube (MWCNT) biocomposite films have been described. The solution mixing, ultrasonic mixing, and spin coating techniques were used to prepare the PVA/CS/MWCNT biocomposite thin films. UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and two-point probe resistivity measurement techniques were used to study the optical and electrical properties of the biocomposite thin films. Optical band gap energies ( Eg) of PVA/CS/MWCNT biocomposites were obtained using the Tauc and Absorbance Spectrum Fitting (ASF) methods. Results obtained with both methods were found to be exactly the same. Experimental results have shown that with increasing MWCNT concentration, electrical conductivity (σ) increases from 1.75x10−16 S to 2.94x10−3 S, and Eg decreases significantly. At the same time, the fundamental optical parameters such as band tail (Urbach) energy ( Eu), refractive index ( n), absorption ( α), and extinction ( k) coefficient of the PVA/CS/MWCNT biocomposites were investigated in the UV-VIS range. The improvement observed in the optical and electrical properties of PVA/CS/MWCNT biocomposite films shows that these composites could be used as bioelectronics materials.
Revisiting the Idea of Learner-Centered Pedagogy: The Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Msonde Sydney Enock
Published: August 2021

Over the years, three common theoretical perspectives dominated the practices of learner-centered pedagogy (LCP) across the world. These perspectives include constructivism, humanism, and transformative theoretical traditions. This article critically examines the contributions and weaknesses of these theoretical traditions as ways of conceptualizing how learning occurs. Then, the researcher revisited the idea of “learner-centered pedagogy” in a new theoretical strand that strives to engage learners in discerning critical aspects of the object of learning. Therefore, it is argued that the new theoretical strand, the variation theory, makes a powerful contribution to LCP practices in bringing about student learning.
A broader conception of school choice
Authors: Ben-Porath Sigal
Published: August 2021

Historically, debates about educational choice have wrestled with big, unresolved tensions that lie at the heart of American life, having to do with individual rights, community obligations, public and private interests, religious freedoms, and more. But in recent years, school reformers have tended to talk about choice as though it referred only to vouchers and charter schools, which provide benefits to a small number of individual children, while doing precious little for the larger community. Further, these approaches leave the greatest amount of choice in the hands of affluent parents, who are able to choose their schools by moving to exclusive neighborhoods. Vouchers and charter schools do nothing to address this imbalance.
Even as our nation seeks unity, let there be dissent in schools
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M.
Published: August 2021

Political dissent has played an important role in giving U.S. citizens a voice and promoting justice for all. But too often, Sarah Stitzlein argues, dissent is underappreciated, especially in schools. Stitzlein discusses the obstacles to teaching dissent, particularly political movements seeking to suppress curricula and ideas that are considered controversial. She suggests that, instead of silencing dissenting voices, teachers should seek out ways to foreground dissent, by teaching the history of political dissent, getting students to practice skills of disagreement, helping students discern which ideas and voices are worthy of consideration, and modeling respectful engagement with a variety of views.
The importance and emergence of K-12 data science
Authors: LaMar Tanya , Boaler Jo
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 global pandemic has required everyone to make sense of data about community spread, levels of risk, and vaccine efficacy. Yet research shows that students are underprepared in data literacy. Tanya LaMar and Jo Boaler argue that data science education provides an opportunity to address this problem while providing much needed updates to the current mathematics curriculum. The integration of data science can provide a more equitable mathematics pipeline than the calculus-focused pathway that has excluded most students from a future in mathematics. Through data science, students can learn to answer questions that are relevant to their lives and communities, to be critical consumers of the data that surround them every day, and to wield the power of data analysis.
Separation Theorems in Econometrics and Psychometrics: Rasch, Frisch, Two Fishers and Implications for Measurement
Authors: Fisher William P.
Published: August 2021

In 1959, Ragnar Frisch prompted Georg Rasch to formalise a separability theorem that continues today to serve as the basis of a wide range of theoretical and applied developments in psychological and social measurement. Previously unnoted are the influences on Rasch exerted by Frisch’s concerns for data autonomy, model identification and necessary and sufficient conditions. Although Rasch acknowledged Frisch’s prompting towards a separability theorem, he did not acknowledge any substantive, intellectual debt to him, nor to Irving Fisher, but only to Ronald Fisher. Rasch appears to have developed a special interest in sufficiency and identified models when studying with Frisch in 1935, and in 1947, when Rasch accompanied Tjalling Koopmans to the University of Chicago and the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics. I. Fisher’s separation theorem continues to be relevant in econometrics, and interest in Rasch’s separability theorem is growing as the measurement models based on it are adopted in metrological theory and practice. The extensive interrelations between measurement science, metrological standards and economics suggest paths towards lower transaction costs and more efficient markets for individualised exchanges of human, social and natural capital. Equally, if not more, surprising are the implications for a poetic art of complex, harmonised relationships played out via creative improvisations expressed using instruments tuned to shared scales.

JEL: B41, C10, C13, C20, C42, D70, E60, H54, I11, I21, I31, P11
Democracy, populism, and the rule of law: A reconsideration of their interconnectedness
Authors: Adamidis Vasileios
Published: August 2021

Popular sovereignty plays a central role in both the democratic and the populist ideology. While democracy’s version of qualified sovereignty is accepted as mutually constitutive with the rule of law, populism’s version of absolute sovereignty is seen as incompatible with this ideal. The article reconsiders this oversimplifying approach. By examining the interaction of these concepts with a nuanced account of the rule of law, it argues for the compatibility of both democracy and populism with different versions of this ideal. While this remains a key distinguishing factor between democracy and populism, the ambiguity of the rule of law still allows populism to claim that it complies with a thin version of this concept.
Timely short-term specialized palliative care service intervention for older people with frailty and their family carers in primary care: Development and modelling of the frailty+ intervention using theory of change
Authors: de Nooijer Kim , Pivodic Lara , Van Den Noortgate Nele , Pype Peter , Evans Catherine , Van den Block Lieve
Published: August 2021

Background:

Palliative care is advocated for older people with frailty and multimorbidity in the community. However, how to best deliver it is unclear.

Aim:

To develop and model an intervention of short-term specialized palliative care that is initiated timely based on complex care needs and integrated with primary care for older people with frailty and their family, detailing the intervention components, outcomes and preconditions needed for implementation, using a novel theoretical approach.

Design:

Observational study informed by the UK MRC guidance for complex interventions integrated with a Theory of Change (i.e. hypothetical causal pathway to impact) approach. We synthesized evidence from a systematic review, semi-structured interviews, group discussions and Theory of Change workshops.

Setting:

Primary care in Flanders, Belgium.

Results:

We identified patient and family carer-related long-term outcomes and preconditions to achieve them for example, service providers are willing and able to deliver the intervention. The intervention components included implementation components, for example, training for service providers, and a core component, that is, provision of timely short-term specialized palliative care by a specialized palliative home care nurse. The latter includes: short-term service delivery; collaborative and integrative working within primary care; delivery of holistic needs- and capacity-based care; person-centred and family-focussed; and goal-oriented pro-active care.

Conclusions:

The Theory of Change approach allowed us to identify multiple intervention components targeting different stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes. It also facilitated a detailed description of the intervention which aims to increase replicability and effective comparisons with other interventions.
Working in disability employment: An interpretative phenomenological study of experiences of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia
Authors: Ottewell Namino
Published: August 2021

Aim

To understand how employees with schizophrenia in disability employment interpret their work experience.

Method

Nine people with schizophrenia were interviewed. Data were analysed with the interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

All participants regarded themselves as ‘persons with mental illness’. Some participants developed their mental illness identity by realising that working without accommodations is difficult. Although participants found working in the current company comfortable because the supervisors provided appropriate accommodations, they were dissatisfied with low salary. A proportion of the participants felt dissatisfaction with the menial work, which led to low levels of self-esteem as they viewed non-disability employment of higher value. In addition, the present study noted a difference between self-labelling and labelling by others; although participants regarded themselves as ‘persons with mental illness’, they felt reluctant to be viewed as such by others. Most of the participants wanted to work in non-disability employment in future for financial and personal reasons, such as to increase self-esteem.

Conclusion

It is imperative that benefits and other issues in disability employment for people with psychosocial disability relating to mental illness are explored more broadly in future research. Further, employers must create healthy workplaces, for all employees regardless of disability can benefit from it.
Effects of Hazmat Train Speed Restrictions on Train Delay Performance and Railroad Line Capacity: Comparative Study with Two Railway Simulation Tools
Authors: Parkes Matthew M. , Dick C. Tyler , Diaz de Rivera Adrian
Published: August 2021

In response to multiple derailments involving hazmat trains, in early February 2020 Transport Canada released ministerial order (MO) 20-02, imposing speed restrictions of 20 to 25 mph on trains transporting a sufficient quantity of hazardous material. Since much of the North American freight network is used by multiple train types, the extreme speed heterogeneity created by this mandate substantially reduced train performance. Although this order was replaced within 2 weeks by new speed restrictions that were in turn replaced in May, MO 20-02 introduced the most extreme levels of train speed heterogeneity. The research team investigated the corresponding capacity effects to better understand the effects of train speed heterogeneity at low speed and inform agencies on future speed restrictions in this range. Using Rail Traffic Controller and General Train Movement Simulator, we quantitatively investigated the capacity loss from these speed restrictions and found that MO 20-02 can double or triple average train delay and lead to mainline capacity loss in excess of 60% on a representative single-track mainline.
The Idea of Corporate Transitional Justice: Paths to Corporate Criminology in Brazil
Authors: Saad-Diniz Eduardo
Published: August 2021

The essay aims to exam corporate complicity with authoritarian regimes of the past and contemporary practices for the purposes of developing the body of corporate criminology. The opening of Brazilian criminological research to the role of companies during the military regime shines new lights on corporate accountability and may, when investigating the corporate complicity with authoritarian dynamics, also open new avenues for the transitional justice studies. Especially with regard to the idea of Corporate Transitional Justice, it assumes the need for broader debates about the historical continuum and different forms of business contributions and aspects of harming and victimizing in the corporate field.
T2-PROPELLER Compared to T2-FRFSE for Image Quality and Lesion Detection at Prostate MRI
Authors: Czyzewska Dorota , Sushentsev Nikita , Latoch Eryk , Slough Rhys A. , Barrett Tristan
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

The primary objective was to compare T2-FRFSE and T2-PROPELLER sequences for image quality. The secondary objective was to compare the ability to detect prostate lesions at MRI in the presence and absence of motion artefact using the 2 sequences.

Methods:

99 patients underwent 3 T MRI examination of the prostate, including T2-FRFSE and T2-PROPELLER sequences. All patients underwent prostate biopsy. Two independent readers rated overall image quality, presence of motion artefact, and blurring for both sequences using a 5-point Likert scale. Scores were compared for the whole group and for subgroups with and without significant motion artefact. Outcome for lesion detection at an MRI threshold of PI-RADS score ≥3 was compared between T2-FRFSE and T2-PROPELLER.

Results:

The overall image quality was not significantly different between T2-FRFSE and T2-PROPELLER sequences (3.74 vs. 3.93, p = 0.275). T2-PROPELLER recorded a lesser degree of motion artefact (score 4.53 vs. 3.78, p <0.0001), but demonstrated greater image blurring (score 3.29 vs. 3.73, p <0.001). However, in a subgroup of patients with significant motion artefact on T2-FRFSE, the T2-PROPELLER sequence demonstrated significantly higher image quality (3.46 vs. 2.49, p <0.001). T2-FRFSE and T2-PROPELLER showed comparable positive predictive values for lesion detection at 93.2% and 97.7%, respectively.

Conclusions:

T2-PROPELLER provides higher quality imaging in the presence of motion artefact, but T2-FRFSE is preferred in the absence of motion. T2-PROPELLER is therefore recommended as a secondary T2 sequence when imaging requires repeat acquisition due to motion artefact.
Two methods for constructing ZIF-8 nanomaterials with good bio compatibility and robust antibacterial applied to biomedical
Authors: Zhang Ying , Li Ting-Ting , Shiu Bing-Chiuan , Lin Jia-Horng , Lou Ching-Wen
Published: August 2021

Metal-organic framework materials not only possess porous structures, but also have excellent antibacterial properties. It is of great practical significance to prepare new antibacterial materials with excellent antibacterial effect by metal-organic framework materials. In our study, Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanomaterials with antibacterial properties were prepared via the solvent method and diethanolamine template method. The materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cold field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption experiment, antibacterial experiment, and biocompatibility experiment. Results showed that ZIF-8 prepared by solvent method has a more typical hexagonal structure, larger specific surface area, and smaller pore size, and the values are 1812.07 m2g−1 and 2.2412 nm, respectively. At the same time, the materials prepared by the two methods have excellent antibacterial properties, and exhibit good biocompatibility at low concentrations, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are higher than 95%, and the cell viabilities of the selected five material concentrations of 12.5 µg mL−1, 25 µg mL−1, 50 µg mL−1, 100 µg mL−1 and 200 µg mL−1 are more than 70%. Therefore, this study provides a feasible method for preparing Nano-scale antibacterial functional particles, and it is of great significance to broaden the application field of ZIF-8 materials and prepare ZIF-8 drug-delivery functional materials.
Internal controls, labour processes and work at the Isthmus Lockstation, Rideau Canal, 1832–1854: Discipline and governmentality at a distance
Authors: Bujaki Merridee , McConomy Bruce
Published: August 2021

The emergence of an internal control system to guide operations along the Rideau Canal beginning in 1832 is examined through analysis of a book of directives (the Order Book) maintained by the lockmaster at the Isthmus lockstation. The Orders guided the work of the lockmaster and established general controls and control activities. Orders for adequate documents and records, physical control over assets and records, and proper authorization of activities were common. Orders are seen as efforts by British Royal Engineers, who were geographically removed from the oversight of the Rideau Canal Office, to discipline civilian lockmasters and to encourage lockmasters to govern themselves. Comparing the Order Book to Orders and Regulations in place in 1831 for the Royal Engineers also highlights similarities between expectations of Royal Engineers and those established for the civilian workforce under their direction, indicating a transfer of accounting technologies from the Royal Engineers to the civilian workforce.
Evaluation of Various Detection Strategies in the Assessment of Noncredible Memory Performance: Results of Two Experimental Studies
Authors: Crişan Iulia , Sava Florin Alin , Maricuţoiu Laurenţiu Paul , Ciumăgeanu Mugur Daniel , Axinia Otilia , Gîrniceanu Lucian , Ciotlăuş Laura
Published: August 2021

Objective:

This article investigates the accuracy of individual and combined indicators based on different strategies for detecting noncredible performance as part of a new test for the continuous assessment of short-term memory.

Method:

In two independent studies, we assessed three groups of simulators, cognitively impaired patients, and nonimpaired community members with four tasks separated by a distractor.

Results:

Pairwise comparisons between receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed significant differences between two clusters of indicators: mean recognition, inconsistent responses in recognition, and false positives (area under the ROC curves > .800) proved more accurate than delayed recall and false negatives (area under the ROC curves < .800) in discriminating simulators from patients. Likewise, both studies revealed that adding the false positives indicator based on cued recall to mean recognition incrementally improved classification accuracy (including sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value ) compared with the recognition indicator alone.

Conclusions:

Our results support the association of two distinct indicators for the assessment of noncredible performance, of which one should be a forced-choice indicator.
The multifunctionality of expression systems in Bacillus subtilis: Emerging devices for the production of recombinant proteins
Authors: Souza Caio Coutinho de , Guimarães Jander Matos , Pereira Soraya dos Santos , Mariúba Luis André Morais
Published: August 2021

Bacillus subtilis is a successful host for producing recombinant proteins. Its GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and its remarkable innate ability to absorb and incorporate exogenous DNA into its genome make this organism an ideal platform for the heterologous expression of bioactive substances. The factors that corroborate its value can be attributed to the scientific knowledge obtained from decades of study regarding its biology that has fostered the development of several genetic engineering strategies, such as the use of different plasmids, engineering of constitutive or double promoters, chemical inducers, systems of self-inducing expression with or without a secretion system that uses a signal peptide, and so on. Tools that enrich the technological arsenal of this expression platform improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of production of proteins of biotechnological importance. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the major advances involving recombinant expression systems developed in B. subtilis, thus sustaining the generation of knowledge and its application in future research. It was verified that this bacterium is a model in constant demand and studies of the expression of recombinant proteins on a large scale are increasing in number. As such, it represents a powerful bacterial host for academic research and industrial purposes.
Epstein-Barr virus microRNA BART10-3p promotes dedifferentiation and proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting ALK7
Authors: Luo Wei-Jie , He Shi-Wei , Zou Wen-Qing , Zhao Yin , He Qing-Mei , Yang Xiao-Jing , Guo Rui , Mao Yan-Ping
Published: August 2021

Non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the major subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, is characterized by low differentiation and a close relation to Epstein-Barr virus infection, which indicates a link between Epstein-Barr virus oncogenesis and loss of differentiation, and raises our interest in investigating the involvement of Epstein-Barr virus in nasopharyngeal carcinoma dedifferentiation. Our previous study showed abundant expression of an Epstein-Barr virus-encoded microRNA, BART10-3p, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues, but the association between BART10-3p and nasopharyngeal carcinoma differentiation remains unknown. Here, we examined the expression and prognostic value of BART10-3p, and undertook bioinformatics analysis and functional assays to investigate the influence of BART10-3p on nasopharyngeal carcinoma differentiation and proliferation and the underpinning mechanism. Microarray analysis identified BART10-3p as the most significantly upregulated Epstein-Barr virus-encoded microRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and the upregulation was confirmed in two public datasets. The expression of BART10-3p was an independent unfavorable prognosticator in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its integration with the clinical stage showed improved prognosis predictive performance. Bioinformatics analysis suggested a potential role of BART10-3p in tumor differentiation and progression. Functional assays demonstrated that BART10-3p could promote nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell dedifferentiation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and proliferation in vitro, and tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistically, BART10-3p directly targeted the 3′UTR of ALK7 and suppressed its expression. Reconstitution of ALK7 rescued BART10-3p-induced malignant phenotypes. Overall, our study demonstrates that BART10-3p promotes dedifferentiation and proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting ALK7, suggesting a promising therapeutic opportunity to reverse the malignant phenotypes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Computed tomography-guided transforaminal lumbar puncture using local anesthesia and a straight 22-gauge spinal needle for intrathecal nusinersen in adults: Findings in 77 procedures
Authors: Cox Mougnyan , Atsina Kofi-Buaku , Ramchand Preethi , Ji Jonathan , Sedora-Roman Neda , Pukenas Bryan
Published: August 2021

Background

Intrathecal nusinersen is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy. Reliable intrathecal access is critical for initial and maintenance therapy; however, this can be challenging in older patients with spinal muscular atrophy many of whom have had prior lumbar instrumentation and osseous fusion. Transforaminal lumbar punctures have emerged as a technique for intrathecal access that avoids the hazards of cervical punctures. We describe our technique for transforaminal lumbar punctures under computed tomography guidance using local anesthesia and a straight 22-gauge needle.

Methods

Following local institutional review board approval, medical records of all patients undergoing computed tomography-guided transforaminal lumbar puncture for intrathecal nusinersen injection were obtained and analyzed. The rate of technical success and immediate complications were recorded. Any delayed complications noted in a 3-day follow-up phone call and future office visit were also recorded. Data collation and analysis were performed using Excel.

Results

A total of 77 transforaminal lumbar punctures were performed with intrathecal administration of nusinersen, for a 100% technical success rate. Local anesthesia was used in 76 cases, with conscious sedation used in one case. General anesthesia was not used in any case. There were no major complications. One patient had a postdural puncture headache that resolved completely after a transforaminal epidural blood patch performed 4 days later.

Conclusions

Intrathecal administration of nusinersen is critical for treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy. Our described technique allows for reliable access to the intrathecal space using local anesthesia and a straight 22-gauge spinal needle under computed tomography guidance, and is easily reproducible.
Impact of the CAMPUS Asia initiative for developing Japanese students’ attitude toward mutual understanding: A case study of the Japan–China–Korea trilateral exchange program
Authors: Hanada Shingo , Horie Miki
Published: August 2021

This article discusses the impacts of the East Asian Leaders Program (EALP) organized as a trilateral collaborative educational program participated by students from Japanese, Chinese, and Korean universities. The East Asian Leaders Program has been operated under the CAMPUS Asia initiative led by the governments of the three countries, aiming at cultivating talents who contribute to promoting mutual understanding between the three countries. The empirical analysis of this study was designed by a mixed method approach collected from 16 Japanese students. The results showed that the East Asian Leaders Program has cultivated students’ attitudes and skills for mutual understanding, including acceptance/willingness to understand, ability to consider different perspectives, self-expression and assertion, and initiative and resilience. As this study indicates that the East Asian Leaders Program is effective for fostering students’ attitudes toward mutual understanding, further policy development should consider encouraging universities to develop such practices to increase intra-Asian student mobility as an alternative strategy for the internationalization of higher education.
Gradual dilatation of an occluded transverse sinus associated with dural arteriovenous fistula after balloon angioplasty with sinus packing: A case report
Authors: Osuki Takuya , Ikeda Hiroyuki , Hayashi Tomoko , Park Silsu , Uezato Minami , Kinosada Masanori , Kurosaki Yoshitaka , Handa Akira , Chin Masaki
Published: August 2021

Background

There is no consensus as to whether balloon angioplasty alone or stent placement is effective for sinus occlusion associated with dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). Herein, we first report a case of transverse sinus occlusion associated with DAVF in which gradual sinus dilatation was observed after balloon angioplasty with embolization of the affected sinus with shunt flow.

Case presentation

A 69-year-old man presented with executive dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed left transverse sinus–sigmoid sinus DAVF with occlusion of the left jugular vein and right transverse sinus. Before endovascular treatment, the patient had symptomatic epilepsy and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Retrograde leptomeningeal venous drainage disappeared with packing of the left transverse sinus–sigmoid sinus. Subsequently, balloon angioplasty of the right occluded transverse sinus was performed to maintain the normal venous drainage and remaining shunt outflow. Dilatation of the right transverse sinus was poor immediately after surgery. However, angiography after 10 days and 6 months revealed gradual dilatation of the right transverse sinus.

Conclusion

Sinus occlusion, which is thought to be caused by sinus hypertension associated with DAVF rather than chronic organized thrombosis or thrombophilia, may dilate over time after balloon angioplasty and shunt flow reduction if occluded sinus is necessary for facilitating normal venous drainage.
Value of Hounsfield Units in the Evaluation of Isolated Sphenoid Sinus Lesions
Authors: Tunç Orhan , Yazıcı Alper , Aytaç İsmail , Tümüklü Koray , Akşamoğlu Melih
Published: August 2021

Radiologic findings of fungal sinus disease are generally opacification in paranasal computed tomography (CT) images. The Hounsfield unit (HU) is a standardized objective unit that is also suitable for measuring remodeling and opacifications on CT scans of bone sections of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. We hypothesized that HU values could provide valuable information in isolated sphenoid sinus lesions before surgery. Between 2012 and 2019, 35 patients underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery for sphenoid sinus lesions. Tissues obtained from the sphenoid sinus were divided into two groups, fungal and nonfungal, according to the findings of histopathologic examinations. HU values were measured in sphenoid sinus sections on paranasal CT scans of these two groups. Differences in mean and maximum HU values between the two groups were statistically significant ( p <  .05). The maximum HU values calculated from the sphenoid sinus were 435.08 and 196.23 ( p ≤  .05) in the fungal group and nonfungal group, respectively. The mean HU values calculated from the sphenoid sinus were 64.31 and 29 ( p ≤  .05) in the fungal and nonfungal groups, respectively. At the maximum cutoff value of 241, the sensitivity and specificity of the HU maximum were 84.6% and 77.3%, respectively. At the mean cutoff value of 41.5, the sensitivity and specificity of the HU mean were 76.9% and 86.4%, respectively. HU is an objective value used in radiographic density measurement. The HU values were higher in fungal lesions than in nonfungal inflammations, and they are useful in preoperative measurement.
Evolution of the threshold temperature definition of a heat wave vs. evolution of the minimum mortality temperature: a case study in Spain during the 1983–2018 period
Authors: López-Bueno J. A. , Díaz J. , Follos F. , Vellón J. M. , Navas M. A. , Culqui D. , Luna M. Y. , Sánchez-Martínez G. , Linares C.
Published: August 2021

Background

An area of current study concerns analysis of the possible adaptation of the population to heat, based on the temporal evolution of the minimum mortality temperature (MMT). It is important to know how is the evolution of the threshold temperatures (Tthreshold) due to these temperatures provide the basis for the activation of public health prevention plans against high temperatures. The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal evolution of threshold temperatures (Tthreshold) produced in different Spanish regions during the 1983–2018 period and to compare this evolution with the evolution of MMT. The dependent variable used was the raw rate of daily mortality due to natural causes ICD X: (A00-R99) for the considered period. The independent variable was maximum daily temperature (Tmax) during the summer months registered in the reference observatory of each region. Threshold values were determined using dispersion diagrams (annual) of the prewhitened series of mortality temperatures and Tmax. Later, linear fit models were carried out between the different values of Tthreshold throughout the study period, which permitted detecting the annual rate of change in Tthreshold.

Results

The results obtained show that, on average, Tthreshold has increased at a rate of 0.57 ºC/decade in Spain, while Tmax temperatures in the summer have increased at a rate of 0.41 ºC/decade, suggesting adaptation to heat. This rate of evolution presents important geographic heterogeneity. Also, the rate of evolution of Tthreshold was similar to what was detected for MMT.

Conclusions

The temporal evolution of the series of both temperature measures can be used as indicators of population adaptation to heat. The temporal evolution of Tthreshold has important geographic variation, probably related to sociodemographic and economic factors, that should be studied at the local level.
A potential pathogenic role of interleukin-6 in a child with ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis: case report and literature review
Authors: Hou Ling , Yin Lu , Wu Yubin , Zhao Chengguang , Du Yue
Published: August 2021

Background

Crescentic glomerulonephritis is a disease characterized by severe glomerular injuries that is classified into five different pathological types. Patients with type V disease have pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis (PICGN) that is negative for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs). There are limited clinical data on the manifestations, treatment, and prognosis of type V crescentic glomerulonephritis, especially in children.

Case presentation

A 13-year-old girl who had an intermittent fever for more than 10 months was admitted to our hospital. She had no gross hematuria, oliguria, edema, or hypertension, but further tests indicated a decreased glomerular filtration rate, hematuria, proteinuria, and an elevated level of IL-6. The antinuclear antibody spectrum test was positive at 1:1000, and the ANCA and anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody tests were negative. A renal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ANCA-negative PICGN. We administered methylprednisolone pulse therapy with intravenous cyclophosphamide and oral mycophenolate mofetil. At the 3-month follow-up, her urine protein level was significantly lower, and her serum creatinine level was in the normal range.

Conclusions

Fever may be an extrarenal manifestation of ANCA-negative PICGN, and IL-6 may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Early methylprednisolone pulse therapy with an immunosuppressant may reduce symptoms and improve prognosis.
Benchmarking total knee replacement constructs using noninferiority analysis: the New Zealand joint registry study
Authors: Wyatt MC , Frampton CF , Whitehouse MR , Deere KC , Sayers A , Kieser D
Published: August 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the relative performance of total knee replacement constructs and discern if there is variability in performance in currently commonly used prostheses in the New Zealand Joint Registry (NZJR) using a noninferiority analysis.

Methods

All patients who underwent a primary total knee replacement (TKR) registered in the NZJR between 1st January 1999 to June 2020 were identified. Using a noninferiority analysis, the performance of total knee replacement prostheses were compared with the best performing contemporary construct. Construct all-cause revision rate was estimated using the 1-Kaplan Meier survival function method to estimate net failure. The difference in all-cause revision rates between the contemporary benchmark and all other constructs was tested.

Results

In total 110 183 TKR were recorded and 25 constructs (102 717 procedures) had > 500 procedures at risk at 3 years post-primary of which 5 were inferior by at least 20 % relative risk of which, one was inferior by at least 100 % relative risk. 14 constructs were identified with > 500 procedures at risk at 10 years with 5 inferior by at least 20 %, of which 2 were inferior by > 100 % relative risk.

Conclusions

We discerned that there is great variability in construct performance and at all time points, greater than 25 % of constructs are inferior to the best performing construct by at least 20 %. These results can help inform patients, clinicians and health care funders when considering TKR surgery.
Re-evaluating the necessity of routine laboratory tests after high tibial osteotomy surgery
Authors: Li Hong-bo , Nie Si , Lan Min , Liao Xin-gen , Tang Zhi-ming
Published: August 2021

Background

To assess the utility of routine postoperative laboratory tests for patients undergoing high tibial osteotomy (HTO) surgery.

Methods

The associations between clinical risk factors and postoperative clinical treatment were analyzed. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis was performed to detect independent risk factors for patients requiring postoperative clinical treatment.

Results

A total of 482 patients with symptomatic isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis from January 2015 to May 2020 were included in the present study and underwent examination by the full set of postoperative laboratory tests within 3 days after HTO surgery. However, only a small proportion of the patients with anemia (3.9 %), hypoalbuminemia (4.1 %), and abnormal serum potassium levels (3.5 %) required clinical intervention after surgery. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the body mass index (BMI), preoperative hemoglobin level, estimated blood loss and operative duration were independent risk factors for postoperative blood transfusion in patients who underwent HTO surgery, and factors associated with albumin supplementation were female sex and preoperative albumin level. In addition, these results indicated that preoperative potassium was potential risk factor for patients who required potassium supplementation postoperatively.

Conclusions

Based on the analysis, we conclude that routinely ordering postoperative laboratory tests after HTO surgery is unnecessary. However, for patients with identified risk factors, routine postoperative laboratory tests are still needed.
Epidemiological profile of early childhood caries in a sub-urban population in Nigeria
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Oginni Ayodeji Babatunde , El Tantawi Maha , Finlayson Tracy L. , Adeniyi Abiola
Published: August 2021

Background

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in children 6–71-months; identify the teeth most at risk for ECC; and identify risk indicators associated with significant caries index (SiC) score in different age groups.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study that collected data (using a household survey) on the ECC risk indicators (frequency of tooth brushing, consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, daily use of fluoridated toothpaste, and dental service utilization in the 12 months) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. We computed the prevalence of ECC using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDASI (d1–6)) index; caries severity using the ICDAS-2(d1–2) and ICDAS-3(d3–6) for non-cavitated and cavitated lesions respectively, decayed missing, filled teeth (dmft), and surfaces (dmfs) and SiC indices; and caries complications using the pulp (p), ulceration (u), fistula (f) and abscesses (a) (pufa) index, for children 6–11-months-old, 12–23-months-old, 23–35-months-old, 35–47-months-old; 48–59-months-old and 60–71-months-old. The differences in the mean dmft, dmfs, pufa scores, and ICDAS 1, 2, and 3 scores, and proportion of children with each ECC risk indicator were computed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk indicators for the ECC SiC index score for each age group.

Results

The prevalence of ECC was 4.7%: 2.9% had non-cavitated lesions and 2.8% had cavitated lesions. The mean (SD) dmft, dmfs and pufa scores were 0.13 (0.92), 0.24 (1.91) and 0.04 (0.46) respectively. The dmft and dmfs scores were highest among the 24–35-months-olds while the SiC score was highest among the 12–23-months-olds. There were no significant differences in dmft, dmfs, and pufa scores between the different age groups. Toothbrushing more than once a day was the only factor associated with the SiC score: it decreases the odds for the SiC score in children 48–59-months-old. The teeth worst affected by ECC were #85 and #61.

Conclusion

The prevalence, severity and risk indicator for ECC seems to differ for each age group. The granular details on the risk profile of children with ECC in this population with a low ECC prevalence and burden can allow for the planning of age-targeted interventions.