bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanism of IL17A-IL17F involved in children with allergic rhinitis through IL17RC-IL33-NF-kB signaling axis
Authors: Ma Shuwei , Qiao Yi
Published: October 2022

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic nasal mucosal congestion disease of children, and its pathogenesis is associated with immune factors. Methods: 50 cases of children were collected and their nasal mucus was used to detect inflammatory factors IL-17A,
IL-17F and IL-33 level, as well as the proportion of ILC2 and Th2 in blood labeled by flow cytometry. In addition, the allergic rhinitis model of immature mice was established. HE staining was used to observe nasal mucosa. IgE, IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-33 levels were detected, and the ratio of
ILC2 and Th2 in blood was marked by flow cytometry. The expressions of IL17-RC, TRAF6, NF-kBp65 and MAPK protein in IL17RC-IL33-NF-kB signal pathway were measured by western blot. Results: The results indicated that IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-33 were significantly higher in children with
allergic rhinitis and young model mice than that in control group. The content of CD4+IL-4+subgroup in Th2 in blood of model mice was high. The same trend as CD127+CD117+CRTH2+subgroup in ILC2. HE staining showed that the nasal mucosa of mice was intact in the control group, but the nasal
mucosa epithelium of mice in the model group was destroyed. Conclusion: IL17-RC, TRAF6, NF-kBp65 and MAPK in nasal mucosal of model mice showed high expression, confirming that inflammatory factor IL17A-IL17F activated IL33 transcription through IL17RC and Activated ILC2 and Th2 cells
involving in allergic inflammatory responses.
The association between acid–base status and clinical outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit with an emphasis on high anion gap metabolic acidosis
Authors: Zemlin Annalise E , Sigwadhi Lovemore N , Wiese Owen J , Jalavu Thumeka P , Chapanduka Zivanai C , Allwood Brian W , Tamuzi Jacques L , Koegelenberg Coenraad F , Irusen Elvis M , Lalla Usha , Ngah Veranyuy D , Yalew Anteneh , Erasmus Rajiv T , Matsha Tandi E , Zumla Alimuddin , Nyasulu Peter S ,   for the COVID-19 Research Response Collaboration
Published: October 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify arterial blood gas (ABG) abnormalities, with a focus on a high anion gap (AG) metabolic acidosis and evaluate outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to the ICU.

Methods

A retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Cape Town during the first and second COVID-19 waves. Age, gender, sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), bicarbonate (HCO3std), pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), lactate levels and ABG results were obtained. The Pearson χ2 test or Fisher exact test and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare mortality and survival. To identify factors associated with non-survival, a multivariable model was developed.

Results

This study included 465 patients, 226 (48%) of whom were female. The sample population’s median (IQR) age was 54.2 (46.1–61.3) years, and 63% of the patients died. ABG analyses found that 283 (61%) of the 465 patients had alkalosis (pH ≥ 7.45), 65 (14%) had acidosis (pH ≤ 7.35) and 117 (25%) had normal pH (7.35–7.45). In the group with alkalosis, 199 (70.3%) had a metabolic alkalosis and in the group with acidosis, 42 (64%) had a metabolic acidosis with an increased AG of more than 17. Non-survivors were older than survivors (56.4 years versus 50.3 years, p < .001).

Conclusion

Most of the COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU had an alkalosis, and those with acidosis had a much worse prognosis. Higher AG metabolic acidosis was not associated with patients’ characteristics.
Introducing the ETH/PRIO Civil Conflict Ceasefire Dataset
Authors: Clayton Govinda , Nygård Håvard Mokleiv , Strand Håvard , Rustad Siri A. , Wiehler Claudia , Sagård Tora , Landsverk Peder , Ryland Reidun , Sticher Valerie , Wink Emma , Bara Corinne
Published: October 2022

This article introduces the Civil Conflict CeaseFire (CF) dataset. The CF data covers all ceasefires in civil conflict between 1989 and 2020, including multilateral, bilateral and unilateral arrangements, ranging from verbal arrangements to detailed written agreements. In total, the CF data includes 2202 ceasefires across 66 countries and 109 civil conflicts. The data feature information on the actors involved in the ceasefire, and the class, purpose, coverage, and end date of the ceasefire. The CF data provide an empirical basis to assess the conditions that give rise to ceasefires, how ceasefires affect the dynamics of conflict, and the role of a ceasefire in the peace process. This article presents the rationale underlying the data collection, the coding rules and procedures, and how this data can be used for analysis.
Your space or mine? Competition, control, and the spatial profile of militant violence against civilians
Authors: Welsh Blair
Published: October 2022

While some militant groups consistently target civilians, others only resort to violence in specific locations and points in time. Existing research typically treats civilian targeting as a static feature of conflict systems at either the country or group level. This offers little explanation for variation in the patterns of violence across time and space. I develop an explanation for why militant groups target civilians at specific places and times based on how groups are likely to respond to local political and security conditions. I argue that violence against civilians serves as a function of response for militant groups – violence depends on both the control of territory and subnational competition from other non-state actors. The likelihood of civilian targeting is higher in locations where groups control territory and face competition, as groups seek to display dominance and punish defectors. The likelihood of civilian targeting is high in locations where groups face competition. However, this violence is unlikely to be as high as where groups also control territory, accounting for the need to reach out to civilians for support. The analysis of georeferenced event data on civilian targeting by militant groups across sub-Saharan Africa (1997–2013) and an illustrative case study on Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon find robust support for my argument.
Investigation of distinct welding parameters on mechanical and corrosion properties of dissimilar welded joints between stainless steel and low carbon steel
Authors: Huang Chung-Hsing , Hou Chang-Hsiang , Hsieh Tso-Sheng , Tsai Liren , Chiang Chia-Chin
Published: October 2022

The tensile strength and corrosion behavior of dissimilar welded joints are currently a subject of concern. In this work, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and distinct welding parameters (welding current, arc voltage, and welding speed) were used to join 304 stainless steel (SUS304) and SS400 low carbon steel, and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the dissimilar welded joints was investigated. A corrosion test was conducted by immersion in 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution for 7, 14, and 21 days. Based on tensile strength and Tafel testing, the welding parameters “Item 4” (welding current: 170 A, arc voltage: 20 V, welding speed: 40 cm/min) yielded good mechanical strength and low corrosion characteristics. The microstructure characterization showed that the area around the welded joints and SUS304 had more granular corrosion and corrosion tubercles with increasing immersion time. The chromium content gradually decreased. When exposed to the chloride environment, these welded joints easily underwent corrosion due to the loss of passivity. However, high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spray used on the welded joints reduced the corrosion current density. Compared with the non-thermal spray sample (corrosion current density:7.49e − 05 A/cm2) while the corrosion current density (7.89e − 10 A/cm2) is five orders of magnitude lower. This spray effectively slowed down the corrosion rate of the welded joints and gave the structural objects good protection in the sodium chloride solution.
The psychological contract and retention practices in the higher education context: the mediating role of organisational justice and trust
Authors: Snyman Annette M , Coetzee Melinde , Ferreira Nadia
Published: October 2022

Employee turnover and talent retention are both key concerns for higher education institutions because they are losing highly qualified staff members to the private sector and other higher education institutions that offer better rewards and benefits. This study explored the mediating effect of perceptions of organisational justice and trust relationships on the link between higher education institution staff’s psychological contract perceptions and satisfaction with organisational retention practices. The study involved a cross-sectional quantitative survey with a sample of ( N = 493) full-time employees, both from academic and support staff, at an open distance learning higher education institution in South Africa. Structural equation mediation modelling and mediation analysis showed that organisational justice and trust relationships function as positive parallel and separate mediating mechanisms in the psychological contract – retention practices’ satisfaction link. The study highlighted the importance of employees’ psychological contract beliefs in the employee–organisation relationship, and especially in determining mutual expectations that guide and shape perceptions of organisational justice and trust. Employees’ satisfaction with retention practices is positively enhanced when they experience mutually satisfactory just and trustworthy relations in the organisation.
The role of critical methodologies in climate psychology scholarship: themes, gaps, and futures
Authors: Peters Fatima
Published: October 2022

Climate change is a global problem caused by humans. Climate psychology scholarship aims to assist human beings in mitigating and adapting to this problem’s consequences. A brief scoping review was conducted first. The findings indicated that most of the literature was quantitative and theoretical in orientation, with only two qualitatively focused. A dearth of information exploring qualitative methodologies was found. The brief scoping review justified the need for this narrative review that explored the critical methodologies used by climate psychology scholars. The narrative review covered the period 2009–2022. Search terms included ‘climate psychology’ and ‘climate change and psychology’. A critical transformative paradigm informed the analysis. The narrative review found that climate psychology scholars in the selected articles actively addressed social justice and represented marginalised peoples’ voices through participatory action research, grounded theory, narrative theory, capabilities theory, discursive psychology, and strengths-based approaches. Three authors presented their positionality statements. Ten articles used a qualitative approach, while three used a quantitative approach. The use of interviews and thematic analysis was dominant. Researchers demonstrated an awareness of power and its influence on the research process. The methodology could be enhanced if they provided more detail on how they addressed power as a guide for future researchers. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to explore their perceptions of how critical methodologies can be more actively incorporated into climate psychology scholarship.
Experiences from a Balint group intervention with urban public school teachers
Authors: Williams TaQuana , Munjuluri Sarat , Lichtenstein Albert
Published: October 2022

Background: U.S. teacher shortages have more than tripled since the 2012-2013 school year, to over 110 000 teachers needed in 2016. At the conclusion of the 2011-12 school year, 13.8% of public-school teachers left their position. Approximately 50% of the public-school teachers cited the inability to manage their roles as the primary factor for leaving. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of participation in a 6-month Balint group experience on a novice teacher’s self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. Research Design: A converged mixed-methods approach was used. Each question was explored with a corresponding qualitative and a quantitative dataset. Data Collection: Qualitative data included (a) a semi-structured focus group; (b) field notes shared from the co-facilitator and Balint group leader; (c) semi-structured debriefs with the Balint group leaders; (d) open-ended questions on the pre and post-test reflection forms, and (e) semi-structured interviews with 3 participants that served as a form of member checking. Quantitative data included pre and post-test and monthly reflection forms that were collected at the conclusion of each meeting. Teacher’s self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. Study Sample: Eight teachers volunteered for the group after an email solicitation to all the teacher development program’s members. Results: This article examines sources of stress for new teachers, themes that came up in the Balint group that reflect the stress and its impact, and changes in felt burnout, self-efficacy, an intent to persist in teaching. Teachers faced similar stressors to professionals in the medical field. Conclusion: Balint offers an opportunity to addres the social and emotional needs teachers face.
Public-Employee Pensions and Retirements
Authors: Brooks John
Published: October 2022

Around the time of their adoption, reformers argued pensions would help encourage public employees to retire rather than remain in their jobs indefinitely. However, the significance of specific pension policies for retirements within numerous plans is not well-known. Using new data on service retirements from 81 state-employee defined-benefit plans between 2001 and 2019, I examine pensions’ relationship with retirements, while also accounting for other variables that might matter. The results indicate that early retirement incentives, relaxed post-retirement work restrictions, and higher employee pension contributions are all associated with more retirements, while increased employer contributions and cost-of-living adjustments are associated with fewer. As governments continue to consider fiscal reforms to retirement plans, they also should keep their personnel needs and pensions’ relationships with them in mind.
Revolutionary Democracy: A Terminus or Way Station for Ethiopia?
Authors: Zegeye Abebe
Published: October 2022

This special issue of JDS provides several critical perspectives on the federal Constitution, the state, and contemporary politics of Ethiopia. All the contributors agree that Ethiopia’s federal system promotes ethnic conflict rather than fostering an Ethiopian identity and national unity. The federal Constitution establishes a legal foundation for secession and in effect the possible disintegration of the federal state and the country’s multi-ethnic political system. The current political actors, their ideology, and the prevailing political conditions in the country are leading the country down the path to a failed state. A fundamental issue in Ethiopian politics today is the prevailing ideology of revolutionary democracy, which has led its political actors to pursue policies and practices that aggravate the country’s ethnic conflicts, weaken its national unity, and accentuate the contradictions in its flawed federal system of government.
Remedial interventions for developmental dyslexia: Comparing the rhythmic reading training to the “Abilmente” approach
Authors: Cancer Alice , Stievano Giulia , Pace Gabriella , Colombo Alessia , Brembati Federica , Donini Roberta , Antonietti Alessandro
Published: October 2022

The possibility of using rhythmic auditory interventions for addressing dyslexia-related difficulties has been empirically explored by several investigations, with encouraging results. Such findings inspired the design of a novel rhythm-based intervention, Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT), specifically designed for students with developmental dyslexia (DD). To measure RRT efficacy, a clinical trial with an active-controlled design was carried out. More precisely, RRT combined with music games was contrasted with a personalized multi-componential treatment of DD of proven efficacy, namely, the Abilmente approach. Thirty-two children and preadolescents with DD received either one of the two interventions under the supervision of a specialized trainer. Immediate- and medium-term effects on reading skills did not differ between the two interventions. The analysis of the specific contribution of each methodology showed that the Abilmente approach was more effective in improving text reading, while RRT induced more consistent maintenance of all reading sub-processes 4 weeks after the end of the treatment. Consistent with previous research, the rhythmic intervention showed more consistent effects on reading speed. These results confirmed the efficacy of a unimodal process-based intervention such as RRT in inducing global reading effects comparable with those following a personalized multi-componential intervention.
Effectiveness of combining robotic therapy and modified constraint-induced movement therapy for moderate to severe upper limb paresis after stroke in subacute phase: Case–control study by propensity score analysis
Authors: Anmoto Naoya , Takebayashi Takashi , Okita Yuho , Ishigaki Masakazu , Hibino Shin , Hanada Keisuke
Published: October 2022

Introduction:

Robotic assisted therapy and modified constraint-induced movement therapy are used evidence-based approach in stroke rehabilitation. However, there is no study showing a combination of robotic assisted therapy and modified constraint-induced movement therapy (combined therapy) in the subacute phase. This study investigated the effectiveness of combined therapy in stroke patients with moderate to severe upper limb paresis compared with conventional occupational therapy at subacute setting.

Methods:

This research used a case–control study. The intervention group ( n = 15) consisting of patients with moderate to severe upper limb paresis (Brunnstrom recovery stage upper extremity III or IV and above hand III) 4–8 weeks since stroke onset received a combined therapy for 3 weeks (total intervention time: 1440 minutes). The control group ( n = 15) extracted by propensity score matching received a conventional occupational therapy for 4 weeks (total intervention time: 1680–2240 minutes). The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb score change before and after the intervention.

Results:

The intervention group exhibited significantly greater improvement on Fugl-Meyer assessment upper lim change ( p = 0.005).

Conclusion:

In the subacute phase, the combined therapy of robotic assisted therapy and modified constraint-induced movement therapy helped improve upper limb motor function more effectively and efficiently than conventional occupational therapy.
Emotional distress and quality of life among adults with developmental coordination disorder during COVID-19
Authors: Engel-Yeger Batya , Engel Asi
Published: October 2022

Introduction:

Individuals with developmental coordination disorder frequently report emotional and functional difficulties. A stressful era as COVID-19 pandemic may enhance emotional load. The present study aimed to (1) examine the emotional distress and quality of life among adults with developmental coordination disorder during COVID-19 as compared to typical controls, and (2) examine the relationships between these factors in adults with developmental coordination disorder.

Method:

Participants were 317 adults, aged 18–66, recruited during the first year of COVID-19: 227 were included in the developmental coordination disorder group, and 90 in the control group (normal motor performance) based on the Adult Developmental Co-ordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist cutoff score. Participants completed a sociodemographic health status/daily life under COVID-19 questionnaire and self-reports about their emotional status (depression, anxiety, stress) and a quality of life.

Results:

The developmental coordination disorder group had significantly greater depression, anxiety, stress, and lower quality of life. Participants with developmental coordination disorder who were infected by COVID-19 or reported reduction of working hours due to COVID-19 had the lowest social and environmental quality of life. Depression significantly predicted reduced quality of life and mediated between developmental coordination disorder severity and quality of life.

Conclusions:

Prevention and intervention programs for adults with developmental coordination disorder should be elaborated, with reference to emotional load and to implications on daily life, especially in times of crisis, like COVID-19.
Building the Commitment of the Private Sector and Leveraging Effective Partnerships to Sustain Food Fortification
Authors: Durotoye Tobi , Yusufali Rizwan , Ajieroh Victor , Ezekannagha Oluchi
Published: October 2022

The private sector is a critical partner in achieving the universally adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—UNDP 2022. As part of a national strategy to address malnutrition (SDG2), Large-Scale Food Fortification of commonly consumed staple foods and condiments with vitamins and minerals is a proven intervention that requires the concerted engagement of multiple actors in a country’s agri-food and public health ecosystems. Lessons from TechnoServe’s Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) Program, implemented from 2016 to 2022 in Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, provide essential learnings about how to effectively engage, motivate, and improve the food fortification performance of the industry in compliance with national standards, through capacity building, responsive technical assistance, and multistakeholder engagement that builds trust and accountability of industry in the fight against malnutrition.
Health Insurance Coverage as a Social Determinant of Osteoporosis Diagnosis in a Population-Based Cohort Study of Older American Adults
Authors: Godde Kanya , Gough Courtney Margaret , Roberts Josephine
Published: October 2022

Social determinants of health theoretical frameworks identify health insurance coverage as a determinant of older adults’ osteoporosis diagnoses, which results in health inequities. In this research, we used the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study dataset of older United States adults, sampled biennially from 2012 to 2016. Logistic regressions estimated odds of osteoporosis diagnosis with and without a bone scan and/or hip fracture, holding insurance type, and health and demographic factors constant. Results were validated using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Probable underdiagnosing is present in older adults identifying as Black/African American and as males without a bone scan, regardless of fracture status, potentially as products of structural racism and sexism. Models including a bone scan show a reduction in disparities. These findings suggest having a bone scan is still crucial for addressing health inequities in older adults, and remedying barriers to accessing a scan is paramount.
Affective Infrastructures of Immobility: Staying While Neighbors Are Leaving Rural Eastern Siberia
Authors: Orlova Vasilina
Published: October 2022

Framing “immobility” as already containing mobility, this research asks why people stay in conditions of economic disadvantages and social abandonment even when they have tangible opportunities to leave. Based on ethnography conducted in Eastern Siberia, this research investigates how people throughout the region maintain connections to one place: the village of Anosovo. I argue that the notion of “affective infrastructure” can encapsulate a multiplicity of ties connecting people to places. Affective infrastructure refers to the capacity of “hard” infrastructural agglomerations—such as pipes, wires, and buildings—to evoke feeling, and to the “social” infrastructure such as kinship ties, memories, attachments, and human–nonhuman relationships. Seeing people as always already included in the agglomerations of affective infrastructures opens the space to see them pinned down to the place even as their neighbors leave while the hopes for improvements of conditions are bleak.
The Ethical Challenge of Decolonisation and the Future of New Testament Studies
Authors: Horrell David G.
Published: October 2022

The challenge to decolonise academic disciplines has been pertinent for many decades, but it has recently come to a new level of prominence, with vigorous discussion of what responding to this challenge might entail. This article explores what it might mean as an ethical challenge in the discipline of New Testament studies, using examples to illustrate two key (and related) tasks: the ‘parochialisation’ of European approaches to the discipline, and the paying of attention to perspectives from elsewhere in the world. After a brief introduction to the decolonial challenge, there follows a brief survey of changing perspectives on the tasks of biblical studies, beginning with Johann Phillip Gabler's influential lecture from 1787, then C.H. Dodd's 1936 inaugural lecture, through to the more recent assessments of Markus Bockmuehl and Martin Hengel. This is followed by a survey of works of New Testament Introduction, moving from the classic work of Werner Georg Kümmel to the very recent Asian Introduction to the New Testament, edited by Johnson Thomaskutty. Finally, in light of these surveys, this article offers some reflections on decolonisation and the future(s) of New Testament studies. These reflections may suggest both parallels for the discipline of Christian ethics, and implications for the nature of the relationship between biblical studies and Christian ethics.
Analysis of Arrhenius activation energy on magnetohydrodynamic gyrotactic microorganism flow through porous medium over an inclined stretching sheet with thermophoresis and Brownian motion
Authors: Sharma Bhupendra Kumar , Khanduri Umesh , Mishra Nidhish K , Chamkha Ali J
Published: October 2022

This paper aims to examine the combined effects of Arrhenius activation and microorganisms on unsteady flow through a porous medium with thermophoresis and Brownian motion over an inclined stretching sheet. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations using similarity analysis. The resultant non-linear coupled ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using the boundary value problem solver in MATLAB. The effects of the physical parameter such as magnetic field parameter ([Formula: see text]), thermal radiation parameter ([Formula: see text]), permeability parameter ([Formula: see text]), Eckert number ([Formula: see text]), thermophoresis parameter ([Formula: see text]) and Brownian motion parameter ([Formula: see text]) on the velocity, temperature, concentration profiles, skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and the local Sherwood number are presented and analysed graphically. The comparison has been made with previously published work, and there is a good agreement. These results may be helpful in geothermal engineering, energy conversation and disposal of nuclear waste material. Furthermore, scientists can employ this technique in medical fields such as gene therapy and the synthesis of drug delivery systems.
Brocq’s geometric phagedena over penis with keloidal scars
Authors: A Shilpa , Fernandes Michelle S , Bhat Ramesh M , Dandakeri Sukumar , Jayaraman Jyothi
Published: October 2022

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare neutrophilic inflammatory skin disorder commonly seen over lower limbs. Involvement of penile area is rare. We report this rare case of occurrence of ulcerative type of pyoderma gangrenosum over penis with pustular type elsewhere over the body, healing with keloids in an immunocompetent young man with no systemic associations.
Fang Under ‘Red Tape’: A Barrier for Underutilisation of Human Resource (Case of Snake Charmers, India)
Authors: Halder Somenath , Paul Sourav
Published: October 2022

The vulnerability of human death due to snakebite could (possibly) be countered in the most feasible way of utilising snakes themselves if properly organised. This article attempts to identify an indigenous community (snake charmer) with its inherent expertise for answering a large-scale health issue of snakebite. Existing bureaucratic directives often do barricade such human resources from their proper utilisation through stringent laws and regulations. In the case of a tropical developing country like India, snake charmers may be the capital of captivating the ladder of betterment when governments treat them as assets. Examining snakebite fatality over the globe and gradually zooming into a state level (West Bengal) prone to health hazards, the article sounds true to its venture of showcasing a policy orientation for minimising human deaths and disadvantages. In place of a barrier, ’red tape’ might be acting as a bridge of development between wildlife and humanity.
Evaluating the Accuracy of the Annual Statewide Kindergarten Vaccination Survey Submitted to Public Health Authorities by School Systems, Oklahoma, 2018
Authors: Naqvi Ozair H. , Wendelboe Aaron M. , Burnsed Laurence , Mannell Mike , Janitz Amanda , Natt Stephanie
Published: October 2022

Recent trends in vaccine hesitancy have brought to light the importance of using accurate school vaccination data. This study evaluated the accuracy of a pilot statewide kindergarten vaccination survey in Oklahoma. School vaccination and exemption data were collected from November 2017 to April 2018 via the Research Electronic Data Capture system. A multivariable linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between students who are up to date for all vaccines comparing school reported and Oklahoma State Department of Health-validated data. Adjusted vaccination data were overestimated by 1.0% among public schools and 3.3% among private schools. These results were validated by a random audit of participating schools finding the school-reported vaccination data to be overestimated by 0.6% compared to true student immunization records on file. Our analysis indicates that school-reported vaccination data are sufficiently valid. Immunization record audits provide confidence in available data, which drives evidence-based decision-making.
Induction Chemotherapy With FOLFIRINOX Followed by Chemoradiation With Gemcitabine in Patients With Borderline-Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Acuna-Villaorduna Ana , Shankar Viswanathan , Wysota Michael , Jirgal Amanda , Kabarriti Rafi , Bellemare Sarah , Goldman Inessa , Kaubisch Andreas , Aparo Santiago , Goel Sanjay , Chuy Jennifer
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Perioperative therapy is standard for patients with borderline-resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (BR-PDAC); however, an optimal neoadjuvant regimen is lacking. We assessed the efficacy of FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy followed by gemcitabine-based chemoradiation as preoperative therapy.

Methods

Patients received 4 cycles of FOLFIRINOX, followed by 6-weekly gemcitabine with concomitant intensity-modulated radiation. The primary endpoint was the R0 resection rate. Secondary outcomes included resection rate, overall-response, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and tolerability. The trial was terminated early due to slow accrual. A Simon’s optimal two-stage phase II trial single arm design was used. The primary hypothesis of treatment efficacy was tested using a multistage group sequential inference procedure. The secondary failure time analysis endpoints were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier procedure and the Cox regression model.

Results

A total of 22 patients enrolled in the study, 18 (81.8%) completed neoadjuvant treatment. The bias corrected R0 rate was 55.6% (90% CI: 33.3, 68.3; P value = .16) among patients that received at least 1 cycle of FOLFIRINOX and was 80% among patients that underwent surgery. The median OS was 35.1 months. The median PFS among patients that underwent surgery was 34 months.

Conclusion

An R0 resection rate of 55.6% is favorable. Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX followed by concomitant Gemcitabine with radiation was well-tolerated. NCT01897454
The Relationship Between Telomeres, Cognition, Mood, and Physical Function: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sheikh-Wu Sameena F. , Liang Zhan , Downs Charles A.
Published: October 2022

Background and Purpose: Cognitive, affective, and physical symptoms and alterations in their function are seen across chronic illnesses. Data suggest that environmental, psychological, and physiological factors contribute to symptom experience, potentially through loss of telomeres (telomere attrition), structures at the ends of chromosomes. Telomere length is affected by many factors including environmental (e.g., exercise, diet, smoking) and physiological (e.g., response to stress), as well as from oxidative damage and inflammation that occurs in many disease processes. Moreover, telomere attrition is associated with chronic disease (cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease) and predicts higher morbidity and mortality rates. However, findings are inconsistent among telomere roles and relationships with health outcomes. This article aims to synthesize the current state-of-the-science of telomeres and their relationship with cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. Method: A comprehensive literature search was performed in two databases: CINAHL and PUBMED. A total of 33 articles published between 2000 and 2022 were included in the final analysis. Results: Telomere attrition is associated with various changes in cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. However, findings are inconsistent. Interventional studies (e.g., meditation and exercise) may affect telomere attrition, potentially impacting health outcomes. Conclusion: Nursing research and practice are at the forefront of furthering the understanding of telomeres and their relationships with cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. Future interventions targeting modifiable risk factors may be developed to improve health outcomes across populations.
Parent experiences of obtaining an autism diagnosis for their daughter: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Freeman Nerelie C , Paradis Pascale
Published: October 2022

The process of getting an autism diagnosis can be a stressful and uncertain time for families. While the experiences of parents seeking an autism diagnosis for their child have been explored in previous research, the experiences of families with a daughter have been underrepresented. It is likely that their experience is markedly different given that females are often misdiagnosed and/or are diagnosed at a later age. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six families, and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used along with member checks to derive themes from the participants’ narratives. Three superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: ‘Something’s not right’ consisted of narratives describing the process of getting their daughter diagnosed and ‘So many barriers’ captured the factors that delayed assessment and diagnosis. Finally, the third theme ‘I wanted to just get this process done and dusted’ explored the range of emotions experienced by families during the assessment process. The importance of challenging outdated conceptualisations of autism and providing further training to increase health professionals’ confidence when diagnosing autistic females is emphasised, as well as recognising that families may experience a range of emotions during the assessment and diagnostic process, including positive ones.

Lay abstract

Autistic females are often diagnosed later than males and are also more likely to be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Co-occurring conditions may also be diagnosed at the time of the assessment but their autism diagnosis is missed. The majority of research examining the parent experience of obtaining an autism diagnosis for their child has included predominantly or exclusively male children in their samples. This study examines the experiences of parents in obtaining an autism diagnosis for their daughters in Australia through interview data which allowed for an exploration of their lived experiences. Several of the parents reported positive feelings of excitement or curiosity in relation to the assessment process which are emotions that have not been reported in earlier studies. While recent research advances have improved our understanding of gender differences in autistic behaviours, the findings of this study suggest that some practitioners have obsolete knowledge which may lead to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in some females. Although the extent that these experiences are representative of parents in the wider community is unknown, the fact that they are still being reported in the present day suggests that a proportion of health professionals continue to practice with outdated conceptualisations of autism.
The linguistic Odyssey of Russian-speaking immigrants in Canada
Authors: Makarova Veronika , Morozovskaia Uliana
Published: October 2022

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

Very little is known to date about the long-term dynamics of balancing home and dominant languages by adult immigrants. Russian-speaking immigrants in Canada remain an underrepresented group with no available studies of their language development. To address these gaps, this article describes a linguistic journey experienced by Russian-speaking immigrants in Canada as they adapt to the life in the host country. The major objective of the study is to examine the importance of learning the host country’s majority languages (English and French) vis-à-vis maintenance of the home language as seen by the participants in the beginning and after a few years of immigration.

Design/methodology/approach:

The article reports the results of a mixed-methods study involving an online survey and written narratives about language dynamics in immigration.

Data and analysis:

One hundred Russian-speaking immigrants from nine countries residing in seven Canadian provinces participated in the study. The analysis involves quantitative comparisons of responses involving correlation and chi-square tests as well as qualitative descriptions of the participants’ linguistic experiences.

Findings/conclusions:

The results indicate that over the time since immigration, the importance of the English language learning decreases, and the importance of Russian language maintenance increases for the participants, whereas the salience of acquiring French remains unchanged.

Originality:

The new finding is the trajectory of the relationship between the participants’ interest in the home language and culture maintenance and host languages and cultures learning over the years of immigration.

Significance/implications:

These results align with the authors’ linguistic equilibrium hypothesis of language dynamics in immigration. The implications of the study involve long-term support of linguacultural needs of immigrant communities.

Limitations:

The research conducted during COVID-19 was limited in methods and would benefit from in-person interviews in future. Expanding the project to other immigrant groups for comparison is another direction for future research.
Two sides of the same coin? The effect of differentiation on noncompliance with European Union law
Authors: Sczepanski Ronja , Börzel Tanja A
Published: October 2022

Noncompliance and differentiated integration are two strategies to cope with heterogeneity between European Union member states. This article explores the relationship between the two strategies of coping with heterogeneity. We start from the observation that research has linked cross-country variation in differentiated integration and noncompliance to similar root causes—diverging preferences and differential capacity. Addressing the same issues of heterogeneity, we hypothesize that differentiated integration is likely to reduce member states’ noncompliance. In order to test this hypothesis, we combine novel data on differentiated integration and noncompliance. We find that differentiation increases rather than reduces the likelihood of noncompliance. We conclude by discussing why differentiated integration does not serve as a strategy to prevent noncompliance.
Children’s narratives about well-being in the face of difficult life experiences: Renegotiated self-understandings as turning points
Authors: Michelson Stina
Published: October 2022

Children who experience family-related adversity have stories to tell about well-being in the face of difficulties. These stories provide knowledge about how children handle their experiences and make sense of themselves. This study aims to investigate children’s perspectives on experiences that have contributed to their well-being in the face of difficulties, with a specific focus on turning-point narratives. Twenty-two children (aged 6–17) were interviewed, on two occasions each, about themselves and their lives. The findings show that children emphasize protection, support, and knowledge as contributing to their well-being. Furthermore, the findings show that those who narrate turning points do so in relation to three interrelated aspects: identification, directedness, and self-relationship. In their telling, these children are engaged in the project of renegotiating their self-understanding. The core contribution of the study is the notion that a renegotiated self-understanding, in and of itself, may be an important part of children’s well-being. The findings have implications for social work practice because they suggest that children in difficult life situations may benefit from support that offers them a space to examine old ideas about identity and agency in relation to new ones.
Federalism and the law of evidence in Nigeria: Does Benjamin v Kalio constitute a simplistic route to justice that overlooks a pitfall?
Authors: Adigun Muyiwa
Published: October 2022

The decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Benjamin v Kalio has been praised. However, the route taken by the Court to do justice and its implication have never been considered. This article examines the route through which the Supreme Court of Nigeria arrived at justice in this case. The article finds that the Supreme Court of Nigeria overruled its previous judgments by holding that unregistered land instruments could be tendered in evidence because section 20 of the Land Instruments (Preparation and Registration) Law of Rivers State is unconstitutional for not being within the legislative competence of States. The article argues that this is a simplistic route to justice having not taken cognisance of the Nigerian federalism and the concepts of existing and deemed laws with the probable consequence of rendering such laws on presumptions as section 30 of the Criminal Code and section 50 of the Penal Code null and void. The article concludes that this tends to constitute a pitfall.
Adjustment
Authors: Petteway Ryan J.
Published: October 2022

The adult spine, aka backbone, is composed of 24 segments. Separately, each segment is incapable of animating our bodies. Communities of color, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups represent the backbone of the health equity research enterprise—it literally cannot exist without our bodies and what they are subjected to in the face of structural inequality. And more often than not, researchers believe they can break our bodies into discrete segments and somehow animate a body of literature capable of healing a whole us. This poem, as counternarrative and enactment of public health critical race praxis principles of “voice” and “disciplinary self-critique”, engages the spine as metaphor to name and render visible the epistemic and symbolic violences that prop up public health’s body of evidence/knowledge. In doing so, it challenges the field’s dominant knowledge production paradigm (e.g. positivist reductionism), and draws attention to the settlercolonial, racial-capitalist, and extractivist logics of racial and health equity discourses dominated by narratives produced by mostly White scholars and “health equity tourists”, often using complex statistical techniques to complete secondary quantitative analyses about health in communities they’ve never stepped a single foot in. Under this paradigm, scores of researchers/practitioners are led to believe that they can somehow come to “know” us via variables and models alone. This poem suggests that—more than anything else—this model of practice is what’s most in need of adjustment, and warrants a greater degree of ethical scrutiny than historically/presently afforded. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.
Growing Tired of Statistics
Authors: Dill LeConte J.
Published: October 2022

This poem is an autoethnopoetic exploration of my experiences of in vitro fertilization. Repetition is offered throughout the poem to create a counter-narrative and a ritual of joy in what often can be a stigmatized, shrouded, complex phenomenon. The poem amplifies the saliency of embodied knowledges for public health, not just quantitative ones, and seeks to situate IVF within the reproductive and birth justice movements. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.
Relatives
Authors: Martinez Deniss
Published: October 2022

This poem is a recollection of my own childhood. It is a reconnecting and remembering of the many lessons I learned from plant relatives and a reflection of how traditional medicines heal us and hold us both physically and emotionally. I use the framing of relatives that comes from other Indigenous scholars’ frameworks of relationality and kincentricity. These understandings of being in relationship emphasize the importance of nonhuman relatives not just as a health or food resource but as a relative with which to engage in reciprocal relationships with. These relationships transform us, they raise us, and they heal us. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.
Cancer-associated Fibroblasts Communicate with Breast Tumor Cells Through Extracellular Vesicles in Tumor Development
Authors: Castillo-Sanchez Rocio , Churruca-Schuind Ander , Martinez-Ival Mileidy , Salazar Eduardo Perez
Published: October 2022

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. In solid tumors, the microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor development, and it has been described a communication between the different cell types that conform the stroma, including fibroblasts, pericytes, adipocytes, immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Intercellular communication is bidirectional, complex, multifactorial and is mediated by the secretion of molecules and extracellular vesicles. The extracellular vesicles are vesicles limited by two membranes that are secreted by normal and cancer cells into the extracellular space. Extracellular vesicle cargo is complex and includes proteins, miRNAs, DNA and lipids, and their composition is specific to their parent cells. Extracellular vesicles are taken up for neighboring or distant cells. Particularly, extracellular vesicles from breast cancer cells are taken up for fibroblasts and it induces the activation of fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Interestingly, cancer associated fibroblasts release extracellular vesicles that are taken up for breast cancer cells and promote migration, invasion, proliferation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, changes in metabolism, chemoresistance, evasion of immune system and remodeling of extracellular matrix. In addition, the enrichment of specific cargos in extracellular vesicles of breast cancer patients has been suggested to be used as biomarkers of the disease. Here we review the current literature about the intercommunication between tumor cells and cancer associated fibroblasts through extracellular vesicles in breast cancer.