bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serological Biomarkers at Hospital Admission Are Not Related to Long-Term Post-COVID Fatigue and Dyspnea in COVID-19 Survivors
Authors: Fernández-de-las-Peñas César , Ryan-Murua Pablo , Rodríguez-Jiménez Jorge , Palacios-Ceña María , Arendt-Nielsen Lars , Torres-Macho Juan
Published: April 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serological biomarkers at the acute phase of infection at hospital admission with the development of long-term post-COVID fatigue and dyspnea. Methods: A cohort study including patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in one urban hospital of Madrid (Spain) during the first wave of the outbreak (from March 20 to June 30, 2020) was conducted. Hospitalization data, clinical data, and eleven serological biomarkers were systematically collected at hospital admission. Patients were scheduled for an individual telephone interview after hospital discharge for collecting data about the presence of post-COVID fatigue and dyspnea. Results: A total of 412 patients (age: 62 years, standard deviation: 15 years; 47.5% women) were assessed with a mean of 6.8 and 13.2 months after discharge. The prevalence of post-COVID fatigue and dyspnea was 72.8% and 17.2% at 6 months and 45.4% and 13.6% at 12 months after hospital discharge, respectively. Patients exhibiting post-COVID fatigue at 6 or 12 months exhibited a lower hemoglobin level, higher lymphocyte count, and lower neutrophil and platelets counts (all, p < 0.05), whereas those exhibiting post-COVID dyspnea at 6 or 12 months had a lower platelet count and lower alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (all, p < 0.05) than those not developing post-COVID fatigue or dyspnea, respectively. The multivariate regression analyses revealed that a lower platelet count and lower LDH levels were associated but just explaining 4.5% of the variance, of suffering from post-COVID fatigue and dyspnea, respectively. Conclusion: Some serological biomarkers were slightly different in patients exhibiting post-COVID fatigue or dyspnea, but they could not explain the long-COVID problems in those patients.
Asthmakontrolle und Therapieadhärenz: Beratung und Schulung auf mehrere Schultern verteilen
Authors: Haidl Peter
Published: April 2022

Background: Pharmaceutical counseling (PC) interventions have been shown to improve adherence to controller medication and asthma control. However, the real-life impact of these PC interventions in difficult-to-control asthma patients remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of PC interventions in real life using nationwide claims data. Methods: Demographics and drugs use of patients who received ICS in 2017 with or without pharmaceutical counseling were retrieved from a Belgian claims database. Asthma-related drug use from 1 year before first ICS dispensing in 2017 (reference period) was compared with 1 year after. Outcomes were usage of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in defined daily doses (DDD), proportion of users of short-acting beta-agonist (SABA), antibiotics, oral corticosteroids (OCS), asthma biologicals and controller-to-total (CTT) ratio. Results: The study population consisted of difficult-to-control asthma patients aged 5–40 years with at least the first interview within 90 days after first ICS dispensing (n =1350). ICS usage increased significantly in the year after PC intervention compared with the reference period (+ 43.3 DDD/patient, p< 0.05). A nominal decrease was observed in the proportion of SABA (48.0 to 46.2%) and antibiotics (54.5 to 52.7%) after PC intervention compared with the reference period. CTT ratio significantly increased from 0.671 to 0.749 (p< 0.05). The proportion of biological users was nominally lower in the intervention group compared with a control group (n =50,477) in the post-intervention time period (0.22% versus 0.30%). Conclusions: This first nationwide study among difficult-to-control asthma patients suggests that community pharmacist counseling is effective in real life to improve controller adherence and asthma control.
Identifying the Interaction of the Brain and the Pituitary in Social – and Reproductive – State of Tilapia by Transcriptome Analyses
Authors: Hollander-Cohen Lian , Meir Inbar , Shulman Miriam , Levavi-Sivan Berta
Published: April 2022

Introduction: As in all vertebrates, reproduction in fish is regulated by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) control on gonadotrophic hormones (GtHs) activity. However, the neuroendocrine factors that promote GnRH and GtH activity are unknown. In Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), sexual activity and reproduction ability depend on social rank; only dominant males and females reproduce. Here, this characteristic of dominant fish allows us to compare brain and pituitary gene expression in animals that do and do not reproduce, aiming to reveal mechanisms that regulate reproduction. Methods: An extensive transcriptome analysis was performed, combining two sets of transcriptomes: a novel whole-brain and pituitary transcriptome of established dominant and subordinate males, together with a cell-specific transcriptome of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone cells. Pituitary incubation assay validated the direct effect of steroid application on chosen genes and GtH secretion. Results: In most dominant fish, as determined behaviorally, the gonadosomatic index was higher than in subordinate fish, and the leading upregulated pituitary genes were those coding for GtHs. In the brain, various neuropeptide genes, including isotocin, cholecystokinin, and MCH, were upregulated; these may be related to reproductive status through effects on behavior and feeding. In a STRING network analysis combining the two transcriptome sets, brain aromatase, highly expressed in LH cells, is the most central gene with the highest number of connections. In the pituitary incubation assay, testosterone and estradiol increased the secretion of LH and specific gene transcription. Conclusions: The close correlation between behavioral dominance and reproductive capacity in tilapia allows unraveling novel genes that may regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, highlighting aromatase as the main factor affecting the brain and pituitary in maintaining a sexually active organism.
Xanthogranulomatous Colloid Cyst in a 13-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report and Surgical Implications
Authors: Tyagi Gaurav , Singh Gyani Jail , Beniwal Manish , Srinivas Dwarakanath
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Colloid cysts are relatively uncommon lesions in the pediatric population. The xanthogranulomatous (XG) variant is very rare with less than 30 reported cases. Case Report: In this report, the patient was a 13-year-old boy who presented with transient episodes of headache with blurring of vision. His MRI brain showed a T2 hyperintense well-defined cystic lesion, with an eccentrically located T2 hypointense partially enhancing nodule, at the foramen of Monro. He underwent middle frontal gyrus transcortical, transchoroidal gross total excision of the cyst. The histopathology of the lesion revealed an XG colloid cyst. The patient recovered well from the procedure and was relieved of the symptoms. Conclusion: XG colloid cyst may present with altered radiological features compared to the normal variant. This can pose a diagnostic dilemma, and it is important to differentiate it from a craniopharyngioma or a parasitic cyst, as in our case. When considered preoperatively, surgeons should be conscious to review their surgical strategies. Stereotactic aspiration of the XG cyst should be avoided as contents are thicker and heterogeneous than the usual. The spillage of cyst contents should be prevented. Also, the XG cysts are likely to have a poor cyst-fornix or -choroid plexus interface due to inflammation limiting complete resection.
Pengaruh Makanan Kaya Gizi (KAYAZI) sebagai Variasi Diet Energi Protein Tinggi terhadap Daya Terima Makanan Pasien Covid-19
Authors: Anggraeny Putri Nur , Ruliana Ruliana , Yulianingrum Chintya
Published: April 2022

LATAR BELAKANG: Diet Energi Protein Tinggi (EPT) diberikan sebagai dukungan gizi terapi infeksi, termasuk pada Covid-19. Daya terima diet (sisa makanan dan tingkat kepuasan) yang rendah dapat berdampak buruk bagi penyembuhan pasien, namun dapat diselesaikan dengan modifikasi menu. Variasi menu diet EPT berupa KAYAZI (Makanan Kaya Gizi) menjadi inovasi gizi, termasuk bagi pasien Covid-19.

TUJUAN: Mengetahui pengaruh pemberian KAYAZI sebagai variasi diet EPT terhadap daya terima ditinjau dari sisa makanan dan kepuasan diet PDP di RSUD dr. Saiful Anwar Malang.

METODE: Penelitian Quasy Experimental, metode purposive sampling. Didapatkan 33 sampel tiap kelompok (diet TKTP standar;  diet KAYAZI) sesuai kriteria inklusi-eksklusi. Data sisa makanan dari pengamatan dan pengisian form visual Comstock. Data kepuasan diet didapat dari pengisian kuesioner skala likert metode hedonic scale test. Data diolah menggunakan software statistik SPSS ver.16; uji hipotesis nonparametrik Mann-Whitney test nilai p<0,05.

HASIL: persentase sisa makanan diet KAYAZI lebih kecil (10,5%) dibanding diet TKTP (25,03%); rerata nilai tingkat kepuasan diet KAYAZI lebih tinggi di semua kategori penilaian dibanding diet TKTP. Dari uji Mann-Whitney, nilai p<0,05 pada variabel sisa makanan dan kepuasan diet (parameter: aroma, rasa, warna, bentuk, tempat makan, alat makan). Untuk kepuasan diet pada parameter tekstur dan cara penyajian makanan, didapatkan nilai p>0,05.

KESIMPULAN: Pemberian KAYAZI berpengaruh terhadap daya terima ditinjau dari sisa makanan dan kepuasan diet; kategori citarasa makanan (aroma, rasa), tampilan makanan (bentuk, warna), penyajian makanan (tempat makanan, alat makan). Namun tidak berpengaruh dari segi kepuasan diet untuk parameter tekstur makanan (kategori citarasa makanan) dan cara penyajian diet (kategori penyajian makanan).
Hubungan Antara Status Kemoterapi , Jumlah Netrofil dengan IgM dan IgG Antimannan pada Pasien Kanker Paru yang Mengalami Kolonisasi Candida spp
Authors: Chozin Iin Noor , Setyawan Ungky , Rakhma Sastia
Published: April 2022

Latar Belakang: Diagnosis Candida spp yang menyebabkan kandidiasis pada pasien kanker paru masih sulit. Kondisi ini berhubungan dengan status immunocompromise pada pasien. Salah satu biomarker yang dapat membantu diagnosis adalah IgM dan IgG antimannan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk menganalisis hubungan antara status kemoterapi, jumlah neutrophil absolut dengan IgM dan IgG antimannan.

Metode: Design penelitian correlative analytic cross-sectional mengikutsertakan 37 pasien di ruang rawat inap RSUD Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang. Kriteria inklusi meliputi pasien berusia >18 tahun dengan kanker paru yang tegak secara patologi anatomi kanker paru bukan sel kecil maupun kanker paru sel kecil, kultur sputumnya tumbuh Candida spp dengan atau tanpa spesies jamur ataupun koloni bakteri. Kriteria eksklusi penelitian ini meliputi pasien kanker paru dengan infeksi HIV dan penyakit autoimun. Dari 37 pasien ada yang sudah menerima kemoterapi dan belum kemoterapi. Dilakukan pemeriksaan jumlah netrofil absolut dan antibodi antimannan IgM dan IgG. Data status kemoterapi, jumlah netrofil absolut dianalisis hubungannya dengan antibodi IgM dan IgG antimannan.

Hasil: Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan tidak ada korelasi antara status kemoterapi dengan kepositifan IgM antimannan (p=0.585;r=0.089) maupun IgG antimannan (p=0.124;r=0.245). Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan dengan arah positif dengan kekuatan cukup antara jumlah neutrophil absolut dengan antibodi IgM antimannan (p=0,042; r=0,362), namun tidak terdapat hubungan antara jumlah neutrophil absolut dengan antibodi IgG antimannan (p=0,094; r=0,277).

Kesimpulan: Tidak terdapat hubungan antara status kemoterapi dengan IgM antimannan maupun IgG antimannan. Terdapat hubungan signifikan dengan kekuatan cukup, arah positif antara IgM antimannan dengan jumlah netrofil absolut, tetapi tidak ada hubungannya dengan IgG antimannan.
Peran Vitamin E pada Kulit
Authors: Devitasari Rizky , Basuki Santosa
Published: April 2022

Vitamin E memiliki banyak fungsi bagi tubuh manusia. Peran vitamin E pada kulit meliputi sebagai antioksidan, menjaga kelembapan kulit, perlindungan terhadap sinar matahari, serta proses penyembuhan luka. Sumber dari vitamin E dapat diperoleh dari minyak nabati, kacang-kacangan, biji-bijian, daging dan susu. Kekurangan vitamin E dapat diakibatkan oleh asupan makanan atau gangguan absorpsi. Gangguan absorpsi dari lemak seperti keadaan cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, dapat menimbulkan defisiensi dikarenakan pembawa dari vitamin E adalah lemak. Hal ini juga dapat mempengaruhi fungsi proteksi membrane sel terhadap radikal bebas sampai dengan pengaruh pada sistem organ. Terapi vitamin E dapat berupa topikal dan sistemik. Vitamin E topikal yang digunakan sebagai komponen produk kulit memiliki efek antiproliferatif dan antiinflamasi dan pada konsentrasi antara 2 sampai 20%. Vitamin E dalam bentuk oral adalah D-α tokoferol, dengan dosis oral antara 50 IU dan 1000 IU per hari.
Magnesium Sulfate and Hematoma Expansion: An Ancillary Analysis of the FAST-MAG Randomized Trial
Authors: Naidech Andrew M. , Shkirkova Kristina , Villablanca Juan Pablo , Sanossian Nerses , Liebeskind David S. , Sharma Latisha , Eckstein Mark , Stratton Samuel , Conwit Robin , Hamilton Scott , Saver Jeffrey L. ,   for the FAST-MAG Investigators and Coordinators
Published: April 2022

Background:

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the deadliest form of stroke. In observational studies, lower serum magnesium has been linked to more hematoma expansion (HE) and intracranial hemorrhage, implying that supplemental magnesium sulfate is a potential acute treatment for patients with ICH and could reduce HE. FAST-MAG (Field Administration of Stroke Therapy - Magnesium) was a clinical trial of magnesium sulfate started prehospital in patients with acute stroke within 2 hours of last known well enrolled. CT was not required prior to enrollment, and several hundred patients with acute ICH were enrolled. In this ancillary analysis, we assessed the effect of magnesium sulfate treatment upon HE in patients with acute ICH.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed data that were prospectively collected in the FAST-MAG study. Patients received intravenous magnesium sulfate or matched placebo within 2 hours of onset. We compared HE among patients allocated to intravenous magnesium sulfate or placebo with a Mann-Whitney
U
. We used the same method to compare neurological deficit severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) and global disability (modified Rankin Scale) at 3 months.

Results:

Among 268 patients with ICH meeting study entry criteria, mean 65.4±13/4 years, 33% were female, and 211 (79%) had a history of hypertension. Initial deficit severities were median (interquartile range) of 4 (3–5) on the Los Angeles Motor Scale in the field and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 16 (9.5–25.5) early after hospital arrival. Follow-up brain imaging was performed a median of 17.1 (11.3–22.7) hours after first scan. The magnesium and placebo groups did not statistically differ in hematoma volume on arrival, 10.1 (5.6–28.7) versus 12.4 (5.6–28.7) mL (
P
=0.6), or HE, 2.0 (0.1–7.4) versus 1.5 (−0.2 to 8) mL (
P
=0.5). There was no difference in functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6), 59% versus 50% (
P
=0.5).

Conclusions:

Magnesium sulfate did not reduce HE or improve functional outcomes at 90 days. A benefit for patients with initial hypomagnesemia was not addressed.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT00059332.
Zoocialization: Learning Together, Becoming Together in a Multispecies Triad
Authors: Petitt Andrea , Brandt-Off Keri
Published: April 2022

Herding cattle across the landscape requires three species – horse, cattle, and human – to move together in a goal-orientated, albeit human-centered, activity. In this multispecies activity, they must synchronize through embodied communication and develop a shared understanding of moving conjointly. Together, all three species are socialized, or “zoocialized,” to learn to engage in a shared community of communication where they develop a sense of “timing” and “feel” of the others to enable their directed movement together. While not denying or downplaying the power and pain integral to cattle ranching, we explore and interpret the interspecies, multispecies communication, collaboration, and choreography. Based on a multispecies ethnographic methodology, we draw on experiences from cattle herding in the USA, Canada, and Sweden. What emerges are intricate relations of agency, shaped by meanings of species, where human and nonhuman social actors learn to meet and construct a vibrant multispecies community of communication.
Diaspora Museum
Authors: Wang (王苍柏) Cangbai
Published: April 2022

The existing research on Tan Kah Kee’s museum practices focuses mainly on how he developed museums as an educational institute to modernize China. This paper re-examines his contributions to China’s museum development from a longitudinal perspective and by adopting a transnational view. By contextualizing Tan’s museum exercises in his life experience as a Chinese migrant in British Malaya and through analyzing the architecture design, collection and audiences of his museums, it conceptualizes the museums built by Tan as “diaspora museum,” defined as a heritage-making space constructed through the interactions between Chinese diasporas and the Chinese homeland, produced by and producing a de-territorialized vision of nation and identity. In addition, based on this case study it argues that overseas Chinese opened up an alternative route to transmitting museology to China. Instead of transferring museum directly from Western countries, they acquired a knowledge of museum through encounters with mediated Western modernity in colonial Southeast Asia and then transmitted it (indirectly) to China. Tan’s museum endeavors laid the foundation of a “diasporic heritage-building” tradition that has had a long-lasting impact on museum development in China today and among the overseas Chinese communities.
From North-South to East-West: The Demarcation and Reunification of the Vietnamese Migrant Community in Berlin
Authors: Steinman Jessica Hoai Thuong
Published: April 2022

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, marking the breakdown of the East-West demarcation and the reunification of the German Democratic Republic (gdr) and Federal Republic of Germany (frg). Consequently, thousands of predominantly Northern Vietnamese contract workers, who came to East Berlin under the bilateral agreement between the gdr and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (srv), stayed in the reunified Germany alongside thousands of Vietnamese thuyền nhân from South Vietnam, who were settled in West Berlin by the frg. Therefore, Berlin became the host of two Vietnamese communities. To this day, significant tension exists between the two Vietnamese communities in Berlin due to the geographical and ideological divisions linked to the deterritorialisation and consequently reterritorialisation of the imagined homeland and host-land within the diaspora. This tension is further exacerbated by the socioeconomic segregation in the Vietnamese diaspora due to the differences in settlement policies and reception by the host land. This article focuses on the migration paths, policies, and subsequent development of the Vietnamese diaspora in Berlin. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Berlin from 2016 to 2018, I argue that the differences in policies before and after reunification regarding two different groups of Vietnamese migrants ultimately shape the experiences and reinforce the pre-existing cleavages between them.
The Cactaceae family in the Santa Maria river basin (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
Authors: DE OLIVEIRA ANABELA SILVEIRA , PONTES RODRIGO CORRÊA , ROBAINA LUIS EDUARDO DE SOUZA , TRENTIN ROMÁRIO
Published: April 2022

We present a paper dealing, with the family Cactaceae in the Santa Maria River Basin, which were studied by field surveys (2014–2016) and analysis of relevant literature. For each genus, species richness in the study area, general distribution, detailed, maps concerning the study area, and original pictures are provided. The species were assessed according to the IUCN categories and criteria. A key for the identification of the genera in Santa Maria River Basin was proposed. A description of the main found phytophysiognomies (field, saxicola, forest, and wetland), in which the cacti grow, were also given using Walking Method. Twenty-nine Cactaceae taxa were discovered, belonging to the following genera: Parodia (13 taxa, including a nomenclatural change, i.e. P. ritteriana comb. nov. (≡ Notocactus ritterianus), Frailea (7), Gymnocalycium (2), Wigginsia (3), Echinopsis (1), Cereus (1), and Opuntia (1), and Lepismium (1). Five species have a restricted distribution inside area in Santa Maria River Basin. The floristic diversity found in the study area is related to the edaphic and climatic conditions provided by the stony springs in the Santa Maria River Basin, which constitute a favorable microclimate of intense luminosity, heat and humidity for xerophytic species to develop in open areas.
Typification of names in the neotropical genus Luehea (Malvaceae: Grewioideae)
Authors: GERACE SAMUELE , BOVINI MASSIMO G. , PERUZZI LORENZO , BAUMGRATZ JOSÉ FERNANDO A.
Published: April 2022

We present a review of nomenclatural types for the names given to 19 Luehea species and one variety (L. candicans, L. conwentzii, L. densiflora, L. divaricata, L. eichleri, L. ferruginea, L. grandiflora, L. hoehnei, L. laxiflora, L. macrophylla, L. microphylla, L. ochrophylla, L. paniculata, L. parvifolia, L. platypetala, L. rufescens, L. speciosa, L. uniflora, L. uniflora var. gracilis and L. villosa), including one neotypification, nine lectotypifications and seven second-step lectotypifications.
“All Are Deserving”: Racialized Conditions of Immigrant Deservingness in a Catholic Worker Movement-Inspired Non-Governmental Organization
Authors: Jimenez Anthony M.
Published: April 2022

Although deservingness considerations are commonly antithetical to the aims of pro-immigrant spaces like Justicia y Paz (JyP), a volunteer-run, Catholic Worker Movement-inspired non-governmental organization in Houston, Texas, they nevertheless materialize. This study explores how and why this happens. Drawing on an inductive analysis of 11 months of ethnographic observation and 36 in-depth interviews with volunteers and migrants at JyP, I argue that in “all are deserving” contexts, pro-immigrant advocates can engage in racialization and perpetuate white supremacy. I find that not all are treated as deserving—that deservingness is conditional on migrants submitting to two racially subordinate positions: (1) workers whose labor benefits the material interests of the white suburban elite and (2) indigent subjects whose impoverishment serves as the basis of spiritual salvation for a predominately white base of volunteers aiming to “serve the poor.” This research underscores the limitations of the Catholic Worker Movement-inspired “all are deserving” framework and affords similar pro-immigrant organizations practical insight toward ways to manifest immigrant justice.
Eradicating Administrative Corruption Through Transparency in Public Governance: Global Scenario and the Right to Information Act, 2005, in India
Authors: Rattan Jyoti , Rattan Vijay
Published: April 2022

Modern governments after having put much of their services on the e-governance mode through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the internet have as a result thereof brought about greater transparency in public governance especially at the government-citizen interface level. This has proved to be a giant step in the eradication of administrative corruption. Further impetus was added to this by the advent of Right to Information Law that went a step ahead by opening up the internal functioning of the government to public scrutiny and making bureaucrats accountable for their actions.

The article is a humble attempt to examine how and in what ways the Right to Information in India has resulted in bringing about greater transparency in public governance particularly in India, thereby proving to be a milestone in the fight against administrative corruption.
Encountering Illness: Local Knowledge, Institutions and the Science of Healthcare Practices among the Chuktia Bhunjia Tribe of Odisha, India
Authors: Sabar Bhubaneswar , Midya Dipak K.
Published: April 2022

This paper documents local knowledge-based healthcare practices of Chuktia Bhunjia tribe of Odisha, India, and attempts to ascertain the socio-cultural rationale explaining its persistence against escalating modern healthcare facilities. Focusing on the coexistence of culture, ecology and healthcare, it describes the associated beliefs, rituals, institutions and practices concerning the healthcare. Data, collected using formal interview, observation and case study, reveal that the healthcare practices of Chuktia Bhunjia revolve around the customary beliefs, ecology and laws governing the access to healthcare services. Despite provision of modern medical facilities in their locality, their submission to culture, backed by purity-pollution, customary laws and absence of resource to afford modern medicine, continues to become determinant forces towards relying on traditional healthcare. With malfunctioning of the conventional healthcare institutions, coupled with communication constraint and lack of capability, ethno-ecological and community-based knowledge healthcare fill the gap between demand and supply of their healthcare services. Nevertheless, owing to the declining pathways of transmission of those knowledge bases due to state intervention, forest policies, migration of younger generation, socio-cultural transformation and disassociation of people with plant resources because of tiger project, healthcare knowledge and institutions are under threat. Therefore, given the implication of knowledge-based healthcare and possible threats to its existence, documentation of such practices would sustainably offer a solution to their healthcare, provided cultural diversity upholding those practices are preserved. Alternatively, owing to threats over cultural reproduction knowledge, any integration of their knowledge base with modern healthcare system can best just their healthcare practices in sustainable way.
A Foucauldian Power Analysis of China’s Confucius Institute in Africa: Power, Knowledge and the Institutionalisation of China’s Foreign Policy
Authors: Li Siyuan
Published: April 2022

The Confucius Institute (CI) was established in 2004 by China to disseminate its language, culture and other forms of positive knowledge to people of different nationalities. By critiquing existing analytical frameworks of the CI, this article draws on Foucault’s conception of power, which explains the role of language, culture, value and other non-material elements in the operation of power, to examine the case study of the CI in Africa. By investigating the CI’s power structure, its internal power operations and its power effects, this research seeks to ascertain the role of the CI in the institutionalisation of China’s foreign policy towards Africa.
Slowing the treadmill for a good life for All? German trade union narratives and social-ecological transformation
Authors: Keil A. Katharina , Kreinin Halliki
Published: April 2022

The “treadmill of production” economic system increasingly threatens to undermine the foundations of future human welfare. While urgent action is needed, conceptualisations of “the good life” (TGL) as the “imperial mode of living” (IML) of overconsumption are justifications upholding the system and driving forces behind the crises. German trade unions, which, as part of the historic bloc of the growth coalition, have tried to delay climate action in the name of jobs through “praising work”, have supported the hegemonic common sense of IML-TGL. This is an obstacle to environmental union organisation and progressive coalitions for social-ecological transformation. To investigate whether and to what extent divergent good sense counter-hegemonic narratives are present within German trade union discourses, we analyse the narratives of TGL and good work within the three biggest German unions – ver.di, IG Metall, and IG BCE – using Gramsci’s theory of common sense. We find that counter-narratives of TGL are present to different degrees within the unions and amongst interviewees. These can provide entry points for counter-hegemonic narratives of TGL and alliances with societal actors fighting for “solidary modes of living”, or a Good Life for All within planetary boundaries.
False Memories in Individuals With Stabilized Schizophrenia
Authors: Robin Frédérique , Salomé Franck , El Haj Mohamad
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to examine the false memories in individuals with stabilized schizophrenia. Using the Deese, Roediger, and McDermott (DRM) task, schizophrenia patients and matched healthy controls had to recall words from each DRM list. Following the presentation of the DRM lists, the participants performed a recognition task. Neuropsychological tests were also administered. Results demonstrated that patients with schizophrenia recalled and recognized significantly fewer studied words than the healthy participants. This failure in retrieval is likely to result from a lack of encoding strategies. Results also showed that a stabilized schizophrenic pathology neither increased nor reduced false memories. Patients and controls showed high levels of false memories. Signal detection analyses revealed that patients discarded the critical word as not having been studied, relying on a lax decision criterion (based on familiarity, best guess or chance). Although false memories fell within the normal range for both groups, in individuals with schizophrenia they probably result from deficient encoding processes. Nevertheless, correlational analyses did not show which cognitive deficits contribute to false memories in schizophrenia.
Trends and Associated Factors of Under-five Mortality Based on 2008–2016 Data in Kersa Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Gutema Gebisa Dirirsa , Geremew Abraham , Mengistu Dechasa Adare , Dammu Yohannes Mulugeta , Bayu Kefelegn
Published: April 2022

Background: Of the 6.2 million estimated deaths of children under 15 years of age globally, the death toll of children under 5 years of age accounted for 5.3 million. In Ethiopia, even though significant progress has been made, facility-based research shows that the mortality rate of children under 5 is still high. In the country, particularly in the eastern part, evidence on trends in under-five mortality and associated factors from population-based longitudinal data is limited. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess under-five mortality focusing on the trends and associated factors based on 2008–2016 data in Kersa Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Eastern Ethiopia. The method: The study was based on 9 years of surveillance data. The surveillance site was founded in 2007 with the aim of producing community-based health and demographic data in the eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected from the surveillance site and analyzed with STATA version 15 (for factor analysis) and/or Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 (for trend analysis) and Microsoft (MS) Excel software. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and Mann–Kendall were used to analyze mortality trends. Multi-level logistic regression was used to assess the associated factors. Result: There were a total of 18 759 newborns in the surveillance sites, of which 1602 died of children under 5 years of age, and the total mortality rate for children under 5 years of age was 85 per 1000 live births. Trend analysis shows that the mortality rate of children under 5 has been steadily declining during the study period. Multi-level logistic regression shows that the variance of the random component model related to the intercept term is statistically significant, which means that there is a change in the mortality rate of children under 5 between the survey years, which is explained by the random intercept term. Antenatal care visits by mothers (AOR = .61, 95% CI = .49, .74), primary education (AOR = .58, 95% CI = .49, .68), normal birth weight (AOR = .78, 95% CI = .64, .95), and having 2 or fewer total births (AOR = .37, 95% CI = .22, .37) were all associated with child death. Conclusion: Despite the downward trend, the mortality rate of children under 5 years old at the surveillance sites is high. Effective intervention measures should be implemented.
Analyzing the Nexus Between Geopolitical Risk, Policy Uncertainty, and Tourist Arrivals: Evidence From the United States
Authors: Shahzad Umer , Ramzan Muhammad , Shah Muhammad Ibrahim , Doğan Buhari , Ajmi Ahdi Noomen
Published: April 2022

This study attempts to explore the causal linkage of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, and tourism arrivals in the United States taking data from January to November 2020. In order to analyze the above relationship, this study uses a novel time-varying granger causality test developed by Shi et al. (2018) , which incorporates its three causality algorithms such as forward recursive causality, rolling causality, and recursive evolving causality. The findings from forward recursive causality could not confirm any significant causal relationship between COVID-19 and tourism, geopolitical risk (GPR) and tourism, economic policy uncertainty and tourism, and geopolitical risk and COVID-19 but found causality between economic policy uncertainty and COVID-19. The rolling window causality reported bidirectional causality between COVID-19 and tourism and unidirectional causality running from tourism to geopolitical risk. However, the recursive evolving causality identified a significant bidirectional causal relationship between all the variables. Based on the findings, policy implications for the tourism sector are provided.
Intra-articular injection with platelet-rich plasma compared to triamcinolone hexacetonide or saline solution in knee osteoarthritis: A double blinded randomized controlled trial with one year follow-up
Authors: Nunes-Tamashiro José Carlos , Natour Jamil , Ramuth Fernando Maier , Toffolo Sandra Regina , Mendes Jamile Godoy , Rosenfeld André , Furtado Rita Nely Vilar
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To compare the effectiveness of intra-articular injection (IAI) of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) with Triamcinolone Hexacetonide (TH) and Saline Solution (SS), in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design

A randomized controlled trial, with blinded patients and assessor.

Setting

Outpatient rheumatology service.

Subjects

Patients with knee osteoarthritis grades II and III.

Interventions

Patients received IAI with PRP, 40 mg TH, or SS.

Methods

Patients were assessed at baseline and after 4, 8, 12 e 52 weeks with: visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain at rest and movement, WOMAC questionnaire, Timed to Up and Go test, 6-min walk test, percentage of improvement, goniometry, quality of life SF-36 questionnaire, Likert scale and Kelgreen & Lawrence (KL) radiographic scale (only at baseline and 52 weeks).

Results

100 patients were studied, with a mean age of 67.13(6.56) years. The TH group was superior for: percentage of improvement (versus SS group from 4 to 52 weeks); WOMAC total and pain (versus PRP group at 4 weeks); and WOMAC stiffness (versus SS group at 12 weeks). The SS group was inferior for WOMAC function (from 8 to 52 weeks). The PRP group showed lowest radiographic progression [TH 17 (51.51%) to 24 (72.72%); SS 17 (51.51%) to 30 (90.90%); PRP 20 (58.82%) to 21 (61.76%)].

Conclusion

The Triamcinolone Hexacetonide group was superior for percentage of improvement and WOMAC, pain and stiffness. For the WOMAC function, the Platelet-Rich Plasma group and Triamcinolone Hexacetonide group were superior to the Saline group. The Platelet-Rich Plasma group showed the lowest radiographic progression at 52 weeks of follow-up.
Effectiveness of an Essential Oil Mouthwash in Maintaining Proper Oral Health in Orthodontic Patients—An In Vivo Study
Authors: Patil Kunal Bhaskar , Gulve Nitin D. , Patil Rashmi K.
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

Patients undergoing orthodontic therapy face greater difficulties in maintaining good oral hygiene. To improve mechanical plaque removal, a common strategy is to incorporate a chemotherapeutic agent. Thus, the effects of adding essential oil mouthwash to a standard oral hygiene regimen to maintain oral health were evaluated.

Material and Method:

Two groups were created with 25 patients each. Gingival index and orthodontic plaque index were calculated as initial reading. Gingival index and orthodontic plaque index were calculated again after 6 months.

Result:

In the control group, the mean score of gingival index and orthodontic plaque index were significantly increased from baseline reading (T1) to after 6 months reading (T2). In the experimental group, increase in the mean score of gingival index and orthodontic plaque index was not statistically significant.

Conclusion:

When an essential oil mouthwash is added to the daily oral hygiene regimen (conventional manual toothbrushing + brushing with monotufted brush), it maintained the gingival health and amount of plaque accumulation in orthodontic patients over a period of 6 months.
Comparative Evaluation of Microleakage Under APC Plus, APC Flash-Free and Conventional Stainless Steel Brackets: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Majji Somasekhar , Peddu Revathi , Kalyani M. , Devikanth  , Dokku Aruna , Nuvusetty Bhargavi
Published: April 2022

Aim:

The aim of the study was to compare and evaluate the microleakage under the Adhesive Precoated Plus (APCP), APC Flash-Free (APCF), and conventional stainless steel (SLS) brackets on the occlusal and gingival sides of the bracket base.

Materials and Methods:

66 extracted premolar teeth were collected and divided equally into 3 groups. Bonding was done with APCP, APCF, and conventional SLS brackets using Transbond XT. After bonding, the samples were stored in a distilled water and thermocycled for 3000 cycles, followed by immersion in a 2% methylene blue for 24 h. After cleaning, the teeth were mounted in acrylic and sectioned longitudinally at about the center of the bracket in a buccolingual direction. Microleakage was recorded using a stereomicroscope.

Results:

Kruskal–Wallis H test showed a significant difference ( P < .005) in the microleakage scores between the 3 groups. Mann–Whitney U test showed a significant difference between group 1 to group 2 and group 1 to group 3 ( P < .005) and an insignificant difference between group 2 and group 3 on the occlusal side ( P = .116) and on the gingival side ( P = .063).

Conclusion:

Conventional SLS bracket group exhibited greater microleakage scores at both occlusal and gingival sides, when compared with APCP and APCF groups.
Remaining useful life prognosis for wind turbine using a neural network with a long-term prediction
Authors: Saidi Lotfi , Hayder Arij Nasfia , Saidi Majdi
Published: April 2022

In this paper, an artificial neural network (ANN) is used to predict degradation phenomena occurring in high-speed shaft bearings wind turbine systems, and predict their remaining useful life (RUL). Two different prediction ways are possible. The first is known as short-term prediction, and it involves using measured three data from prior cycles to anticipate degradation in the present cycle. This is a future prediction. The difficulty with short-term prediction is that it is impossible to predict degradation in the future due to a lack of measurement data. Short-term prediction, on the other hand, is accurate because it is based on real measured data and the extrapolation distance is short. The second method is known as long-term prediction, where predicted degradations are used to predict the degradation at a further future time. This paper considers only the long-term prediction. The method was initially tested by using the experimental vibration data provided by the GPMS database, where the RUL was accurately predicted with a very small uncertainty.
Professors Down the Aisle: Academic Marriage Patterns in the Seventeenth Century Dutch Republic
Authors: Price Leonie , Llano Manuel
Published: April 2022

Misogamist discourse prevailed among western European early modern scholars. This article examines whether misogamist discourse translated into behaviour in the Dutch Republic. We identify marriage trends of professors employed by the universities of Leiden and Utrecht in the seventeenth century, using quantitative and qualitative approaches. We analysed a prosopographical dataset of professors and their wives, explored here through several case studies. Against views of exceptionality, seclusion and celibacy in scholarly culture, based on self-fashioning and a handful of memorable examples, we argue that scholars overall replicated and intensified the European Marriage Pattern, and marriage strategies of the Dutch civic elite.
Consent, capacity, and client sexuality policies in healthcare
Authors: Butler Jeremy , Langlois Dave
Published: April 2022

Healthcare organizations face significant ethical complexity when developing policies related to the sexual activities of clients within their facilities. On one hand, admission to healthcare facilities should not require clients to abstain from all sexual activity. On the other hand, clients’ sexual activities within facilities have implications for other people, and many clients may be at risk of sexual mistreatment. In response, organizations may be tempted to approach their clients’ decisions about sexual activity on the model of decisions about medical treatment. In this article, we argue that this approach is more ethically problematic than it may first appear. We review asymmetries between the decisional contexts of medical treatment and sexual activity and argue that those asymmetries generate ethical issues for any policy that treats clients’ decisions about sex as analogous to decisions about treatment. We also offer suggestions for the development of ethically justifiable policies related to client sexuality.
The Acceptability and Usefulness of Positive Behaviour Support Education for Family Carers of People With Frontotemporal Dementia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Fisher Alinka C. , Cheung Sau C. , O’Connor Claire M. C. , Piguet Olivier
Published: April 2022

Aim

This pilot study investigated the acceptability and usefulness of 4 weekly Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) education sessions (delivered face-to-face and online) for family carers of individuals diagnosed with behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). These sessions were adapted from the Family-directed Approach to Brain injury (FAB)-PBS program to the FTD population.

Methods

A pre-test post-test mixed-methods design was utilized. Primary outcome measures included a Carer Confidence questionnaire and post-intervention Feedback Questionnaire. Assessments were conducted prior to the 4-week education program, immediately following the final session and a 3 months follow-up.

Results

Ten family carers completed the 4 PBS education sessions and indicated that the program was helpful in providing behaviour support. No significant changes in confidence ratings were found before and following the education sessions. A majority of participants, however, reported positive changes to their approach in providing behaviour support, with key themes including ‘recognising the function of behaviour’, ‘changing their own behaviour’ and ‘promoting a calmer approach’.

Conclusions

The FAB-PBS education sessions demonstrate to be an acceptable approach to increasing the capability of family carers in providing behaviour support to individuals with FTD, which will need to be confirmed in a larger feasibility study.
Developing Medication Therapy Management Training for Community Health Professionals Serving Low-Income Patients
Authors: Mathis Arlesia , Spates Jocelyn D. , Suther Sandra
Published: April 2022

Background

Each year, medication-related adverse events account for over 1 million emergency department visits according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Medication therapy management (MTM), a service most commonly performed by health professionals, identifies and resolves medication-related problems and has been shown to both reduce healthcare costs and improve clinical outcomes. Objective: The objective of our project was to expand the use of MTM by developing a training program for health professionals to increase medication adherence for low-income patients at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) specifically targeting individuals with hypertension and diabetes. Methods: A needs assessment survey was developed and administered to licensed pharmacists across the state of Florida. Based on the results of the survey, an MTM training program was developed to support pharmacists who serve patients with hypertension and diabetes. The second phase included a pre-assessment administered to the FQHC. The training program was modified based on responses to the pre-assessment. Results: Based on the FQHC pre-assessment, the team developed MTM support training for health professionals that included 7 modules. These modules were Principles of Chronic Disease Self-Management, Team-Based Care, Client Self-Advocacy, Health Equity, Cultural Competency, Social Determinants of Health, and the Benefits of MTM Services. Conclusion: Expanding MTM support training to other health professionals is expected to provide greater access to chronic disease management support, improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care for patients. It is also expected over time to reduce the demand for additional chronic disease–related services.
Correlation between different equations to calculate free testosterone for improved detection of hypogonadism in people living with HIV
Authors: WU Shuang , HILTON Orla , PEREIRA Branca , GIROMETTI Nicolo , MILINKOVIC Ana , OLLANDINI Giangiacomo , BOFFITO Marta
Published: April 2022

The diagnosis of hypogonadism in people living with HIV (PLWH) remains challenging by the lack of a standardised diagnostic algorithm. Since sexual hormone-binding globulin levels are commonly increased in PLWH, guidelines recommend assessing free testosterone (FT) along with total testosterone levels. We compared different online equations available to estimate FT levels and found a good correlation amongst all algorithms. Estimating FT levels increased diagnostic accuracy of hypogonadism and therefore should be encouraged in clinical practice in PLWH with clinical symptoms of hypogonadism, even when total testosterone levels are normal.