bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of proton conducting poly[ethylene oxide]: Poly[vinyl pyrrolidone] based polymer blend electrolytes for electrochemical devices
Authors: Muthuvinayagam M , Sundaramahalingam K
Published: September 2020

Highlights

Highly amorphous PEO/PVP/xwt% NH4NO3 polymer electrolytes are prepared by simple solution casting technique The XRD analysis confirms the amorphous nature of PEO/PVP films and the FTIR and SEM confirm the blending of polymers. Transference number analysis confirms that the prepared polymer electrolytes are mostly ionic conductors. The prepared polymer electrolyte shows potential window between −1.7 to 1.7V. The specific capacitance of the polymer electrolyte decreases with higher scan rate. The proton electrochemical cell was fabricated and the maximum OCV is 0.82V.
Modeling of multistage nonlinear Dual Mass Flywheel torsional damper based on smoothing function fitting
Authors: Long Chen , Wen-ku Shi , Song Li , Zhi-yong Chen , Yuan-bin Yu
Published: September 2020

The smoothing function is used to solve the problem of low simulation efficiency of multi-stage stiffness Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) model, and the influence of different smoothing functions and fitting factor β on the fitting effect is studied. Firstly, based on the analysis of the working principle of multi-stage stiffness DMF, a mathematical model of DMF considering multi-stage stiffness and damping nonlinearity is established, and the accuracy of the model is verified by bench test. Then, tanh function, arctangent function, and sigmoid function are used to smooth the segment points in the DMF model, which solves the problem of inefficiency and not easy to converge in simulation. Finally, a 3-DOF model of the transmission system with DMF is established to simulate and analyze the smooth effect of the smoothing function and the performance difference between different smoothing functions. The results show that the smoothing function can effectively improve the stability of the simulation model. By comparing the three smoothing functions, it can be seen that the sigmoid function has the most obvious effect, which can shorten the simulation time by 52%.
Exploring scholars’ public engagement goals in Canada and the United States
Authors: Besley John C. , Newman Todd P. , Dudo Anthony , Tiffany Leigh Anne
Published: September 2020

We have little systematic knowledge about scholars’ goals for public engagement in the academic literature. This study therefore provides a secondary analysis of two surveys of scholars that included closed-ended questions about goals. One survey from 2017 was from a sample of Canadian grant recipients from a federal science funding agency, while the second survey from 2018 comes from a sample of professors at top American research universities. The focus of this research is on both presenting novel data about scholars’ expressed goals and exploring the relationships between these goals and potential predictors of these goals, including demographics, past engagement behavior, and overall views about public engagement. Areas for future research are then described.
Impact of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program Maturity Status on the Nursing Home Resident’s Place of Death
Authors: Tark Aluem , Agarwal Mansi , Dick Andrew W. , Song Jiyoun , Stone Patricia W.
Published: September 2020

The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program was developed to enhance quality of care delivered at End-of-Life (EoL). Although positive impacts of the POLST program have been identified, the association between a program maturity status and nursing home resident’s likelihood of dying in their current care settings remain unanswered. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the POLST program maturity status on nursing home residents’ place of death. Using multiple national-level datasets, we examined total 595,152 residents and their place of death. The result showed that the long-stay residents living in states where the program was mature status had 12% increased odds of dying in nursing homes compared that of non-conforming status. Individuals residing in states with developing program status showed 11% increase in odds of dying in nursing homes. The findings demonstrate that a well-structured and well-disseminated POLST program, combined with a continued effort to meet high standards of quality EoL care, can bring out positive health outcomes for elderly patients residing in care settings.
Rediscovering Israel’s Messiah
Authors: Rosner Jennifer M.
Published: September 2020

In the ongoing endeavor to increasingly recast traditional Christian theology in non-supersessionist terms, recent books by Mark S. Kinzer and Edjan Westerman deserve particular attention. Both authors lucidly illustrate the way in which the gospel of Jesus is intimately bound to the life and destiny of the Jewish people and the land of Israel. From different vantage points, these authors pose a set of key questions to the contemporary church by reframing central aspects of Christian doctrine.
Lateral Versus Medial Hallux Excision in Preaxial Polydactyly of the Foot
Authors: Burger Elise B. , Bus Sicco A. , Hovius Steven E. R. , van Nieuwenhoven Christianne A.
Published: September 2020

Background:

In preaxial polydactyly of the foot, the choice for excision of the lateral or medial hallux is not straightforward, in particular with proximal phalangeal (type IV) and metatarsal (type VI) duplication, because of anatomical characteristics. We evaluated whether medial or lateral hallux excision gives better outcomes in these duplication types, to help clinical decision making.

Methods:

Children with type IV or type VI duplication (n=14, age: 4.4-17.2 years), who were operatively treated by excision of the lateral or medial hallux, were assessed for foot function using plantar pressure measurements and clinical examination. Foot aesthetics were scored by the child, an expert, and 10 laypersons, and additional patient-reported outcome questionnaires were obtained. Outcomes were compared between lateral and medial excision, per duplication type.

Results:

In type IV duplication (n=11), lateral excision showed a better distribution of peak pressure between the hallux and first metatarsal with significantly lower median first metatarsal peak pressure ( P = .008). Lateral excision showed more medial hallux deviation ( P = .017). Foot aesthetics were not different between excision sides. In type VI duplication (n=12), lateral excision showed a 59% higher hallux peak pressure, larger medial hallux deviation ( P = .004), and more reoperations. Foot aesthetics were scored significantly better after lateral excision by experts and laypersons.

Conclusions:

Foot function by virtue of plantar pressure was better after lateral hallux excision in type IV and after medial hallux excision in type VI duplication. Surgeons and laypersons perceived the foot as more normal after lateral excision in type VI, whereas children reported no differences. These outcomes can be used in clinical decision making.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, therapeutic, comparative study.
Safety Profile Associated With Calcaneal Autograft Harvesting Using a Reaming Graft Harvester
Authors: Law Rona W. , Langan Travis M. , Consul Devon W. , Steriovski James , Prissel Mark A. , Hyer Christopher F.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Foot and ankle surgery often requires bone healing, whether in elective arthrodesis or trauma. While primary bone healing is possible, the rate of nonunion in foot and ankle surgery remains variable. The addition of autogenous bone graft can allow for higher union rates by adding to the biology at the site of bone healing. Harvesting autogenous bone graft from the calcaneus for foot and ankle surgery can be done quickly and efficiently and allow for an adequate amount of graft.

Methods:

A retrospective chart and radiographic review was performed for 1438 patients at a single center between August 1, 2015, and December 15, 2018, who underwent calcaneal autograft harvesting using a power-driven reaming graft harvester.

Results:

In total, 966 patients were included and evaluated for the safety and complication rate associated with the procedure. Only 1 patient (0.1%) had a major complication, and there were 14 minor complications (1.4%).

Conclusion:

The safety profile and low complication rate of this case series demonstrate that this simple and efficient calcaneal autograft harvest technique can be considered when a small to moderate amount of autogenous bone graft is required to augment bone healing.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic level IV, case series.
Alternative use of BRAF inhibitors in patients with metastatic melanoma unable to swallow pills
Authors: Darrigade Fleury M , Masson Regnault Marie , Cales S , Frouin E , Wierbiecka-Hainaut Ewa
Published: September 2020

Introduction

BRAF and MEK inhibitors have been approved for use in metastatic melanoma therapies. All of them are administered as oral capsules or pills. We report two cases treated applying an alternative method of vemurafenib or debrafenib-trametinib administration in patients unable to swallow.

Case Report

The first case involved a 38-year-old man who was referred to a dermatologist for dysphagia and anorexia. After a computerized tomography (CT) scan it was concluded that the dysphagia was due to compression by mediastinal metastasis in a context of metastatic BRAF mutant melanoma. The second case involved a 35-year-old man who was diagnosed in March 2017 with melanoma of the back of the hand. Several months later a positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan was performed. It revealed multiple disseminated metastasis. Management & Outcome: The first patient presented total dysphagia and was unable to swallow pills. It was decided to dissolve vemurafenib in order to facilitate administration. Dysphagia was improved 48 hours later, and oral feeding was reintroduced. Due to severe tablet phobia, the second patient was unable to swallow pills. Dabrafenib capsules were emptied and trametinib pills were grinded. One month later, we noted improved health associated with reduction of the metastases.

Discussion

Our study highlights the possibility of crushing or dissolving BRAF and MEK inhibitors in metastatic melanoma patients for whom it is impossible to swallow pills, eliciting a response and achieving significant if temporary clinical benefit.
Threshold and Group Size Uncertainty in Common-pool Resources: An Experimental Study
Authors: Kidwai Abdul H. , de Oliveira Angela C. M.
Published: September 2020

Threshold common-pool resources (TCPRs), such as fisheries or groundwater reserves, face irreversible damage if harvesting exceeds a sustainability threshold. Uncertainty about the threshold for sustainable use or the number of resource users can exacerbate the overharvesting problem. Policy makers may therefore seek to reduce threshold or group size uncertainty in TCPRs. Overall, we find that reducing threshold and group size uncertainty (moving from high to low uncertainty) increases expected earnings from the resource. However, complete elimination of group size uncertainty reduces expected earnings. Furthermore, the impact of group size uncertainty on earnings varies by the level of threshold uncertainty. Moving from high to low group size uncertainty increases earnings at low levels of threshold uncertainty but not at high levels of threshold uncertainty. Taken together, we find that reducing threshold uncertainty is beneficial while tackling group size uncertainty requires a more nuanced approach, highlighting the importance of a joint analysis.
An International Overview of Certified Practices in Creative Tourism in Rural and Urban Territories
Authors: Remoaldo Paula , Matos Olga , Freitas Isabel , Gôja Ricardo , Araújo Alves Juliana , Ribeiro Vítor , Pereira Miguel , Xavier Carla
Published: September 2020

A large number of destinations have been experimenting a changeover from the current massified cultural tourism to a creative tourism model. In this new model of tourism, urban territories have been privileged by its implementation, and in the past 20 years, urban studies on cultural and creative industries and initiatives have been taking place in large cities marginalizing small-sized cities and specifically rural areas. This article envisages assessing the differences between rural and urban institutions/platforms, mainly certified by the Creative Tourism Network, in what concerns the practices and offers in creative tourism worldwide. A database of 20 items was organized and a typology was used to categorize the type of territory of intervention for each institution. A total of 24 institutions from several countries were surveyed and a qualitative analysis was done and supported by the narratives of their leaders. Urban areas revealed to have a more active and diverse creative tourism activities. The results provide the need for more consolidated communication strategies and partnerships for these activities to become economically more sustainable. In addition, this research provides researchers and practitioners relevant information of how creative tourism is developed in rural and urban territories, the gaps and lack of information, and all the possible directions toward the development of the creative tourism industry.
Association between ABO blood group and venous thrombosis related to the peripherally inserted central catheters in cancer patients
Authors: Wang Guodong , Wang Hongzhi , Shen Yanfen , Dong Jing , Wang Xinpeng , Wang Xiaozheng , Zheng Yuanyuan , Guo Shuangshuang
Published: September 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the potential relation between the ABO blood group and the risk of venous thrombosis in cancer patients with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs).

Methods:

The patients who underwent PICC catheterization in Beijing Cancer Hospital from January 2018 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The general information, disease diagnosis, catheterization situation, and complications were recorded for each patient. Further, the blood group status was identified using the hospital information systems. Logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for symptomatic PICC-related thrombosis.

Results:

Among the 2315 patients, 131 had symptomatic thrombosis after PICC catheterization. The incidence of symptomatic thrombosis was lower in patients with blood type O when compared with that in patients with blood types other than O. The history of venous thrombosis, tumor category, arm circumference, and insertion attempts are risk factors associated with the PICC-related venous thromboembolism (VTE). After multivariable adjustment, insertion attempts and the non-O blood type were observed to remain associated with thrombosis.

Conclusion:

The risk of PICC-related thrombosis in patients with non-O blood type is significantly higher than that in patients with blood type O.
Plant Antimicrobial Peptides: State of the Art, In Silico Prediction and Perspectives in the Omics Era
Authors: Santos-Silva Carlos André dos , Zupin Luisa , Oliveira-Lima Marx , Vilela Lívia Maria Batista , Bezerra-Neto João Pacifico , Ferreira-Neto José Ribamar , Ferreira José Diogo Cavalcanti , Oliveira-Silva Roberta Lane de , Pires Carolline de Jesús , Aburjaile Flavia Figueira , Oliveira Marianne Firmino de , Kido Ederson Akio , Crovella Sergio , Benko-Iseppon Ana Maria
Published: September 2020

Even before the perception or interaction with pathogens, plants rely on constitutively guardian molecules, often specific to tissue or stage, with further expression after contact with the pathogen. These guardians include small molecules as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), generally cysteine-rich, functioning to prevent pathogen establishment. Some of these AMPs are shared among eukaryotes (eg, defensins and cyclotides), others are plant specific (eg, snakins), while some are specific to certain plant families (such as heveins). When compared with other organisms, plants tend to present a higher amount of AMP isoforms due to gene duplications or polyploidy, an occurrence possibly also associated with the sessile habit of plants, which prevents them from evading biotic and environmental stresses. Therefore, plants arise as a rich resource for new AMPs. As these molecules are difficult to retrieve from databases using simple sequence alignments, a description of their characteristics and in silico (bioinformatics) approaches used to retrieve them is provided, considering resources and databases available. The possibilities and applications based on tools versus database approaches are considerable and have been so far underestimated.
A critical reflexive politics of location, ‘feminist debt’ and thinking from the Global South
Authors: Madhok Sumi
Published: September 2020

In this article, I raise a question and acknowledge a ‘feminist debt’. The ‘feminist debt’ is to the politics of location, and the question asks: what particular stipulations and enablements does a critical reflexive feminist politics of location put in place for knowledge production and for doing feminist theory? I suggest that there are at least three stipulations/enablements that a critical reflexive politics of location puts in place for knowledge production. Firstly, it demands/enables scholarly accounts to reveal their location within the prevailing entanglements of power relations and to highlight the politics of struggle that underpin these. Secondly, it demands/enables conceptual work from different geographical spaces – and in particular, it facilitates the production of conceptual work in non-standard background contexts and conditions. And finally, a critical reflexive politics of location demands/enables a methodological response to capture the different conceptual and analytical and empirical knowledges produced in different locations.
Measuring the cost-effectiveness of treatments for people with multiple sclerosis: Beyond quality-adjusted life-years
Authors: Hawton Annie , Goodwin Elizabeth , Boddy Kate , Freeman Jennifer , Thomas Sarah , Chataway Jeremy , Green Colin
Published: September 2020

Background:

It is a familiar story. A promising multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment clears the three regulatory hurdles of safety, quality and efficacy, only to fall at the fourth: cost-effectiveness. This has led to concerns about the validity of the measures typically used to quantify treatment effects in cost-effectiveness analyses and in 2012, in the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence called for an improvement in the cost-effectiveness framework for assessing MS treatments.

Objective and Methods:

This review describes what is meant by cost-effectiveness in health/social care funding decision-making, and usual practice for assessing treatment benefits.

Results:

We detail the use of the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) in resource allocation decisions, and set out limitations of this approach in the context of MS.

Conclusion:

We conclude by highlighting methodological and policy developments which should aid addressing these limitations.
The right to freedom from discrimination in Rwanda
Authors: Mujuzi Jamil Ddamulira
Published: September 2020

Discrimination is prohibited in different provisions of the 2003 Constitution of Rwanda (the Constitution), in different pieces of legislation and in international and regional human rights treaties ratified by Rwanda. According to the 2003 Constitution, one of the fundamental principles which have to be upheld by the State is the ‘eradication of discrimination and divisionism based on ethnicity, region or on any other ground as well as promotion of national unity’. Article 15 of the Constitution provides for equality before the law and Article 16 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination and it provides for the grounds on which a person shall not be discriminated against. Rwanda is also one of the very few African countries whose constitutions criminalise discrimination and different laws have been enacted to deal with the offence of discrimination. The Supreme Court of Rwanda, the highest court in the country, has handed down decisions on Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution. The purpose of this article is to analyse these decisions and illustrate how the Supreme Court has dealt with the issues such as the definition of discrimination and the difference between discrimination and differentiation. The author also discusses the issues that the Rwandan judiciary and prosecutors are likely to face when dealing with the offence of discrimination.
Becoming a transcultural psychotherapist: Qualitative study of the experience of professionals in training in a transcultural psychotherapy group
Authors: Carballeira Carrera Laura , Lévesque-Daniel Sarah , Moro Marie Rose , Mansouri Malika , Lachal Jonathan
Published: September 2020

Transcultural psychotherapy is an original therapeutic technique designed to respond to difficulties encountered in psychiatric treatment for migrants. Today, this psychotherapy is formalized and it is in use at numerous sites in France and internationally. An increasing number of professionals are seeking training in this method. We sought to explore the experiences of these trainees, at their entry in the group and during their training. This qualitative study used focus groups to interview trainees participating in a transcultural psychotherapy training group. The thematic analysis generated two domains of experience: the emotional and personal experience within the transcultural group, including the private feelings of the trainee-participants, their initial difficulties, and the changes in these feelings; and their perception of this specific type of care, that is, their perspectives on transcultural psychotherapy and its most original aspects. Based on the narratives of trainees in this program, we conclude that becoming a transcultural psychotherapist involves a process not only of cultural decentering but also of professional decentering. This decentering cannot be learned theoretically: it must be experienced, for a long enough time to become imbued with it and to allow oneself to modify one’s practices. After sufficient time in the group, the trainees succeed in extricating themselves, little by little, from their ethnocentric vision of psychotherapy, and come to tolerate and then integrate new ways of doing and thinking.
What’s in a name? Contestation and backlash against international norms and institutions
Authors: Deitelhoff Nicole
Published: September 2020

Norm research has struggled to leave behind its liberal progressive perspective on norms. It has turned its attention towards contestation and norms erosion. Still, in a number of studies contestation is not merely an analytic concept but a normative concept as well, describing a problematic development of norms. Plainly, contestation is often seen as a form of political backlash. This is problematic because the bulk of normative change proceeds in the form of contestation, so we need to be able to distinguish the two. Studying the recurring and radicalising contestation of the International Criminal Court, this article demonstrates the intimate relationship between contestation and backlash. It argues that while backlash might be fruitfully applied to the study of norm contestation, its added value for norms research is linked to the normative connotation of regressive politics, that is, a ‘thick’ concept of backlash.
Backlash against the procedural consensus
Authors: Landwehr Claudia
Published: September 2020

While the politics of backlash is typically described as a reaction to policy decisions in favour of minority rights, immigration or globalisation, this essay focuses on the fact that backlash typically also involves a reaction against the procedural consensus liberal democracy is based upon. This challenge to democratic procedures and institutions may be even more dangerous in its effects than the substantial objectives of backlash. I use the composite definition of backlash suggested by Alter and Zürn to assess in how far the attacks on the institutions of liberal democracy have retrograde objectives in themselves or in how far they are merely instrumental to the pursuit of other retrograde objectives. The conclusion reflects on possible outcomes of backlash politics for democratic institutions and argues that in the best case, the present contestation of rules, norms and institutions could also lead to a democratic renewal of the procedural consensus.
Emotions and backlash in US society and politics
Authors: Petersen Roger
Published: September 2020

Alter and Zurn’s framework identifies ‘frequent companions’ to backlash politics including emotive elements. This article addresses those emotive elements. In particular, it defines and unpacks the complex emotion of indignation, an emotion that sets off a dynamic process leading to mutual contempt between political groups. The article shows how indignation and its dynamic processes have helped unleash backlash politics in the United States.
The influence of welfare spending on national immunization outcomes: A scoping review
Authors: Walker Mary Ellen , Tchir Devan , Szafron Michael , Anonson June
Published: September 2020

Background: National policies influence the environments in which people live, but the ways in which these national policies influence people’s health are not well understood. Welfare spending is one national policy that may influence population health. While some research indicates higher levels of welfare investment may positively influence health, mixed findings contradict this conclusion. These mixed results examining the link between welfare policies and health may be better understood by investigating the relationship between welfare spending and preventative health interventions, such as immunization. Objective: This article’s purpose is to summarize the literature studying the relationship between national welfare spending and immunization outcomes. Design: This scoping review used the Joanna Briggs scoping review method. Data sources: The scoping review utilized scholarly databases and a focused gray literature search to find research articles that explored relationships between welfare spending and immunization outcomes. Review methods: Data was extracted from articles, including themes, aims, populations, years of study, methods, and findings. The articles’ themes were further analyzed with a word cloud and principal component analysis to determine which themes were more likely to coincide in the literature. Results: Seven articles were included in the review. Most of these articles did not address the relationship between welfare spending or policy and immunizations directly or with rigorous methods. Conclusions: Ultimately, the results of the scoping review suggest a lack of literature regarding the relationship between welfare spending and immunization outcomes. Further research is needed to understand the impacts of national welfare spending on immunization outcomes.
Cardiovascular and liver disease among pre-hospital trauma deaths: A review of autopsy findings
Authors: Mitra Biswadev , Fogarty Mark , Cameron Peter A , Smith Karen , Bernard Steve , Burke Michael , Mercier Eric , Beck Ben
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Pre-existing disease is a common contributor to mortality and morbidity after injury and resuscitation of injured patients are often altered in hospital based on comorbidities. However, this is uncommon in the pre-hospital phase of care where patients are managed according to clinical practice guidelines. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and liver disease among trauma patients attended by pre-hospital clinicians but who died prior to reaching hospital and assess associations with age.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of pre-hospital trauma deaths in the state of Victoria, Australia between 01 Jan 2008 and 31 Dec 2014. The inclusion criteria were (a) patients attended by pre-hospital clinicians, (b) deceased before arrival to hospital, (c) evidence of recent trauma and (d) underwent a full autopsy. Cardiovascular and liver disease status were extracted from autopsy reports.

Results

There were 1043 patients included in this study. Most patients were male (77.1%). Intentional self-harm was significantly more common in patients aged ≥65 years (17.4%). CVD was prevalent in 495 (47.5%; 95%CI: 44.4–50.5) cases with myocardial fibrosis the most common abnormality detected. All sub-groups of CVD demonstrated a significant association with increasing age, except right ventricular hypertrophy. Liver disease was present in 235 (22.5%; 95%CI: 20.1-25.2) patients and most common among patients aged 35–64 years.

Discussion

CVD was prevalent in almost half of all injured patients included in this study while liver disease was present in about a fifth. The prevalence of CVD was associated with increasing age, while liver disease was more common among middle-aged patients. This high prevalence in our population indicates that pre-existing cardiovascular and liver disease be considered when tailoring pre-hospital life-saving interventions for injured patients.
Performing the enemy? No-risk logic and the assessment of prisoners in “radicalization assessment units” in French prisons
Authors: Chantraine Gilles , Scheer David
Published: September 2020

This article is based on a sociological research, combining qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations, undertaken in “radicalization assessment units” (RAU) in French prisons. The RAUs are units that hold, for a fixed period of time, a dozen prisoners described as “Islamic terrorists” or “suspected radicalization” so that a multidisciplinary team can evaluate their degree of radicalization. In the first section we will show how the climate of terrorist attacks during the period prior to opening of the RAUs not only engendered a warlike rhetoric that would overdetermine the decline of trust in detention. It also engendered institutional improvisation whereby these special units were set up one after another without much preparation. Secondly, we will detail the RAU’s security organization and the warlike relationship that grew between the guards and prisoners, between radical defiance and criminology of the Other. In the third section we will return to the evaluation work itself. During this evaluation work in the RAU, although each professional makes efforts to refine the prisoners’ profiles, the job is deeply biased by an obsession to fight against the “ taqîya” and against “dissimulators”. Lastly, at the end of the evaluation, the evaluation summary and recommendations for final orientation are overdetermined by the imperative to avoid professional risks.
Company brokers: Human resources managers in foreign mining projects in the Congolese Copperbelt
Authors: Rubbers Benjamin
Published: September 2020

Based on ethnographic research between 2016 and 2018, this article examines the role of Congolese HR managers working for the transnational companies that have developed new mining projects in DR Congo’s copperbelt over the past two decades. Drawing inspiration from the anthropological literature on brokerage, the analysis proposes to study this category of middle managers as company brokers, who derive power from their ability to control access to jobs in foreign companies and who take on an active role in the organizational changes that new investors put in place. In developing this line of analysis, the article’s aim is to understand how mining capitalism is mediated from within foreign companies. In this view, mining projects are not only negotiated by brokers in the local political arena, they are themselves co-produced by the local workers they employ.
Propinquity through dwelling: Living in evacuee properties after the Partition of India and Pakistan
Authors: Jatt Zahida Rehman , Riggs Erin P
Published: September 2020

How quickly can displaced peoples develop meaningful ties to new locations and what material forms facilitate such connections? In this paper, we provide a discussion of post-displacement topophilia (attachment to place). As a case study, we focus on the migration of the Sharif family who fled from India to Pakistan during the 1947 Partition. The Sharif family fundamentally lost their home and faced threats as they migrated past socio-politically opposed migrant groups moving in the opposite direction. They then resettled into the places abandoned by these “enemies” while these “enemies” resettled within the village they left behind. Through this example, we consider the effects of propinquity though dwelling—a closeness and empathy born from a shared familiarity with a dwelling place. We acknowledge that when multiple groups have ties to the same location, contention often ensues. However, we argue that when peoples become intimately familiar with one another’s dwelling spaces, the result is often mutual respect and understanding.
Black educators in (white) settings: Making racial identity visible in Early Childhood Education and Care in England, UK
Authors: Tembo Shaddai
Published: September 2020

The participation of Black educators in the UK’s education system has been a source of much debate in recent years. Research indicates having a teaching force that better represents society is critical because of the character, ubiquity, pervasiveness, duration and importance of teaching as a social activity. However, to date, many of the existing studies have taken place in primary, secondary and higher education contexts. The primary purpose of this paper is to draw upon concepts of identity to make Black educator identity visible in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) context. Secondly, this paper aims to contribute to recent developments around mobilising Black studies as an academic discipline by seeking to explore how Black ECEC educators construct their identity through their professional practice. This paper draws on Critical Race Theory and narrative analysis methods to illustrate the experiences of Black ECEC educators. While this paper does not generalise to the experience of all Black educators, it does highlight a much under-researched area and advocates the need for counter-narratives to challenge normative unracialised experiences.
A Systematic Review of CheeZheng Pain Relieving Plaster for Musculoskeletal Pain: Implications for Oncology Research and Practice
Authors: Chen Connie , Li Susan Q. , Bao Ting , Zhang Lily , Seluzicki Christina , Mao Jun J.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Musculoskeletal pain is a common and debilitating condition for cancer patients. Existing therapies for these pain conditions have substantial limitations. To identify an integrative approach to pain management, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a Tibetan herbal-based topical agent, CheeZheng Pain Relieving Plaster (PRP), for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) pain.

Methods:

We extracted citations from PubMed and Chinese databases (CNKI, WanFang Data, and CQVIP). We included randomized clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness and safety of CheeZheng PRP compared to conventional OA pain treatments.

Results:

Twenty-two randomized clinical trials (n = 2556 participants) compared CheeZheng PRP against nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (11), glucosamine (2), intraarticular corticosteroid (2), hyaluronic acid injections (6), and acetaminophen (1). Ten studies found a statistically greater effectiveness (assessed by ≥30% reduction in symptom severity) of CheeZheng PRP in improving OA pain (measured by the Visual Analogue Scale), stiffness, and function compared to control. Ten studies reported that 4.8% of participants experienced application site skin irritation that resolved after discontinuing the plaster. Randomization was not sufficiently described in most studies, and no placebo-controlled trials were identified.

Conclusions:

There is promising evidence for the safety and clinical effectiveness of CheeZheng PRP to treat OA; however, lack of placebo control and unclear descriptions of randomization increase the potential risk for bias. Future randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of CheeZheng PRP for pain management in oncology settings.
Acupuncture reduces pain in rats with osteoarthritis by inhibiting MCP2/CCR2 signaling pathway
Authors: Li Bocun , Jing Li , Jia Li , Qian Tan , Jianyi Chen , Zhongsheng Huang , Xiaohong Zhou , Guowei Cai
Published: September 2020

Acupuncture is an emerging alternative therapy that has been beneficial for the pain of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the underlying mechanism of protective effect remains unclear. MCP1/CCR2 axis can be stimulated in various periods of OA, and we hypothesize that acupuncture may treat OA by regulating the MCP1/CCR2 axis. This study aimed to explore the effect of acupuncture at points ST35 and ST36 on the effects of hyperalgesia and cartilage in OA rats including the expression of chemokines, nerve growth factor (NGF), and inflammatory-related proteins. OA was induced in male Sprague–Dawley rats by anterior cruciate ligament transection at the right knee. The first acupuncture intervention was performed on the seventh day after surgery and once a day for seven weeks. The knee-pain-related behaviors, histology, and related protein were examined in this study. We have found that electroacupuncture at ST35 and ST36 can significantly alleviate the hyperalgesia and cartilage degeneration as well as reducing nerve sprouting in OA knee joint. Moreover, acupuncture treatment may inhibit the MCP1/CCR2 axis as well as down-regulate inflaming factor and NGF in cartilage and synovial tissue. The data presented here indicate that acupuncture exerts a protective effect against hyperalgesia and cartilage degeneration, and the mechanism might involve in chemokines and NGF pathway.
Pick Your Poison but Pick It Wisely: Choosing a Second-Line Medication for the Management of Status Epilepticus
Authors: Bermeo-Ovalle Adriana
Published: September 2020

[Box: see text]
Comparison of Cilostazol and Naftidrofuryl in an Experimental Acute Ischemia-Reperfusion Model
Authors: Gülaştı Ömer Faruk , Yavuz Şadan , Arıkan Ali Ahmet , Eraldemir Fatma Ceyla , Özbudak Ersan , Şahin Deniz , Kır Hale Maral
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Naftidrofuryl and cilostazol are drugs with proven efficacy in the treatment of claudication in peripheral vascular disease. In this experimental study, we evaluated the effects of naftidrofuryl and cilostazol in ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury on various tissues.

Materials and Methods:

40 male albino Wistar rats (8-12 weeks old, 250-350 g.) are randomly divided into 4 groups: Control (Group 1), sham (group 2), cilostazol pre-treatment (group 3), naftidrofuryl pre-treatment (group 4). During 21 days placebo is given to group 2, 12 mg/kg/day cilostazol is given to group 3, 50 mg/kg/day naftidrofuryl is given to group 4 orally. Ischemia and reperfusion are induced at the lower hind limb in Groups 2, 3 and 4. Ischemic muscle, kidney, liver, heart, brain and blood samples are obtained. The total antioxidant capacity, oxidant levels and oxidative stress index are studied for each group.

Results:

Both drugs have protective effects of remote organ injury following IR. Systemic effects are similar to each other, both have protective effects of IR injury. It showed no statistical significance in the total antioxidant capacity. Total oxidant levels are significantly affected by cilostazol in the heart (p < 0.01) and by naftidrofuryl in the liver (p < 0.01). The effect on oxidative stress was only significant with cilostazol on the heart (p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

Cilostazol and naftidrofuryl had beneficial effects in all tissues against tissue damage caused by IR injury. In ischemic muscle, kidney and heart cilostazol had improved outcomes comparing to naftidrofuryl. Naftidrofuryl had benefits over cilostazol in liver tissue.
Electroclinical Phenotype-Genotype Homogeneity in Drug-Resistant “Generalized” Tonic-Clonic Seizures of Early Childhood
Authors: Jukkarwala Anis , Menon Ramshekhar N. , Sunesh E. R. , Radhakrishnan Ashalatha
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Children with refractory focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, despite normal high-resolution imaging, are often not subjected to genetic tests due to the costs involved and instead undergo multimodality presurgical evaluation targeted at delineating a focal onset. The objective of this study was to ascertain genotype-phenotype correlations in this group of patients.

Method

An online hospital database search was conducted for children who presented in 2019 with drug-resistant epilepsy dominated by nonlateralizing focal-onset/rapid generalized (bilateral) tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), subjected to presurgical evaluation and subsequent genetic testing due to absence of a clear focus hypothesis.

Results

Phenotypic homogeneity was apparent in 3 children who had onset in infancy with drug-resistant GTCS (predominantly unprovoked and occasionally fever provoked) and subsequent delayed development. 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were negative and video EEG documented a homogeneous pattern of multifocal and/or generalized epileptiform discharges with phenomenology favoring probable focal-onset/generalized-onset bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. All 3 tested positive for SCN1A gene variants (heterozygous missense substitution variants in 2 children, one of which was novel and a novel duplication in one that led to frameshift and premature truncation of the protein), suggestive of SCN1A-mediated epilepsy. This electroclinical profile constituted 3 out of 25 patients with SCN1A-epilepsy phenotypes at our center.

Conclusions

These cases suggest that children with early-onset drug-resistant “generalized” epilepsy are likely to have a genetic basis although the presentation may not be typical of Dravet syndrome. Hence, genetic testing for SCN1A variants is recommended in children with drug-resistant MRI negative focal-onset/generalized-onset bilateral tonic-clonic seizures before subjecting them to exhaustive presurgical workup and to guide appropriate treatment and prognostication.
The effect of using Richmond agitation and sedation scale on hospital stay, ventilator dependence, and mortality rate in ICU inpatients: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Rashidi Mahbobeh , Molavynejad Shahram , Javadi Nasser , Adineh Mohammad , Sharhani Assad , Poursangbur Tayebeh
Published: September 2020

Background

Managing the amount of use of sedatives due to their high side effects in the intensive care unit is essential. Sedation-agitation protocols may play an important role in this regard. However, they have not been practically applied in Iran.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using the Richmond agitation and sedation scale on hospital stay duration and dependency rate on the intensive care unit ventilator system in Ahwaz City, Iran, in 2016–2017.

Methods

This randomised clinical trial was conducted on 74 patients. The subjects were selected by a stratified sampling method and divided into the experimental ( n = 32) and control ( n = 32) groups. Sedation and agitation levels were managed by the Richmond agitation and sedation scale as soon as the samples were anxious and agitated, and every 6 hours in the intervention group. However, the control group received routine care. The data obtained were analysed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results

There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic variables, such as age, gender, admission diagnosis and Glasgow coma scale scores on admission. However, they differed in terms of hospital stay duration and ventilator connection ( P < 0.001), Glasgow coma scale score at the separation time from the device ( P < 0.001), Glasgow coma scale score at the discharge time from the intensive care unit ( P < 0.02) and intensive care unit death rate ( P < 0.001). In all cases mentioned previously, the intervention group’s condition was better.

Conclusions

Based on the results of this study, as well as the approval of validation and reliability of the Richmond agitation and sedation scale in different studies, this protocol can be very effective in optimising the use of sedatives in the intensive care unit.
Respiratory management for patients with neuromuscular disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Chen Tai-Heng , Hsu Jong-Hau
Published: September 2020

The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.
Circulating metabolomics profiling reveals novel pathways associated with cognitive decline in patients with hypertension
Authors: Huang Yuli , Zheng Haoxiao , Tan Kuan , Sun Xiangdong , Ye Jinshao , Zhang Yunlong
Published: September 2020

Background:

Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is associated with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although it may be correlated with AD in terms of symptoms, the link between hypertension and AD pathological biomarkers, and the potential underlying mechanism of hypertension with cognitive decline, are still not well understood.

Methods:

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were used to evaluate cognitive function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to examine plasma amyloid-beta (Aβ)40, Aβ42, and tau concentration in hypertensive patients. Metabolomics and metagenomics were performed to identify the significantly changed circulating metabolites and microbiota between healthy individuals and hypertensive patients. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the association between cognitive indicators and differential metabolites.

Results:

We found significantly decreased MMSE scores, elevated plasma Aβ40, and decreased Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio in hypertensive patients, which are critically associated with AD pathology. Based on metabolomics, we found that significantly altered metabolites in the plasma of hypertensive patients were enriched in the benzoate degradation and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways, and they were also correlated with changes in MMSE scores and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. In addition, metabolomics signaling pathway analysis suggested that microbial metabolism was altered in hypertensive patients. We also identified altered blood microbiota in hypertensive patients compared with the controls.

Conclusions:

Our study provides a novel metabolic and microbial mechanism, which may underlie the cognitive impairment in hypertensive patients.
Oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and immunosuppressants with antiviral potential, including SARS-CoV-2 infection: a review
Authors: Tsai Y. C. , Tsai T. F.
Published: September 2020

There have been several episodes of viral infection evolving into epidemics in recent decades, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the latest example. Its high infectivity and moderate mortality have resulted in an urgent need to find an effective treatment modality. Although the category of immunosuppressive drugs usually poses a risk of infection due to interference of the immune system, some of them have been found to exert antiviral properties and are already used in daily practice. Recently, hydroxychloroquine and baricitinib have been proposed as potential drugs for SARS-CoV-2. In fact, there are other immunosuppressants known with antiviral activities, including cyclosporine A, hydroxyurea, minocycline, mycophenolic acid, mycophenolate mofetil, leflunomide, tofacitinib, and thalidomide. The inherent antiviral activity could be a treatment choice for patients with coexisting rheumatological disorders and infections. Clinical evidence, their possible mode of actions and spectrum of antiviral activities are included in this review article.

Lay summary

Immunosuppressants often raise the concern of infection risks, especially for patients with underlying immune disorders. However, some disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with inherent antiviral activity would be a reasonable choice in the situation of concomitant viral infections and flare up of autoimmune diseases. This review covers DMARDs of treatment potential for SARS-CoV-2 in part I, and antiviral mechanisms plus trial evidence for viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in part II.