bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generating Oncology Patient Trust in the Nurse: An Integrative Review
Authors: Rajcan Lois , Lockhart Joan Such , Goodfellow Linda M.
Published: June 2020

An integrative review was conducted to evaluate the extent and quality of literature regarding adult oncology patients’ trust in nurses. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Three themes were identified, which are as follows: nurse trust facilitating behaviors, nurse attributes, and the influence of patient-nurse trust on health and psychosocial well-being. Findings indicate that the extent of literature is limited in specific examples of nurse interventions that facilitate interpersonal patient-nurse trust. Future research should include more detailed nurse actions and attributes that build patient-nurse trust to fully understand the benefits of trust in oncology patients.
No pain, no gain: Perceived partner mate value mediates the desire-inducing effect of being hard to get during online and face-to-face encounters
Authors: Birnbaum Gurit E. , Zholtack Kobi , Reis Harry T.
Published: June 2020

Playing hard to get is a common strategy used to attract mates. Past research has been unclear about whether and why this strategy facilitates mate pursuit. In three studies, we examined whether perceiving potential partners as hard to get instigated sexual desire and whether perceived partner mate value explained this effect. In doing so, we focused on tactics that give the impression that potential partners are hard to get and may genuinely signal their mate value (being selective in choosing mates, efforts invested in their pursuit). In all studies, participants interacted with an opposite-sex confederate and rated their perceptions of the confederate. In Study 1, participants interacted with confederates whose profile indicated that they were either hard to get or easy to attract. In Study 2, participants exerted (or not) real efforts to attract the confederate. In Study 3, interactions unfolded spontaneously and were coded for efforts made to see the confederate again. Results indicated that the perception of whether a confederate was hard to get was associated with their mate value, which, in turn, predicted greater desire and efforts to see the confederate again, suggesting that being hard to get is an effective strategy that heightens perceptions of partners’ mate value.
Evaluating the Elklan Talking Matters Programme: Exploring the impact of a training programme for early years professionals on pre-school children’s language development
Authors: Clegg Judy , Rohde Carla , McLachlan Henrietta , Elks Liz , Hall Alex
Published: June 2020

Training early years practitioners to facilitate the language development of young children is a widely used intervention. Evidence to support the effectiveness of training in terms of the impact of children’s language development is limited. The Elklan Talking Matters programme is an accredited training programme for early years practitioners. Practitioners train to be Lead Communication Practitioners (LCPs) who cascade training across early years settings or Key Communication Practitioners (KCPs) who are embedded into these settings. The aim of this study was to identify if the Talking Matters Programme is effective in facilitating the language development of pre-school children. One hundred and twenty-six children from 13 early years settings were recruited (mean age 27.81 months; SD 4.90). Thirteen settings participated in the Talking Matters Programme (five LCP+KCP settings, four LCP settings and four control settings). At time 1, prior to practitioners participating in the programme, children completed the Pre-School Language Scales 5th Edition (PLS-5), a standardized assessment of receptive and expressive language. At time 1, 126 children completed the baseline assessment ( n = 43 in the LCP+KCP settings, n = 43 in the LCP settings and n = 40 in the control settings). Children then completed the post intervention (time 2) assessment approximately six months later. Children in the intervention groups (LCP+KCP settings and LCP settings) made more progress in their language development from time 1 to time 2 compared to the control. The children in the LCP+KCP settings made more gains than the children in the LCP settings. A significant main effect of groups and time was found but not an interaction of group scores with time, meaning the increases in scores were not statistically significant between the intervention and control groups. The study provides tentative evidence that the Talking Matters programme has a positive impact on pre-school children’s language development.
How do foreign entrepreneurs adapt to local corruption norms in the Middle East? Institutional multiplicities and individual adaptation
Authors: Liu Kun , Al Asady Ahmad , Fu Kun
Published: June 2020

Foreign entrepreneurs encounter institutional complexities resulting from differences between their home and host countries. On one hand, foreign entrepreneurs must adapt to local norms in a host environment that might be novel and different; on the other, foreign entrepreneurs bring institutional legacies from their home environments. In this article, we critically examine how such tensions affect norm adaptation by foreign entrepreneurs, focusing upon their attitudes towards corruption–defined as corruption propensity. While imprints from home institutions can be ‘sticky’ and persistent, learning about host institutions requires foreign entrepreneurs to adapt their corruption propensity. We find that corruption propensity has an inverted U-shaped relationship with performance and conclude by analysing the implications of such propensity.
Recruitment challenges in stroke rehabilitation randomized controlled trials: a qualitative exploration of trialists’ perspectives using Framework analysis
Authors: McGill Kris , McGarry Jodie , Sackley Catherine , Godwin Jon , Nicoll Avril , Brady Marian C
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To explore the underlying reasons for recruitment difficulties to stroke rehabilitation randomized controlled trials from the perspective of trialists.

Design:

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and Framework analysis.

Participants:

Twenty multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation trialists across 13 countries with a range of clinical and research experience.

Methods:

Twenty semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out. Purposeful sampling ensured a range of opinions were gathered from across the international stroke rehabilitation research community. Using Framework analysis, the analytical framework was formed by three researchers and tested before being applied to the total dataset.

Results:

Three themes described the trialists’ perception of the underlying reasons for recruitment difficulties: (i) decision making, (ii) importance of recruiters and (iii) a broken system. Trialists described frequently disregarding evidence in favour of prior research experiences when planning randomized controlled trial recruitment. All felt that the relationship between the research and clinical teams was vital to ensure recruiters prioritized and found value in recruitment to the trial. Experienced trialists were frustrated by the lack of reporting of the reality of running trials, research governance demands and the feeling that they had to deliberately underestimate recruitment timeframes to secure funding.

Conclusion:

Stroke rehabilitation trialists described recruitment difficulties which may be related to their experiential based recruitment decision making, a lack of understanding of how best to incentivize and maintain relationships with recruiters and unrealistic bureaucratic expectations both in terms of gaining funding and research governance.
Multimodal trajectory optimization for motion planning
Authors: Osa Takayuki
Published: June 2020

Existing motion planning methods often have two drawbacks: (1) goal configurations need to be specified by a user, and (2) only a single solution is generated under a given condition. In practice, multiple possible goal configurations exist to achieve a task. Although the choice of the goal configuration significantly affects the quality of the resulting trajectory, it is not trivial for a user to specify the optimal goal configuration. In addition, the objective function used in the trajectory optimization is often non-convex, and it can have multiple solutions that achieve comparable costs. In this study, we propose a framework that determines multiple trajectories that correspond to the different modes of the cost function. We reduce the problem of identifying the modes of the cost function to that of estimating the density induced by a distribution based on the cost function. The proposed framework enables users to select a preferable solution from multiple candidate trajectories, thereby making it easier to tune the cost function and obtain a satisfactory solution. We evaluated our proposed method with motion planning tasks in 2D and 3D space. Our experiments show that the proposed algorithm is capable of determining multiple solutions for those tasks.
Clinical effectiveness of position management and manual rotation of the fetal position with a U-shaped birth stool for vaginal delivery of a fetus in a persistent occiput posterior position
Authors: Yang Lin , Yi Tongying , Zhou Min , Wang Cheng , Xu Xiaoying , Li Yufang , Sun Qingmei , Lin Xiaojuan , Li Jing , Meng Zhaoyan
Published: June 2020

Objective

To examine the effects of position management, manual rotation of the fetal position, and using a U-shaped birth stool in primiparous women with a fetus in a persistent occiput posterior position.

Methods

This was a prospective pilot study of women who delivered at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital between January and June 2018. The women were divided into the position management ([PM] position management, manual rotation of fetal position, use of a U-shaped birth stool at different stages, and routine nursing) and control groups (position selected by women and routine nursing).

Results

There were 196 women in the PM group and 188 in the control group. There were no significant differences in maternal age, gestational weeks, newborn weight, and the neonatal asphyxia rate between the PM and control groups. The duration of labor was shorter in the PM group than in the control group. Pain and blood loss 2 hours after delivery and the episiotomy rate were significantly lower in the PM group than in the control group.

Conclusion

Applying position management, manual rotation of the fetal position, and using a U-shaped birth stool should be considered for women with a fetus in a persistent occiput posterior position.
Impact of enhanced recovery after surgery on postoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Xiao , Wang Yuwei , Fu Zhongxue
Published: June 2020

Objective

To investigate the impact of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on the postoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

A total of 200 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery between January 2015 and November 2018 were enrolled in the study. They were divided into a traditional treatment group (n=100) and an ERAS group (n=100). The traditional treatment group underwent radical laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and the ERAS group underwent traditional treatment plus the ERAS protocol (preoperative improvement of glucose tolerance, unconventional indwelling stomach and urinary tubes, intraoperative body temperature management, fluid management, postoperative pain management, early oral feeding, and early activities). Clinical data were collected for all patients. NLR levels before and after surgery, and complications were compared between the two groups.

Results

Postoperative NLR was significantly lower in the ERAS compared with the traditional treatment group. The incidence of complications, including anastomotic leakage, pulmonary infection, urinary tract infection, and cardiopulmonary dysfunction were also significantly lower in the ERAS group.

Conclusion

Enhanced recovery after surgery can reduce the increase in postoperative NLR and reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications, which results will be of clinical value.
Renal artery intervention for a patient with flash pulmonary edema accompanied by elevation of troponin levels due to bilateral renal artery stenosis and multivessel coronary disease: a case report
Authors: Sun Ruxian , Li Biao , Chen Xiwei , Chen Yaogui , Li Li
Published: June 2020

An 84-year-old woman complaining of acute-onset chest distress for 2 hours was referred to the Department of Cardiology, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, China. A physical examination showed signs of acute pulmonary edema with considerably elevated blood pressure of 186/120 mmHg. An electrocardiogram showed ST segment depression in leads I, II, and III, and from V4 to V6. A laboratory test showed markedly elevated creatine, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels. Echocardiography showed a mildly enlarged left ventricle with an ejection fraction of 43%. The patient was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, and Killip 3 grade heart function. The non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score was 156. Emergency coronary angiography showed severe three-vessel disease with a global ejection fraction of 50% based on left ventricular angiography. Selective renal artery angiography was performed and major stenosis at the ostia in both renal arteries was found. We did not touch the coronary artery, but performed intervention of the renal artery by implanting two bare metal stents in both ostia of bilateral renal arteries. An unexpected clinical benefit was obtained.
Intestinal flora alterations in patients with early chronic kidney disease: a case-control study among the Han population in southwestern China
Authors: Hu Qiongdan , Wu Kaiyan , Pan Wei , Zeng Yan , Hu Keqin , Chen Dingguo , Huang Xinchun , Zhang Qiong
Published: June 2020

Objective

In this case–control study, we retrospectively analyzed the intestinal flora compositions of patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods

Forty-seven patients with early CKD who were treated at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital between March and October 2018 were enrolled, and 150 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the healthy control group. Fresh stool samples were collected. The V3–V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA was amplified via PCR. Biterminal sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The flora compositions were compared between the two groups.

Results

The Chao1 and Shannon indices showed significantly lower intestinal flora diversity and abundances in the CKD group than in the healthy controls. Beta diversity analysis revealed notable differences in the intestinal flora compositions between the groups. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria abundances were significantly higher in the CKD group. Thirty-one species differed significantly between both groups, among which, differences in Ruminococcus and Roseburia displayed the highest diagnostic values for distinguishing CKD patients from healthy controls.

Conclusions

Intestinal flora compositions are altered in early-stage CKD patients among the Han population in southwestern China.
The XRCC4 rs1805377 polymorphism is not associated with the risk of cancer: An updated meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Xin-yuan , Wei Xiao-han , Wang Bao-jie , Yao Jun
Published: June 2020

Objectives

A growing number of studies have reported that genes involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks might be cancer-susceptibility genes. The x-ray cross-complementing group 4 gene ( XRCC4) encodes a protein that functions in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks, and this meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between the XRCC4 rs1805377 polymorphism and cancer occurrence.

Methods

We retrieved case–control studies that met the inclusion criteria from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Associations between rs1805377 and cancer risk were evaluated by odds ratios (ORs) using a random effects model and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as well as sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

Results

After inclusion criteria were met, the meta-analysis involved 24 studies that included 9,633 cancer patients and 10,544 healthy controls. No significant association was found between rs1805377 and the risk of cancer (pooled OR = 1.107; 95% CI = 0.955–1.284) in the dominant genetic model. Similarly, no significant association was observed in the subgroup analysis.

Conclusions

Through this meta-analysis, we found no association between the rs1805377 polymorphism and cancer occurrence. This may provide useful information for relevant future studies into the etiology of cancer.
Nonsurgical treatment of capsular contracture: Review of clinical studies
Authors: Papaconstantinou Anthony , Koletsa Triantafyllia , Demiri Efterpi , Gasteratos Kostantinos , Tzorakoleftheraki Sofia-Eleni , Pavlidis Leonidas , Spyropoulou Georgia-Alexandra
Published: June 2020

Capsular contracture is one of the most distressing complications of breast implant use in both aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures. This systematic review was performed to assess the effectiveness of all nonsurgical treatments for established capsular contracture.
Assessment of T and N staging with MRI3T in lower and middle rectal cancer and impact on clinical strategy
Authors: Xu Liping , Zhang Zhaoyue , Qin Qin , Zhang Chi , Sun Xinchen
Published: June 2020

Background

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative T/N stage using MRI in lower and middle rectal cancer patients and the impacts on clinical decision-making.

Patients and methods

There were 354 patients recruited from May 2017 to February 2019. MRI was performed within 2 weeks before surgery. Histopathologic results were evaluated for the postoperative T/N stage and MRI diagnostic accuracy was assessed based on the postoperative histopathologic results. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Kappa values were used to evaluate MRI diagnostic accuracy and analysis consistency compared with postoperative histopathologic staging.

Results

Overall MRI diagnostic accuracy was 78.2% and 56.8% for T1–4 and N0–2 staging. The Kappa values were 0.625 and 0.323 for T1–4 and N0–2 staging, respectively. After combination, MRI diagnostic accuracy was 85% and 69.5% for T and N staging. The Kappa values were 0.693 and 0.4 for T and N staging. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI for treatment decision-making was 79.1%.

Conclusion

MRI enables a highly accurate preoperative assessment of T stage but only a fairly accurate preoperative assessment of the N stage for rectal cancer with surgery. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI for treatment decision-making is promising.
Large lipoma in the subglottic larynx: a case report
Authors: Ma Yunxia , Zhou Benzhong , Wang Shengguo
Published: June 2020

Lipomas are rare benign tumors in the larynx. We encountered a 70-year-old man with a large lipoma in the subglottic area. His chief symptom was a 3-month history of progressive dyspnea. Transnasal flexible endoscopy showed a large mass on the posterior wall of the subglottic region. A computed tomography scan revealed a lesion occupying 75% to 80% of the subglottic airway. In this article, we discuss the imaging changes, clinical evaluation, and treatment of this patient’s lipoma.
The New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere
Authors: Stewart Evan , Hartmann Douglas
Published: June 2020

Set against the background of mid-twentieth-century institutional changes analyzed by Jürgen Habermas, we provide an account of new social conditions that compose “the public sphere” in the contemporary United States. First, we review recent developments in theorizing the public sphere, arguing they benefit from renewed attention to institutional changes in how that sphere operates. Second, we identify and summarize three lines of recent sociological research that document a new structural transformation of the contemporary public sphere: (1) civic communication through new media; (2) the professionalization of social movements; and (3) new, hybrid institutions such as think tanks, nonprofit foundations, and other public-private partnerships. Third, we argue that these new formations define a uniquely autonomous, interstitial social field. We conclude by discussing the implications of this synthesis for sociological theories of public life, arguing it can inform more effective study of the social infrastructure of democratic practice.
Race, Empire, and Epistemic Exclusion: Or the Structures of Sociological Thought
Authors: Go Julian
Published: June 2020

This essay analyzes racialized exclusions in sociology through a focus on sociology’s deep epistemic structures. These structures dictate what counts as social scientific knowledge and who can produce it. A historical analysis of their emergence and persistence reveals their connections to empire. Due to sociology’s initial emergence within the culture of American imperialism, early sociological thought embedded the culture of empire’s exclusionary logics. Sociology’s epistemic structures were inextricably racialized, contributing to exclusionary modes of thought and practice along the lines of race, ethnicity, and social geography that persist into the present. Overcoming this racialized inequality requires problematizing and unsettling these epistemic structures by (1) provincializing the canon to create a transformative epistemic pluralism and (2) reconsidering common conceptions of what counts as “theory” in the first place.
Oxidative stress and genotoxicity of co-exposure to chlorpyrifos and aflatoxin B1 in HepG2 cells
Authors: Tadee Anupon , Mahakunakorn Pramote , Porasuphatana Supatra
Published: June 2020

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are each known to adversely affect hepatic tissue individually, but their combined hepatic effects have never been previously investigated. HepG2 cell viability, oxidative status, and genetic impairment were examined after exposing HepG2 cells to: (1) CPF alone, (2) AFB1 alone, and (3) CPF and AFB1 combined (20:1). CPF exposure decreased cell viability, reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity but increased both glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and paraoxonase 1 activity. AFB1 exposure decreased cell viability and GSH content but increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. CPF and AFB1 combined exposure decreased GSH content ( p < 0.05) further over individual CPF and AFB1 exposures. Induction of micronucleus formation was detected in AFB1-treated cells but undetected in both CPF and combination-treated cells. In conclusion, cytotoxic effects caused by combined exposure were antagonistic, as shown by a combination index value of 1.67. Although no change in ROS production was observed in CPF groups, the overall results confirmed the occurrence of oxidative stress through the alterations of GSH content, GPx, and SOD activity. Only intracellular GSH was evidently changed upon exposure to CPF and AFB1 combined. Thus, this study suggested cellular GSH as a potential indicator for detecting the combined effects of CPF and AFB1 in HepG2 cells, the detection of which could be adapted to estimate the potential toxicity of additional multiple toxicant exposures.
Comparison of the Prevalence of Infantile Colic Between Pediatric Migraine and Other Types of Pediatric Headache
Authors: Levinsky Yoel , Eidlitz-Markus Tal
Published: June 2020

Background/Objective:

The International Headache Society lists infantile colic under “episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine” in the ICHD3-beta version of its classification of headache disorders. The aim of this study was to examine whether this association is specific to migraine or applies to all pediatric headache types.

Methods:

A cross-sectional historical study was conducted including 219 patients aged 3-18 years who presented to a tertiary pediatric headache clinic in 2016-2017. Parents were asked a series of questions to determine if their child had had infantile colic as defined in the ICHD3-beta version. The prevalence of a positive history of colic was compared between children diagnosed with migraine or other primary headache types.

Results:

There were 132 girls (60.2%) and 87 boys (39.8%) of mean age 12.8 ± 3.48 years at presentation. Migraine headache was diagnosed in 170 patients (77.6%) and other types primary of headache (9 in total) in 49 patients (22.3%). Fifty-one patients had a history of infantile colic. They included 45 patients in the migraine group (26.5%) and 5 in the comparison groups (10.2%); the difference in the rate of colic was statistically significant ( P = .0196; OR 3.17, 95% CI 0.1.17-6.17). There was no association of specific migraine parameters or symptoms with infantile colic.

Conclusion:

There appears to be an association of infantile colic with pediatric migraine but not with other types of pediatric headache. These findings reinforce the theory that infantile colic has common pathogenic roots with migraine.
Sepsis With Preexisting Heart Failure: Management of Confounding Clinical Features
Authors: Jones Timothy W. , Smith Susan E. , Van Tuyl Joseph S. , Newsome Andrea Sikora
Published: June 2020

Preexisting heart failure (HF) in patients with sepsis is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Core sepsis management includes aggressive volume resuscitation followed by vasopressors (and potentially inotropes) if fluid is inadequate to restore perfusion; however, large fluid boluses and vasoactive agents are concerning amid the cardiac dysfunction of HF. This review summarizes evidence regarding the influence of HF on sepsis clinical outcomes, pathophysiologic concerns, resuscitation targets, hemodynamic interventions, and adjunct management (ie, antiarrhythmics, positive pressure ventilatory support, and renal replacement therapy) in patients with sepsis and preexisting HF. Patients with sepsis and preexisting HF receive less fluid during resuscitation; however, evidence suggests traditional fluid resuscitation targets do not increase the risk of adverse events in HF patients with sepsis and likely improve outcomes. Norepinephrine remains the most well-supported vasopressor for patients with sepsis with preexisting HF, while dopamine may induce more cardiac adverse events. Dobutamine should be used cautiously given its generally detrimental effects but may have an application when combined with norepinephrine in patients with low cardiac output. Management of chronic HF medications warrants careful consideration for continuation or discontinuation upon development of sepsis, and β-blockers may be appropriate to continue in the absence of acute hemodynamic decompensation. Optimal management of atrial fibrillation may include β-blockers after acute hemodynamic stabilization as they have also shown independent benefits in sepsis. Positive pressure ventilatory support and renal replacement must be carefully monitored for effects on cardiac function when HF is present.
Analyzing Nonresponse in Longitudinal Surveys Using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees: A Nonparametric Event History Analysis
Authors: Zinn Sabine , Gnambs Timo
Published: June 2020

Increasing nonresponse rates is a pressing issue for many longitudinal panel studies. Respondents frequently either refuse participation in single survey waves (temporary dropout) or discontinue participation altogether (permanent dropout). Contemporary statistical methods that are used to elucidate predictors of survey nonresponse are typically limited to small variable sets and ignore complex interaction patterns. The innovative approach of Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) is an elegant way to overcome these limitations because it does not specify a parametric form for the relationship between the outcome and its predictors. We present a BART event history analysis that allows identifying predictors for different types of nonresponse to anticipate response rates for upcoming survey waves. We apply our novel method to data from the German National Educational Panel Study including N = 4,559 students in Grade 5 that observed nonresponse rates of up to 36% across five waves. A cross-validation and comparison with logistic regression models with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalization underline the advantages of the approach. Our results highlight the potential of Bayesian discrete-time event modeling for the long-term projection of panel stability across multiple survey waves. Finally, potential applications of this approach for operational use in survey management are outlined.
“The Whole Damn System Is Guilty”: Urban Violence, the Principal Contradiction of Racial Capitalism, and the Production of Premature Death in Oakland, California
Authors: Rodríguez César “che”
Published: June 2020

Discourses of “urban violence” are deployed in reaction to the mobilizations advanced by working-class communities of color following extrajudicial police murders. This discourse delegitimates these mobilizations while pathologizing said communities by insisting that “urban violence,” not police murders, is a more pertinent issue. This article takes seriously the claims made during the Oscar Grant “moment”— a period of popular struggle — that “the whole damn system is guilty.” This article uses Gramscian conceptualizations of socio-historical activity, organic and conjunctural, along with public health and socio-economic measures, to counter the obfuscating discourse of “urban violence” by illustrating the structural violence that communities in Oakland endure and contest. The sum of this structural violence constitutes the principle contradiction of racial capitalism, which produces premature death for working-class communities of color in Oakland. The extrajudicial police murder of Grant in Oakland catalyzed the blossoming open of this contradiction into an intensified moment of struggle.
Essential Role of Pharmacists in Asthma Care and Management
Authors: Bridgeman Mary B. , Wilken Lori A.
Published: June 2020

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and reversible airflow obstruction, poses a substantial economic burden on patients and caregivers alike. Moreover, the heterogeneous nature of the disease and the presence of various phenotypes make the treatment of asthma challenging and nuanced. Despite the availability of several approved pharmacological treatments, approximately half of patients with asthma in the United States experienced exacerbations in 2016, highlighting the need for effective add-on treatments. Furthermore, asthma control remains suboptimal due to low adherence to medications, poor inhaler technique, and several patient-related factors. Importantly, the primary care setting, in which pharmacists play an integral role, represents a critical environment for providing long-term follow-up care for the effective management of chronic diseases, such as asthma. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to ensure optimal clinical outcomes in patients with asthma since they have the clinical expertise to educate patients on their disease state and the role of asthma medications, provide training on inhalation technique, address patients’ concerns about potential side effects of medications, and improve adherence to therapy. Therefore, in this review article, we discuss the overall role of pharmacists in effective asthma care and management.
Impact of Pharmacist-Led Drug Therapy Management Services on HbA1c Values in a Predominantly Hispanic Population Visiting an Outpatient Endocrinology Clinic
Authors: Hernández-Muñoz José J. , De Santiago Annette C. , Cedrone Stephanie Z. , Verduzco Rene A. , Bazan Daniela Z.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To assess the impact pharmacists have on improving glycemic control among predominantly Hispanic diabetic patients visiting an endocrinology clinic in South Texas. Pharmacists were recently integrated into this clinic to be part of a collaborative team.

Methods

This study follows a retrospective cohort design. All patients received diabetic care from endocrinologists, and some received pharmacist-led drug therapy management (PDTM). Patients with ≥1 PDTM were categorized as the intervention group and those without PDTM as the standard of care (SOC) group. The outcome variables were the mean absolute change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline and the proportion of patients at goal HbA1c (<7%) postintervention.

Results

Data were collected from 222 patients (n = 120 SOC patients, n = 102 PDTM patients). The mean age was 61 ± 14 years, 136 (61%) were female, and 197 (89%) were Hispanic. The mean absolute change in HbA1c was −1.3%. In the adjusted model, the mean absolute change in HbA1c in the PDTM compared to the SOC group was not significant (−0.1% ± 0.2%; P < .74), and concurrent interventions from registered dieticians (RDs) and licensed professional counselors (LPC) were identified as effect modifiers of the association. The stratum specific analysis identified the greatest decrease in HbA1c when the three interventions (ie, PDTM, RD, and LPC) coincided (−1.0% ± 0.3%; P < .01). Postintervention, 25% of those who received PDTM achieved an HbA1c<7% as compared to 19% in the SOC group.

Conclusion

The clinical importance of pharmacists is enhanced when integrated with behavioral modifying programs to achieve additional improvement in HbA1c.
Becoming-with research participants: Possibilities in qualitative research with children
Authors: Daelman Silke , De Schauwer Elisabeth , Van Hove Geert
Published: June 2020

This article takes a post-qualitative stance upon the construction and taking up of certain positions in research by children and adults, and explores how emergent assemblages of (non-)human agents shape how children’s voices are expressed and genuinely listened to within intra-active research encounters. Plugging in post-qualitative concepts as ‘listening’, ‘response-ability’ and ‘becoming-with’, this article analyses key incidents (that emerged during a research process in Flanders) in order to reconfigure voices, discourses, methodologies and ethics in research with children.
Exploiting students’ part-time work to enhance learning, teaching and assessment
Authors: Evans Carl
Published: June 2020

This article highlights an opportunity for teaching staff in universities to utilise students’ part-time work experience to enhance learning, teaching and assessment activities. Increasing numbers of university students are working part-time while studying and, as a consequence, there have been several academic studies highlighting the adverse impact of this practice on academic performance. This has led to suggestions for changes in educational policy, seeking either to reduce students’ term-time working or to eliminate it altogether. With a gearing to business management education, this viewpoint piece provides an argument for university lecturers to embrace students’ part-time work experience and use it to enhance the learning, teaching and assessment experience. The use of students’ own work experience extends the case study method, which is common in business teaching, to give greater control and therefore reassurance to students and so yield deeper learning. The approach also strengthens the relationship between higher education and industry in that it connects more cohesively students’ work experience and university study.
The potency of the butterfly: The reception of Richard B. Goldschmidt’s animal experiments in German sexology around 1920
Authors: Linge Ina
Published: June 2020

This article considers the sexual politics of animal evidence in the context of German sexology around 1920. In the 1910s, the German-Jewish geneticist Richard B. Goldschmidt conducted experiments on the moth Lymantria dispar, and discovered individuals that were no longer clearly identifiable as male or female. When he published an article tentatively arguing that his research on ‘intersex butterflies’ could be used to inform concurrent debates about human homosexuality, he triggered a flurry of responses from Berlin-based sexologists. In this article, I examine how a number of well-known sexologists affiliated with Magnus Hirschfeld, his Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, and later his Institute of Sexology attempted to incorporate Goldschmidt’s experiments into their sexological work between 1917 and 1923. Intersex butterflies were used to discuss issues at the heart of German sexology: the legal debate about the criminalisation of homosexuality under paragraph 175; the scientific methodology of sexology, caught between psychiatric, biological, and sociological approaches to the study of sexual and gender diversity; and the status of sexology as natural science, able to contribute knowledge about the sexual Konstitution of the organism. This article thus shows that butterfly experiments function as important and politically charged evidence for a discussion at the heart of the sexological project of those involved in the founding of the Institute of Sexology: the question of the nature and naturalness of homosexuality (and sexual intermediacy more broadly) and its political consequences. In doing so, this article makes a case for paying attention to non-human actors in the history of sexology.
Comparing sexual behaviours and knowledge between domestic students and Chinese international students in Australia: findings from two cross-sectional studies
Authors: Douglass Caitlin H , Qin Can , Martin Fran , Xiao Yinzong , El-Hayek Carol , Lim Megan SC
Published: June 2020

Few studies investigate sexual health among Chinese international students in Australia. We recruited domestic (n = 623) and Chinese international (n = 500) students for separate online surveys on sexual behaviours and knowledge. Samples were compared using Chi square, Fisher’s exact and equality of medians tests. Domestic students were more likely than international students to have ever touched a partner’s genitals (81% vs. 53%, p < 0.01), had oral sex (76% vs. 44%, p < 0.01), vaginal intercourse (67% vs. 41%, p < 0.01) and anal intercourse (31% vs. 6%, p < 0.01). Domestic students were younger when they first touched a partner’s genitals (16 vs. 18 years, p < 0.01), had oral sex (17 vs. 18 years, p < 0.01) and vaginal intercourse (17 vs. 18 years, p < 0.01). Domestic students were less likely than Chinese international students to report only one lifetime partner for touching genitals (22% vs. 50%, p < 0.01), oral sex (25% vs. 55%, p < 0.01), vaginal intercourse (30% vs. 58%, p < 0.01) and anal intercourse (54% vs. 88%, p < 0.01). Domestic students were more likely than Chinese international students to use the oral contraceptive pill (48% vs. 16%, p < 0.01) and long-acting reversible contraceptives (19% vs. 1%, p < 0.01). Domestic students scored higher than international students on a contraception and chlamydia quiz (4/5 vs. 2/5, p < 0.01). Domestic and Chinese international students differed in sexual behaviours and knowledge highlighting the need for relevant sexual health promotion for both groups.
Heterogeneous impact of CO2 emissions on renewable energy technology innovation between oil importers and exporters
Authors: Liu Bai , Liu Yutian , Zhang Ailian
Published: June 2020

With the depletion of fossil energy and the rise of global temperature, it is urgent to use renewable energy to solve environmental problems. By studying the heterogeneous relationship between CO2 emissions and renewable energy technology innovation in different countries, we can find out the gap and something helpful to energy development. In the empirical test, we use the negative binomial regression model with fixed effects to study the impact of CO2 emissions on renewable energy technology innovation from 1997 to 2016. The research shows that impact is positive in oil-importing countries, but this relationship is not established in oil-exporting countries. In both oil importers and oil exporters, CO2 emissions have a positive effect on the solar energy technological innovation, however, the influence on the technology innovation of solar energy in oil exporters is more significant than that of renewable energy. Whether for oil importers or oil exporters, it can be more reasonable and effective to develop renewable energy by clarifying the impact of CO2 emissions on domestic renewable energy technology innovation.
Clinical and histopathological features and short-term outcomes of lupus nephritis: a prospective study of 100 Egyptian patients
Authors: Saleh Mohammed , Eltoraby Ehab E , Tharwat Samar , Nassar Mohammed Kamal
Published: June 2020

Objective

The short-term outcomes of lupus nephritis (LN) are variable and unpredictable among individuals. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and histopathological features and short-term renal outcomes in LN patients.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study carried out at nephrology and rheumatology units in Egypt between 2018 and 2019. A total of 100 patients with biopsy-proven LN were studied. Patients were evaluated for response after six months.

Results

The female-to-male ratio was 8.1:1. About 70% of patients were hypertensive at disease onset, with rates for classes I, II, III, IV, V and VI LN being 1%, 7%, 20%, 53%, 14% and 6%, respectively. Among the immunosuppressive drugs used for induction, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) represented the most commonly used (44%) followed by cyclophosphamide (CYC; 37%). After six months of follow-up, about two thirds of patients achieved remission. There was no significant difference in remission rate between MMF and CYC. On multivariate analysis, serum creatinine (SCr) at presentation was the most significant predictor of renal recovery. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, the cut-off value of SCr was 1.6 mg/dL, with a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 71% predicting renal recovery. Repeat renal biopsy was needed in 10 patients; class and treatment strategy changed in 40% and 70% of them, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings in Egyptian LN patients compare favourably with most studies.
Detecting rare haplotypes associated with complex diseases using both population and family data: Combined logistic Bayesian Lasso
Authors: Zhou Xiaofei , Wang Meng , Lin Shili
Published: June 2020

Haplotype-based association methods have been developed to understand the genetic architecture of complex diseases. Compared to single-variant-based methods, haplotype methods are thought to be more biologically relevant, since there are typically multiple non-independent genetic variants involved in complex diseases, and the use of haplotypes implicitly accounts for non-independence caused by linkage disequilibrium. In recent years, with the focus moving from common to rare variants, haplotype-based methods have also evolved accordingly to uncover the roles of rare haplotypes. One particular approach is regularization-based, with the use of Bayesian least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) as an example. This type of methods has been developed for either case-control population data (the logistic Bayesian Lasso (LBL)) or family data (family-triad-based logistic Bayesian Lasso (famLBL)). In some situations, both family data and case-control data are available; therefore, it would be a waste of resources if only one of them could be analyzed. To make full usage of available data to increase power, we propose a unified approach that can combine both case-control and family data (combined logistic Bayesian Lasso (cLBL)). Through simulations, we characterized the performance of cLBL and showed the advantage of cLBL over existing methods. We further applied cLBL to the Framingham Heart Study data to demonstrate its utility in real data applications.
Why Do Narcissists Care So Much About Intelligence?
Authors: Zajenkowski Marcin , Dufner Michael
Published: June 2020

Grandiose narcissists typically pursue agentic goals, such as social status, competence, and autonomy. We argue that because high intelligence is a key asset for the attainment of such agentic goals, the concept of intelligence should play a prominent role in grandiose narcissists’ self-regulation and social behavior. We review the relevant literature and report evidence in support of this claim. Grandiose narcissists consider intelligence to be an important resource that leads to benefits across life domains, they tend to maintain and defend illusory positive intellectual self-views, and they are extremely motivated to appear intelligent to other people. Thus, even though grandiose narcissism is essentially unrelated to objectively assessed intelligence, intelligence nevertheless plays an important role in the way grandiose narcissists think, feel, and behave. We discuss potential implications for social relationships and point toward avenues for future research.
Reduced Memory Coherence for Negative Events and Its Relationship to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Bisby James A. , Burgess Neil , Brewin Chris R.
Published: June 2020

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by disruptions in memory, including vivid sensory images of the trauma that are involuntarily reexperienced. However, the extent and nature of disruptions to deliberate memory for trauma remain controversial. A unitary account posits that all aspects of memory for a traumatic event are strengthened. In contrast, a dual-representation account proposes up-modulation of sensory and affective representations of the negative content and down-modulation of hippocampal representations of the context in which the event occurred. We take a neuroscientific approach and review the literature concerning the mechanisms required to produce coherent episodic memories and how they are affected in experiments involving negative content. We find, in healthy volunteers, that negative content can reduce associative binding and the coherence of episodic memories. Finally, we bring these findings together with the literature on PTSD to highlight how similar associative mechanisms are affected in patients, consistent with hippocampal impairment, supporting a dual-representation view of disrupted memory coherence.
Food as a weapon? The geopolitics of food and the Qatar–Gulf rift
Authors: Koch Natalie
Published: June 2020

On 4 June 2017, Qatar was suddenly put under an embargo by its regional neighbors – an effort spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who cut off most of its existing land, sea, and air traffic routes. With no domestic agriculture to speak of, Qatar’s external logistics networks are essential for maintaining its food supply. The country’s 2.6 million residents, many of whom flooded the grocery stores, were understandably concerned about their ability to secure food when news about the embargo broke. Eventually, new food supply chains were established, primarily with the assistance of partners in Iran and Turkey. The ongoing rift between Qatar and its neighbors in the Arabian Peninsula, manifested only in part by this effort to undermine the country’s material supply networks raises a number of questions about an old idea: that of food as a ‘weapon’. This article puts this concept in historical and regional perspective in the Arabian Peninsula through the lens of critical geopolitics, tracing the securitizing discourses about food security and their intertwining with narratives about territorial sovereignty, nationalism, and essentialist understandings of geography to explain the causes and effects of the food embargo in the ongoing Qatar–Gulf rift.