bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recession and risk of suicide in Denmark during the 2009 global financial crisis: an ecological register-based study
Authors: Konieczna Agnieszka , Jakobsen Sarah Grube , Larsen Christina Petrea , Christiansen Erik
Published: May 2021

Aim:

The aim of this study is to analyse the potential impact from the financial crisis (onset in 2009) on suicide rates in Denmark. The hypothesis is that the global financial crisis raised unemployment which leads to raising the suicide rate in Denmark and that the impact is most prominent in men.

Method:

This study used an ecological study design, including register data from 2001 until 2016 on unemployment, suicide, gender and calendar time which was analysed using Poisson regression models and interrupted time series analysis.

Results:

The correlation between unemployment and suicide rates was positive in the period and statistically significant for all, but at a moderate level. A dichotomised version of time (calendar year) showed a significant reduction in the suicide rate for women (incidence rate ratio 0.87, P=0.002). Interrupted time series analysis showed a significant decreasing trend for the overall suicide rate and for men in the pre-recession period, which in both cases stagnated after the onset of recession in 2009. The difference between the genders’ suicide rate changed significantly at the onset of recession, as the rate for men increased and the rate for women decreased.

Discussion:

The Danish social welfare model might have prevented social disintegration and suicide among unemployed, and suicide prevention programmes might have prevented deaths among unemployed and mentally ill individuals.

Conclusions:

We found some indications for gender-specific differences from the impact of the financial crises on the suicide rate. We recommend that men should be specifically targeted for appropriate prevention programmes during periods of economic downturn.
Depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women in Denmark during COVID-19
Authors: Overbeck Gritt , Rasmussen Ida Scheel , Siersma Volkert , Andersen Julie Høgsgaard , Kragstrup Jakob , Wilson Philip , Hauskov Graungaard Anette , Ertmann Ruth Kirk
Published: May 2021

Aims:

Maternal mental distress in pregnancy can be damaging to the mother’s and child’s physical and mental health. This study aimed to provide an insight into mental well-being of pregnant women in Denmark during COVID-19 by assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Methods:

Data from two cohorts of pregnant women recruited from Danish general practice were compared. A COVID-19 lockdown cohort ( N=330) completed questionnaires between 8 April and 6 May. Responses were compared to those from a control cohort of women from 2016 ( N=1428). Mental well-being was measured with the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and the Anxiety Symptom Scale (ASS).

Results:

Questionnaires were returned by 83% of the COVID-19 lockdown cohort and by 93% of the control cohort. Multivariable analysis controlling for age, cohabitation status, occupation, smoking, alcohol use, chronic disease, fertility treatment, parity and children living at home showed no difference in depressive symptoms (MDI). Anxiety symptoms (ASS) were slightly worse in the COVID-19 lockdown cohort (mean difference=1.4 points), mainly driven by questions concerning general anxiety. The largest differences in anxiety were seen in first trimester (adjusted mean difference=4.0 points).

Conclusions:

Pregnant women questioned during the COVID-19 pandemic showed no change in symptoms of depression and only a modest elevation of anxiety when compared to pregnant women questioned during a non-pandemic period in 2016.
Political structures and trust in markets: A comparative examination of consumer trust in 28 EU member states and the effects of consumer policy on trust
Authors: Nessel Sebastian
Published: May 2021

A central tenet of the New Economic Sociology is that trust is a central factor in the sound functioning of markets. Previous research has mainly used a national-scale network approach to argue that personal relations generate trust in market relations. In contrast, this article shows, from a comparative perspective, how political structures influence consumer trust. First, using aggregate data, it shows how consumer trust in markets varies across the 28 European Union (EU) member states. Second, it uses regression models to examine the effects of varying levels of political embeddedness on consumer trust, taking consumer policy as a proxy. The results support the view that it is not only personal relations that generate trust in market relations but also political structures. This argument echoes institutional economic sociological approaches, and it adds to them a trust dimension. It furthermore encourages a more finely grained comparative analysis to better account for the effects of social macrostructures on trust.
Recruit conservation warden field training: A qualitative analysis of the San Jose Police Department Field Training Model applied to natural resource law enforcement
Authors: Groppi Matthew
Published: May 2021

This article reviews the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing (hereafter President’s Task Force) findings on law enforcement field training. The President’s Task Force was critical of the San Jose Police Department Field Training Model (hereafter the San Jose Model), the most common model used by law enforcement agencies within the United States. These criticisms were the impetus for an assessment of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Law Enforcement Field Training Program which was based on the San Jose Model. The WDNR employs conservation wardens who primarily enforce wildlife, environmental, and recreational vehicle laws. This study evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the WDNR field training program through surveys of the perceptions and experiences of the field training officers, recruit conservation wardens, and warden supervisors. These findings also permit analysis regarding the criticisms identified by the President’s Task Force. The author found very little existing research pertaining to field training programs and little existing research on conservation law enforcement. The findings of this study persuaded command staff within the WDNR to follow the recommendations of the President’s Task Force and adopt the Police Training Officer (PTO) Model because it incorporated adult learning concepts, problem-based learning, and was more focused on community policing. Practical applications for other agencies are discussed and needs for future empirical research related to law enforcement field training are identified.
Idols you can make: The player as auteur in Japan’s media mix
Authors: Finan Dorothy
Published: May 2021

Japan has recently seen an upsurge in idol ikusei (nurturing) games: networked mobile games where one nurtures and produces an idol pop group. These games are a significant part of Japan’s contemporary ‘media mix’, influenced both by virtual pet games and by discourses of nurturing surrounding the production of ‘real’ girl idol groups by male producer-auteur figures. Previous analyses have considered affection for simulated or virtual girl idol figures as a detached longing for stylised characteristics ( moe). This article uses a case study of a mobile game at the centre of the Love Live! girl idol-nurturing simulation franchise to suggest that we cannot only speak of players’ affection for nurturing games’ characters in terms of postmodern disembodiment; we must also consider how in playing idol-nurturing games, players take the place of real male producer-auteur figures in Japanese popular music production, where discourses of gendered nurturing abound.
Moderating influences on the entrepreneurial orientation-business performance relationship in SMEs
Authors: Ferreira João J , Fernandes Cristina I , Kraus Sascha , McDowell William C
Published: May 2021

Calls for more in-depth research on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and business performance have been dominant. Thus, this research explores whether the relationship between EO and the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) is conditioned (or affected) by some moderating factors. A framework is proposed which considers how networks, environmental conditions, entrepreneur’s experience, and entrepreneur’s level of education can moderate this relationship. From a sample of 204 SMEs, our study shows that not all factors, internal and external to the EO, have the same effect. Although the entrepreneur’s experience (as an internal factor) and the nature of the environment (external factor) have not been shown to influence the relationship between the EO and the performance of the SMEs, we found that both education and networks positively impact the EO and performance relationship.
Planning for scarcity: Developing a hospital ventilator allocation policy for Covid-19
Authors: Ferrell Emily , Drabiak Katherine , Alfano-Torres Mary , Ahmed Salman , Ali Azzat , Bjornstad Brad , Dietrick John , Foley Mary M , Garcia-Gonzalez Alex , Robb Shannon , Ross Douglas
Published: May 2021

Objective

To develop an ethically, legally, and clinically appropriate ventilator allocation policy for AdventHealth Tampa and AdventHealth Carrollwood in Tampa, Florida, which could be enacted swiftly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

During Spring 2020, a subcommittee of the Medical Ethics Committee established consensus on the fundamental principles of the policy, then built on existing ethical, legal, and clinical guidance.

Results

The plan was finalized in May 2020. The plan triages patients based on exclusion criteria (imminent mortality), prognosis and expected benefit of ventilation (using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment), and change in prognosis over time. Decisions are made by committee in order to minimize moral distress among individual patient care providers.

Conclusions

Due to international concerns about healthcare resource shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals need allocation policies informed by the crisis standard of care, the hospital’s ethical duty to plan for an emergency, and federal civil rights laws Policy Implications: This type of policy can serve as a model for other institutions to develop crisis standards of care resource allocation policies, which are a necessary component of disaster planning.
Moving beyond rationalistic responses to the concern about indoctrination in moral education
Authors: Zrudlo Ilya
Published: May 2021

Indoctrination is an ongoing concern in education, especially in debates about moral education. One approach to this issue is to come up with a rational procedure that can robustly justify potential items of moral education content. I call this the ‘rationalistic justification project’. Michael Hand’s recent book, A Theory of Moral Education, is representative of this approach. My essay has three parts. First, I show that Hand’s justificatory procedure – the problem-of-sociality justification – cannot serve the purposes he has in mind; it fails on its own terms and may even cause the teacher to inadvertently slide into indoctrination. Second, I argue that the causes of this failure lie deeper than Hand’s particular approach to the rationalistic justification project; rather, it is the broader project itself that is misguided, largely due to its narrow conceptions of morality and rationality. Third, I offer an alternative way of framing the issue of indoctrination, by drawing on Aristotle’s philosophy of rhetoric. My suggested approach recontextualizes the issue of indoctrination and brings into focus a broader set of relevant features of the teaching–learning situation.
What Do We Know After Decades of Research About Parenting and IPV? A Systematic Scoping Review Integrating Findings
Authors: Sousa Cindy A. , Siddiqi Manahil , Bogue Briana
Published: May 2021

This systematic scoping literature review synthesizes scholarship about intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting into a conceptual model. We integrate findings from across 136 studies. To be included, studies had to consider how IPV influenced one’s parenting and/or how parents responded to the violence they encountered in terms of their practices related to their children. Studies had to be peer-reviewed, empirical articles, done using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, and published in English. There were no limits on the dates or locations of studies. Using these predetermined criteria, authors screened over 6,000 articles, finally selecting 136 studies to be coded and analyzed. Results demonstrate IPV undermines maternal well-being and parenting practices. Our findings also highlight multiple ways that mothers struggle to realize the complex tasks of parenting within IPV, including through emotional coping, action-based coping, and social support. By systematically bringing together and analyzing existing data on the topic, this study helps build the knowledge base around how women facing IPV plan for physical and psychological safety of themselves and their children. Our synthesis of the literature helps expand theoretical frameworks, and stregthen prevention practices and policies so they reflect both the suffering and the resilience of mothers who grapple with IPV. Our review draws attention to the need to focus interventions on promoting the mental health and parenting self-efficacy of mothers who suffer from the direct effects of IPV and its attacks on their mental health and parental role.
MRI Screening and MRI/US Fusion-Guided Transperineal Biopsy in Detecting Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yin Hongqing , Shao Jun , Song Huan , Ding Wei , Xu Bin , Cao Hui , Wang Jianming
Published: May 2021

Objective:

Systematic biopsy plays a vital role in diagnosing prostate cancer, but it can lead to misdiagnoses or undertreatment. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its guided targeting technology provide the possibility of improving the use of biopsies. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of MRI screening and MRI/ultrasound (MRI/US) fusion-guided transperineal biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective study on patients with suspected prostate cancer in the Kunshan Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University from January, 2017, to December, 2019. All of the patients underwent MRI examinations, followed by a systematic biopsy (either alone or in combination with MRI/US fusion-guided targeted biopsy, based on MRI-visible lesions). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of MRI screening and compared biopsy methods by considering sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) values.

Results:

A total of 157 patients were enrolled, including 112 patients with MRI-visible lesions and 45 patients without MRI-visible lesions. The cancer detection rate (CDR) was higher in patients with MRI-visible lesions ( P < 0.001); however, the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) indicators were similar ( P > 0.05). The AUC of MRI was 0.63, which was superior to the AUC values of ultrasound (AUC = 0.55, P = 0.031) and digital rectal examination (AUC = 0.52, P = 0.041) for screening prostate cancer. Both overall CDR and clinically significant prostate cancer detection rates were improved if we combined systematic biopsy and MRI/US fusion-guided targeted biopsy procedures.

Conclusion:

Overall, prior MRI screening may serve as a classifier for avoiding the overuse of biopsies. A combination of systematic and MRI/US fusion-guided targeted biopsy procedures offers an optimal regimen for detecting prostate cancer.
Effects of Providing Teachers With Tools for Implementing Assessment-Based Differentiated Reading Instruction in Second Grade
Authors: Peters Martin T. , Hebbecker Karin , Souvignier Elmar
Published: May 2021

Monitoring learning progress enables teachers to address students’ interindividual differences and to adapt instruction to students’ needs. We investigated whether using learning progress assessment (LPA) or using a combination of LPA and prepared material to help teachers implement assessment-based differentiated instruction resulted in improved reading skills for students. The study was conducted in second-grade classrooms in general primary education, and participants ( N = 33 teachers and N = 619 students) were assigned to one of three conditions: a control group (CG); a first intervention group (LPA), which received LPA only; or a second intervention group (LPA-RS), which received a combination of LPA and material for differentiated reading instruction (the “reading sportsman”). At the beginning and the end of one school year, students’ reading fluency and reading comprehension were assessed. Compared with business-as-usual reading instruction (the CG), providing teachers with LPA or both LPA and prepared material did not lead to higher gains in reading competence. Furthermore, no significant differences between the LPA and LPA-RS conditions were found. Corresponding analyses for lower- and higher-achieving students also revealed no differences between the treatment groups. Results are discussed regarding the implementation of LPA and reading instruction in general education.
Evaluation of Staged TCAR and Cardiac Surgery or Structural Heart Intervention
Authors: Almenoff Maxwell , Garrett H. Edward
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

The optimal treatment strategy for patients with concomitant carotid and cardiac disease remains controversial. Transcarotid artery revascularization stenting with reversed flow protection (TCAR) has achieved results equivalent to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in high risk patients.

Methods:

A retrospective review of all patients at a single center who received staged TCAR prior to cardiac intervention was performed.

Results:

37 patients underwent 42 TCAR procedures prior to cardiac intervention (25 requiring open cardiac surgery and 12 requiring percutaneous intervention). There were no myocardial or neurological complications following TCAR prior to cardiac intervention. Three patients (8%) developed a neck hematoma which required evacuation.

Conclusion:

A staged approach to combined carotid and cardiac pathology with TCAR prior to cardiac intervention appears to be a safe and effective strategy.
Fault diagnosis of industrial robot reducer by an extreme learning machine with a level-based learning swarm optimizer
Authors: Guo Jianwen , Li Xiaoyan , Lao Zhenpeng , Luo Yandong , Wu Jiapeng , Zhang Shaohui
Published: May 2021

Fault diagnosis is of great significance to improve the production efficiency and accuracy of industrial robots. Compared with the traditional gradient descent algorithm, the extreme learning machine (ELM) has the advantage of fast computing speed, but the input weights and the hidden node biases that are obtained at random affects the accuracy and generalization performance of ELM. However, the level-based learning swarm optimizer algorithm (LLSO) can quickly and effectively find the global optimal solution of large-scale problems, and can be used to solve the optimal combination of large-scale input weights and hidden biases in ELM. This paper proposes an extreme learning machine with a level-based learning swarm optimizer (LLSO-ELM) for fault diagnosis of industrial robot RV reducer. The model is tested by combining the attitude data of reducer gear under different fault modes. Compared with ELM, the experimental results show that this method has good stability and generalization performance.
Inhibitory causal structures in serial and simultaneous feature negative learning
Authors: Lovibond Peter F , Lee Jessica C
Published: May 2021

We have previously reported that human participants trained with a simultaneous feature negative discrimination (intermixed A+/AB− trials) show only modest transfer of inhibitory properties of feature B to a separately trained excitor in a summation test. Their self-reported causal structure suggested that many participants learned that the effect of feature B was somewhat specific to the excitor it had been trained with (modulation), rather than learning that the feature prevented the outcome (prevention). This pattern is reminiscent of the distinction between negative occasion-setting and conditioned inhibition in the animal conditioning literature. However, in animals, occasion-setting is more commonly seen with a serial procedure, in which the feature (B) precedes the training excitor (A). Accordingly, we ran three experiments to compare serial with simultaneous training in an allergist causal judgement task. Transfer in a summation test was stronger to a previously modulated test excitor compared to a simple excitor after both simultaneous and serial training. There was a numerical trend towards a larger effect in the serial group, but it failed to reach significance and the Bayes Factor indicated support for the null. Serial training had no differential effect on the self-reported causal structure and did not significantly reduce overall transfer. After both simultaneous and serial training, transfer was strongest in participants who reported a prevention structure, replicating and extending our previous results to a previously modulated excitor. These results suggest that serial feature negative training does not promote a qualitatively different inhibitory causal structure compared to simultaneous training in humans.
Acute intermittent renal replacement therapy in a rural Scottish intensive care unit – a review of patient and renal outcomes
Authors: Rutherford Elaine , Leach James F , Bennett Ella JA , Rutherford John S , Urquhart Leo , Watt Euan , Allen Ruridh M , Wrathall D Wayne , Williams Dewi , Muniraju Thalakunte M
Published: May 2021

In this study we report 5-year outcomes for patients who received intermittent haemodiafiltration for Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) between 2010 and 2014 in a small Scottish Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Dialysis independence and mortality at ICU discharge, 30 and 90 days, one and five years were determined. There were 1496 admissions to ICU during the study period. 12% of patient admissions required Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT). 56.3% of patients survived to ICU discharge and all were RRT independent at ICU discharge. 30 day, 90 day, 1 year and 5 year survival was 52.3%, 50.6%, 46.6% and 30.7% respectively. By 5 years, 2 patients had developed end stage kidney disease.
An increased risk of lung cancer in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema patients with usual interstitial pneumonia compared with patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis alone: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Qianqian , Liu Ping , Zhou Hong , Kong Hui , Xie Weiping
Published: May 2021

Background:

Lung cancer is an important complication of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). Whether the risk of lung cancer is higher in CPFE patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) than those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) alone, remains controversial. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of lung cancer in CPFE patients with UIP compared with IPF patients.

Methods:

We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for studies that focused on the incidence of lung cancer in CPFE/UIP and IPF groups. We used a fixed-effects model to analyze the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) according to data heterogeneity. The cumulative effects based on the publication year and sample size were assessed by cumulative meta-analysis.

Results:

A total of nine studies with 933 patients, including 374 CPFE patients with UIP, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Overall, CPFE patients with UIP have a higher risk of lung cancer than those with IPF alone (OR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.78–4.05). There were increased risks of lung cancer in CPFE/UIP patients with the presence of emphysema (OR = 2.93; 95% CI: 1.79–4.79) or emphysema in ⩾10% of the lung volume (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.06–4.68).

Conclusions:

Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicated a significantly higher prevalence of lung cancer in CPFE patients with UIP than in patients with IPF alone. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.
Joint replacement surgery for elbow tumours: a systematic review of outcomes
Authors: Manoharan Gopikanthan , Jordan Robert W , Orfanos Georgios , Cheruvu Manikandar S , Cool Paul , Hay Stuart M
Published: May 2021

Background

Tumour resection followed by joint reconstruction is a surgical option in the appropriate patient. The evidence for such reconstructive surgery of the elbow joint is limited. The aim of this study is to review the literature to evaluate the outcomes of joint replacement surgery in tumours of the elbow.

Methods

A systematic review of PUBMED and EMBASE databases was conducted. Case series and comparative studies reporting results after total elbow arthroplasty, modular endo-prosthetic replacement and custom prosthesis were eligible for inclusion.

Results

Eleven eligible studies were identified (n = 134). At mean follow-up of 44 months, the overall revision rate was 14% and complication rate was 28%. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 75, with 56% of patients reporting good or excellent outcomes. The mean post-operative range of motion was 97°.

Discussion

Elbow prosthesis reconstruction after tumour resection can provide good functional outcomes at mid-term follow-up. The complication and revision rates are comparable to other indications for elbow replacement surgery. Further prospective studies are required to compare outcomes between different elbow arthroplasty options after tumour resection.
Factors Associated with the Local Increase of Skin Temperature, ‘Hotspot,’ of Callus in Diabetic Foot: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Qin Qi , Oe Makoto , Ohashi Yumiko , Shimojima Yuko , Imafuku Mikie , Dai Misako , Nakagami Gojiro , Yamauchi Toshimasa , Yeo SeonAe , Sanada Hiromi
Published: May 2021

Background:

Increased local skin temperature (hotspot) on a callus site as detected by thermography is a well-known precursor of diabetic foot ulcers. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with callus hotspots in order to predict the risk of callus hotspots and then provide information for specific interventions.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 1,007 patients’ data from a diabetic foot prevention clinic between April 2008 and March 2020 were used. Data regarding patients’ characteristics, foot calluses, and callus hotspots were collected and analyzed. Callus and callus hotspot were confirmed from foot photos and thermographs, respectively. A callus hotspot was defined as a relative increase in temperature compared to the skin surrounding the callus on the thermograph. Plantar pressure was measured with a pressure distribution measurement system. A generalized linear mixed model was used to identify the factors associated with callus hotspots.

Results:

Among the 2,014 feet, 28.5% had calluses, and 18.5% of feet with calluses had callus hotspots. The factors associated with callus hotspots were number of calluses (Adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.540, P = .003), static forefoot peak plantar pressure (SFPPP) (aOR: 1.008, P = .001), and body mass index (aOR: 0.912, P = .029).

Conclusions:

Patients with a higher SFPPP were more likely to have callus hotspots suggesting that SFPPP might contribute to callus inflammation. SFPPP has the potential to be a useful predictor of callus hotspots in people with diabetes and at the same time provide information for off-loading interventions to prevent callus hotspots.
Modeling the Effect of Subcutaneous Lixisenatide on Glucoregulatory Endocrine Secretions and Gastric Emptying in Type 2 Diabetes to Simulate the Effect of iGlarLixi Administration Timing on Blood Sugar Profiles
Authors: Gautier Thibault , Silwal Rupesh , Saremi Aramesh , Boss Anders , Breton Marc D.
Published: May 2021

Background:

As type 2 diabetes (T2D) progresses, intensification to combination therapies, such as iGlarLixi (a fixed-ratio GLP-1 RA and basal insulin combination), may be required. Here a simulation study was used to assess the effect of iGlarLixi administration timing (am vs pm) on blood sugar profiles.

Methods:

Models of lixisenatide were built with a selection procedure, optimizing measurement fits and model complexity, and were included in a pre-existing T2D simulation platform containing glargine models. With the resulting tool, a simulated trial was conducted with 100 in-silico participants with T2D. Individuals were given iGLarLixi either before breakfast or before an evening meal for 2 weeks and daily glycemic profiles were analyzed. In the model, breakfast was considered the largest meal of the day.

Results:

A similar percentage of time within 24 hours was spent with blood sugar levels between 70 to 180 mg/dL when iGlarLixi was administered pre-breakfast or pre-evening meal (73% vs 71%, respectively). Overall percent of time with blood glucose levels above 180 mg/dL within a 24-hour period was similar when iGlarLixi was administered pre-breakfast or pre-evening meal (26% vs 28%, respectively). Rates of hypoglycemia were low in both regimens, with a blood glucose concentration of below 70 mg/dL only observed for 1% of the 24-hour time period for either timing of administration.

Conclusions:

Good efficacy was observed when iGlarlixi was administered pre-breakfast; however, administration of iGlarlixi pre-evening meal was also deemed to be effective, even though in the model the size of the evening meal was smaller than that of the breakfast.
Motivation Configuration of Bluxury Tourism Behavior: An FsQCA Application
Authors: Shi Da , Yi Bowen , Shi Fangfang , Satta Simone
Published: May 2021

This study investigates the motivation configuration of bluxury tourism behavior. According to complexity theory and push and pull motivation theory, we establish a framework of complex configuration conditions, including push forces, pull forces, and constraints that lead to bluxury tourism. Based on fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, we identified seven main motivation configurations of bluxury tourism behavior covering three core factors: physical factors, seeking/exploration in push forces, and intangible factors in pull forces. In addition, combinations of constraints in the configuration demonstrate various paths leading to bluxury tourism behavior. These findings provide unique insight into bluxury tourism participation.
High-resolution vessel wall imaging after mechanical thrombectomy
Authors: Kasab Sami Al , Bathla Girish , Varon Alberto , Roa Jorge A , Sabotin Ryan , Raghuram Ashrita , Chaorong Wu , Hasan David M , Turan Tanya N , Chatterjee Rano , Samaniego Edgar A
Published: May 2021

Objectives

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging has the potential of characterising arterial wall changes after endovascular mechanical thrombectomy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging features of large intracranial arteries following mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods

Patients who presented with acute ischaemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion and underwent mechanical thrombectomy were prospectively recruited. Subjects underwent high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging within 24 hours of the procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging sequences included whole brain T1 pre and post-contrast black-blood imaging, three-dimensional T2, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography and susceptibility-weighted imaging. Arterial wall enhancement was objectively assessed after normalisation with the pituitary stalk. The contrast ratio of target vessels was compared with non-affected reference vessels.

Results

Twenty patients with 22 target vessels and 20 reference vessels were included in the study. Sixteen patients were treated with stentriever with or without aspiration, and four with contact aspiration only. Significantly higher arterial wall enhancement was identified on the target vessel when compared to the reference vessel (U = 22.5, P < 0.01). The stentriever group had an 82% increase in the contrast ratio of the target vessel (x̄ = 0.75 ± 0.21) when compared to the reference vessel (x̄ = 0.41 ± 0.13), whereas the contact aspiration group had a 64% increase of the contrast ratio difference between target (x̄ = 0.62 ± 0.07) and reference vessels (x̄ = 0.38 ± 0.12). Approximately 65% of patients in the stentriever group had a positive parenchymal susceptibility-weighted imaging versus 25% in the contact aspiration group. There was no statistically significant correlation between susceptibility-weighted imaging volume and the percentage increase in the contrast ratio ( rs = 0.098, P = 0.748).

Conclusions

This prospective pilot study used the objective quantification of arterial wall enhancement in determining arterial changes after mechanical thrombectomy. Preliminary data suggest that the use of stentrievers is associated with a higher enhancement as compared to reperfusion catheters.
Detection of multiple sclerosis lesions in the cervical cord: which of the MAGNIMS ‘mandatory’ non-gadolinium enhanced sagittal sequences is optimal at 3T?
Authors: Chang Chian A , Chong Abigail L , Chandra Ronil V , Butler Ernest , Rajendran Deepa , Chuah Kenneth , Stuckey Stephen
Published: May 2021

Background and purpose

The magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis consensus guidelines currently mandate three sagittal non-contrast enhanced sequences of T2-weighted fast spin echo, proton density-weighted fast spin echo and short tau inversion recovery; however, these particular three sequences have not previously been compared at 3T. This study compared T2-weighted fast spin echo, proton density-weighted fast spin echo, short tau inversion recovery as well as the double inversion recovery sequence for the sagittal detection of multiple sclerosis lesions in the cervical spinal cord at 3T.

Methods

Nineteen multiple sclerosis patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging with 3T sagittal T2-weighted fast spin echo, proton density-weighted fast spin echo, short tau inversion recovery and double inversion recovery between November 2012 and April 2013. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed the images, and the number of lesions detected on each sequence was recorded. Lesion conspicuity was quantitatively assessed with the lesion-to-cord-contrast ratio and lesion contrast-to-noise ratio. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed for statistical analysis.

Results

Proton density-weighted fast spin echo and short tau inversion recovery detected 32% more lesions compared to T2-weighted fast spin echo, and 37% more lesions compared to double inversion recovery. The lesion-to-cord-contrast ratio was highest in short tau inversion recovery, while the lesion contrast-to-noise ratio was highest for proton density-weighted fast spin echo.

Conclusions

This study provides the necessary evidentiary support at 3T for the magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis spinal magnetic resonance imaging protocol consensus guidelines. At 3T sagittal proton density-weighted fast spin echo and short tau inversion recovery sequences allowed improved detection of cervical spinal cord multiple sclerosis lesions, compared to T2-weighted fast spin echo and three-dimensional double inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging. Utilising T2-weighted fast spin echo alone at 3T is insufficient for lesion detection.
Treosulfan-based conditioning for inborn errors of immunity
Authors: Slatter Mary A. , Gennery Andrew R.
Published: May 2021

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are inherited disorders that lead to defects in the development and/or function of the immune system. The number of disorders that can be treated by haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) has increased rapidly with the advent of next-generation sequencing. The methods used to transplant children with IEI have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. The introduction of reduced-toxicity conditioning is an important factor in the improved outcome of HSCT. Treosulfan has myeloablative and immunosuppressive properties, enabling engraftment with less toxicity than traditionally used doses of busulfan. It is firmly incorporated into the conditioning guidelines of the Inborn Errors Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Unlike busulfan, pharmacokinetically guided dosing of treosulfan is not part of routine practice, but data are emerging which indicate that further improvements in outcome may be possible, particularly in infants who have a decreased clearance of treosulfan. It is likely that individualized dosing, not just of treosulfan, but of all agents used in conditioning regimens, will be developed and implemented in the future. This will lead to a reduction in unwanted variability in drug exposure, leading to more predictable and adjustable exposure, and improved outcome of HSCT, with fewer late adverse effects and improved quality of life. Such conditioning regimens can be used as the basis to study the need for additional agents in certain disorders which are difficult to engraft or require high levels of donor chimerism, the dosing of individual cellular components within grafts, and effects of adjuvant cellular or immunotherapy post-transplant. This review documents the establishment of treosulfan worldwide, as a safe and effective agent for conditioning children with IEI prior to HSCT.
Civic understanding mediates of the effect of educational tracks on voting intentions in German schools
Authors: Wallrich Lukas , West Keon , Rutland Adam
Published: May 2021

Across democracies, education predicts electoral participation and political interest. Here, German students on the pre-vocational and pre-academic educational tracks are compared to show how these differences emerge, and thus indicate how they can be addressed. In a Preliminary Study, a large dataset (3747 participants) revealed that there is a gap in political interest between the tracks, and that this predicts a gap in voting intentions. Study 1 (228 participants) tested three mediators of the relationship between educational tracks and voting intentions. Differences in civic understanding primarily explained the link between educational track and voting intentions. Lastly, in Study 2, 23 semi-structured interviews explored how limited civic understanding constrains political engagement among students on the pre-vocational track, indicating that a narrow understanding of power and a lack of sociological imagination are key. The finding that the gaps emerge due to differences in civic understanding, which is teachable, suggests that schools can play an effective role in addressing them. Limitations and implications are discussed.
Pain in chronic prostatitis and the role of ion channels: a brief overview
Authors: Cyril Asha Caroline , Jan Reem Kais , Radhakrishnan Rajan
Published: May 2021

Background:

Prostatitis is the third most common urologic condition affecting more than half the male population at some point in their lives. There are different categories of prostatitis, of which approximately 90% of cases can be classified under the National Institute of Health (NIH) type III category (chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS)) with no causative agents identified. CP/CPPS is associated with several symptoms, of which the most prominent being chronic pain. Despite its high incidence, pain management in patients with CP/CPPS has been poor, possibly due to the lack of understanding of aetiological factors and mechanisms underlying pain development.

Methods:

An extensive literature search of published articles on the molecular mechanisms of pain in CP/CPPS was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and https://scholar.google.com ). The terms used for the search were: prostatitis, pain mechanism in CP/CPPS, prostatitis pain models, acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPVs), purinergic channels (P2X) in prostatitis pain mechanism and inflammatory mediators in CP/CPPS. The papers were identified based on the title and abstract, and after excluding the articles that did not emphasize the pain mechanism in CP/CPPS. Ninety-five articles (36 review and 59 original research papers) met our criteria and were included in the review.

Results:

A number of inflammatory mediator molecules and pain channels, including ASICs, transient receptor potential vanilloid channels (TRPVs) and P2Xs have been investigated for their role in prostatitis pain pathology using various animal models.

Conclusion:

This review summarizes the pain mechanisms in CP/CPPS focusing on the inflammatory mediators, neurotransmitters, pain-transducing ion channels and small animal models developed for studying prostatitis.
Upper respiratory tract and otolaryngological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systemic review
Authors: Al-Swiahb Jamil N , Motiwala Mohammed A
Published: May 2021

To detect, analyze, and discuss the different ear nose throat manifestations, those were reported in coronavirus disease-positive patients in the published and reviewed literature. Coronavirus disease has been reported to present with several symptoms. Common symptoms include new onset of fever, cough, fatigue, and myalgia. Other symptoms like sputum production, dyspnea, rhinorrhea, anosmia, nasal stuffiness, headache, and sore throat are less frequently reported, but the clinical presentation is highly variable among individuals. We review the otolaryngologic manifestations of coronavirus disease reported in the published literature to assess its importance in the early diagnosis of coronavirus disease. We searched PubMed database, MEDLINE, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO, and Cochrane Library to find out relevant articles, using the following keywords: COVID-19, clinical features, characteristics, symptoms, clinical, manifestations, throat, cough, rhinorrhea, COVID-19 anosmia, headache, nasal, coronavirus, and coronavirus otolaryngologic. Article selection was based on their relevance to the research question. Totally, 14 articles and 2971 patients were recruited for our study. A wide variety of upper and lower airway manifestations were reported. Fever (34%–96.5%), cough (17.9%–83%), myalgia or fatigue (10%–31%), expectoration (20%–32.7%), dyspnea (7.6%–7.5%), rhinorrhea (1%–6.8%), sore throat (4%–61%), nasal congestion (3%–4.8%), and headache (3%–16.2%) were the most common symptoms reported. Our findings confirm that coronavirus disease infection presents with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation. The ear nose throat manifestations for coronavirus disease are not uncommon, but more attention should also be paid to patients with otolaryngologic symptoms which can appear early, as this could encourage an earlier diagnosis and treatment, which limits spread of the disease.
Intramuscular clozapine in the acute medical hospital: Experiences from a liaison psychiatry team
Authors: Gee Siobhan , McMullen Isabel , Wyke Clementine , Yeoh Su Ying , Taylor David
Published: May 2021

We present two cases demonstrating safe and effective use of intramuscular clozapine for patients who are physically unwell in acute medical care settings. Both patients described were admitted to inpatient medical care units and required treatment with clozapine to control their psychotic symptoms, but were unable or unwilling to take oral clozapine. We describe the use of intramuscular clozapine in these patients, including dosing decisions, administration routes and frequency of dosing. Outcome was measured by a reduction in psychotic symptoms, sufficient to allow treatment for physical illness. Both patients successfully received intramuscular clozapine, allowing timely treatment of their physical health conditions. There were no adverse events, and significant improvement in their mental health presentations was achieved. We have shown that intramuscular clozapine is a safe and effective treatment for patients with serious mental health illness in the acute medical hospital.
Multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approach to acute mesenteric ischaemia: A case report with literature review
Authors: Janež Jurij , Klen Jasna
Published: May 2021

Superior mesenteric artery embolisation is the most common cause of acute mesenteric ischaemia. Superior mesenteric artery embolisation can be caused by various cardiac diseases (myocardial ischaemia or infarction, atrial tachyarrhythmias, endocarditis, cardiomyopathies, ventricular aneurysms and valvular disorders), arterial aneurysms, ulcerated atherosclerotic plaques of the major arteries and others. A case of 65-year-old, previously healthy man with superior mesenteric artery embolism, who was found to also have mural aortic thrombi, is presented. The patient underwent an emergency procedure; small intestine and cecum were resected and jejuno-ascendo anastomosis was performed. The patient was put on lifelong anticoagulation therapy. Neither cardiac diseases nor arterial aneurysms were detected. There were no signs of underlying atherosclerosis. Work-up for antiphospholipid antibodies and rheumatic diseases was negative. Tumour markers were within normal levels and blood cultures were negative. This case represents the challenges in recognising an underlying cause of acute mesenteric embolism and highlights the importance of multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment approach.
Blockade of LINC01605-enriched exosome generation in M2 macrophages impairs M2 macrophage-induced proliferation, migration, and invasion of human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Zhu Zhensen , Chen Bo , Peng Liang , Gao Songying , Guo Jingdong , Zhu Xiongxiang
Published: May 2021

Activated M2 macrophages are involved in hypertrophic scar (HS) formation via manipulating the differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts having the proliferative capacity and biological function. However, the function of exosomes derived from M2 macrophages in HS formation is unclear. Thus, this study aims to investigate the role of exosomes derived by M2 in the formation of HS. To understand the effect of exosomes derived from M2 macrophages on formation of HS, M2 macrophages were co-cultured with human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to evaluate HDF proliferation. To evaluate the migration and invasion of HDFs, wound-healing and transwell invasion assays were performed, respectively. To investigate the interaction between LINC01605 and miR-493-3p, a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was adopted; consequently, an interaction between miR-493-3p and AKT1 was detected. Our results demonstrated that exosomes derived from M2 macrophages promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HDFs. Additionally, we found that long noncoding RNA LINC01605, enriched in exosomes derived from M2 macrophages, promoted fibrosis of HDFs and that GW4869, an inhibitor of exosomes, could revert this effect. Mechanistically, LINC01605 promoted fibrosis of HDFs by directly inhibiting the secretion of miR-493-3p, and miR-493-3p down-regulated the expression of AKT1. Exosomes derived from M2 macrophages promote the proliferation and migration of HDFs by transmitting LINC01605, which may activate the AKT signaling pathway by sponging miR-493-3p. Our results provide a novel approach and basis for further investigation of the function of M2 macrophages in HS formation.