bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atrial Arrhythmias in Clinically Manifest Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Incidence, Burden, Predictors, and Outcomes
Authors: Weng Willy , Wiefels Christiane , Chakrabarti Santabhanu , Nery Pablo B. , Celiker-Guler Emel , Healey Jeff S. , Hruczkowski Tomasz W. , Quinn F. Russell , Promislow Steven , Medor Maria C. , Spence Stewart , Odabashian Roupen , Alqarawi Wael , Juneau Daniel , de Kemp Rob , Leung Eugene , Beanlands Rob , Birnie David
Published: August 2020

Background

Recent data have suggested a substantial incidence of atrial arrhythmias (AAs) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Our study aims were to first assess how often AAs are the presenting feature of previously undiagnosed CS. Second, we used prospective follow‐up data from implanted devices to investigate AA incidence, burden, predictors, and response to immunosuppression.

Methods and Results

This project is a substudy of the CHASM‐CS (Cardiac Sarcoidosis Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study; NCT01477359). Inclusion criteria were presentation with clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis, treatment‐naive status, and implanted with a device that reported accurate AA burden. Data were collected at each device interrogation visit for all patients and all potential episodes of AA were adjudicated. For each intervisit period, the total AA burden was obtained. A total of 33 patients met the inclusion criteria (aged 56.1±7.7 years, 45.5% women). Only 1 patient had important AAs as a part of the initial CS presentation. During a median follow‐up of 49.1 months, 11 of 33 patients (33.3%) had device‐detected AAs, and only 2 (6.1%) had a clinically significant AA burden. Both patients had reduced burden after CS was successfully treated and there was no residual fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography scan.

Conclusions

First, we found that AAs are a rare presenting feature of clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis. Second, AAs occurred in a minority of patients at follow‐up; the burden was very low in most patients. Only 2 patients had clinically significant AA burden, and both had a reduction after CS was treated.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov
; unique identifier NCT01477359.
Arcopilus amazonicus (Chaetomiaceae), a new fungal species from the Amazon rainforest native plant Paullinia cupana

Authors: SOUSA THIAGO F. , SANTOS ALINE O. DOS , SILVA FELIPE M.A. DA , CANIATO FERNANDA F. , QUEIROZ CLÁUDIA A. DE , SOUZA THAYNÁ M. DE , MACIEL JOYCE B. S. , CATARINO ARICLÉIA DE M. , GWINNER RAONI , PRACHYA SURASAK , KITTAKOOP PRASAT , ANGOLINI CÉLIO F.F. , KOOLEN HECTOR H.F. , SILVA GILVAN F.
Published: August 2020

Arcopilus is a genus recently proposed after the taxonomic restructuring of Chaetomium with only seven described species so far. During the characterization of the microbiome of the Amazonian guarana plant (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis), nine red pigment-producing strains of fungi were isolated. These strains were identified through morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S large subunit (LSU), partial second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and β-tubulin (TUB2) regions. Moreover, chemical profiles were obtained via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), in which the isolated strains were able to produce significant amounts of the polyketide oosporein. The obtained results indicate the occurrence of a new fungal species, A. amazonicus. Chemical analyses showed that oosporein is overproduced by these strains under laboratory culture conditions.
Taxonomy and phylogeny of Muyocopron thailandica sp. nov.

Authors: HONGSANAN S. , NORPHANPHOUN C. , THAMBUGALA K.M. , BOONYUEN N. , HUANRALUEK N. , CHEEWANGKOON R.
Published: August 2020

A new fungus, Muyocopron thailandica, collected from a dead plant sample in northern Thailand, is described and compared with other described species of Muyocopron. Multi-gene phylogenetic analyses based on LSU and ITS sequence data indicated that M. thailandica forms a distinct lineage within the genus Muyocopron, and is closely related to M. castanopsis and M. lithocarpi. Muyocopron thailandica differs from these two species in having ellipsoid to subcylindrical asci, with a very short and thin pedicel and oval to obovoid ascospores. Asci and ascospores of M. thailandica are larger than those of M. castanopsis and M. lithocarpi. Morphological description and a detailed illustration of the new species are provided.
Taxonomic and morphological notes on a tiny new species of Paepalanthus (Eriocaulaceae) from central Brazil

Authors: TROVÓ MARCELO , SILVA ARTHUR DE LIMA , TAJIMA ALINE SAYURI , COAN ALESSANDRA IKE
Published: August 2020

We describe and illustrate Paepalanthus campanulatus, a new species of Eriocaulaceae from the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (Goiás, Brazil). The species is known from a single population with many individuals growing under rocks and in small caves, sometimes upside down attached to the top of the cave. The new species is mainly distinguished by its usually tiny, unbranched stem bearing a fasciculate inflorescence composed of mostly glabrous, campanulate capitula surrounded by whitish hyaline involucral bracts. Due to its very restricted distribution, the species may be considered endangered. It is compared with Paepalanthus albidus and P. subtilis, the morphologically most similar species. We provide details on the leaf and scape anatomy of these species, as well as comments on the distribution, habitat, ecology, and morphological variation, along with line drawings and photos of the new species.
Typification of Hammada articulata (Amaranthaceae)

Authors: FERRER-GALLEGO P. PABLO , CRESPO MANUEL B.
Published: August 2020

The name Caroxylon articulatum, basionym of Hammada articulata, and based on the illegitimate name “Salsola articula Cav.” is typified from a specimen collected by A.J. Cavanilles in Elda (Alicante, Spain) in 1791.
A new deep-water palaemonid shrimp genus and species from the French Antilles, with a new record of Periclimenes milleri Bruce, 1986 (Decapoda: Caridea)
Authors: ANKER ARTHUR , CORBARI LAURE
Published: August 2020

A new genus and species in the caridean shrimp family Palaemonidae is described based on three type specimens collected at a depth range of 208–385 m off Guadeloupe, French Antilles. Zoukaris festivus gen. et sp. nov. shares many characters with several western Atlantic deep-water species currently assigned to Periclimenes Costa, 1844, as well as with the monotypic western Atlantic genus Diapontonia Bruce, 1986 and the Indo-West Pacific genus Echinopericlimenes Marin & Chan, 2014. Zoukaris gen. nov. can be separated from all of them by a unique combination of morphological features, especially the configuration of the dactylus of the ambulatory pereiopods. In addition, Periclimenes milleri Bruce, 1986 is recorded from the French Antilles based on a single specimen, also from Guadeloupe; its colour pattern is illustrated for the first time.
The Effects of Cycling Rates and Cycling Temperature on the Battery Degradation in Vehicle-to-Grid Applications
Authors: Zhou Peng , Luo Shiran , Li Xinzhou , Tan Yitong , Cao Guangyu , Li Cheng , Ye Jilei , Pan Aiqiang , Liao Qiangqiang , Yang Xiu
Published: August 2020

Commercial LiFePO4/graphite batteries produced by A123 Systems were cycled by simulating urban drive modes and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) modes at the 1 C and 2 C V2G discharge rates under 25 °C and 45 °C environmental temperature. Their degeneration was explored by characterization
of capacity attenuation, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), charge/discharge test of two half cells, BET Surface Area, XRD, FE-SEM and EDS. Results show that the capacity declines obviously with the rise of V2G discharge rates and environmental temperature. With the progress of
the cycle test, the ohmic resistance (Rs) doesn't change a lot before the first 900 cycles and rises a great deal during the second 900 cycles while the resistance of charge transfer (Rct) is relatively low and the diffusion coefficient of lithium ion (DLi
+) climbs up and then declines. Moreover, the rise of temperature and discharge rates mainly results in the increase of Rs. The degradation of battery separator arisen from the rise of V2G discharge rates and environmental temperature is one of reasons that the battery
performance was reduced. The ascend of temperature makes a more negative influence on the attenuation of anodes than that of cathodes while the rise of V2G discharge rates has similar negative influence on the degradation of cathodes and anodes.
Nonenzymatic Glucose Detection in Human Serum Using Ni Nanoparticles Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Waichal Rupali , Bhirud Ashwini , Fouad H. , Gosavi Suresh , Ashokkumar Muthupandian
Published: August 2020

Reduced Graphene oxide (RGO) decorated with Ni nanoparticles (NiNPs) composites, have been successfully synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method and possessing excellent electrocatalytic activity towards glucose oxidation. The morphological and structural features of RGO-Ni nanocomposites
were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). From TEM, we observed that NiNPs were anchored on
RGO sheets. Cyclic Voltammetric (CV) study revealed that the electrocatalytic activity of RGO-Ni nanocomposite with 20% Ni loading (RGONi-20) towards glucose oxidation is better than that shown by bare Glassy Carbon Electrode (GCE), RGO, bare NiNPs, RGONi10 and RGONi-30. The prepared nanocomposites
exhibited fast electrocatalytic response (<5 s) towards glucose oxidation. Amperometric study indicates that the present glucose sensor have exhibited excellent performance by offering a lowest detection limit as 5.1 μM, with linier range from 2 to 5000 μM and high sensitivity
of 896.67 μA mM–1 cm–2. Interference from different anticipatable electroactive substances such as ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA) is not observed. Furthermore, the application of the as prepared sensor was successfully demonstrated
for the detection of glucose in human serum and results were compa- rable to presently used nonenzymatic technique. RGONi-20 nanocomposite electrode holds great promise for the development of biosensors and other electrochemical devices.
An Eco-Friendly Procedure for Preparation of Activated Carbon as a Capture Material of Heavy Metals in Wastewater
Authors: Al-Fawzan Foziah F.
Published: August 2020

This study aims to prepare an activated carbon from environmentally and inexpensive materials such as banana peels. The synthetic activated carbon has been employed in the capture of heavy elements e.g., copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) ions from wastewater. The spectroscopic
(Fourier-transform infrared; FTIR) and morphological surface (scanning electron microscopy; SEM) investigations of the activated carbon were assigned. Adsorption of mentioned heavy metals upon the activated carbon studies were performed with different parameters such as effect of contact time,
initial concentration of the heavy metal and pH (2–10) of the solution. A comparison of the adsorption capacity of the synthetic activated carbon (dried banana peels) with different adsorbents previously used (dried fruits peels) for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions removal from wastewater
streams shows its observable efficiency over many other treated and untreated natural and synthetic adsorbents. The Cu(II) ions showed the highest removal efficiency followed by Cd(II) then Zn(II) ions.
Genesis of an East Pacific Easterly Wave from a Panama Bight MCS: A Case Study Analysis from June 2012
Authors: Whitaker Justin W. , Maloney Eric D.
Published: August 2020

This study investigates the transition of a Panama Bight mesoscale convective system (MCS) into the easterly wave (EW) that became Hurricane Carlotta (2012). Reanalysis, observations, and a convective-permitting Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulation are used to analyze the processes contributing to EW genesis. A vorticity budget analysis shows that convective coupling and vortex stretching are very important to the transition in this case, while horizontal advection is mostly responsible for the propagation of the system. In the model, the disturbance is dominated by stratiform vertical motion profiles and a midlevel vortex, while the system is less top-heavy and is characterized by more prominent low-level vorticity later in the transition in reanalysis. The developing disturbance starts its evolution as a mesoscale convective system in the Bight of Panama. Leading up to MCS formation the Chocó jet intensifies, and during the MCS-to-EW transition the Papagayo jet strengthens. Differences in the vertical structure of the system between reanalysis and the model suggest that the relatively more bottom-heavy disturbance in reanalysis may have stronger interactions with the Papagayo jet. Field observations like those collected during the Organization of Tropical East Pacific Convection (OTREC) campaign are needed to further our understanding of this east Pacific EW genesis pathway and the factors that influence it, including the important role for the vertical structure of the developing disturbances in the context of the vorticity budget.
Dominant Influence of ENSO-Like and Global Sea Surface Temperature Patterns on Changes in Prevailing Boreal Summer Tropical Cyclone Tracks over the Western North Pacific
Authors: Zhao Haikun , Klotzbach Philp J. , Chen Shaohua
Published: August 2020

A conventional empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is performed on summertime (May–October) western North Pacific (WNP) tropical cyclone (TC) track density anomalies during 1970–2012. The first leading EOF mode is characterized by a consistent spatial distribution across the WNP basin, which is closely related to an El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like pattern that prevails on both interannual and interdecadal time scales. The second EOF mode is represented by a tripole pattern with consistent changes in westward and recurving tracks but with an opposite change for west-northwestward TC tracks. This second EOF pattern is dominated by consistent global sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) patterns on interannual and interdecadal time scales, along with a long-term increasing global temperature trend. Observed WNP TC tracks have three distinct interdecadal epochs (1970–86, 1987–97, and 1998–2012) based on EOF analyses. The interdecadal change is largely determined by the changing impact of ENSO-like and consistent global SSTA patterns. When global SSTAs are cool (warm) during 1970–86 (1998–2012), these SSTAs exert a dominant impact and generate a tripole track pattern that is similar to the positive (negative) second EOF mode. In contrast, a predominately El Niño–like SSTA pattern during 1987–97 contributed to increasing TC occurrences across most of the WNP during this 11-yr period. These findings are consistent with long-term trends in TC tracks, with a tripole track pattern observed as global SSTs increase. This study reveals the potential large-scale physical mechanisms driving the changes of WNP TC tracks in association with climate change.
The Enhancement of the Impact of the Wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation on the Subsequent Sea Surface Temperature over the Tropical Atlantic since the Middle 1990s
Authors: Qiao Shaobo , Zou Meng , Tang Shankai , Cheung Ho Nam , Su Haijing , Li Qingxiang , Feng Guolin , Dong Wenjie
Published: August 2020

The impact of the wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the subsequent sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the tropical Atlantic has experienced obvious interdecadal changes during 1950–2015. During 1995–2015, the negative (positive) phase of the wintertime NAO favors positive (negative) SST anomalies over the tropical Atlantic in the subsequent spring–summer, whereas the NAO–SST connection is insignificant during 1970–94 and is confined to the northern tropical Atlantic (NTA) during 1950–69. Compared to 1970–94, the much stronger influence on the NTA SST during 1995–2015 and 1950–69 is associated with a southward shift of the southern boundary of the NAO. During 1995–2015, the inverted NAO-related warming of the tropical Atlantic consists of three stages: 1) the pronounced increase in SST over the subtropical North Atlantic (SNA) and the tropical South Atlantic (TSA) during December–January, 2) the pronounced increase in SST over the northwestern tropical Atlantic (NWTA) during February–April, and 3) the persistent warming over the tropical Atlantic during May–August. The increases in SST over the SNA and the TSA are attributed to significant positive latent heat flux anomalies via the wind–evaporation effect, which are connected by the suppressed regional Hadley circulation. Afterward, the associated anomalous downward motion over the NWTA persists into February–April, which induces more incoming shortwave radiation and results in a significant increase in the local SST via the cloud–radiation effect. In contrast, during 1950–69, due to the decreased interannual variability of the vertical motion over the NWTA, the anomalous downward branch aloft and the low-level cross-equatorial northwesterly winds associated with the inverted NAO are not evident, and thus the regions with an increase in SST are confined to the Northern Hemisphere.
Improving Rain/No-Rain Detection Skill by Merging Precipitation Estimates from Different Sources
Authors: Dong Jianzhi , Crow Wade T. , Reichle Rolf
Published: August 2020

Rain/no-rain detection error is a key source of uncertainty in regional and global precipitation products that propagates into offline hydrological and land surface modeling simulations. Such detection error is difficult to evaluate and/or filter without access to high-quality reference precipitation datasets. For cases where such access is not available, this study proposes a novel approach for improved rain/no-rain detection. Based on categorical triple collocation (CTC) and a probabilistic framework, a weighted merging algorithm (CTC-M) is developed to combine noisy, but independent, precipitation products into an optimal binary rain/no-rain time series. Compared with commonly used approaches that directly apply the best parent product for rain/no-rain detection, the superiority of CTC-M is demonstrated analytically and numerically using spatially dense precipitation measurements over Europe. Our analysis also suggests that CTC-M is tolerant to a range of cross-correlated rain/no-rain detection errors and detection biases of the parent products. As a result, CTC-M will benefit global precipitation estimation by improving the representation of precipitation occurrence in gauge-based and multisource merged precipitation products.
Alongshore Variability of Shoaling Internal Bores on the Inner Shelf
Authors: McSweeney Jacqueline M. , Lerczak James A. , Barth John A. , Becherer Johannes , MacKinnon Jennifer A. , Waterhouse Amy F. , Colosi John A. , MacMahan Jamie H. , Feddersen Falk , Calantoni Joseph , Simpson Alexandra , Celona Sean , Haller Merrick C. , Terrill Eric
Published: August 2020

Temperature and velocity measurements from 42 moorings were used to investigate the alongshore variability of nonlinear internal bores as they propagated across the central California inner shelf. Moorings were deployed September–October 2017 offshore of the Point Sal headland. Regional coverage was ~30 km alongshore and ~15 km across shore, spanning 9–100-m water depths. In addition to subtidal processes modulating regional stratification, internal bores generated complex spatiotemporal patterns of stratification variability. Internal bores were alongshore continuous on the order of tens of kilometers at the 50-m isobath, but the length scales of frontal continuity decreased to O(1 km) at the 25-m isobath. The depth-averaged, bandpass-filtered (from 3 min to 16 h) internal bore kinetic energy was found to be nonuniform along a bore front, even in the case of an alongshore-continuous bore. The pattern of along-bore variability varied for each bore, but a 2-week average indicated that was generally strongest around Point Sal. The stratification ahead of a bore influenced both the bore’s amplitude and cross-shore evolution. The data suggest that alongshore stratification gradients can cause a bore to evolve differently at various alongshore locations. Three potential bore fates were observed: 1) bores transiting intact to the 9-m isobath, 2) bores being overrun by faster, subsequent bores, leading to bore-merging events, and 3) bores disappearing when the upstream pycnocline was near or below middepth. Maps of hourly stratification at each mooring and the estimated position of sequential bores demonstrated that an individual internal bore can significantly impact the waveguide of the subsequent bore.
COVID-19 and beyond: Social work interventions for supporting homeless populations
Authors: Wu Haorui , Karabanow Jeff
Published: August 2020

During the COVID-19 emergency response of ‘staying the blazes home’ in Nova Scotia, Canada, frontline social workers worked tirelessly ‘out of the home’ to secure safe dwellings for those on the street, living in shelters, and/or precariously housed. When the province moves to the reopening and recovery stage, social work strategies will focus on reducing homeless people’s vulnerabilities, aiming to offer safe and dignified living.
The Home Numeracy Environment and Measurement of Numeracy Performance in English and Spanish in Dual Language Learners
Authors: Kung Melody , Stolz Kelsey , Lin Joyce , Foster Matthew E. , Schmitt Sara A. , Purpura David J.
Published: August 2020

Some evidence suggests that the home numeracy environment (HNE) is related to children’s numeracy. Socioeconomic status (SES) and language minority status can also influence children’s HNE and numeracy. Limited HNE research focuses on dual language learners (DLLs). Using a sample of preschool-aged children ( n = 98) from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, we examined differences between Spanish-speaking DLLs’ ( n = 37) and monolingual English speakers’ ( n = 61) numeracy, differences in HNEs, and predictive role of HNE on numeracy. Using frequentist and Bayesian t tests, we found that numeracy was not significantly different between DLLs and monolingual English speakers when DLLs’ numeracy was measured in English or in both English and Spanish. However, DLLs’ Spanish numeracy was lower than monolingual English speakers’ English numeracy, t(96) = 2.10, p = .038, Bayes factors (BF10) = 1.51. HNE did not significantly predict either group’s numeracy regardless of assessment language. This study is an important step toward understanding DLLs’ HNE and numeracy.
NF1 germline mutation in a Chinese family with colon cancer
Authors: Lou Haizhou , Zhai Chongya , Gong Liu , Pan Hong , Pan Hongming , Zhang Yihong , Yang Mei , Hu Zimin
Published: August 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recent advances in genomic medicine have identified novel gene mutations that contribute to an increased risk of CRC. Here, we describe a diagnosis of colon cancer in a 63-year-old woman and also in her brother. Next-generation sequencing showed that both patients harbored a germline mutation in NF1. The female patient also carried co-mutations in KRAS and NRAS. Furthermore, the NF1 germline mutation was identified in a healthy offspring of the brother. The female patient received three cycles of bevacizumab plus capecitabine/oxaliplatin therapy and achieved stable disease of the primary lesion in the colon and partial response of metastasis in the right abdominal cavity. This study highlights the association of NF1 germline mutations with colon cancer.
Treatment of missed Monteggia fracture with intact annular ligament after an interval of 9 years: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhou Weizheng , Li Lianyong , Mu Mingzhang
Published: August 2020

Objective

Missed Monteggia fractures are commonly observed among children. Both the interval from the injury to surgery and the patient’s age at operation are thought to be correlated directly with the success of the surgery and prognosis. The aim of the present work was to report one interesting adult case of a missed Monteggia fracture with an intact annular ligament 9 years after injury and the outcomes at a 7-year follow-up.

Case description

One missed lesion with a 9-year delay for surgery occurred in a skeletally mature individual, and it was treated by open reduction and ulnar angulation and elongation osteotomy. The annular ligament was interpositioned intact in the radiocapitellar joint, and therefore, instead of the annular ligament reconstruction (ALR), relocation was performed.

Results

After one revision surgery for the complication of nonunion, good radiographic and functional outcomes were eventually sustained at the 7-year follow up.

Conclusion

Good radiographic and functional outcomes can be expected in adult patients in whom the annular ligament is intact and interpositioned, and this was treated by open reduction and ulnar osteotomy 9 years after the initial injury in our patient.
Political Ideology in Consumer Resistance: Analyzing Far-Right Opposition to Multicultural Marketing
Authors: Ulver Sofia , Laurell Christofer
Published: August 2020

Political ideologies of the far-right are gaining ground in world politics and culture, not least by way of market forces. It has therefore become urgent to understand how these ideologies manifest themselves in the fields of marketing and consumption at a sociocultural level. The authors explore the discursive efforts in far-right consumer resistance to advance a political agenda through protests directed at brands’ multicultural advertising and analyze how these consumers conceptualize their adversaries in the marketplace. In contrast to previous framings of adversaries identified in consumer research, where resistance is typically anticapitalist and directed toward firms’ unethical conduct or the exploitation by the global market economy per se, the authors find that the following discursive themes stand out in the far-right consumer resistance: the emphasis on the state as main antagonist, the indifference to capitalism as a potential adversary, and overt contestation of liberal ethics. The article concludes with a discussion of research contributions as well as the public policy and marketing implications in light of a growing far-right consumer culture.
Funny Money: Philanthropic Giving and the Money Illusion
Authors: Witkowski Gregory R.
Published: August 2020

This study argues that the size of philanthropic gifts is affected by donors’ perception of the value of their money. The essay examines aggregate giving to Bread for the World in former East Germany before and after two currency reforms and shows that decades of overvaluing the West German Deutschmark led East Germans to give less after the first currency reform while the second currency reform did not lead to such a drop off. The essay employs East German jokes to illustrate popular views of both East and West German currency that developed over time. It indicates that East Germans developed a perceived value of money separate from its real purchasing power, which affected their philanthropic donations. These findings are applicable to small and large philanthropic gifts, especially across currencies, as in international giving.
Efficacy of electroacupuncture plus warm needling therapy for plantar heel pain: a randomised waitlist-controlled trial
Authors: Ho Lai Fun , Guo Yuanqi , Ching Jessica Yuet-Ling , Chan Kam Leung , Tsang Ping Him , Wong Man Hin , Chen Min , Chen Liyi , Ng Bacon Fung-Leung , Lin Zhi Xiu
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To investigate the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture plus warm needling (EAWN) therapy on pain and foot function in adults with plantar heel pain (PHP).

Methods:

This prospective, randomised, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled trial was conducted at a Chinese medicine centre in Hong Kong between May 2018 and February 2019. Eighty eligible community-dwelling subjects with PHP (mean age 59.7 years; 85% female) were equally randomised to receive EAWN therapy or remain on a waitlist. The treatment group received six 30-min sessions of standardised EAWN therapy over 4 weeks; the control group received no treatment. The outcome measures were the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for first-step pain, foot function index (FFI) scores and global rating of change (GRC) scale scores. Assessments were made at baseline, week 2 and week 4 (primary endpoint). The treatment group underwent additional assessments at week 8. Outcomes were evaluated by intention-to-treat analysis.

Results:

Patients who received EAWN therapy exhibited greater improvements in the mean first-step pain VAS and all FFI scores than did those in the control group at weeks 2 and 4, with significant between-group differences (all P < 0.001). Compared with baseline, there were significant decreases in mean first-step pain VAS scores at weeks 2 and 4, and FFI scores at week 4, in the treatment group but not in the control group. The improvements in the treatment group continued until week 8. GRC scores at week 4 indicated improvement in all treated patients and only 22.5% of the control group patients ( P < 0.001). There were no study-related adverse events.

Conclusion:

EAWN therapy could be an effective treatment for PHP in middle-aged and older adults.

Trial registration number:

ChiCTR1800014906 (Chinese Clinical Trials Registry)
Educational Interventions to Improve Advance Care Planning Discussions, Documentation and Billing
Authors: Henage Cristine B. , McBride J. Marvin , Pino Joseph , Williams Jessica , Vedovi Jill , Cannady Nicole , Buno Liz Riley , Chatman Toni , Busby-Whitehead Jan , Roberts Ellen
Published: August 2020

Background/Objectives:

To determine the impact of educational interventions, clinic workflow redesign, and quality improvement coaching on the frequency of advance care planning (ACP) activities for patients over the age of 65.

Design:

Nonrandomized before-and-after study.

Setting:

13 ambulatory care clinics with 81 primary care providers in eastern and central North Carolina.

Participants:

Patients across 13 primary care clinics staffed by 66 physicians, 8 physician assistants and 7 family nurse practitioners.

Interventions:

Interprofessional, interactive ACP training for the entire interprofessional team and quality improvement project management with an emphasis on workflow redesign.

Measurements:

From July 2017 through June 2018—number of ACP discussions, number of written ACP documents incorporated into the electronic medical record (EMR), number of ACP encounters billed.

Results:

Following the interventions, healthcare providers were more than twice as likely to conduct ACP discussions with their patients. Patients were 1.4 times more likely to have an ACP document included in their electronic medical record. Providers were significantly ( p < 0.05) more likely to bill for an ACP encounter in only one clinic.

Conclusions:

Implementing ACP education for all clinic staff, planning for workflow changes to involve the entire interprofessional team and supporting ACP activities with quality improvement coaching leads to statistically significant improvements in the frequency of ACP discussions, the number of ACP documents included in the electronic medical record and number of ACP encounters billed.
Student Learning: The Influence of Instructor and Student Confirmation, Classroom Connectedness, and Self-Efficacy
Authors: Aloia Lindsey S.
Published: August 2020

Previous research demonstrated the importance of a healthy instructional environment characterized by institutional support and positivity for student learning. Furthermore, classroom climate is impacted by the qualities of the students and the other individuals in the classroom. Accordingly, the goal of this article was to investigate the independent and collective influence of instructor and student confirmation (i.e., communication of value and significance), classroom connectedness (i.e., perceptions of support and cooperation), and self-efficacy (i.e., beliefs about personal capabilities) on student learning. Three hundred and fifty-five students provided responses to measures of instructor confirmation, student confirmation, classroom connectedness, self-efficacy, and learning. Results indicated that classroom connectedness mediated the associations between instructor and student confirmation, and learning. In addition, self-efficacy moderated the association between classroom connectedness and learning.
Bedside vascular access procedures for COVID-19 patients
Authors: Arrichiello Antonio , Angileri Salvatore Alessio , Ierardi Anna Maria , Di Meglio Letizia , Carrafiello Gianpaolo
Published: August 2020

This report aims to illustrate how to perform a venous access to a COVID-19 patient at the bedside. The decision on the type of venous access, the selection of the material necessary to perform the procedure, and the preparation of the operators are described. The described approach can reduce costs, speed up execution times, and make the operator’s work safer. Furthermore, these precautions may help control the spread of COVID-19 within the healthcare facility.
Dynamic characteristics of compound textured journal bearing
Authors: Meng Fanming , Zhang Yifei , Su Linlin , Yu Haiyang , Zheng Yong
Published: August 2020

An investigation of the compound texture effect on the dynamic characteristics of the journal bearing film is conducted. In this work, eight dynamic coefficients of the compound textured journal bearing and critical speed of the rotor supported by textured bearings are obtained and compared. Meanwhile, the elastic deformation effect of the bearing and rotor is obtained using the continuous convolution fast Fourier transform (CC-FFT) method. It is found that the reasonably arranged compound texture brings out an obvious increment in the direct stiffness coefficients and damping coefficients compared with the simple one, which results in the high critical speed of the bearing-rotor system. The above changes are close to the texture distribution, second-layered texture length, and width-length ratios of the compound texture. Moreover, there exists a critical compound texture depth to improve the critical speed of the bearing-rotor system.
The macro cultural psychology understanding of the constitution of a Yepa Mahsã person
Authors: Fernandes Felippe Otaviano P , Azevedo Dagoberto Lima , L Barreto João Paulo , Calegare Marcelo
Published: August 2020

In this article we discuss the Macro Cultural Psychology understanding of the constitution of a Yepa Mahsã person, an indigenous people of the upper Negro river, in northwest Amazonas, Brazil. This perspective is used because it considers the dialectic and dynamism between the psychological processes and macro cultural aspects (social institutions, cultural artifacts and concepts). A reflective and dialogical exercise was undertaken by psychologists and Yepa Mahsã anthropologists using three cultural elements: Kihti Ukuse (mythical narratives), Bahsese (blessings) and Bahsamori (festivities and rituals according to constellation calendar). The dialogues revealed that the psychosocial perspective of psychology needs to be expanded because a person is not merely characterised as individual, but rather as an inseparable element of the collective of the clan and the Yepa Mahsã cosmo-politics; social relations are established with other Yepa Mahsã, with the Wai Mahsã (visible and invisible beings who inhabit all surrounding nature) and with the creator; the environment is not inert, but alive and relational; the mythical narratives are not mere stories and social constructions, for they are always present to the Yepa Mahsã and organise everyday life on all levels.
A postfunctionalist theory of multilevel governance
Authors: Hooghe Liesbet , Marks Gary
Published: August 2020

Multilevel governance describes the diffusion of authority away from the central state. In this contribution, we recount how an archaic term, governance, became part of the vocabulary of political science. We then outline three building blocks of a postfunctionalist theory of multilevel governance. The first is that multilevel governance is cooperation to provide collective goods at diverse scales. The second is that the form governance takes depends on the sociality of the participants. The third is that conflict over community enables or impedes multilevel governance.
The Railroad Economic Belt: Grand strategy, economic statecraft, and a new type of international relations
Authors: Yan Karl
Published: August 2020

China’s grand strategy is evolving towards greater activism under Xi Jinping – from ‘keeping a low profile’ to ‘striving for achievement’. New initiatives such as forging ‘a new type of international relations’, ‘a community with a shared future for mankind’, and the Belt and Road Initiative have become marked features of the ‘Xi-change’ in China’s grand strategy. From an economic statecraft perspective, this article hypothesises that the Xi-change led to a power centralisation in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Railroad Economic Belt. To support its geopolitical and geoeconomic objectives, the Chinese state has replicated the domestic state-industrial complex. In the context of the Jakarta–Bandung High-speed Rail Corridor, the domestic roles of the National Development and Reform Commission and the China Railway Corporation have been internationalised to ensure the globalisation of China’s high-speed rail industry could be conducted in a concerted and choreographed fashion.
The relationship between coach behavior and athlete self-regulated learning
Authors: Goffena Jordan D , Horn Thelma S
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesized link between athletes’ perception of coach behavior and their self-regulation of sport learning. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 140 Division-I National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes to assess aspects of coach control, autonomy support, and athlete self-regulated learning. From a person-centered approach, a cluster analysis resulted in the identification of three groups which exhibited contrasting profiles of coach behavior. Groupings consisted of athletes who were highly supported, moderately supported and controlled, and highly controlled. From a variable-centered approach, a canonical correlation analysis was performed followed by individual univariate analyses. The results offer both person-level and variable-level support for the relationship between coach behavior and self-regulated learning. Overall, a positive relationship between autonomy-supportive coaching and athlete self-regulation was found. Future directions for research and practical applications for coaching are discussed.
Relating on-field youth football head impacts to pneumatic ram laboratory testing procedures
Authors: Campolettano Eamon T , Rowson Steven
Published: August 2020

A youth-specific football helmet testing standard has been proposed to address the physical and biomechanical differences between adult and youth football players. This study sought to relate the proposed youth standard-defined laboratory impacts to on-field head impacts collected from youth football players. Head impact data from 112 youth football players (ages 9–14) were collected through the use of helmet-mounted accelerometer arrays. These head impacts were filtered to only include those that resided in corridors near prescribed National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) impact locations. Peak linear head acceleration and peak rotational head acceleration magnitudes collected from pneumatic ram impactor tests as specified by the proposed NOCSAE youth standard were compared to the distribution of on-field head impacts. All laboratory impact tests were among the top 10% in terms of magnitude for Severity Index and peak rotational acceleration of matched location head impacts experienced by youth football players. As concussive head impacts are among the most severe impacts experienced on the field, a safety standard geared toward mitigating concussion should assess the most severe on-field head impacts. This proposed testing standard may be refined as more becomes known regarding the biomechanics of concussion among youth athletes.
A prospective study on the association between post-voiding residual volume and quality of life during bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillation therapy for non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Kikuchi Daichi , Kato Yoichiro , Takayama Misato , Kanzaki Seiko , Ito Akito , Ikarashi Daiki , Maekawa Shigekatsu , Kato Renpei , Seo Takashi , Owari Yukihisa , Nozawa Tatsuru , Isurugi Kazumasa , Fujisawa Hiromitsu , Ujiie Takashi , Kanehira Mitsugu , Takata Ryo , Obara Wataru
Published: August 2020

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and residual urine volume in patients undergoing bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy.

Methods:

Patients requiring BCG therapy, including those with carcinoma in situ, were enrolled prospectively. The urine volume collected through urethral catheterization was measured as post-voiding residual volume (PVR) during BCG therapy. Patients were divided into two groups: small PVR (SPVR), with PVR less than 30 ml, and large PVR (LPVR), with PVR greater than or equal to 30 ml. QOL status was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 system before and after BCG therapy. Moreover, some patients were assessed by International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at the same time as assessment with the EORTC QLQ-C30 system. The primary end point was the evaluation of QOL during BCG therapy.

Results:

Among the 69 patients with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer included in this study, 43 were in the SPVR group and 26 were in the LPVR group. The proportions of women and analgesic use in the SPVR group were higher than that in the LPVR group; however, medication use for dysuria in the SPVR group was less than that in the LPVR group. In the QOL analyses, cognitive function and emotional function in the functional scale and fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and dyspnoea in the symptomatic scale were worse in the SPVR group than in the LPVR group. In the multivariate analysis, fatigue was worse in the SPVR group than in the LPVR group.

Conclusions:

During BCG therapy, patients in the SPVR group had worse QOL, especially fatigue, than those in the LPVR group.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable for this multicentre audit.
The efficacy and safety of intravaginal oxytocin on vaginal atrophy: A systematic review
Authors: Ghorbani Zahra , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: August 2020

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause is a major issue in menopausal health. Because unlike vasomotor symptoms, it has a progressive trend. In this regard we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of intravaginal oxytocin on postmenopausal vaginal atrophy. A search was performed for published studies in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Scholar and Persian databases without time and language limitations. Only randomized controlled trials that compared intravaginal oxytocin with placebos were included. The outcome measures were objective and subjective assessed symptoms of vaginal atrophy. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2. The standardized mean differences were pooled the fixed effects model. Of the five included studies, four studies meta-analysed. The meta-analysis in terms of the cytological analysis (standardized mean difference: 35.13, 95% confidence interval: 32.59–37.67, n = 218, I2 = 96%) was statistically significant. In terms of histological assessments (standardized mean difference: −0.38, 95% confidence interval: −0.94 to 0.17, n = 38, I2 = 0%) and endometrial thickness (standardized mean difference: 0.05, 95% confidence interval: −0.20 to −0.31, n = 95, I2 = 0%), there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Three studies reported a statistically significant improvement in the subjective symptoms; however, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis. Four of the included studies assessed side effects, but only two studies reported them. Oxytocin as a nonestrogenic compound can be a suitable alternative for the treatment of vaginal atrophy, especially in women with contraindications for using estrogenic compounds. Further good quality clinical trials with long-term follow-ups are recommended to demonstrate the effects of intravaginal gel in the treatment of vaginal atrophy.
“This is My Girl”: How Men’s Desires Obscure Women’s Sexual Aggression Experiences in Public Drinking Settings
Authors: Becker Sarah , Tinkler Justine E.
Published: August 2020

In this article, we use 198 interviews with young men and women to explore how they define and negotiate boundaries of unwanted sexual contact in public drinking settings. Men and women’s contrasting experiences reveal that in bars and nightclubs, sexual aggression against women is routine and typically involves physical threat. For men, however, consensual and nonaggressive contact can register as problematic when disruptive to men’s control of heterosexual interactions. Men’s aggression toward other men who disrupt their access to women is cause and consequence of women’s sexual aggression experiences being less visible. We contribute to sexual assault literature by illustrating how heterosexual power dynamics—specifically, disproportionate visibility and defense of men’s desires—shape tolerance of barroom sexual aggression, discourage bystander intervention, and set the stage for more serious forms of assault to occur and go unpunished.
Assessments of Environmental Injustice among Black Americans
Authors: Parris Christie L. , Hegtvedt Karen A. , Johnson Cathryn
Published: August 2020

The greater exposure of communities of color and poor communities to environmental harms compared with white and middle-class neighborhoods constitutes “environmental injustice.” Here, we examine how environmental attitudes and experiences with discrimination, as well as environmental and racial identities, affect environmental injustice assessments. Specifically, we focus on environmental injustice pertaining to actual distributions of environmental harms among low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color (distributive environmental injustice), and prescriptions regarding fair decision-making procedures underlying the distribution of environmental burdens in communities (procedural environmental justice). Our data stem from a survey of black people living in the United States. Seemingly unrelated regression analyses indicate that environmental attitudes influence assessments of injustice regarding the distribution of environmental harms in disadvantaged neighborhoods and prescriptions regarding just decision-making procedures about distributing such harms. And while experiences with discrimination only affect assessments of distributive environmental injustice, black identity strongly predicts both forms of justice related to the environment (even controlling on environmental identity, which only affects procedural environmental justice prescriptions). Our discussion focuses on the profound impact of black identity on shaping meanings of environmental justice even for those unaffected by such harms.