bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corporate social responsibility in the wake of COVID-19: multiple cases of social responsibility as an organizational value
Authors: Ahmed Jashim Uddin , Islam Quazi Tafsirul , Ahmed Asma , Faroque Anisur R. , Uddin Mohammad Jasim
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Although corporate social responsibility is a well-researched concept, very few studies have studied organizational social responsibility in the face of internal/external crises. Therefore, this paper aims to examine various firms' organizational social responses to COVID-19 as an external crisis, particularly in terms of the way organizations use their resources to address social problems and the real intention behind these, and the changing organizational drivers influencing such behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors explore the initiatives of seven organizations from three different industries in several countries and their actions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A case study approach was taken to collect data and reach a conclusion. A combination of interviews, online communication using semi-structured questionnaires and documentary information available in the public domain was used to collect data and analyze and triangulate the events.

Findings

Similar internal resources and capacities of the seven organizations resulted in similar responses as they launched proactive initiatives to prepare sanitizers. This research indicates that these organizations pursued other goals besides economic one. When society needed help, these organizations responded quickly, using and reorganizing their resources to assist communities in need. Different organizations from different sectors all behaved in a similar manner, making genuine contributions to the pandemic as each was uniquely capable of doing. These organizations also used their unique capabilities to offer their resources to local communities and governments.

Originality/value

During the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts by corporate entities to facilitate social reform and recovery have been seen around the globe. The findings could help in understanding the responses of organizations engaging in socially responsible behaviors to overcome external crises. This paper also identifies changing organizational values and their possible impact on society and overall industry philanthropy practices in the future.
Metabolic potential and survival strategies of microbial communities across extreme temperature gradients on Deception Island volcano, Antarctica
Authors: Bendia Amanda Gonçalves , Lemos Leandro Nascimento , Mendes Lucas William , Signori Camila Negrão , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Pellizari Vivian Helena
Published: July 2021

Active volcanoes in Antarctica have remarkable temperature and geochemical gradients that could select for a wide variety of microbial adaptive mechanisms and metabolic pathways. Deception Island is a stratovolcano flooded by the sea, resulting in contrasting ecosystems such as permanent glaciers and active fumaroles, which creates steep gradients that have been shown to affect microbial diversity. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics and metagenome‐assembled genomes to explore the metabolic potentials and survival strategies of microbial communities along an extreme temperature gradient in fumarole and glacier sediments on Deception Island. We observed that communities from a 98 °C fumarole were significantly enriched in genes related to hyperthermophilic (e.g. reverse gyrase, GroEL/GroES and thermosome) and oxidative stress responses, as well as genes related to sulfate reduction, ammonification and carbon fixation. Communities from <80 °C fumaroles possessed more genes related osmotic, cold‐ and heat‐shock responses, and diverse metabolic potentials, such as those related to sulfur oxidation and denitrification, while glacier communities showed abundant metabolic potentials mainly related to heterotrophy. Through the reconstruction of genomes, we were able to reveal the metabolic potentials and different survival strategies of underrepresented taxonomic groups, especially those related to Nanoarchaeota, Pyrodictiaceae and thermophilic ammonia‐oxidizing archaeal lineages.
Responses of Clostridia to oxygen: from detoxification to adaptive strategies
Authors: Morvan Claire , Folgosa Filipe , Kint Nicolas , Teixeira Miguel , Martin‐Verstraete Isabelle
Published: July 2021

Clostridia comprise bacteria of environmental, biotechnological and medical interest and many commensals of the gut microbiota. Because of their strictly anaerobic lifestyle, oxygen is a major stress for Clostridia. However, recent data showed that these bacteria can cope with O2 better than expected for obligate anaerobes through their ability to scavenge, detoxify and consume O2. Upon O2 exposure, Clostridia redirect their central metabolism onto pathways less O2‐sensitive and induce the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in O2‐reduction and in the repair of oxidized damaged molecules. While Faecalibacterium prausnitzii efficiently consumes O2 through a specific extracellular electron shuttling system requiring riboflavin, enzymes such as rubrerythrins and flavodiiron proteins with NAD(P)H‐dependent O2‐ and/or H2O2‐reductase activities are usually encoded in other Clostridia. These two classes of enzymes play indeed a pivotal role in O2 tolerance in Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium acetobutylicum. Two main signalling pathways triggering O2‐induced responses have been described so far in Clostridia. PerR acts as a key regulator of the O2‐ and/or reactive oxygen species–defence machinery while in C. difficile, σB, the sigma factor of the general stress response also plays a crucial role in O2 tolerance by controlling the expression of genes involved in O2 scavenging and repair systems.
The levonorgestrel intrauterine system versus endometrial ablation for heavy menstrual bleeding: a cost‐effectiveness analysis
Authors: van den Brink MJ , Beelen P , Herman MC , Geomini PM , Dekker JH , Vermeulen KM , Bongers MY , Berger MY
Published: July 2021

Objective

To evaluate the costs and non‐inferiority of a strategy starting with the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS) compared with endometrial ablation (EA) in the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB).

Design

Cost‐effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective alongside a multicentre randomised non‐inferiority trial.

Setting

General practices and gynaecology departments in the Netherlands.

Population

In all, 270 women with HMB, aged ≥34 years old, without intracavitary pathology or wish for a future child.

Methods

Randomisation to a strategy starting with the LNG‐IUS (n = 132) or EA (n = 138). The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio was estimated.

Main outcome measures

Direct medical costs and (in)direct non‐medical costs were calculated. The primary outcome was menstrual blood loss after 24 months, measured with the mean Pictorial Blood Assessment Chart (PBAC)‐score (non‐inferiority margin 25 points). A secondary outcome was successful blood loss reduction (PBAC‐score ≤75 points).

Results

Total costs per patient were €2,285 in the LNG‐IUS strategy and €3,465 in the EA strategy (difference: €1,180). At 24 months, mean PBAC‐scores were 64.8 in the LNG‐IUS group (n = 115) and 14.2 in the EA group (n = 132); difference 50.5 points (95% CI 4.3–96.7). In the LNG‐IUS group, 87% of women had a PBAC‐score ≤75 points versus 94% in the EA group (relative risk [RR] 0.93, 95% CI 0.85–1.01). The ICER was €23 (95% CI €5–111) per PBAC‐point.

Conclusions

A strategy starting with the LNG‐IUS was cheaper than starting with EA, but non‐inferiority could not be demonstrated. The LNG‐IUS is reversible and less invasive and can be a cost‐effective treatment option, depending on the success rate women are willing to accept.

Tweetable abstract

Treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding starting with LNG‐IUS is cheaper but slightly less effective than endometrial ablation.
Estetrol‐Drospirenone combination oral contraceptive: a clinical study of contraceptive efficacy, bleeding pattern and safety in Europe and Russia
Authors: Gemzell‐Danielsson K , Apter D , Zatik J , Weyers S , Piltonen T , Suturina L , Apolikhina I , Jost M , Creinin MD , Foidart J‐M
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To assess the contraceptive efficacy, bleeding pattern and safety of a combined oral contraceptive containing estetrol (E4) 15 mg and drospirenone (DRSP) 3 mg.

Design

Multicenter, open‐label, phase 3 trial.

Setting

Sixty‐nine sites in Europe and Russia.

Population

Sexually active women aged 18–50 years with regular menstrual cycles and body mass index ≤35 kg/m2.

Methods

E4/DRSP was administered in a 24 active/4 placebo regimen for up to 13 cycles. Visits were scheduled during Cycles 2, 4, 7 and 10 and after completing treatment during which adverse events (AEs) were collected. Participants recorded medication intake, vaginal bleeding/spotting, use of other contraceptive methods and sexual intercourse on a daily diary.

Main outcome measures

Pearl Index (PI) for women 18–35 years (overall and method‐failure), bleeding pattern and AEs.

Results

A total of 1553 women aged 18–50 years, including 1353 from 18 to 35 years old, received the study medication. PI was 0.47 pregnancies/100 woman‐years (95% CI 0.15–1.11); method failure PI was 0.29 pregnancies/100 woman‐years (95% CI 0.06–0.83). Scheduled bleeding/spotting occurred in 91.9–94.4% of women over Cycles 1 to 12 and lasted a median of 4–5 days per cycle. The percentage of women with unscheduled bleeding/spotting episodes decreased from 23.5% in Cycle 1 to <16% from Cycle 6 onwards. The most common AEs were headache (7.7%), metrorrhagia (5.5%), vaginal haemorrhage (4.8%) and acne (4.2%). One treatment‐related serious AE was reported, a lower extremity venous thromboembolism. One‐hundred and forty‐one (9.1%) women discontinued study participation because of treatment‐related adverse events.

Conclusion

E4/DRSP provides effective contraception, a predictable bleeding pattern and a favourable safety profile.

Tweetable abstract

A phase 3 trial with E4/DRSP shows high contraceptive efficacy, a predictable bleeding pattern and favourable safety profile.
Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications of the Latest Cretaceous Intrusive Rocks from the Eastern Gangdese Belt, Southeast Tibet
Authors: CHEN Yanfei , CHEN Xuanhua , ZHANG Zeming , SHAO Zhaogang , TIAN Zuolin , DONG Xin , QIN Shengkai , YUAN Yuelei
Published: July 2021

The latest Cretaceous magmatic activity in the eastern segment of the Lhasa terrane provides important insights for tracking the magma source and geodynamic setting of the eastern Gangdese batholith, eastward of eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. Detailed petrological, geochemical and geochronological studies of the intrusive rocks (monzodiorites and granodiorites) of the eastern Gangdese batholith are presented with monzodiorites and granodiorites giving zircon U–Pb crystallization dates of 70–66 Ma and 71–66 Ma with εHf(t) values of –4.8 to +6.2 and –1.9 to +5.3, respectively. These rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous I‐type granites showing geochemically arc‐related features of enrichment in LREEs and some LILEs, e.g., Rb, Th, and U, and depletion in HREEs and some HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti. The rocks are interpreted to be derived from partial melting of mantle material and juvenile crust, respectively, which are proposed to be triggered by Neo‐Tethyan slab rollback during northward subduction, with both experiencing ancient crustal contamination. The studied intrusive rocks formed in a transitional geodynamic setting caused by Neo‐Tethyan oceanic flat subduction to slab rollback beneath the eastern Gangdese belt during the latest Cretaceous.
Rapid detection of temperate bacteriophage using a simple motility assay
Authors: Guo Yunxue , Lin Jianzhong , Wang Xiaoxue
Published: July 2021

Phage contamination is a common complication for the fermentation and pharmaceutical industries. The risk of bacteriophage contamination in laboratory processes increases with multiple rounds of genetic manipulation such as deletion and complementation. The contamination of temperate phages does not lead to immediate host cell lysis but could become a serious issue when the lytic cycle is activated under specific conditions. Our objective was to develop a quick and reliable detection method for checking possible temperate phage contamination. Here, using motility plates, we found that when the strain carries a newly acquired temperate phage, its presence can be easily detected by the formation of a clear ‘lysis zone’ when swimming against the original strain on the same swimming plates. Compared to the traditional double agar layer method and genomic sequencing‐based methods, the duration of the motility‐based assay is shorter and the procedure is simplified. More importantly, for the bacterial strains that already contain active prophages, this method can still easily detect the newly acquired phages without tedious phage identification procedure. These features make this method highly applicable to laboratory and industrial processes.
Single‐oocyte transcriptome analysis reveals aging‐associated effects influenced by life stage and calorie restriction
Authors: Mishina Tappei , Tabata Namine , Hayashi Tetsutaro , Yoshimura Mika , Umeda Mana , Mori Masashi , Ikawa Yayoi , Hamada Hiroshi , Nikaido Itoshi , Kitajima Tomoya S.
Published: July 2021

Chromosome segregation errors in oocytes lead to the production of aneuploid eggs, which are the leading cause of pregnancy loss and of several congenital diseases such as Down syndrome. The frequency of chromosome segregation errors in oocytes increases with maternal age, especially at a late stage of reproductive life. How aging at various life stages affects oocytes differently remains poorly understood. In this study, we describe aging‐associated changes in the transcriptome profile of mouse oocytes throughout reproductive life. Our single‐oocyte comprehensive RNA sequencing using RamDA‐seq revealed that oocytes undergo transcriptome changes at a late reproductive stage, whereas their surrounding cumulus cells exhibit transcriptome changes at an earlier stage. Calorie restriction, a paradigm that reportedly prevents aging‐associated egg aneuploidy, promotes a transcriptome shift in oocytes with the up‐regulation of genes involved in chromosome segregation. This shift is accompanied by the improved maintenance of chromosomal cohesin, the loss of which is a hallmark of oocyte aging and causes chromosome segregation errors. These findings have implications for understanding how oocytes undergo aging‐associated functional decline throughout their reproductive life in a context‐dependent manner.
Telehealth in emergency medicine: A consensus conference to map the intersection of telehealth and emergency medicine
Authors: Hayden Emily M. , Davis Christopher , Clark Sunday , Joshi Aditi U. , Krupinski Elizabeth A. , Naik Neel , Ward Michael J. , Zachrison Kori S. , Olsen Erica , Chang Bernard P. , Burner Elizabeth , Yadav Kabir , Greenwald Peter W. , Chandra Shruti ,   the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2020 Consensus Conference
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Telehealth has the potential to significantly change the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) and has rapidly expanded in EM during the COVID pandemic; however, it is unclear how EM should intersect with telehealth. The field lacks a unified research agenda with priorities for scientific questions on telehealth in EM.

Methods

Through the 2020 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine's annual consensus conference, experts in EM and telehealth created a research agenda for the topic. The multiyear process used a modified Delphi technique to develop research questions related to telehealth in EM. Research questions were excluded from the final research agenda if they did not meet a threshold of at least 80% of votes indicating “important” or “very important.”

Results

Round 1 of voting included 94 research questions, expanded to 103 questions in round 2 and refined to 36 questions for the final vote. Consensus occurred with a final set of 24 important research questions spanning five breakout group topics. Each breakout group domain was represented in the final set of questions. Examples of the questions include: “Among underserved populations, what are mechanisms by which disparities in emergency care delivery may be exacerbated or ameliorated by telehealth” (health care access) and “In what situations should the quality and safety of telehealth be compared to in‐person care and in what situations should it be compared to no care” (quality and safety).

Conclusion

The primary finding from the process was the breadth of gaps in the evidence for telehealth in EM and telehealth in general. Our consensus process identified priority research questions for the use of and evaluation of telehealth in EM to fill the current knowledge gaps. Support should be provided to answer the research questions to guide the evidenced‐based development of telehealth in EM.
Persistent attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder predicts socially oriented, but not physical/physiologically oriented, alcohol problems in early adulthood
Authors: Wang Frances L. , Pedersen Sarah L. , Kennedy Traci M. , Gnagy Elizabeth M. , Pelham William E. , Molina Brooke S.G.
Published: July 2021

Background

Although individuals with histories of childhood attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report more alcohol‐related problems in adulthood than those without ADHD, it is unknown whether there are group differences in certain types of alcohol problems. We tested whether the nature of alcohol problems differed for individuals with and without childhood ADHD, as well as adulthood‐persistent ADHD, to facilitate a personalized medicine approach for alcohol problems in this high‐risk group.

Methods

Data were drawn from a prospective, observational study. Children diagnosed with ADHD and demographically similar individuals without childhood ADHD were followed prospectively through young adulthood (N = 453; 87.6% male). ADHD symptom persistence was assessed using self‐reports and parent reports. Alcohol problems and heavy drinking were assessed repeatedly from 18–30 years old to construct lifetime measures.

Results

Full‐sample confirmatory factor analyses identified 5 alcohol problem “types:” interpersonal problems/risky behaviors, occupational/academic impairment, impaired control/treatment seeking, tolerance/withdrawal, and drinking to blackout. Latent class analyses of items within each type yielded the best fit for 3‐class solutions for all sets of items except blackout drinking, for which 2 classes emerged. Children with ADHD were more likely than those without ADHD to belong to high‐risk latent classes for interpersonal problems/risky behaviors, occupational/academic problems, and impaired control (the high‐risk class that indexed treatment‐seeking behavior). These effects were driven by individuals whose ADHD symptoms persisted into adulthood. Few group differences emerged for tolerance/withdrawal and blackout drinking, except that individuals with only childhood ADHD (no persistence) were more likely to belong to the low‐risk groups than those with adulthood‐persistent ADHD and without ADHD.

Conclusions

Individuals with ADHD histories whose symptoms persist into adulthood may be more likely to experience socially oriented alcohol problems and impaired control/treatment seeking than individuals without an ADHD history and those with childhood ADHD only. Tailored alcohol prevention and treatment programs may benefit this high‐risk population.
Corporate vote trading in Australia
Authors: Li Tongxia , Ang Tze Chuan ‘Chewie’
Published: July 2021

This study finds that institutional investors in Australia recall loaned shares prior to shareholder meetings to exercise their voting rights as part of their effort to improve corporate governance. Recalls are increasingly common in larger firms, firms with more independent directors, and stocks with higher past returns in recent years. Recalls are associated with less support for resolutions at meetings, especially those related to the remuneration package in firms within the ASX100 and those with existing shareholder dissent. We deduce the value of votes (around 351 basis points (bps) per annum) from the incremental cost of borrowing shares with voting rights around shareholder meetings.
Structural brain abnormalities associated with cognitive impairments in bipolar disorder
Authors: Macoveanu Julian , Freeman Katherine Olivia , Kjærstad Hanne Lie , Knudsen Gitte Moos , Kessing Lars Vedel , Miskowiak Kamilla Woznica
Published: July 2021

Objective

Cognitive impairment has been highlighted as a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD) that often persists during remission. The specific brain correlates of cognitive impairment in BD remain unclear which impedes efficient therapeutic approaches. In a large sample of remitted BD patients, we investigated whether morphological brain abnormalities within dorsal prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus were related to cognitive deficits.

Methods

Remitted BD patients (n = 153) and healthy controls (n = 52) underwent neuropsychological assessment and structural MRI. Based on hierarchical cluster analysis of neuropsychological test performance, patients were classified as either cognitively impaired (n = 91) or cognitively normal (n = 62). The neurocognitive subgroups were compared amongst each other and with healthy controls in terms of dorsal PFC cortical thickness and volume, hippocampus shape and volume, and total cerebral grey and white matter volumes.

Results

Cognitively impaired patients displayed greater left dorsomedial prefrontal thickness compared to cognitively normal patients and healthy controls. Hippocampal grey matter volume and shape were similar across patient subgroups and healthy controls. At a whole‐brain level, cognitively impaired patients had lower cerebral white matter volume compared to the other groups. Across all participants, lower white matter volume correlated with more impaired neuropsychological test performance.

Conclusions

Our findings associate cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder with cerebral white matter deficits, factors which may relate to the observed morphological changes in dorsomedial PFC possibly due to increased neurocognitive effort to maintain symptom stability in these remitted patients.
Consumption of processed food & food away from home in big cities, small towns, and rural areas of Tanzania
Authors: Sauer Christine M. , Reardon Thomas , Tschirley David , Liverpool‐Tasie Saweda , Awokuse Titus , Alphonce Roselyne , Ndyetabula Daniel , Waized Betty
Published: July 2021

We study household consumption of various categories of processed food, including ultra‐processed food and meals away from home in Tanzania. We compare peri‐urban versus hinterland rural areas, and large cities versus small towns. Three sets of findings stand out. (1) Contrary to the common view in Africa that processed food is mainly an urban middle‐class phenomenon, we found it has penetrated the diets of the rural areas and the rural and urban poor. In rural areas, surprisingly 60% of food consumption comes from purchases in value terms, and processed food accounts for 76% of purchases and 47% of all food consumed. For the rural poor, purchased processed food is 38% of food consumption. In urban areas processed food's share of purchases (hence consumption) is 78%, similar for the rich and poor. (2) We found that ultra‐processed food (such as sugar‐sweetened beverages and cookies) and meals‐away‐from‐home (MAFH) have emerged as important in urban as well as rural areas. As these foods tend to be high in oil, salt, and sugar, this is a health concern. The share of ultra‐processed foods and MAFH is 21% in rural areas and 36% in cities albeit twice as high in large cities compared with small towns and among richer compared to poorer consumers. (3) Our regressions show the spread of processed food consumption in rural and urban areas, among the rich and poor, is driven mainly by opportunity costs of the time of women and men, and thus the pursuit of saving home‐processing and cooking time, as well as food environment factors. As these drivers are long term trends this suggests processed food consumption will continue to grow.
Endometriosis and other causes of pelvic pain in perspective
Authors: Abbott Jason A.
Published: July 2021

Assuming we know the perfect management for endometriosis or pelvic pain is folly, but we should be celebrating our successes, not abandoning everything that we currently know.
Perception of economic inequality weakens Americans’ beliefs in both upward and downward socioeconomic mobility
Authors: Browman Alexander S. , Destin Mesmin , Miele David B.
Published: July 2021

The prospect of socioeconomic mobility has long been a prominent concept in American life; however, research has shown that economic inequality can weaken Americans’ beliefs in the prospect of upward mobility for poorer individuals in their country. In one correlational study, two experimental studies, and an internal meta‐analysis, we extend this work by demonstrating that Americans’ perceptions of inequality can also influence their beliefs about another form of mobility that is necessary in a truly mobile society: downward mobility for richer individuals. Specifically, we found that the more that Americans’ perceptions of inequality in their country shifted toward extreme levels—toward the view that a small minority of the population holds a much greater proportion of the state’s wealth than all other groups combined—the more likely they were to believe that both upward and downward mobility were unlikely. That is, they believed that social class groups in their country were largely ossified and impermeable, and thus that Americans were unlikely to move out of the groups they were born into. We discuss the potential implications of these findings for important motivational and behavioural outcomes.
Dynamic evolvement of the de Winter ECG pattern
Authors: Wang Jian , Diao ShuLing , Ma Baoxin
Published: July 2021

The de Winter electrocardiograph (ECG) pattern in patients with chest pain is associated with occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery. These patterns were once considered stable conditions, without dynamic evolution of ECG. Recently, several case reports have indicated that this ECG pattern may evolve into ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or may follow the ECG manifestations of STEMI. However, our case report reveals a dynamic evolution from the de Winter pattern to STEMI and then to a normal ECG pattern.
The Third Figure: The Creation of Intersubjectivity in Ethnographic Drawing
Authors: Kashanipour Jasamin
Published: July 2021

In this article, I discuss ethnographic drawing by differentiating between the practice of drawing people and that of drawing objects. Unlike drawing architecture, landscapes, or cities, drawing people is not only a practice of seeing but also of being seen. I follow the epistemological question of what happens at the core of drawing people ethnographically by considering the perspective of the person drawn. I introduce the notion of the “third figure,” which emerges from the anthropological study of the self and the other through drawing. The third figure is a distinctive state of mutual consciousness that incorporates the material and the intersubjective and immaterial dimension of the drawing process into ethnography.
A value of soluble Toll‐like receptor 2 and 4 in vaginally obtained amniotic fluid for the prediction of histological chorioamnionitis
Authors: Balciuniene Greta , Gulbiniene Violeta , Kvederaite‐Budre Greta , Dumalakiene Irena , Viliene Rita , Pilypiene Ingrida , Drasutiene Grazina S. , Ramasauskaite Diana
Published: July 2021

Introduction

This study was conducted to evaluate soluble Toll‐like receptor 2 (sTLR‐2) and soluble Toll‐like receptor 4 (sTLR‐4) levels in vaginally obtained amniotic fluid and investigate their value in the prediction of histological chorioamnionitis (HCA).

Material and methods

This prospective case–control study included patients who had been diagnosed with preterm premature rupture of membranes before 34 weeks of gestation and were admitted to Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. Free leaking amniotic fluid was obtained vaginally using a sterile speculum up to 48 h before delivery. Amniotic fluid levels of sTLR‐2 and sTLR‐4 were determined using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The diagnosis of chorioamnionitis was confirmed by histological examination of the placenta and membranes after delivery.

Results

The study included 156 patients, 65 with (HCA Group) and 91 without (non‐HCA Group) HCA. No statistically significant differences were noted in the concentrations of sTLR‐2 and sTLR‐4 in vaginally obtained amniotic fluid between patients with and without HCA: the median sTLR‐2 level was 0.09 ng/mL in the HCA Group vs 0.1 ng/mL in non‐HCA Group, and the median sTLR‐4 level was 0.23 ng/mL in the HCA Group vs 0.28 ng/mL in non‐HCA Group (p > 0.05). A positive correlation between sTLR‐2 and sTLR‐4 levels was identified (ρ = 0.57, p < 0.001), but no correlation was found between these markers and gestational age.

Conclusions

Concentrations of sTLR‐2 and sTLR‐4 in vaginally obtained amniotic fluid do not reflect the presence of HCA in pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes before 34 weeks of gestation.
Second trimester induced abortions due to fetal anomalies—a population‐based study of diagnoses, examinations and clinical management
Authors: Edling Agnes , Lindström Linda , Bergman Eva
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Two‐thirds of induced abortions after gestational week (gw) 18 are performed due to fetal anomalies. The potential of the fetus to survive outside the uterus after birth is the upper limit for induced abortions in Sweden. Due to advances in neonatal medicine, fetal viability and the upper limit of late induced abortions have been converging over the last few decades. The aim of the study was to examine clinical management of fetal anomalies, including time frames, leading to second trimester abortions.

Material and methods

All induced abortions due to fetal anomalies after gw 11+6 in Uppsala county, Sweden, from 2010 to 2017, were reviewed from electronic medical records in a retrospective descriptive study. In total, 180 women underwent 185 abortions divided into 107 (57.8%) in an early group (gw 12+0 to 18+0), and 78 (42.2%) in a late group (≥ gw 18+1). Examinations performed were genetic testing, fetal echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pediatric counseling. Time frames from suspicion of fetal anomaly to abortion were reviewed.

Results

Anomalies were subdivided into groups of diagnosis: chromosomal (n = 104), central nervous system (n = 22), heart (n = 12), urinary tract (n = 10) and others (n = 37). Chromosomal anomaly was present in 82 (76.6%) in the early group and 22 (28.2%) in the late group. In the early group, examinations performed preceding a conclusive diagnosis were mainly QF‐PCR for trisomies (n = 97), microarray (n = 13), and genetic counseling (n = 14). In the late group, trisomy test was performed in 68, microarray in 31, MRI in 24, fetal echocardiography in 28, and pediatric or genetic counseling in 43 and six cases, respectively.

Mean time interval from suspicion of fetal anomaly to the woman’s decision was 5 days before gw 18+1, 7 days in gw 18, and 13 days in gw 21. More than two examinations before reaching the decision to terminate the pregnancy were needed in two abortions (25.0%) in gw 18, increasing to 16 (80.0%) in gw 21.

Conclusions

Increasing complexity and diversity in fetal diagnoses require time‐consuming examinations in late‐induced abortions compared with earlier gestational weeks. A structured expedient process is necessary to allow for decision time and minimize terminations approaching the legal limit.
Progress and prospects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedical applications: A review
Authors: Elahi Narges , Rizwan Muhammad
Published: July 2021

Nanoscience has been considered as one of the most substantial research in modern science. The utilization of nanoparticle (NP) materials provides numerous advantages in biomedical applications due to their unique properties. Among various types of nanoparticles, the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of iron oxide possess intrinsic features, which have been efficiently exploited for biomedical purposes including drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging, Magnetic‐activated cell sorting, nanobiosensors, hyperthermia, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The size and shape of nanostructures are the main factors affecting the physicochemical features of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, which play an important role in the improvement of MNP properties, and can be controlled by appropriate synthesis strategies. On the other hand, the proper modification and functionalization of the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles have significant effects on the improvement of physicochemical and mechanical features, biocompatibility, stability, and surface activity of MNPs. This review focuses on popular methods of fabrication, beneficial surface coatings with regard to the main required features for their biomedical use, as well as new applications.
Parental substance and alcohol abuse: Two ethical frameworks to assess whether and how intervention is appropriate
Authors: Snoek Anke , Horstkötter Dorothee
Published: July 2021

Ethical frameworks can support professionals’ decision‐making. Here, we identify two ethical frameworks to analyse the best support for families that struggle with parental substance or alcohol abuse. The first framework, which we call ‘the framework of conflicting interests’, is most prominent in the literature. Here, the interests of parents and children are weighed against each other using the medical ethical principles of respect for autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non‐maleficence. The second framework is most prominent in a series of interviews we conducted with alcohol‐dependent parents and professionals working in addiction care and youth care. This framework aligns more with an ethics of care, and starts with the assumption that the interests of people who are close to each other are often intertwined. This framework does not so much look at conflicting interests, but at relationships and vulnerability. We label this the ethics of care framework. In this article, we show the value of both frameworks and how they can support ethical decision‐making.
Truthfulness and the person living with dementia: Embedded intentions, speech acts and conforming to the reality
Authors: Hughes Julian C.
Published: July 2021

Highly reputable bodies have said that lying is to be avoided when speaking with people living with dementia, unless it cannot be. And yet, the evidence is that many professionals looking after people who live with dementia have been lying to them. I wish to consider an underlying philosophical justification for the moral position that allows lying under some circumstances whilst still condemning it generally. It can seem difficult to ignore the immorality of lying, but thinkers have developed arguments to get around the absolute prohibition. I shall argue that in concrete circumstances the object and the intended end of an action are not as clearly distinct as has been presumed. Further, looking at how language functions allows us to appeal to speech acts and to see the illocutionary force of a statement as way to broaden its purview. We need not think that the only options are between lying and not lying; there is also the possibility, in exigent circumstances, of ‘conforming to the reality’, which would allow a more nuanced account of moral acts, where the intentional nature of the act is no longer to lie. There are, thus, extreme concrete circumstances where not to speak the truth may be excusable, even if regrettable.
Decoding and comprehension skills mediate the link between a small‐group reading programme and English national literacy assessments
Authors: Vousden Janet I. , Cunningham Anna J. , Johnson Helen , Waldron Sam , Ammi Sabrina , Pillinger Claire , Savage Robert , Wood Clare
Published: July 2021

Background

Despite the fact that literacy instruction is a main focus of primary education, many children struggle to meet nationally set standards.

Aims

We aimed to test which components of a comprehensive reading programme (ABRACADABRA: https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1186%2FISRCTN18254678&data=04%7C01%7Cjanet.vousden%40ntu.ac.uk%7C880280e0b00749df855308d94068a0bb%7C8acbc2c5c8ed42c78169ba438a0dbe2f%7C1%7C0%7C637611640381216902%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=%2B4U9sGfofkyCPEY7lWz8n3TPoMOAeJMXyFwdhW6EpUw%3D&reserved=0) mediated the effect of the programme on nationally assessed literacy outcomes.

Sample

Following blind allocation, 516 Year 1 pupils from 40 schools were randomized to the programme group, and 908 Year 1 pupils, to a control condition.

Methods

Pupils in the programme completed 20 weeks of instruction in grapheme/phoneme knowledge, decoding, and comprehension. Control children received regular classroom instruction.

Results

Children in the programme group were significantly better at these taught skills after the programme finished (effect sizes: grapheme/phoneme knowledge, β = .33, 95% CI [0.09–0.57]; decoding, β = .26, 95% CI [0.09–0.43]; and comprehension, β = .26, 95% CI [0.05–0.47]). Improvements in the programme group’s decoding and comprehension skills fully mediated the improvements in national literacy assessments serving as a delayed post‐test 12 months after the programme. Programme group pupils were 2.3 (95% CI [1.4–4.1]) times more likely to achieve/exceed the expected standard in reading, and 1.8 (95% CI [1.2–2.6]) times more likely to achieve/exceed the expected standard in writing due to an increase in the trained skills.

Conclusions

These results provide strong evidence that a programme that incorporates decoding and comprehension instruction for typically developing beginning readers improves distal educational outcomes in reading and writing through increasing proficiencies targeted by the reading programme.
“Everyone has a story to tell”: A review of life stories in learning disability research and practice
Authors: Ledger Sue , McCormack Noelle , Walmsley Jan , Tilley Elizabeth , Davies Ian
Published: July 2021

Accessible summary

This paper considers what we know about the life stories of people with learning disabilities.

It was inspired by one of the authors sharing his own life story.

It explores what a life story is.

It discusses how life stories help us to understand more about people's lives and history

It reviews what we know about how people with learning disabilities can record their stories, including people with high support needs

We know life stories can help people to get good support and person‐centred care

But we found that people's stories are often lost when there are big changes in their lives

We found that staff may not have the skills or confidence to support people to tell and record their stories

We think it is important to find out how life stories can be used to support better care for more people.

​

In this paper, the authors review life stories in learning disability research and practice since the 1960s. Although there is consistent evidence of their value in giving people a voice and an identity beyond the service label, they are not widely used in the provision of health and social care. This is despite long‐standing policy commitments to person‐centred practice. The paper explores possible barriers to the use of life story work and what further research is needed if they are to be more widely and effectively used in practice.
Sound and Vision: Reflections on running a community‐based group for men with learning disabilities online, during the pandemic
Authors: Moloney Paul , Dobel‐Ober David , Millichap Sarah
Published: July 2021

Accessible summary

To feel safe and to keep well, all of us need to stay in touch with our friends—most of all in the pandemic, and even more if we have a disability.

In these times of COVID‐19, we have kept a community group for men with learning disabilities going online.

In the gaps between lockdowns, we have met in a mixed online and face‐to‐face group—with the face‐to‐face part happening in a library.

The men say that they have been helped by both kinds of meeting, but that they liked the mixed or “hybrid” one the best.

This article shows what we have learned from running the group in these ways, and it gives advice for anyone who might want to have a go themselves.

Background

Social contact and belonging are among the most important keys to health and wellbeing, especially for the most vulnerable during the current global pandemic.

Method

This reflective paper describes the authors' efforts to sustain an online version of a well‐established community psychology‐oriented group for men with learning disabilities, in challenging times. Drawing upon the learning disability literature and upon theories from community and embodied‐dialogical psychology, it explores the most salient shared issues, our joint efforts to address them and possible implications for future clinical practice.

Findings

To take advantage of the discovered benefits of online working, we envisage that, post‐lockdown, the group will continue to meet in a “hybrid” (combined face‐to‐face and online form) as described herein: and with some pointers for anyone who might wish to create a similar group.
Spatial location of new foreign firms in Shanghai under the transformation of urban development
Authors: Li Kai , Zhang Yunzhi , Wang Wensi , Jiang Yonglei , Zhang Hexin
Published: July 2021

With the continuous development of Shanghai, urban construction has changed the geographical location choices of foreign enterprises. This paper uses spatial econometric methods to analyze the preferences of foreign companies when choosing addresses by considering location factors and aggregation factors. The results show that Shanghai's newly introduced foreign‐funded enterprises are mainly concentrated in six industries, including wholesale and retail, manufacturing, leasing, and commercial services, and the geographic spatial distribution of new foreign enterprises in Shanghai shows “central concentration and peripheral dispersion.” There is an obvious inverted U‐shaped pattern in this phenomenon. Among the location factors, distance from the airport is an important factor that affects the location choice of enterprises. In addition, agglomeration factors have different effects on the location models of new enterprises in six industries.
Validation of the Chinese version of the Short‐Form Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD) scale
Authors: Liu Hong‐Zhi , Lyu Xiaokang , Liu Ying , Han Zhenming , Ye Jingjing
Published: July 2021

Objectives

As an important part of health literacy, oral health literacy has been adapted to dental practice and research. The 14‐item short version of the Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD) scale demonstrated excellent reliability, validity and precision when tested among English‐speaking populations. However, an appropriate and reliable assessment of this scale in other language contexts remains lacking. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of HeLD (HeLD‐C) for the Chinese population must therefore be examined.

Methods

The short version of HeLD was translated into Chinese, and one item was deleted because of its unsuitability for the Chinese healthcare system. The psychometric properties of HeLD‐C were evaluated in a sample of 404 Chinese participants aged from 19 to 72 years. The item selection analyses were performed by comparing the difference of each item between the high‐ and low‐score groups. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory structural equation modelling. For the criterion validity, correlations between the HeLD‐C and the criterion validity scales, including the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), oral hygiene maintenance habits, and oral health status were tested using Pearson's correlation.

Results

Results of item selection reveal significant differences among all items between the high‐ and low‐score groups (Ps < .001). The internal consistency reliability of HeLD‐C was measured using Cronbach's α (0.92), whereas its construct validity was measured using χ2[df] (3.30), comparative fit index (0.95), Tucker–Lewis index (0.94), root mean square error of approximation (0.08), and standardized root mean square residual (0.05). The criterion validity analyses show that HeLD‐C is correlated with the criterion validity scales, including eHEALS, oral hygiene maintenance habits and oral health status (Ps < .001).

Conclusions

Chinese version of HeLD is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the oral health literacy of the Chinese adult population.
SupPoRtive Exercise Programmes for Accelerating REcovery after major ABdominal Cancer surgery trial (PREPARE‐ABC): Study protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial
Authors:   the PREPARE‐ABC Trial Collaborative
Published: July 2021

Background

Exercise programmes can increase cardiopulmonary reserve and functional capacity prior to surgery and can improve clinical, functional and survival outcomes after a colorectal cancer diagnosis. However, the impact of pre‐ and postoperative exercise on postoperative recovery outcomes and longer‐term health‐related quality of life are unknown; thus, there is a need for high‐quality randomized controlled trials.

Method

SupPoRtive Exercise Programmes for Accelerating REcovery after major Abdominal Cancer surgery (PREPARE‐ABC) is a three‐arm multicentre randomized controlled trial with internal pilot. The primary objective is to assess the effects of pre‐ and postoperative exercise on surgical outcomes and longer‐term health‐related quality of life in cancer patients undergoing colorectal resection. The aim of PREPARE‐ABC is to randomize 1146 patients at the individual level (1:1:1) to hospital‐supervised exercise, home‐supported exercise or treatment as usual. The primary outcomes are short‐term (30‐day) morbidity, assessed using the Clavien–Dindo classification, and longer‐term health‐related quality of life, assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Health Questionnaire (36‐item Short‐Form Survey [SF‐36]). Secondary outcomes include cardiopulmonary fitness, physical activity behaviour change, psychological health status and cost‐effectiveness. A process evaluation of intervention delivery and usual care also will be undertaken.

Discussion

This is the first UK‐based definitive randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of pre‐ and postoperative exercise on short‐term postoperative health outcomes and longer‐term health‐related quality of life in colorectal cancer patients. The trial will yield robust clinical and cost‐effectiveness data to underpin clinical guidance on how exercise programmes should be implemented in the routine management of patients undergoing major colorectal cancer surgery.
Cytology of a subcutaneous nodule on hand: A rare case
Authors: Panigrahi Chinmayee , Mishra Tushar Subhadarshan , Adhya Amit Kumar
Published: July 2021

The article depicts the cytological features of a rare skin nodule along with its histopathological and immunohistochemical correlation.