bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticardiolipin Positivity Is Highly Associated With Intrauterine Growth Restriction in Women With Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Authors: Xi Fangfang , Cai Yuliang , Lv Min , Jiang Ying , Zhou Feifei , Chen Yuan , Jiang Lin , Luo Qiong
Published: December 2020

The purpose of our study was to evaluate pregnancy outcomes of women with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) positivity and assess risk factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant women with aPL positivity were enrolled prospectively in China from January 2017 to March 2020. Treatment of low-dose aspirin and low molecular weight heparin were given. Pregnancy outcomes and coagulation function were recorded and compared with normal pregnancies. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors associated to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). 270 pregnant women, including 44 diagnosed as Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), 91 as non-criteria APS (NCAPS) and 135 normal cases as control, were enrolled in the study. The live birth rate in aPL carriers and APS group was 97% and 95.5%, respectively. Adverse pregnancy outcomes did not show significant difference between aPL carriers and normal pregnancies, and between APS and NCAPS, except for IUGR. The incidence of IUGR was significantly higher in aPL carriers than normal pregnancies, and in APS patients than NCAPS (P < 0.05). After controlling for age, in vitro fertilization (IVF), pregnancy losses related to APS and treatment, anticardiolipin (aCL) positivity was the only variable significantly associated with IUGR, with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.601 (95% CI, 1.205-17.573). Better pregnant outcomes of aPL positive women, include APS and NCAPS, were achieved in our study with treatment based on low-dose aspirin (LDA) plus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). The incidence of IUGR was still higher in them, and aCL positivity was the only one risk factor associated with IUGR.
The Makings of a Historian
Authors: Yoo Joanne
Published: December 2020

Academics find themselves living in historical times with the COVID-19 pandemic. To record recent happenings is to write a historical account about how higher education has ridden the pandemic’s wave. It is to perceive and to adjust to a rapidly changing landscape as one who knows and sees by learning through inquiry, as well as to reflexively shape the course of history.
Late-onset double-seronegative myasthenia gravis syndrome and myasthenic crisis due to nivolumab use for Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Authors: Dang Thai , Macwan Samir , Dasanu Constantin A
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Insofar, use of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors in oncology has been linked with several immune-mediated neurologic effects. However, grade 3 to 4 adverse events such as myasthenic crisis have been vanishingly rare. Case presentation: We present herein a unique patient with Hodgkin lymphoma who developed late-onset double-seronegative myasthenia gravis syndrome followed by myasthenic crisis after 16 weeks of therapy with nivolumab. One day prior to this event, she developed ptosis, diplopia, bulbar symptoms of dysphagia, dysarthria, orthopnea as well as extremity weakness. She required intubation, mechanical ventilation, plasmapheresis and steroid therapy. Management and outcome: She gradually achieved a near-complete resolution of neurologic symptoms over the next several weeks. On a follow-up visit eight weeks later, she only has some residual diplopia. Restaging scans showed a continued decrease in size of the mediastinal mass, without abnormal uptake. She remains on prednisone 10 mg orally daily.

Discussion

Prompt recognition of this rare phenomenon, immediate discontinuation of checkpoint inhibitor therapy and subsequent management with immunosuppressive therapy are necessary steps in order to minimize the considerable rates of morbidity and mortality.
Accurate determination of glomerular filtration rate in adults for carboplatin dosing: Moving beyond Cockcroft and Gault
Authors: Tsang Corey , Akbari Ayub , Frechette Dominque , Brown Pierre Antoine
Published: December 2020

Objective

Carboplatin is a cytotoxic chemotherapy drug developed in the 1980s which is still widely used today across various tumour types. Despite its common application, there remains a significant controversy and practice variation on its unique method of dosing by area under the curve (AUC). One potential reason for this variability stems from the reliance of using an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as an extrapolation of the measured GFR (mGFR) which the commonly used Calvert equation was originally validated for. This review takes a novel and collaborative nephro-oncology approach to highlight the historical evolution of carboplatin dosing, methods for estimating GFR and its relative performance in the application of carboplatin dosing for adult patients.

Data sources

We reviewed all pertinent publications comparing carboplatin AUC-based dosing in adult patients based on the various methods of GFR measurements or estimations in order to provide a comprehensive description of each method’s advantages and risks.

Data summary and conclusions

The Cockcroft-Gault equation has been widely studied but newer eGFR equations, such as the CKD-Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) or Janowitz-Williams equation have outperformed the Cockcroft-Gault in recent studies.
Nursing Leadership Roles and Its Influence on the Millennial Psychiatric Nurses’ Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave
Authors: Perkins Rhanee T. , Bamgbade Sarah , Bourdeanu Laura
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND:

There is an increasing need for millennial psychiatric nurses in health care. Nurses’ levels of satisfaction with their manager’s leadership styles are critical to their remaining in the profession.

AIM:

To explore the relationship between the roles of nursing leadership and their influence on the millennial psychiatric nurse’s level of job satisfaction and intent to leave.

METHOD:

Eighty-three psychiatric registered nurses between the ages of 22 and 37 with 6 months or more experience completed a Managerial Skills and Job Satisfaction Survey questionnaire.

RESULTS:

The millennial psychiatric nurse who perceived their managers to display the roles in being a mentor ( M = 24.95, SD = 2.81), director ( M = 23.08, SD = 2.55), and monitor ( M = 22.71, SD = 2.51) had higher job satisfaction and would be less likely to leave the specialty, current position, and organization.

CONCLUSION:

The study revealed that nursing leaders need to focus on strengthening the monitor and mentor roles and work on changing from having a coordinator role to the director role.
A hole of irregular shape interacting with a non-parabolic open inhomogeneity with internal uniform anti-plane stresses
Authors: Wang Xu , Yang Ping , Schiavone Peter
Published: December 2020

We use conformal mapping techniques together with analytic continuation to show that a non-parabolic open elastic inhomogeneity continues to admit a state of uniform internal stress when a hole with closed curvilinear traction-free boundary is placed in its vicinity and the surrounding matrix is subjected to uniform remote anti-plane stresses. The internal uniform stress field inside the inhomogeneity is found to be independent of the existence of the nearby hole and the specific non-parabolic shape of the inhomogeneity. In contrast, the non-parabolic shape of the inhomogeneity is influenced solely by the existence of the nearby hole.
Upscaling and spatial localization of non-local energies with applications to crystal plasticity
Authors: Matias José , Morandotti Marco , Owen David R. , Zappale Elvira
Published: December 2020

We describe multiscale geometrical changes via structured deformations [Formula: see text] and the non-local energetic response at a point x via a function [Formula: see text] of the weighted averages of the jumps [Formula: see text] of microlevel deformations [Formula: see text] at points y within a distance r of x. The deformations [Formula: see text] are chosen so that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We provide conditions on [Formula: see text] under which the upscaling “[Formula: see text]” results in a macroscale energy that depends through [Formula: see text] on (1) the jumps [Formula: see text] of g and the “disarrangement field”[Formula: see text], (2) the “horizon” r, and (3) the weighting function [Formula: see text] for microlevel averaging of [Formula: see text]. We also study the upscaling “[Formula: see text]” followed by spatial localization “[Formula: see text]” and show that this succession of processes results in a purely local macroscale energy [Formula: see text] that depends through [Formula: see text] upon the jumps [Formula: see text] of g and the “disarrangement field”[Formula: see text] alone. In special settings, such macroscale energies [Formula: see text] have been shown to support the phenomena of yielding and hysteresis, and our results provide a broader setting for studying such yielding and hysteresis. As an illustration, we apply our results in the context of the plasticity of single crystals.
Opting Out of Transit: How Does Strong Local Autonomy Impact Allocation of Transit Service in a Multi-Jurisdictional Transit Agency? A Historical Case Study Analysis
Authors: Weinreich David , Bonakdar Ahmad
Published: December 2020

This study examines how the voluntary nature of local membership in transportation agencies can impact resource allocation, drawing on details from a major US transit agency in a state that lets cities opt in or out of transit agency membership. This study finds significant correlation between local opt-outs and transit service using national data. This study examines the impact opt-outs have on transit resource allocation and decision making over time, their effect on transit service over decades, and equity implications, using historical case study analysis from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system (DART). This study concludes that authorizing legislation allowing local jurisdictions to opt out of transit districts weakens planning capacity, creates a structure making it difficult to allocate scarce transit dollars based on transit need and social equity goals, instead favoring allocation based on satisfying each municipality.
Protease activated receptor 2 and matriptase expression in the joints of cats with and without osteoarthritis
Authors: Ariffin Siti M Zainal , Bennett David , Ferrell William R , Lockhart John C , Dunning Lynette , Clements Dylan N , Lascelles B Duncan X , Ibrahim Tengku A Tengku , Johnston Pamela
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and matriptase proteins and quantify PAR2 and matriptase mRNA expression in the articular cartilage and synovial membrane of cats with and without osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

A total of 28 articular cartilage samples from adult cats (14 OA and 14 normal), 10 synovial membranes from adult cats (five OA and five normal) and three cartilage samples from 9-week-old fetal cats were used. The presence of PAR2 and matriptase in the cartilage and synovial membrane of the adult samples was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, while real-time PCR was used for mRNA expression analyses in all samples.

Results

PAR2 was detected in all OA and normal articular cartilage and synovial membrane samples but confined to only a few superficial chondrocytes in the normal samples. Matriptase was only detected in OA articular cartilage and synovial membrane samples. PAR2 and matriptase mRNA expression were, however, detected in all cartilage and synovial membrane samples. PAR2 and matriptase mRNA expression levels in OA articular cartilage were five ( P <0.001) and 3.3 ( P <0.001) times higher than that of the healthy group, respectively. There was no significant difference ( P = 0.05) in the OA synovial membrane PAR2 and matriptase mRNA expression compared with the normal samples.

Conclusions and relevance

Detection of PAR2 and matriptase proteins and gene expression in feline articular tissues is a novel and important finding, and supports the hypothesis that serine proteases are involved in the pathogenesis of feline OA. The consistent presence of PAR2 and matriptase protein in the cytoplasm of OA chondrocytes suggests a possible involvement of proteases in cartilage degradation. Further investigations into the PAR2 and matriptase pathobiology could enhance our understanding of the proteolytic cascades in feline OA, which might lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
Isolated retro-orbital granulocytic sarcoma relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a case report
Authors: Sun Xiaona , Rong Xin , Nie Hongping , Yan Xiaoming
Published: December 2020

Background:

Granulocytic sarcoma (GS) is rare as an isolated presentation of relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), particularly in adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). We report here the case of a 37-year-old man who developed a GS of the retro-orbital as an isolated manifestation of AML relapse 27 months after allo-HSCT.

Case report:

A 37-year-old man was diagnosed with AML and subsequently received allo-HSCT after clinical chemical remission. The patient suddenly presented with painless exophthalmos of the left eye twenty-seven months after allo-HSCT. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed left retro-orbital masses. Histopathology revealed diffused infiltration of leukemic blasts. Further systemic investigation showed no leukemic involvement of his other organs. Isolated retro-orbital relapse of AML was diagnosed. Despite treatment using retro-orbital irradiation, the patient died 6 months after presentation.

Conclusion:

Our patient had a poor survival prognosis, even with timely diagnosis and proper treatment. Although the ophthalmologist has a secondary role in the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia, a prompt recognition of the ocular manifestations and their significance as a sign of possible extramedullary lesion is crucial.
i-kiyohkātoyāhk (we visit): adapting nēhiyawēwin/nīhithawīwin (Cree) language learning to the COVID-19 reality
Authors: McIvor Onowa , Sterzuk Andrea , Cook William
Published: December 2020

i-kiyohkātoyāhk (we visit) is a phrase which describes our experience of trying to recreate an online version of our way of life, being together in the language. The following report is our view of the ways nēhiyawēwin/nīhithawīwin (Cree) language learning has adapted to the COVID-19 reality since March 2020. Our hope is that by sharing the experience most familiar to us, the one we are living as learners and speaker-teacher, we offer a useful perspective and potential solutions or directions for others.
Māori and Tauiwi nurses’ perspectives of anti-racism praxis: findings from a qualitative pilot study
Authors: Kidd Jacquie , Came Heather , Herbert Sarah , McCreanor Tim
Published: December 2020

This pilot study explored Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa (New Zealand)) and Tauiwi (non-Māori) nurses’ perspectives of anti-racism. A critical qualitative design was utilised, informed by kaupapa Māori (Māori philosophical approaches). Senior nurses with more than 7 years experience were recruited for focus groups. Two focus groups, one Māori ( n = 5) and one Tauiwi ( n = 4), were conducted September 2019 in Auckland. Data were analysed using the framework of a continuum of praxis which included themes of (a) problematic or racist, (b) variable and (c) proactive or anti-racism. Problematic praxis included examples of racism and White fragility. Variable praxis included Māori language and commitment to professional development. Proactive praxis included Māori workforce and reflexivity. These overarching themes illustrate a broad spectrum of anti-racism praxis within nursing. This continuum illustrated with examples is a potentially useful tool to assess and build proactive anti-racism praxis in nursing.
Temporal Variations and Potential Source Areas of Fine Particulate Matter in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Kanchanasuta Suwimon , Sooktawee Sirapong , Patpai Aduldech , Vatanasomboon Pisit
Published: December 2020

Particulate matter (PM) less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) issue is 1 of the important targets of concern by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Bangkok is a megacity and facing air pollution problems. This study analyzed PM, PM2.5 and PM less than 10 micron (PM10), monitoring data from stations located in Bangkok, and aimed to present their variations in diurnal, weekly, and intra-annual timescales. High PM concentrations are related to calm wind. The diurnal variation of PM2.5/PM10 suggested a greater accumulation of PM2.5 than PMcoarse during the low wind speed. Potential source areas affecting PM rising at each monitoring station were identified using statistical technique, bivariate polar plot, and conditional bivariate probability function. Results showed that Ratchathewi District Monitoring Station identified 3 potential source areas related to emissions from transportation sources creating rising PM concentrations. The first potential source was located in the northwest direction, namely, the Rama VI Road close to the conjunction with Ratchawithi Road. The second potential source area was located around the cross-section between Phaya Thai Road and Rama I Road, while the third was located at the intersection of the Phaya Thai Road to Yothi Street and Rang Nam Road. These potential source areas constitute useful information for managing and reducing PM.
Patients’ Views on the Implementation Potential of a Stratified Treatment Approach for Low Back Pain in Germany: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Karstens Sven , Lang Sarah , Saunders Benjamin
Published: December 2020

Stratified care for low back pain (LBP) has been shown to be clinically- and cost-effective in the UK, but its transferability to the German healthcare system is unknown. This study explores LBP patients’ perspectives regarding future implementation of stratified care, through in-depth interviews (n = 12). The STarT-Back-Tool was completed by participants prior to interviews. Interview data were analysed using Grounded Theory. The overarching theme identified from the data was ‘treatment-success’, with subthemes of ‘assessment and treatment planning’, ‘acceptance of the questionnaire’ and ‘contextual factors’. Patients identified the underlying cause of pain as being of great importance (whereas STarT-Back allocates treatment based on prognosis). The integration of the STarT-Back-Tool in consultations was considered helpful as long as it does not disrupt the therapeutic relationship, and was acceptable if tool results are handled confidentially. Results indicate that for patients to find STarT-Back acceptable, the shift from a focus on identifying a cause of pain and subsequent diagnosis, to prediction-orientated treatment planning, must be made clear. Patient ‘buy in’ is important for successful uptake of clinical interventions, and findings can help to inform future strategies for implementing STarT-Back in the Germany, as well as having potential implications for transferability to other similar healthcare systems.
The Link Between Difficulty in Accessing Health Care and Health Status in a Canadian Context
Authors: Garrod Matthew , Vafaei Afshin , Martin Lynn
Published: December 2020

Much of the Canadian population reports some level of difficulty in accessing health care services. Despite being a recognized determinant of health, the relationship between access to health care and overall health has not been examined extensively. This study is an analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey 2016 database. A composite score for difficulty in accessing health care was constructed based on several survey questions. Self-rated health (SRH), the measure of general health status, was compared between individuals with and without difficulty in accessing health care services by estimating prevalence rate ratios adjusting for age, sex, education, income, urban/rural status, race, and Indigenous status. After adjustment for pertinent confounders, difficulty in accessing health care was not statistically significantly associated with SRH. However, in stratified models, difficulty accessing health care was associated with a 12% lower probability of reporting good SRH among non-white individuals. Test of interactions for other social determinants was not significant. For racial minorities, inequalities in access to health care are associated with lower self-rated health. Further research to investigate causes underlying difficulties in accessing health care could lead to public health programs ensuring all Canadians receive equal health care services.
SARS-CoV-2 and Anti-Cardiolipin Antibodies
Authors: Jizzini Mazen , Shah Mohsin , Zhou Kehua
Published: December 2020

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to distinct diagnostic and management challenges for front-line healthcare workers. The risk of excessive coagulation activation leading to a cascade of thrombotic events in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 is now well reported. We discuss a recent case of COVID-19 with concurrent acute pulmonary embolism and a positive cardiolipin antibody (IgM). The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies is key to diagnosing antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). However, their presence can be transient or persistent after viral infections. Serial inflammatory markers in conjunction with anti-phospholipid antibody testing is critical for the diagnosis of APS in this emerging patient population. Our case report reviews details suggestive of APS in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 and aims to provide clinical diagnostic clues that could help warrant further workup and assist with management strategies.
Effects on Mental Health After the COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Results From a Population Survey Study in Lima, Peru
Authors: Krüger-Malpartida Hever , Pedraz-Petrozzi Bruno , Arevalo-Flores Martin , Samalvides-Cuba Frine , Anculle-Arauco Victor , Dancuart-Mendoza Mauricio
Published: December 2020

Background:

COVID-19 has created a rapid onset health crisis severely affecting different countries, such as Peru. This pandemic also involved social changes, such as the COVID-19 lockdown, which has had negative effects on different aspects of peoples’ mental health. For this reason, the main objective of this work is to establish a model that explains the effects of the COVID-19-lockdown period on the mental health of a population sample in Peru.

Methods:

In this sense, online questionnaires were carried out using the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CPDI in 400 participants. To better explain the data, an ordinal logistic regression was carried out.

Results:

The model showed that the severity of stress due to COVID-19 is positively associated with the variables age (OR = 1.02; CI95 [1.01; 1.04]), depression (OR = 1.29; CI95 [1.14; 1.31]) and anxiety (OR = 1.49; CI95 [1.35; 1.66]), as well as with the presence of a deceased relative due to COVID-19 (OR = 3.53; CI95 [1.43; 8.82]). On the contrary, the presence of a family member who was hospitalized for COVID-19 is negatively correlated with COVID-19 related stress (OR = 0.30; CI95 [0.13; 0.69]).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, elderly people, having high levels of anxiety or depression, as well as having a deceased relative due to COVID-19 show higher levels of COVID-19 related stress. These factors play an important role in the intervention of future studies that plan to intervene in the mental health of the population affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Culture of death in Mexico: Psychoanalytic inquiry about mourning rites and the symbolic function of society
Authors: Soria-Escalante Hada , De la Fuente-Herrera Juan Jaime
Published: December 2020

Mexico stands out for its unique rites of symbolization of death. Being historically determined by the richness of its pre-Hispanic cultures, and with the fusion of catholic and Mesoamerican rites, Mexicans’ relationship with death is unique. Mourning rites are imbued with a circular worldview of life and death. Some of the basic psychoanalytic components of mourning are present in Mexican mourning rites: symbolic function, cathartic affects, identification, and socialization of signifiers. Nowadays, the massive deaths as a result of violence imposes the encryption of mourning as a perverse demand. The lack of response to the cries for help render useless the symbolic functions of mourning rites, which brings about a new way of socializing the loss, through massive social movements. We inquire, through a psychoanalytic reading of mourning and its socio-historical aspects in Mexico, and by emphasizing the traditions of mourning and its multiple symbolic values, the different ways Mexicans deal with death, in order shed some light into Mexicans’ symbolic responses and relationship with death while facing the perverse challenge of a violent regime.
Staying in, rocking out: Online live music portal shows during the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Rendell James
Published: December 2020

The 2020 Covid-19 global pandemic has greatly impacted societies around the world, where governmental strategies to curb and control the outbreak have resulted in citizens being unable to attend public businesses and spaces. For musicians who rely on touring as a dominant part of their income, the pandemic has had a hugely negative effect on their finances since they can no longer play face-to-face shows. However, a number of artists have turned to digital media to remedy this, performing online to audiences via Web 2.0 platforms. To better understand this cultural phenomenon, the article introduces the concept of portal shows that employ a converge between traditional live gigs, screen media and new media technologies. Analysing the textual, affective, performative and economic dynamics of portal shows, the article examines three differing case studies: Code Orange’s album release show on Twitch.TV, Beach Slang’s acoustic performance on StageIt and Delta Sleep’s in-store show on Instagram. In doing so, the article argues portal shows offer novel and nuanced ways artists and audiences can engage with one another through spatial convergence afforded by video streaming technologies and digital interfaces. Such live events also offer just-in-time fan engagement but does so within a digital transcultural remit, aiding the support of virtual scenes. As a result, the article expands on what is considered pandemic media and subsequent audience affective registers and enriches the study of the music industry’s engagement with digital media and wider convergence cultures more generally.
Psychosocial challenges and concerns of COVID-19: A qualitative study in Iran
Authors: Alipour Fardin , Arshi Maliheh , Ahmadi Shokoufeh , LeBeau Richard , Shaabani Asiyeh , Ostadhashemi Leila
Published: December 2020

As the world struggles to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that the psychosocial aspects related to health are attended to in addition to biological aspects. To this end, the present study aimed to explore the challenges and concerns facing people affected by COVID-19. This qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis method. A total of 25 people affected by COVID-19 were selected purposefully and administered semi-structured interviews. The sampling continued until data saturation. Coding and analysis of data were performed simultaneously using the Granheim method. After reviewing codes, checking the consistency and comparing categories, 5 categories, and 15 subcategories were explored. The most important psychosocial challenges of COVID-19 included the lack of accurate and timely dissemination of information, the intensification of economic problems, psychological instability, weakness in social prevention, and the suspension of social rituals. Identifying the psychosocial challenges and problems of people who faced by pandemic diseases such as COVID-19, and developing appropriate and timely planning for managing them can lead to designing effective strategies for prevention, treatment, and recovery of affected communities.
A Functional Network Perspective on Posttraumatic Stress in Refugees: Implications for Theory, Classification, Assessment, and Intervention
Authors: Yuval Kim , Aizik-Reebs Anna , Lurie Ido , Demoz Dawit , Bernstein Amit
Published: December 2020

There is an important, long-standing debate regarding the universality vs. specificity of trauma-related mental health symptoms in socio-culturally and linguistically diverse population groups, such as refugees and asylum seekers. Network theory, an emerging development in the field of psychological science, provides a novel data analytic methodology to evaluate and empirically examine long-standing questions about the structure and function of posttraumatic stress symptoms. We sought to empirically model the functional network of posttraumatic stress symptoms among East African refugees who survived multiple potentially traumatic events. A sample of 148 Sudanese and Eritrean male asylum seekers ( M( SD)age = 32.60(7.13) were recruited from the community in Israel. The nature and function(s) of posttraumatic symptoms (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) were modeled using regularized partial correlation models to derive a network of symptoms. Spinglass and exploratory graph analysis walktrap algorithms were then used to identify functional “circuits of symptoms” or clusters of nodes within the network. Analyses revealed a functional symptom circuitry that shares features with the predominant western model of posttraumatic stress disorder; as well as unique functional clusters of symptoms inconsistent with nosology and symptomatology observed in studies of Western populations. Findings may have important implications for theory, classification, assessment, candidate mechanisms that may drive and maintain posttraumatic stress, and in turn may inform prevention or treatment for socio-culturally diverse forcibly displaced population groups.
Mechanical behaviors of GFRP tube confined recycled aggregate concrete with sea sand
Authors: Huang Yijie , Xiao Jianzhuang , Qin Li , Li Peng
Published: December 2020

An experimental program was undertaken to study the mechanical behaviors of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tube confined recycled aggregate concrete with sea sand (GRACSS) under the axial compression. Two different parameters were mainly considered: recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) replacement percentage (0, 100%) and type of sand (sea sand, river sand). Typical influences of RCA and sea sand on the strength, the deformation and the load–deformation curve of GRACSS were investigated. The test results showed that the failure pattern of GRACSS was similar to that of GFRP tube confined ordinary concrete (GCOC). The strength of GRACSS decreased with an increasing RCA replacement percentage, while sea sand could reduce the negative effect of RCA. It is also found that the peak deformation of GRACSS increased with the increasing RCA replacement percentage whereas with decreasing sea sand chloride ion (Cl–) content. The stiffness of the specimen was obviously influenced by the concrete type. Research findings indicated that the axial load-deformation curve of GRACSS can be divided into elastic-plastic and hardening stages. An analytical expression was proposed to calculate the load-deformation curve of GRACSS. Finally, the finite element method (FEM) was applied to study the effects of outer tube thickness, concrete strength, RCA replacement percentage and Cl– content in sea sand on the mechanical behaviors (strength and deformation) of GRACSS.
The isolating side effect of civic participation
Authors: Kleiner Tuuli-Marja
Published: December 2020

Does widespread civic participation lead to more social capital? We argue that this is not necessarily the case. As more actors join voluntary associations, the pool of social resources available to non-active individuals is diluted, which can make it difficult for them to accrue social capital. We hypothesize that there is an insider/outsider effect, whereby widespread civic participation increases the risk that non-participants will be excluded from communal life. Using survey data from the German Freiwilligensurvey (German Volunteer Survey 1999–2014) and multi-level regressions, we examine the link between regional civic participation and individual social capital. Our findings reveal that civic participation rates on the macro level affect participants’ and non-participants’ friendship and support networks differently. While high macro-level participation is associated with more friendships and a higher expectation of receiving support for participants, it is also associated with fewer friendships and a lower expectation of receiving support for non-participants.
Experimental study of combustion strategy for jet ignition on a natural gas engine
Authors: Zhao Ziqing , Wang Zhi , Qi Yunliang , Cai Kaiyuan , Li Fubai
Published: December 2020

To explore a suitable combustion strategy for natural gas engines using jet ignition, lean burn with air dilution, stoichiometric burn with EGR dilution and lean burn with EGR dilution were investigated in a single-cylinder natural gas engine, and the performances of two kinds of jet ignition technology, passive jet ignition (PJI) and active jet ignition (AJI), were compared. In the study of lean burn with air dilution strategy, the results showed that AJI could extend the lean limit of excess air ratio (λ) to 2.1, which was significantly higher than PJI’s 1.6. In addition, the highest indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) of AJI was shown 2% (in absolute value) more than that of PJI. Although a decrease of NOx emission was observed with increasing λ in the air dilution strategy, THC and CO emissions increased. Stoichiometric burn with EGR was proved to be less effective, which can only be applied in a limited operation range and had less flexibility. However, in contrast to the strategy of stoichiometric burn with EGR, the strategy of lean burn with EGR showed a much better applicability, and the highest ITE could achieve 45%, which was even higher than that of lean burn with air dilution. Compared with the most efficient points of lean burn with pure air dilution, the lean burn with EGR dilution could reduce 78% THC under IMEP = 1.2 MPa and 12% CO under IMEP = 0.4 MPa. From an overall view of the combustion and emission performances under both low and high loads, the optimum λ would be from 1.4 to 1.6 for the strategy of lean burn with EGR dilution.
Soot and combustion models for direct-injection natural gas engines
Authors: Pan Kang , Wallace James
Published: December 2020

This paper summarizes the validation of a modified multi-step phenomenological soot model and an enhanced combustion model used for direct-injection natural gas engines. In this study, a modified phenomenological soot model including the key steps for soot formation, such as particle inception and surface growth, was developed in KIVA-3V to replace the empirical model for use in a glow plug assisted natural gas direct-injection engine. The soot model was integrated with a CANTERA based kinetic model, which employs a recently developed low temperature natural gas mechanism to predict the reactions of some important gaseous species involved in the soot formation, such as acetylene and hydroxyl. The simulated in-cylinder flame propagation process induced by a glow plug was compared to the experimental optical images obtained in an engine-like environment. In addition, both the kinetic model and modified soot model were compared with the experimental emission data to validate their reliability for predicting natural gas engine emission characteristics. The engine combustion efficiencies obtained in simulations and experiments were compared as well. The matched results suggest that the computational models can well predict the natural gas combustion and emission characteristics, and will be suitable for investigating the direct-injection natural gas engine technologies.
Harm, change and unpredictability: the ethics of interviews in conflict research
Authors: Kostovicova Denisa , Knott Eleanor
Published: December 2020

Conceiving of interviews as relationships of knowledge creation involving a researcher and a research participant, we engage with the ethical implications of the unpredictabilities of this relationship when conducting research in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Through a conservative application of the precautionary principle that prohibits change of all involved in the research process, presuming change (always) implies harm, scholars to date have overlooked the ethical challenges that stem from the unpredictability of the interview method. In turn, this perspective has limited our ability to capture and mitigate possible forms of harm, undermining the legitimacy and appropriateness of existing ethical guidelines. We argue for a deliberative and iterative approach to understandings of harm and harm thresholds in interview research. This argument draws on recent debates on the precautionary principle in natural sciences, which address the unpredictabilities of research, allowing us to think about change in ways that is ethical.
Describing recovery from drugs and alcohol: how ‘small’ practices of care matter
Authors: Theodoropoulou Lena
Published: December 2020

This article mobilises Heather Love’s writings on description to provide a novel analysis of recovery from drugs and alcohol. It discusses thin descriptions deriving from the presence of the researcher in the recovery space, and the service-users’ thick descriptions of their recovery experiences, produced through one-to-one interviews and photovoice. Thin and thick descriptions of recovery are brought together with the Deleuzo-Guattarian assemblage, for the provision of an insight into the practice of recovery that focuses on its daily crafting through small practices of care. Observing and describing how phone calls and text messages, assessment forms, doorways and art materials inform the generation of caring practices, recovery is reconfigured as an amalgam of small gestures that gradually expand life possibilities. This epistemological and methodological shift has the potential to unsettle the way we understand and do policy, and to re-think it as a practice emerging organically inside the recovery assemblage.
The lacuna model: A new approach to cross-cultural management research
Authors: Denisova-Schmidt Elena , Markovina Irina , Nicolas-Kryzhko Lena
Published: December 2020

This paper presents the lacuna model—an innovative investigational tool for the study of cross-cultural differences in a broader context. Originally developed and still widely used as a linguistic instrument, the lacuna theory also applies to empirical investigations in the field of cross-cultural management. Using several examples from the business world to illustrate the taxonomy, the authors demonstrate how lacuna analysis can be carried out. By comparing the lacuna model with Hofstede’s framework, the paper presents the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and concludes with a discussion of the potential offered by the lacuna model for cross-cultural management research and suggestions for its further development.
Finding common ground
Authors: Morrissey Lochlan , Boswell John
Published: December 2020

Deliberative democrats have abandoned the ideal of consensus in favour of a range of different, more realistic alternatives. But these alternatives provide little anchorage to guide or even evaluate deliberative practice – something acutely problematic given the contemporary context of accelerating polarization in many advanced liberal democracies. In this article, we turn to Stalnaker’s account of the ‘common ground’ – the shared pool of information that is agreed upon by the parties to a discourse – to reassert a distinct ideal standard for democratic deliberation which remains malleable enough to apply across messy contexts of real-world political contestation and debate. Our account offers an appropriate normative yardstick by which to assess deliberative practices across different discursive contexts, as well as impetus for further experimentation and innovation in efforts towards democratic renewal and reform.
Experimental investigation and empirical modelling of thermal and drive current effect on optical performance of commercial LEDs
Authors: Padmasali AN , Kini SG
Published: December 2020

Light-emitting diode is the most dominant lighting technology, and lumen output performance is dependent on junction temperature and operating drive current. An experimental analysis is performed to study the thermal and drive current effect on lumen output, and an empirical model is developed to determine the optimum operating conditions of temperature and drive current so as to obtain a maximum lumen output profile. Three commercially available light-emitting diode down-lighter’s light-emitting diodes are chosen for the study. The investigation reveals that there exists an optimum drive current at which lumen output is maximum, and it has a linear relation with junction temperature. Pulse-soak testing was performed to study the deviations of pulsed and continuous operation of drive current to understand the performance of light-emitting diodes. The work helps light-emitting diode luminaire manufacturers to design a controlled power electronic circuit so as to maximize the lumen output effectively and accurately.
The Significance and Impact of Screening Preservation Fluid Cultures in Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Reticker Anesia , Lichvar Alicia , Walsh Meghan , Gross Alan E. , Patel Shree
Published: December 2020

Introduction:

Infectious complications can be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients. Preservation fluid is necessary to maintain organ viability but may serve as a vector or infection. The utility of screening preservation fluid routinely for microbial growth and the impact of culture-positive preservation fluid is controversial. Research Question: What is the clinical impact of a culture positive preservation fluid in a kidney transplant recipient?

Design:

This retrospective study was performed to define the incidence of post-operative infection related to PF and examine the negative sequelae of culture-positive PF. One hundred and fifty-two deceased donor renal transplant recipients from January 2015 to December 2017 were included for analysis.

Results:

Overall, 67% of patients (102/152) received an allograft from a culture-positive PF. Nearly 80% of microbial growth was consistent with skin flora, and coagulase-negative staphylococci was the most frequently isolated organism (56%). Sixty-seven percent of patients (68/102) with culture-positive PF received antimicrobial treatment for an average duration of 5 days. There was no difference in the incidence of infection between patients with culture positive PF compared to culture-negative PF. Furthermore, there were no cases of infection related to PF regardless of whether culture-positive PF was treated or untreated. The incidence of subsequent C. difficile infection and multidrug-resistant organisms was similar.

Discussion:

This study suggests antimicrobial treatment for culture positive PF may not be necessary with pathogens that are common contaminants and of low virulence. Interventional studies are needed to validate this strategy.
MFAP2 Promotes the Proliferation of Cancer Cells and Is Associated With a Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Xiang , Cheng Ye , Wu Fan , Sun Haoyao , Zheng Wubin , Jiang Wei , Shi Junfeng , Ma Shijie , Cao Hongyong
Published: December 2020

Backgrounds:

Microfibril-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) is an extracellular matrix protein that regulates the function of microfibrils by interacting with fibrillin. MFAP2 has been reported to play an important role in metabolic diseases and has been shown to be significantly overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular function and prognostic value of MFAP2 have never been reported in HCC or other tumors.

Methods:

In the present study, expression characteristics of MFAP2 in HCC, its influence on the development of HCC, as well as its function and potential mechanism in HCC were verified by Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, bioinformatics data mining and in vitro cell experiments.

Results:

MFAP2 was prominently high-expressed in HCC and associated with cancer stages. HCC patients with higher MFAP2 expression displayed lower overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival(DSS), while there was no significant difference in recurrence-free survival (RFS). In vitro experiments showed that downregulation of MFAP2 inhibited proliferation, migration level of HCC cells. Transcription factors, DNA methyltransferases, immune factors may interact with MFAP2 mRNA to promote tumor progression in HCC.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that MFAP2 may play a key role in the development of HCC. Therefore, MFAP2 may be a valuable prognostic marker and an effective anticancer target in HCC.
Interleukin-8 Promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via Downregulation of Mir-200 Family in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Zhang Jin , Shao Nan , Yang Xiaoyu , Xie Chuanbo , Shi Yawei , Lin Ying
Published: December 2020

The microRNA-200 (miR-200) family has been reported to be vital for the inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells. The miR-200 family represents a complex multi-factorial regulatory network which has not been well described in breast cancer. This study aimed to clarify the underlying regulatory association between IL-8 and miR-200 family in the process of EMT in breast cancer cell. In estrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer cell line MCF-7, IL-8 overexpression cells were performed by lentivirus transfection as endogenous regulation with additional exogenous IL-8 stimulation. Transient overexpressions of miR-200 family were performed after endogenous or exogenous IL-8 overexpression in MCF-7 cells. IL-8 knockdown cells were constructed via siRNA and shRNA transfection in triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. N-cadherin, vimentin and ZEB2 were down-regulated and E-cadherin was up-regulated in IL-8 knockdown group compared with control group. On the other hand, N-cadherin, vimentin and ZEB2 were up-regulated and E-cadherin was down-regulated in IL-8 overexpression group compared with control group. This indicated IL-8 promotes EMT in breast cancer cells. Transwell assay showed that IL-8 increased the migration and invasiveness of tumor cells. Furthermore, we performed transient overexpression of miR-200 family after endogenous or exogenous IL-8 overexpression in MCF-7 cells, which showed that the miR-200 family could inhibit EMT induced by IL-8. IL-8 promoted EMT via downregulation of miR-200 family expression in breast cancer cells and increases tumor cell migration and invasion.