bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes and Predictors of Stroke After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the Cerebral Protection Device Era
Authors: Shekhar Shashank , Isogai Toshiaki , Agrawal Ankit , Kaw Roop , Mahalwar Gauranga , Krishnaswamy Amar , Puri Rishi , Reed Grant , Mentias Amgad , Kapadia Samir
Published: August 2024

Background

Studies have shown inconclusive results on the effectiveness of cerebral protection devices (CPDs) with transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We aimed to analyze the national statistics on stroke and other outcomes with CPD use.

Methods and Results

The Nationwide Readmissions Database (2017–2020) was queried to obtain data on patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Outcomes were compared between patients with a CPD and patients without a CPD. Of 271 804 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, CPD was used in 7.3% of patients. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, CPD use was not associated with lower overall stroke rates (1.6% versus 1.9% without CPD; odds ratio, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.84–1.07];
P
=0.364), but it was significantly associated with lower major stroke rates (1.2% versus 1.5% without CPD; odds ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.74–0.98];
P
=0.02). Patients with a CPD also had a shorter length of stay, higher routine discharges to home/self‐care (74.9% versus 70.6%), and lower mortality rates (0.7% versus 1.3%). The 30‐day (9.6% versus 11.7%) and 180‐day (24.6% versus 28.2%) readmission rates were significantly lower in the CPD cohort. Among patients who developed stroke, patients with a CPD had more frequent routine discharges. Prior valve surgery was associated with the highest risk of overall and major stroke.

Conclusions

CPD use during transcatheter aortic valve replacement was not independently associated with a lower risk of overall stroke but was associated with a lower risk of major stroke in a multivariable model. Data from future randomized trials that may offset any potential confounders in our study are required to help identify patients who would benefit from the use of these devices.
Carotid Artery Wall Echogenicity Measured by Gray Scale Median of the Intima‐Media Complex From Childhood to Young Adulthood
Authors: Guo Fangqi , Chen Xinci , Niu Zhongzheng , Karim Roksana , Gauderman W. James , McConnell Rob , Yan Mingzhu , Whitfield Lora , Li Yanjie , Bastain Theresa M. , Breton Carrie V. , Hodis Howard N. , Farzan Shohreh F.
Published: August 2024

Background

Echogenicity of the carotid arterial wall, measured by gray scale median of the intima‐media complex (IM‐GSM), is a novel subclinical atherosclerosis marker with lower values indicating greater lipid deposition. Our longitudinal study investigated IM‐GSM from childhood to adulthood and its associated risk factors.

Methods and Results

A total of 240 participants from the Southern California CHS (Children's Health Study) underwent carotid artery ultrasounds in 2008 (mean age±SD): (11.2±0.6 years), and again around 2022 (24.2±1.6 years) to assess IM‐GSM, carotid artery intima‐media thickness, and carotid artery distensibility. Questionnaires and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were completed by participants at both times. Mean and SD of IM‐GSM were 108.2±24.6 in childhood and 75.6±15.8 in adulthood. Each 1‐year increase in age was associated with −2.52 change in IM‐GSM (95% CI, −2.76 to −2.27). Childhood and adulthood IM‐GSMs were highly correlated (β=0.13 [95% CI, 0.05–0.22]). In childhood, Hispanic ethnicity, lower parental education levels and prenatal father smoking were significantly associated with lower IM‐GSM. In adulthood, higher systolic blood pressure, carotid artery intima‐media thickness, hypertension, and lower distensibility were significantly associated with lower IM‐GSM. Weight status exhibited a consistent association with both childhood and adulthood IM‐GSM. During the transition from childhood to adulthood, individuals who shifted from normal weight to overweight/obese or normal blood pressure to hypertension or experienced an increase in carotid artery intima‐media thickness displayed lower levels of IM‐GSM in adulthood.

Conclusions

IM‐GSM decreases with age. Maintaining healthy weight and blood pressure levels in children could potentially aid in preventing subclinical atherosclerosis.
Association Between Frequency of Rehabilitation Therapy and Long-Term Mortality After Stroke: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Nam Je Shik , Heo Seok-Jae , Kim Yong Wook , Lee Sang Chul , Yang Seung Nam , Yoon Seo Yeon
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

Previous studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding the effects of rehabilitation therapy on poststroke mortality. We aimed to investigate the association between rehabilitation therapy, including both inpatient and outpatient treatment, within the first 6 months after stroke and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with stroke using the Korean National Health Insurance System data.

METHODS:

A total of 10 974 patients newly diagnosed with stroke using the
International Classification of Diseases
,
Tenth Revision
, codes (I60–I64) between 2003 and 2019 were enrolled and followed up for all-cause mortality until 2019. Follow-up for mortality began 6 months after the index event. Poststroke patients were categorized into 3 groups according to the frequency of rehabilitation therapy: no rehabilitation therapy, ≤40 sessions and >40 sessions. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the mortality risk according to rehabilitation therapy stratified by disability severity measured based on activities of daily living 6 months after stroke onset.

RESULTS:

Within 6 months after stroke, 6738 patients (61.4%) did not receive rehabilitation therapy, whereas 2122 (19.3%) received ≤40 sessions and 2114 (19.3%) received >40 sessions of rehabilitation therapy. Higher frequency of rehabilitation therapy was associated with significantly lower poststroke mortality in comparison to no rehabilitation therapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.79–0.99]), especially among individuals with severe disability after stroke (mild to moderate: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.77–1.35]; severe: HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.62–0.87]). In the context of stroke type, higher frequency of rehabilitation therapy was associated with reduced mortality rates compared with no rehabilitation therapy only in patients with hemorrhagic stroke (ischemic: HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.91–1.18]; hemorrhagic: HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.49–0.74]).

CONCLUSIONS:

We found a positive association between rehabilitation therapy within 6 months after stroke onset and long-term mortality in patients with stroke. A higher frequency of rehabilitation therapy would be recommended for poststroke patients, especially those with hemorrhagic stroke and severe disability.
Debating Diya: Indirect Rule and the Transformation of Islamic Law in British Colonial Northern Nigeria
Authors: Akande Rabiat
Published: August 2024

For all of British Colonial Indirect Rule’s avowed deference to Islamic law and institutions in Northern Nigeria, it radically transformed them. Of the most overt areas in which this occurred was the colonial state’s elimination of diya, the payment of compensation for unlawful killing. Justified by the colonial state on the basis of good order, the abolition of diya was the product of a debate over who had the prerogative to respond to crimes directed at the person: the aggrieved individual or the state. Prominent Muslim jurists argued in favor of the former, citing source texts and the precolonial practice that gave life to those textual prescriptions. On the other hand, colonial administrators insisted that the response to crimes against the person was the state’s prerogative and that interpersonal resolution of such matters challenged imperial authority, the protection of which was not without basis in Islamic law. At the same time, the peculiar design of Northern Nigerian indirect rule meant that statutory, and therefore, unequivocal elimination of diya, remained elusive—at least until the eve of independence. This article traces the contours of the debate over the fate of diya as a lens through which one may apprehend the impact of colonial indirect rule on Islamic law, particularly criminal law, in Northern Nigeria. The demise of diya illuminates colonial indirect rule for what it was: a “constitutional trick” that paid lip service to Islamic law and institutions while radically transforming their essence and, eventually, eliminating them. Ultimately, however, that the means through which the demise of diya was brought about—the reconfiguration of the precolonial constitutional balance between political and juristic authorities—is, at least, as significant as the demise of diya itself. Indeed, that constitutional transformation has endured, surviving colonialism and finding expression in nascent attempts to reinstate Islamic law in the postcolonial state.
Discovery of two new species and three new records of the tribe Archipini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from India
Authors: NAIK SANTHOSH , SHASHANK P. R.
Published: August 2024

We describe Choristoneura ribhoiensis sp. nov. Shashank & Santhosh and Terthreutis subrectangulus sp. nov. Shashank & Santhosh as new species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Archipini). We also report new country records for three species of Archipini, namely Clepsis laetornata (Wang Li & Wang, 2003), Diplocalyptis ferruginimixta Razowski, 2009, and Diplocalyptis operosa (Meyrick, 1908), which are recorded from India for the first time. We provide descriptions and photographic illustrations of adult habitus, wing venation and genitalia for these five species.
The PerioGene North Study Uncovers Serum Proteins Related to Periodontitis
Authors: Wänman M. , Betnér S. , Esberg A. , Holm C.K. , Isehed C. , Holmlund A. , Palmqvist P. , Lövgren A. , Lindquist S. , Hänström L. , Lerner U.H. , Kindstedt E. , Lundberg P.
Published: August 2024

The sequalae of periodontitis include irreversible degradation of tooth-supporting structures and circulatory spread of inflammatory mediators. However, the serum protein profile in periodontitis is not well described, which is partly attributable to the limited number of studies based on large and well-characterized periodontitis cohorts. This study aims to identify novel, circulating inflammation-related proteins associated with periodontitis within the PerioGene North case-control study, which includes 478 cases with severe periodontitis and 509 periodontally healthy controls. The serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and a panel of 45 inflammation-related proteins were analyzed using targeted proteomics. A distinguishable serum protein profile was evident in periodontitis cases. The protein pattern could separate cases from controls with a sensitivity of 0.81 and specificity of 0.81 (area under the curve = 0.87). Adjusted levels for hs-CRP and 24 of the 45 proteins were different between cases and controls. High levels of hs-CRP and matrix metalloproteinase–12, and low levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR-1) were detected among the cases. Furthermore, the levels of C-C motif chemokine–19, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor–3 (CSF-3), interleukin-7 (IL-7), and hs-CRP were significantly higher in cases with a high degree of gingival inflammation. The levels of CSF-3 and tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member–10 TNFSF-10 were higher in cases with many deep periodontal pockets. The PerioGene North study includes detailed clinical periodontal data and uncovers a distinct serum protein profile in periodontitis. The findings of lower EGF and OLR-1 among the cases are highlighted, as this has not been presented before. The role of EGF and OLR-1 in periodontitis pathogenesis and as possible future biomarkers should be further explored.
Efficient breeding system of infertile Niemann–Pick disease type C model mice by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer
Authors: Kuroshima Serina , Nakao Satohiro , Horikoshi Yuka , Ito Kotono , Ishii Akira , Shirakawa Aina , Kondo Yuki , Irie Tetsumi , Ishitsuka Yoichi , Nakagata Naomi , Takeo Toru
Published: August 2024

Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) is a lethal genetic disease with mutations in NPC1 or NPC2 gene. Npc1-deficient ( Npc1−/−) mice have been used as a model for NPC pathogenesis to develop novel therapies for NPC. However, Npc1−/− mice are infertile; thus, securing sufficient numbers for translational research is difficult. Hence, we attempted reproductive engineering techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and sperm cryopreservation. For the first time, we succeeded in producing fertilized oocytes via IVF using male and female Npc1−/− mice. Fertilized oocytes were also obtained via IVF using cryopreserved sperm from Npc1−/− mice. The obtained fertilized oocytes normally developed into live pups via embryo transfer, and they eventually exhibited NPC pathogenesis. These findings are useful for generating an efficient breeding system that overcomes the reproductive challenges of Npc1−/− mice and will contribute to developing novel therapeutic methods using NPC model mice.
Evaluation of a gel-based versus micro-pellet diet for adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Archer Christine L , Tsuji Nikki K , Waters Molly H , Brazzell Jennifer L , Fong Derek L , Leszczynski Jori K , Manuel Christopher A , Habenicht Lauren M
Published: August 2024

Ad libitum feeding of laboratory zebrafish has potential benefits for colony management, but would require a new type of diet, such as a gel that remains in the tank. We hypothesized that adult zebrafish fed a gel diet would have similar body size and reproductive success compared with those fed a standard micro-pellet diet. The gel diet’s impact on water quality was determined to be safe for zebrafish prior to starting a 12-week feeding study. Two hundred adult AB zebrafish of mixed sex were randomly assigned to be fed exclusively either gel or micro-pellet diet. Fish body length and mass were measured every two weeks, and fish were bred within each feed group to assess fecundity. Zebrafish consumed less gel diet than expected. Body length, mass, and breeding success were lower in the gel diet fish than in the micro-pellet diet fish. Low consumption of the gel diet and/or nutritional differences between the two diets may have contributed to reduced growth and fecundity. Though the gel diet could reduce time personnel spend feeding and be safer for fish in static tanks, the tested formulation was not a satisfactory alternative to the control micro-pellet diet in a research zebrafish colony.
This Isn’t Science Fiction: Technology Use During and Post-COVID for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Donne Vicki , Hansen Mary A.
Published: August 2024

Today's technology reality is reminiscent of science fiction in many ways. In order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, school buildings closed. When they reopened, many schools utilized videoconferencing, learning management systems, and other technology to provide virtual instruction; however, all students did not experience the same technology availability and accessibility. To investigate the extent to which students with disabilities were provided with instruction in technology or instruction integrated with technology during and postpandemic, 108 special education teachers in one northeastern state participated in a cross-sectional survey study. Teachers indicated that most students they worked with need assistance with accessing technology. Special educators collectively reported themselves as the professional responsible for teaching students with disabilities to use technology. The challenges teachers experienced in providing remote instruction and the most commonly used technology activities are summarized.
Representing Albania in the Travel Writing and Political Commentary of Edith Durham and Aubrey Herbert during the Albanian Path to Independence, c. 1904–1923
Authors: Cameron Ross
Published: August 2024

Recent imagological scholarship about the Balkans has revised the Balkanism thesis by examining the sympathetic lens through which British liberals viewed the peninsula's Christian and Slavic nationalities following the 1903 establishment of the Balkan Committee. Revisionist historiography has, however, overlooked how non-Christian and non-Slavic communities were represented in Britain beyond overgeneralized orientalist stereotypes of ‘the villainous Turk’. This article aims to correct this imbalance by examining representations of Albania in the travel writing and political commentary of Mary Edith Durham and Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert, Britain's most notable supporters of Albania's national movement in the early twentieth century, who came to sympathize with the country because of their own peripheral position in relation to the British cultural and political mainstream, by virtue of gender and an unfashionably conservative worldview. Focusing on their published travel writing and political commentary between the 1904 publication of Durham's first narrative, Through the Lands of the Serb, and Herbert's untimely death in 1923, this article proposes that they articulated a counter-discourse to liberal writing on south-eastern Europe and that their representations of Albania foregrounded the capacity for self-governance, in contrast to the cultural chaos attributed to the country by liberals.
A tyrannical societal something: Drawing lessons for twenty-first-century ‘privacy-protecting’ technology from long nineteenth-century literature
Authors: Edmond Jennifer , Yakupova Vera , Ketzan Erik
Published: August 2024

This paper demonstrates a novel, literature-based approach to the consideration and regulation of advanced computational and data systems, in particular artificial intelligence (AI). The paper contributes uniquely to the discourse of AI through its proposal that although we may think of AI as presenting a distinctly contemporary challenge, in fact, its roots can only be explored by starting with the discourses, narratives and social imaginaries of the long nineteenth century. To illustrate this, the paper looks at one of the most widely recognised cultural threats associated with big data and AI systems, namely the threat to privacy. It explores how the concept of privacy might be viewed, and ultimately managed, differently through the application of an historical and literary frame of reference, deploying a mixed-methods close and distant reading of novels in English and German. For this, we focus on two specific literary exempla, each of which illustrates the function of privacy in society. This close reading is complemented with exploration of experimental data generated by using a modern privacy dictionary to query a large corpus of nineteenth-century novels and a modern test corpus comprised of policy discussions targeting privacy issues related to the rise of big data and AI.
Exposure to harm as a function of bargaining position: The class composition of hospitality workers in Sheffield
Authors: Jeffery Bob , Etherington David , Ledger-Jessop Ben , Thomas Peter , Jones Martin
Published: August 2024

This article advances a zemiological framework of work-based harms, as a means of interrogating the contemporary crisis in the quality of work. Such a framework provides a more nuanced conceptualisation and a stronger political framing of the various harms that are incurred in the workplace than alternative understandings. We critically appraise the development of zemiology out of critical criminology and review recent models which demonstrate the value and insights of the approach to the topic of work-based harms. Nonetheless, these accounts tend to neglect the role of worker resistance in determining the distribution of harm, and we draw on Class Composition Analysis from Autonomist Marxism as a way of better understanding the bargaining power of workers, which in our understanding is synonymous with their ability to resist the imposition of harm. We apply this combined framework to an analysis of hospitality work in Sheffield. First, we describe workers’ experiences of three significant forms of harm (employment insecurity, wage thefts and health and safety during the COVID pandemic). Second, we explore the barriers to union organisation, which very often are linked to the dynamics generating harms in the workplace. Finally, we examine how those barriers were overcome and harms effectively contested, drawing on the example of the Sheffield Needs A Pay Rise campaign.
Effect of Preoperative Anterolateral Ligament Injury on Outcomes After Isolated Acute ACL Reconstruction With Hamstring Graft: A Prospective Study With Minimum 5-Year Follow-up
Authors: Sobrado Marcel Faraco , Moreira da Silva Andre Giardino , Helito Paulo Victor Partezani , Helito Camilo Partezani
Published: August 2024

Background:

The potential influence of a preoperative anterolateral ligament (ALL) lesion seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the mid- and long-term surgical outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is still controversial.

Purpose:

To evaluate the clinical outcomes and failure rate of isolated ACL reconstruction at a minimum 5-year follow-up in patients with and without ALL injury diagnosed preoperatively using MRI.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A prospective cohort of patients with acute ACL injury was divided into 2 groups based on the presence (ALL injury group) or absence (control group) of ALL injury on preoperative MRI. This is a longer-term follow-up study of a previously published study that had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Both groups underwent anatomic isolated reconstruction of the ACL. The Lysholm and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee scores, KT-1000 arthrometer and pivot-shift tests, reconstruction failure rate, incidence of contralateral ACL injury, presence of associated meniscal injury, and presence of knee hyperextension were evaluated. The evaluation at the 5-year follow-up was also compared with the same patient’s evaluation at 2 years of follow-up.

Results:

A total of 156 patients were evaluated. No significant differences were found between the groups in the preoperative evaluation. In the postoperative evaluation, patients in the ALL injury group had a higher reconstruction failure rate (14.3% vs 4.6% for the control group; P = .049) and worse clinical outcomes according to the Lysholm scores (85.0 ± 10.3 vs 92.3 ± 6.6; P < .00001). Although the pivot-shift test results were similar, anteroposterior translation using the KT-1000 arthrometer revealed worse results for the ALL injury group (2.8 ± 1.4 mm vs 1.9 ± 1.3 mm; P = .00018). Patients in the ALL injury group also had an increase in KT-1000 arthrometer values from 2 to 5 years (2.4 ± 1.6 vs 2.8 ± 1.4; P = .038). Patients in the control group had no differences in outcomes from 2 to 5 years of follow-up.

Conclusion:

Combined ACL and ALL injuries were associated with significantly less favorable outcomes than were isolated ACL injuries at a minimum follow-up of 5 years after isolated ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft. Patients with concomitant ALL injury showed a higher failure rate and worse functional scores. Also, knee stability tended to slightly worsen from 2 to 5 years in cases of associated ALL injury.
Psychotherapy Engagement Before and After a Rapid Transition to Telehealth During COVID-19 for Older Adults With Dementia
Authors: Rossom Rebecca , Knowlton Greg , Yeh Hsueh-Han , Penfold Robert , Owen-Smith Ashli , Hooker Stephanie , Simon Gregory , Miller-Matero Lisa , Akinyemi Esther , Ahmedani Brian
Published: August 2024

Objective: To understand the impact of the transition to telehealth during COVID-19 on psychotherapy visits for patients with dementia. Method: Retrospective study of older adults with dementia who had at least one psychotherapy visit in the 9 months before and after the onset of COVID-19 at 3 U.S. health systems. Care disruptions were gaps of 45+ days. Descriptive statistics and logistic mixed-effects models examined factors associated with care disruption. Results: 4953 patients with dementia made 19,902 psychotherapy visits. Gaps in psychotherapy were less frequent during COVID-19 (29.4%) than before (48.9%), with the odds of a patient experiencing a care disruption during COVID-19 0.54 times the odds prior to COVID-19 (95% CI: 0.50–0.59). Almost all patient subgroups had lower adjusted odds of care disruption during COVID-19. Discussion: There were fewer disruptions in psychotherapy care following the rapid shift to virtual care. Telehealth may be a viable option for patients with dementia.
Relational Cultural Theory and Intervention Approaches with Adolescent Girls: An Integrative Review
Authors: Evans Kylie , O'Donnell Kari
Published: August 2024

Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) offers a feminist, relationally-centered approach to therapy and social work practice, which is focused on the unique developmental experiences of girls, women, and individuals from traditionally underrepresented or marginalized groups. Much of the theoretical and intervention research on this model has focused on adult women, with less attention devoted to RCT's application with adolescent girls. This integrative literature review synthesizes qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and case study research on RCT to assess: 1) how RCT theoretical tenets have been translated into intervention strategies with adolescent girls, and 2) the degree to which RCT intervention research includes experiences of girls from diverse and underrepresented groups. Five electronic databases were searched through August 2023. Following deduplication and screening for inclusion/exclusion, 12 studies were retained for inclusion in this review. Analysis revealed four core RCT concepts that were linked with therapeutic intervention components across all included studies: mutual empathy, authenticity, empowerment, and the overall strengthening and deepening of relational connections. Over half of included studies reported samples that were over 50% girls of color, and/or having an expressed study purpose focused on girls from a diverse or underrepresented group. Practice implications for work with adolescent girls are discussed.
Hospital process performance and the adoption of medical devices: An organization-based view
Authors: De Domenico Francesca , Noto Guido , Cinici Maria Cristina
Published: August 2024

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing scholarly interest in the adoption of technology in healthcare. While numerous studies have delved into the effects of specific technologies on the performance of different organizational units and medical specialties, the findings have often been divergent. Unlike the established literature, our approach focuses on the organization’s perspective to analyze how technology impacts process performance in hospital settings. More precisely, we compiled a tailored dataset from 56 healthcare organizations in Italy and conducted a comprehensive analysis of panel data from 2016 to 2019, utilizing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression as our main analytical tool. The data shows a clear relationship between an organization’s use of medical devices and its overall process performance. Our research highlights the importance of achieving substantial improvements in process performance by strategically integrating new technologies and devices. Policymakers are encouraged to consider introducing incentives to drive hospitals to invest in innovative technologies. Furthermore, monitoring expenditures on new devices could serve as a valuable metric for assessing the extent of technology adoption within clinical practices.
Unraveling the impact of financial stress and trade policy uncertainty on advancing renewable energy transition in the USA
Authors: Gao Yannan , Hafeez Muhammad , Kouki Fadoua , Sher Falak , Akbar Muhammad Waqas
Published: August 2024

Renewable energy consumption (REC) has become the most suitable option to tackle the issues of energy security and climate change because it is a sustainable, clean, and affordable energy source. Literature on the determinants of REC is growing rapidly, but most rely on linear analysis. This analysis is a nonlinear perspective on the impact of financial stress and trade policy uncertainty on REC in the USA over 1995Q1-2021Q4. The study uses autoregressive distributed lag and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag for empirical analysis. The linear estimates reveal that financial stress and trade policy uncertainty reduce long-run (LR) REC. On the other hand, the nonlinear estimates suggest that positive changes in financial stress and trade policy uncertainty reduce REC, whereas the negative changes in both these factors boost REC in the LR. While the GDP causes an improvement in REC, environmental technologies do not significantly impact the REC in the LR. In the short-run, only the linear and nonlinear estimates of financial stress and environmental technologies significantly impact REC. Due to the asymmetric nature of the findings, policymakers must take into account the positive and negative changes in the financial stress and trade policy uncertainty while devising policies to promote renewable energy transition.
Anifrolumab for systemic lupus erythematosus with multi-refractory skin disease: A case series of 18 patients
Authors: Flouda Sofia , Emmanouilidou Evgenia , Karamanakos Anastasios , Koumaki Dimitra , Katsifis-Nezis Dimitrios , Repa Argyro , Bertsias George , Boumpas Dimitrios , Fanouriakis Antonis
Published: August 2024

Objective

Skin involvement is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but may be resistant to conventional treatment. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of anifrolumab (ANI) in refractory cutaneous manifestations of SLE.

Methods

Case series of patients with refractory cutaneous SLE from three Rheumatology Departments in Greece. Outcome measures were improvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), physician global assessment (PGA) and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI). Clinically relevant improvement in skin was defined as decrease ≥50% (CLASI50) from baseline values.

Results

Eighteen patients received ANI; all had active skin involvement at baseline. Mean (SD) SLEDAI and PGA at ANI initiation were 7.4 (2.7) and 1.4 (0.5), respectively, with a mean prednisone dose 4.9 (4.5) mg/day. Mean CLASI (Activity/Damage) at baseline was 13.9 (9.7)/2.9 (4.6). Patients were refractory to a mean 6.3 (1.5) immunomodulatory agents (including hydroxychloroquine and glucocorticoids) before the initiation of ANI. After a mean 8.5 (4.6) months, 89% ( n = 16/18) of patients demonstrated significant improvement in general lupus and cutaneous disease activity, and glucocorticoid tapering. Mean SLEDAI and mean CLASI at last visit were 3.4 (1.9) and 2.1 (2.4)/1.4 (2.2), respectively, and mean daily prednisone dose decreased to 2.4 (2.2). Of note, in this group of highly refractory patients CLASI50 was achieved in 16/18 (89%) patients. One patient discontinued ANI after 4 infusions due to a varicella-zoster virus infection and one patient, who initially responded to treatment with ANI, experienced a skin flare due to temporary discontinuation due to Covid 19 infection. DORIS remission and LLDAS were attained in two (11.1%) and eleven (61.1%) patients, respectively.

Conclusion

Anifrolumab is highly effective in various skin manifestations of SLE, even after prior failure to multiple treatments.
Management of Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism and Workplace Incivility by Servant Leaders: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of How They Maintain Trust and Performance
Authors: Mishra Adya , Mahapatra Mamata , Sharma C. S.
Published: August 2024

Purpose:

Past studies show that Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism, and Workplace Incivility can lead to adverse behavioral outcomes. For a munificent work climate and performance, managing these behaviors is essential. Which may hypothetically be difficult for leaders with positive behavioral orientation. Servant Leaders possess positive qualities like forgiveness, compassion, morality, and emotional healing. The study attempts to examine whether they are overwhelmed by or are able to manage the impact of behaviors like Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism and Workplace Incivility which are known to hamper trust and performance.

Method:

The study employs moderated mediation analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) to model the moderating role of servant leadership over the relationship between Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism, and Organizational Incivility (independent variables) and performance (dependent variable) as mediated by trust climate.

Findings:

Results show that Servant Leadership plays a moderating role such that it significantly diminishes the negative effect of Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism and Organizational Incivility on Trust climate and (through that) on performance. Trust climate fully mediates the negative relationship between independent variables and dependent variables.

Practical Implications:

Present study suggests that the positive qualities of servant leaders are not overwhelmed by Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism, and Workplace Incivility. Instead, they are successfully able to maintain environment of trust leading to positive performance.

Originality/Value:

Since the impact of Servant Leadership style in presence of negative behaviors has not been examined yet; present study fills this gap and shows that qualities of servant leaders reduce the impact of negative behaviors like Machiavellianism, Organizational Cynicism and Workplace Incivility.
Putative diagnosis of neuromuscular and vascular hamartoma: 2 cases in dogs and review of the veterinary literature
Authors: Barrantes Murillo Daniel Felipe , Negrão Watanabe Tatiane Terumi , Brinker Emily J. , Book Bradley P. , Dvorak Laura , Huang Linda
Published: August 2024

Neuromuscular and vascular hamartoma (NMVH) is an infrequent gastrointestinal lesion described in human and veterinary medical literature. The histologic features of this entity are haphazardly arranged fascicles of smooth muscle, nerve fibers, scattered ganglion cells, and hemangiomatous blood vessels. Here we describe 2 putative cases of NMVH in a 1.7-y-old, intact female Anatolian mixed-breed dog and a 4-mo-old intact male Akita dog. Both animals had gastrointestinal clinical signs, including hematochezia, and on exploratory laparotomy, intussusception was confirmed. Histologic examination confirmed NMVH within the cecal wall in both cases using a panel of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers for vascular structures (CD31), smooth muscle (alpha–smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]), and nerves (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] and S100). The complete surgical excision of the lesion in both animals was considered curative without persistent clinical signs 14 mo and 12 mo, respectively, after surgery.
Phonemic processing is below expectations and linked to word-finding difficulty in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Dvorak Emily , Levy Sarah , Anderson Jordyn R , Sumowski James F
Published: August 2024

Background:

Word-finding difficulty is prevalent but poorly understood in persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Objective:

The objective was to investigate our hypothesis that phonological processing ability is below expectations and related to word-finding difficulty in patients with RRMS.

Method:

Data were analyzed from patients with RRMS ( n = 50) on patient-reported word-finding difficulty (PR-WFD) and objective performance on Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) Phonemic Proficiency (PP; analysis of phonemes within words), Word Reading (WR; proxy of premorbid literacy and verbal ability), and Sentence Repetition (SR; auditory processing of word-level information).

Results:

Performance (mean (95% confidence interval)) was reliably lower than normative expectations for PP (−0.41 (−0.69, −0.13)) but not for WR (0.02 (−0.21, 0.25)) or SR (0.08 (−0.15, 0.31). Within-subjects performance was worse on PP than on both WR ( t(49) = 4.00, p < 0.001, d = 0.47) and SR ( t(49) =3.76, p < 0.001, d = 0.54). Worse PR-WFD was specifically related to lower PP ( F2,47 = 6.24, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.21); worse PP performance at PR-WFD Often ( n = 13; −1.16 (−1.49, −0.83)) than Sometimes ( n = 17; −0.14 (−0.68, 0.41)) or Rarely ( n = 20; −0.16 (−0.58, 0.27). PR-WFD was unrelated to WR or SR ( ps > 0.25).

Conclusion:

Phonological processing was below expectations and specifically linked to word-finding difficulty in RRMS. Findings are consistent with early disease-related cortical changes within the posterior superior temporal/supramarginal region. Results inform our developing model of multiple sclerosis-related word-finding difficulty.
The carnivalesque celebration of a slack laborer icon on a talent show: Civic engagement, commercialization, and political control
Authors: Zhi Li , Wei Duanduan
Published: August 2024

In Produce Camp 2021, an online Chinese talent show, an underdog named Lelush rose to fame as a slack laborer icon. This study investigated this case through a critical discourse analysis incorporating media events theory, the concept of carnival, aesthetic public sphere theory, and the concept of structures of feeling. It was revealed that the audience related to Lelush's slackness on carnivalesque social media, indirectly addressing work oppression and social stratification in an aesthetic public sphere. However, the audience's ambiguities, where they also objectified Lelush, somewhat diminished the aesthetic discussions’ critical potential. This contradiction suggested a new structure of feeling associated with rapid social changes in China. Besides, this study demonstrated that although the audience discourse appeared challenging, it was harnessed by the producer for commercial benefit. Meanwhile, as the audience's critical discourse did not directly threaten the political legitimacy, the Party-State allowed it for political and economic purposes.
New models, same practices? Examining professional values and peace journalism training
Authors: Doll Meagan E.
Published: August 2024

Existing work on peace journalism would suggest that some journalism cultures may be more receptive to—or perhaps already practice elements of—peace journalism. However, little research has documented, nor explored, perceptions of peace journalism when its practices are perceived as customary to situated professional environments. To better understand this phenomenon, this study examines how journalists ascribe value to peace journalism training, particularly when they were reportedly familiar with, or already practicing, peace journalism. Drawing on in-depth interviews with journalists from Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya, findings suggest that values associated with attending peace journalism trainings at times transcend the ostensible goals of workshop organizers. These values include trainings as a means for building professional networks, improving general journalistic skills, and fulfilling social expectations. Understanding these professional values contextualizes the adaptation of peace journalism across contexts, with implications for journalism professionalization processes more broadly.
“I love my job, but my job is destroying me”. Permacrisis’ toll on journalistic practice and perceptions about journalism in Southern Europe
Authors: Papadopoulou Lambrini , Angelou Ioannis , Katsaounidou Anastasia
Published: August 2024

Drawing on qualitative analysis using semi-structured interviews, this study examines the enduring impact of the prolonged cycle of global crises on South European journalists’ perceptions about their profession and approaches to their work. The findings reveal a complex interplay of emotions among journalists, ranging from a love-hate dynamic towards their profession to a deep-seated disappointment with its ability to enact positive societal change. The repeated exposure to trauma has led them to a loss of faith in journalism’s potential to serve the public good, fostering a sense of powerlessness and futility among practitioners. Moreover, this study sheds light on shifts in journalistic practice. Journalists describe how they infuse their work with personal emotions as a means of coping with the intensity of the stories they cover. They elaborate on the deteriorating working conditions brought about after years of crises but also highlight the emotional toll of permacrisis as an important factor that leads them to choose ‘lighter’ beats or exit the profession entirely. This study is unique in documenting permacrisis’ impact on journalists in Southern Europe, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of their experiences.
Training Load Monitoring in Elite Youth Women’s Artistic Gymnasts: A Pilot Study
Authors: Freitas Elisângela Gamarano de , Debien Paula Barreiros , Silva Cristiano Diniz da , Carrara Paulo Daniel Sabino , Bara Filho Maurício Gattás
Published: August 2024

Background:

Women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG) is a complex aesthetic sport in which athletes start at a young age and are exposed to high loads during their careers. Little is known about the external and internal training load characteristics among elite young gymnasts.

Hypothesis:

High training loads, with variations over the weeks, are expected. There is a relationship between external and internal load variables.

Study Design:

Cohort study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Seven elite-level Brazilian youth artistic gymnasts (age, 11.3 ± 0.4 years; mass, 33.0 ± 7.0 kg; height, 137.7 ± 10.6 cm; experience, 4.0 ± 1.2 years) participated in this study. Five nonconsecutive microcycles were monitored. Both external and internal training loads were quantified by counting the number of elements in video recordings of training sessions and by the session rating of perceived exertion method.

Results:

A total of 168 individual training sessions were monitored. The microcycle that succeeded the main competition showed a significantly lower training load than ≥3 of the other 4 microcycles for all training load variables, except for vault elements, of which microcycle 4 was inferior only to the microcycle before the competition. Significant correlations were found between weekly internal training load and the total of elements and elements performed on uneven bars.

Conclusion:

Youth women’s artistic gymnasts present fluctuations in external and internal training load variables over the weeks close to a major competition. Training load management in this sport must consider the specificity of each apparatus, as they have different demands and training load behaviors.

Clinical Relevance:

A better comprehension of external and internal training loads in youth WAG and its apparatuses can benefit coaches and support staff and provide more information to overcome the challenge of training load management in gymnastics.
Anxiety meets nature: the role of nature in the relationship between socioeconomic status, anxiety and well-being / Ansiedad y naturaleza: el papel de la naturaleza en la relación entre estatus socioeconómico, ansiedad y bienestar
Authors: Moura Rita , Camilo Cristina , Lima Maria-Luísa , Luís Sílvia , Elliott Lewis R. , White Mathew P.
Published: August 2024

People with lower subjective socioeconomic status are more prone to experiencing anxiety and poorer subjective well-being. Nature’s restorative ability can play an important role among this group, given that spending time outdoors is often associated with better overall mental health and well-being. In this study, we aim to explore the moderating effect of recent visits to green and blue natural spaces on the mediated relationship between subjective socioeconomic status, anxiety and subjective well-being. A nationally representative sample of 946 Portuguese respondents was recruited. Results showed that anxiety mediated the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. In addition, the mediation effect was weaker for those who visited natural spaces more frequently, suggesting that spending time in nature buffers against the anxiety associated with lower subjective socioeconomic status from translating into poorer subjective well-being. These findings highlight the importance of using nature as a cost-effective strategy to assist in mitigating the negative effects of low subjective socioeconomic status.
Barriers to Oral PrEP: A Qualitative Study of Female Sex Workers, PrEP Prescribers, Policymakers, and Community Advocates in Morocco
Authors: Moussa Amal Ben , Badahdah Abdallah M , Hidous Khadija , Barakad Rime , Diallo Fodié , Traoré Mariam , Khodabocus Niloufer , Ebsen Treebhoobun Annette , Delabre Rosemary , Rojas Castro Daniela , Ouarsas Lahoucine , Karkouri Mehdi
Published: August 2024

In 2017, Morocco became the first Arab country to incorporate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in its HIV-prevention program. Yet no research has been published on PrEP from Morocco. Although female sex workers are one of the target populations of PrEP in Morocco, their enrollment in PrEP is lower than men who have sex with men. In this study, we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with female sex workers, physicians who prescribe PrEP, policymakers, and community advocates to identify problems associated with access to and use of PrEP. We also investigated preferences for daily oral, vaginal ring, and long-acting injectable PrEP. A reflexive thematic analysis revealed seven themes: PrEP stigma; stigmatization and criminalization of sex work; one size doesn’t fit all; knowledge and misconceptions about PrEP; economic burden; inconvenience of PrEP pills; and preferred PrEP modalities. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for increasing access and use of PrEP in Morocco.
Exploring the nexus of attitude, contextual factors, and AI utilization intentions: A PLS-SEM analysis among primary mathematics teachers in China
Authors: Li Mao , Noori Abdul Qawi
Published: August 2024

This study delves into the pivotal integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in primary mathematics education, examining the nuanced interplay between teachers’ attitudes toward AI, Contextual Factors (CFs), such as institutional support and resource availability, and their Intention to Use AI (IUAI) in teaching practices. With the advent of digital transformation in education, understanding the dynamics of AI adoption in primary settings becomes increasingly critical. Surveying 476 primary mathematics teachers in China, this research employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to unravel the complexities influencing AI integration. The findings reveal that teachers’ attitudes significantly impact their IUAI, while CF, particularly institutional support and resource availability, play a crucial role in shaping these attitudes and directly influencing IUAI. This investigation not only bridges a vital research gap by offering empirical insights into the determinants of AI adoption in a primary education context but also provides a robust framework for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to foster a conducive environment for AI integration. By aligning AI deployment with pedagogical strategies, this study contributes significantly to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of mathematics education, underscoring the transformative potential of AI in shaping future educational landscapes.