bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 – exploring the implications of long-term condition type and extent of multimorbidity on years of life lost: a modelling study
Authors: Hanlon Peter , Chadwick Fergus , Shah Anoop , Wood Rachael , Minton Jon , McCartney Gerry , Fischbacher Colin , Mair Frances S. , Husmeier Dirk , Matthiopoulos Jason , McAllister David A. 
Published: April 2020

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for increasing deaths globally. Most estimates have focused on numbers of deaths, with little direct quantification of years of life lost (YLL) through COVID-19. As most people dying with COVID-19 are older with underlying long-term conditions (LTCs), some have speculated that YLL are low. We aim to estimate YLL attributable to COVID-19, before and after adjustment for number/type of LTCs. Methods: We first estimated YLL from COVID-19 using standard WHO life tables, based on published age/sex data from COVID-19 deaths in Italy. We then used aggregate data on number/type of LTCs to model likely combinations of LTCs among people dying with COVID-19. From these, we used routine UK healthcare data to estimate life expectancy based on age/sex/different combinations of LTCs. We then calculated YLL based on age, sex and type of LTCs and multimorbidity count. Results: Using the standard WHO life tables, YLL per COVID-19 death was 14 for men and 12 for women. After adjustment for number and type of LTCs, the mean YLL was slightly lower, but remained high (13 and 11 years for men and women, respectively). The number and type of LTCs led to wide variability in the estimated YLL at a given age (e.g. at ≥80 years, YLL was >10 years for people with 0 LTCs, and <3 years for people with ≥6). Conclusions: Deaths from COVID-19 represent a substantial burden in terms of per-person YLL, more than a decade, even after adjusting for the typical number and type of LTCs found in people dying of COVID-19. The extent of multimorbidity heavily influences the estimated YLL at a given age. More comprehensive and standardised collection of data on LTCs is needed to better understand and quantify the global burden of COVID-19 and to guide policy-making and interventions.
Fashion Film: Art and Advertising in the Digital Age, Nick Rees-Roberts (2018)
Authors: Skjulstad Synne 
Published: April 2020

Review of: Fashion Film: Art and Advertising in the Digital Age, Nick Rees-Roberts (2018)
London: Bloomsbury, 206 pp.,
ISBN 978-0-8578-5666-1, h/bk, $105
ISBN 978-0-8578-5700-2, p/bk, $34.99
Teaching Strategies about Architectural Projects
Authors: Moreno Carmen 
Published: April 2020

Discovering the origin of in adamant objects and looking beyond the formality with which they are presented, has always been the aim of all science and creative activity. This orientation encourages different solutions and adopts a specific criterion to solve the problem. Project workshops should become places where there will be discussions about ideas and also about the physical materiality of architecture. Architectural course work must facilitate continuous production of information about the general subject of work. These course must include varying disciplines from the construction, structural design or facilities, to the social and urban development, philosophy, art ... The development of the profession is extremely open ended, which allows us to investigate our field in a broad based atmosphere. Issues such as climate change or social and economic precariousness, introduce new variables on our thinking affecting teaching and learning architecture. Using recycled materials, reuse / occupancy of existing structures, sustainability, temporary constructions, ease of assembly (self), and even temporary colonization of territory humanitarian somehow, each one of these variables, opens new project possibilities that can become staples and prevalent professional practices.
Quando um Discurso Geralmente Valorizado Não é Bem‑ Vindo: O Caso da Expressão da Crença Num Mundo Geral Justo por Um Membro (Fictício) da Elite Financeira
Authors: Alves Hélder Vinagreiro , Fernández-Dols José-Miguel 
Published: April 2020

Pretendemos mostrar que uma ideia geralmente valorizada (“mundo justo”), nomeadamente no contexto financeiro, quando expressa por pessoas comuns, se torna paradoxalmente num sinal de imoralidade quando expressa pela elite financeira. Participantes de Portugal e Espanha leram o caso fictício (inspirado em acontecimentos reais) de “George M.”, um membro estereotípico da elite financeira. Aleatoriamente os participantes leram que o alvo teria exprimido a ideia de que o mundo é justo ou injusto para as pessoas em geral, avaliaram a sua imoralidade e indicaram quanto lhe desejavam um conjunto de acontecimentos. Comparando o alvo que exprimiu “mundo não justo”, o que exprimiu “mundo justo” foi avaliado como mais imoral. Este julgamento predisse maiores desejos de acontecimentos negativos. Estes resultados desaconselham o recurso, por parte da elite, a discursos moralizadores que terão o efeito oposto ao pretendido.
Decomposição do Salário Mínimo: Uma Análise Comparativa Internacional
Authors: Oliveira Elsa , Jörgens Helge , Ramos Pedro Nogueira 
Published: April 2020

O Salário Mínimo (SM) é uma política pública de redistribuição, cuja génese não será alheia a questões humanitárias e ligadas à Paz social. Existe em vinte e oito dos trinta e seis países da Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Económico (OCDE). Os salários são obrigatoriamente limitados pelo que, em média, se produz por trabalhador. Havendo várias formas de comparação internacional do salário mínimo, calculou‑se a sua relação com a produtividade, nos vários países da OCDE, concluindo‑se que a generosidade, assim medida, desta política, difere bastante entre países e que não existe um padrão de desenvolvimento para as agrupar. O presente artigo analisa esta generosidade do salário mínimo nos vários territórios, concomitantemente com a influência que nela exercem a abrangência do salário mínimo, a desigualdade salarial, as contribuições para a Segurança Social e o peso dos custos de trabalho no que se produz (em média, por trabalhador). Para cumprir tal desiderato procede à decomposição do rácio (A) salário mínimo/produtividade, no que se designou por: (B) relação do salário mínimo com a distribuição salarial; (C) desigualdade salarial; (D) custos extrassalariais e (E) custos unitários do trabalho (CUT). Propõem‑se interpretações para as diferentes combinações de valores dos rácios intra‑país e para os seus diversos valores entre nações, terminando com os desafios futuros, nomeadamente de inclusão de variáveis políticas relacionadas com atores relevantes e regras institucionalizadas do processo político.
Chronic Constipation in the United States: Results From a Population-Based Survey Assessing Healthcare Seeking and Use of Pharmacotherapy
Authors: Oh Sun Jung , Fuller Garth , Patel Devin , Khalil Carine , Spalding William , Nag Arpita , Spiegel Brennan M. R. , Almario Christopher V. 
Published: April 2020

OBJECTIVES:Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) is characterized by unsatisfactory defecation and difficult or infrequent stools. CIC affects 9%–20% of adults in the United States, and although prevalent, gaps in knowledge remain regarding CIC healthcare seeking and medication use in the community. We recruited a population-based sample to determine the prevalence and predictors of (i) individuals having discussed their constipation symptoms with a healthcare provider and (ii) the use of constipation therapies.METHODS:We recruited a representative sample of Americans aged 18 years or older who had experienced constipation. Those who met the Rome IV criteria for irritable bowel syndrome and opioid-induced constipation were excluded. The survey included questions on constipation severity, healthcare seeking, and the use of constipation medications. We used multivariable regression methods to adjust for confounders.RESULTS:Overall, 4,702 participants had experienced constipation (24.0% met the Rome IV CIC criteria). Among all respondents with previous constipation, 37.6% discussed their symptoms with a clinician (primary care provider 87.6%, gastroenterologist 26.0%, and urgent care/emergency room physician 7.7%). Age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, employment status, having a source of usual care, insurance status, comorbidities, locus of control, and constipation severity were associated with seeking care (P< 0.05). Overall, 47.8% of respondents were taking medication to manage their constipation: over-the-counter medication(s) only, 93.5%; prescription medication(s) only, 1.3%; and both over-the-counter medication(s) and prescription medication(s), 5.2%.DISCUSSION:We found that 3 of 5 Americans with constipation have never discussed their symptoms with a healthcare provider. Furthermore, the use of prescription medications for managing constipation symptoms is low because individuals mainly rely on over-the-counter therapies.
Real-World Practice Patterns in the Era of Rectal Indomethacin for Prophylaxis Against Post-ERCP Pancreatitis in a High-Risk Cohort
Authors: Smith Zachary L. , Elmunzer B. Joseph , Cooper Gregory S. , Chak Amitabh 
Published: April 2020

INTRODUCTION:
The benefit of indomethacin suppositories for prophylaxis against post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in high-risk patients was established in a landmark trial published in 2012. The aims of this study were to measure the adoption of indomethacin prophylaxis in widespread clinical practice, evaluate concurrent trends in pancreatic duct (PD) stent utilization, and estimate the impact of these changes on PEP in a high-risk population.

METHODS:
Data were extracted from a commercial database (Explorys, IBM Watson Health, Somers, NY) that aggregates electronic health records from 26 US healthcare systems from 2009 to 2018. Using Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms, we identified a cohort of patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and were at high risk for PEP based on narrow criteria. PEP was defined as an emergency department or hospital admission 1–5 days after ERCP with an associated diagnosis of pancreatitis.

RESULTS:
Twenty six thousand eight hundred twenty ERCPs were performed on this high-risk cohort from 2009 to 2018. The overall PEP rate during the study period was 8.6%. There was no decrease in PEP rates from 2012 to 2018. Beginning in 2012, indomethacin usage increased linearly (P < 0.001), but remained below 50% in 2018. As indomethacin increased, utilization of PD stents declined abruptly from 2013 to 2014 (40.7%–8.5%) and trended to a nadir of 3.0%.

DISCUSSION:
Despite its low cost, widespread availability, and level I evidence of benefit in reducing the risk of PEP in high-risk patients, the adoption of rectal indomethacin during ERCP has been slow and the medication continues to be under-utilized. In parallel, the PD stent usage has declined dramatically. The lack of change in PEP rates during the study period could be attributable to the persistent low usage of rectal indomethacin or the decline in PD stent use. Further educational efforts and quality assurance measures are warranted to ensure that rectal indomethacin and PD stent placement are more appropriately used in clinical practice.
Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Is Not Associated With Future Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Kumar Shria , Metz David C. , Kaplan David E. , Goldberg David S. 
Published: April 2020

INTRODUCTION:

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is associated with many gastrointestinal disorders, including gastric cancer, and consensus guidelines recommend eradication after detection. There is a theoretical, yet uninvestigated, concern that HP treatment could increase the risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Using the data from a large cohort of patients with HP, we investigated whether HP eradication is associated with CDI.

METHODS:
A retrospective cohort study within the Veterans Health Administration on 38,535 patients (median age 61.8 years; 91.8% men) with detected HP between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2018 was conducted. Primary outcome was a positive laboratory test for CDI within 3 months of HP detection. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the following: patient demographics, previous CDI, recent hospitalization, and whether the patient received HP eradication therapy (by antibiotic and regimen, and including proton pump therapy). Secondary analysis of those treated evaluated whether eradication of HP was associated with CDI.

RESULTS:
Among 38,535 patients, 28,818 (74.8%) were treated for HP and 284 (0.74%) developed CDI. In multivariable analysis, prominent factors included hospital discharge within 12 weeks (odds ratio [OR] 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–3.77) and 4 weeks (OR 3.46; 95% CI: 2.18–5.48), P < 0.001, and previous CDI (OR 12.5; 95% CI: 9.21–17.0, P < 0.001). Treatment of HP was not associated with future CDI. In secondary analysis of those treated, confirmation of eradication was not associated with future CDI (OR 1.49; 95% CI: 0.67–3.29).

DISCUSSION:
In a large study of US patients with HP, we demonstrate that neither treatment nor eradication of HP is associated with CDI. Previous C. difficile infection and recent hospital discharge, established risk factors for CDI, are strongly associated. These findings suggest that treatment should be continued to be prescribed when HP is detected (http://links.lww.com/AJG/B507).
Overutilization of Endoscopic Surveillance in Barrett's Esophagus: The Perils of Too Much of a Good Thing
Authors: Cotton Cary C. , Shaheen Nicholas J. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
A cost-utility analysis in the current issue of AJG examines the ramifications of the overuse of surveillance endoscopy in Barrett's esophagus (BE). This study suggests that excess surveillance is expensive, increasing costs by 50% or more, with only nominal increases in quality-adjusted life expectancy. This study joins a growing literature of cost-utility analyses that suggest that more is not likely better when it comes to surveillance endoscopy. Given the plentiful literature showing overutilization of surveillance endoscopy in BE, the authors argue for a focus on the quality of endoscopy rather than increased frequency of surveillance to improve returns on our healthcare investment.
Ratcheting Examination of 1045 Notched Steel Plates under Low-High and High-Low Sequences
Authors: Kolasangiani K. , Shariati M. , Varvani-Farahani A. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The present study examines the ratcheting response of 1045 notched steel plates undergoing uniaxial step-loading cycles. Loading steps were applied with different Low-High and High-Low sequences. Ratcheting tests were conducted on notched samples, and average local strains were measured with the use of strain gauges mounted in the vicinity of notch roots. Measured ratcheting strains near notch roots were found as high as 10 times those of tests conducted on unnotched samples. The magnitude of applied cyclic load as well as notch diameter influenced local ratcheting strain at the vicinity of the notch root. The lower nominal load level over the first step in the Low-High sequence substantially promoted ratcheting magnitude over subsequent loading steps with higher load magnitudes. In the High-Low loading sequence, the previous load step with higher magnitude retarded the local accumulated plastic strain of the subsequent step with a lower load level. The plastic zone at the notch root was affected over the loading steps. Microhardness tests were conducted at several positions within a small area of 1.5 by 4 mm near the notch root to map the plastic zone and its progress after each loading step. Microhardness data collected at the notch region verified an enlarged plastic zone over the Low-High loading sequence, while the plastic zone for the High-Low loading sequence was estimated about 50 % smaller in size. Cracking at the notch root and fracture surface taken within the plastic zone were examined through optical and scanning electron microscopies.
Tonic GABAAConductance Favors Spike-Timing-Dependent over Theta-Burst-Induced Long-Term Potentiation in the Hippocampus
Authors: Dembitskaya Yulia , Wu Yu-Wei , Semyanov Alexey 
Published: April 2020

Synaptic plasticity is triggered by different patterns of network activity. Here, we investigated how LTP in CA3-CA1 synapses induced by different stimulation patterns is affected by tonic GABAAconductances in rat hippocampal slices. Spike-timing-dependent LTP was induced by pairing Schaffer collateral stimulation with antidromic stimulation of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Theta-burst-induced LTP was induced by theta-burst stimulation of Schaffer collaterals. We mimicked increased tonic GABAAconductance by bath application of 30 μmGABA. Surprisingly, tonic GABAAconductance selectively suppressed theta-burst-induced LTP but not spike-timing-dependent LTP. We combined whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, two-photon Ca2+imaging, glutamate uncaging, and mathematical modeling to dissect the mechanisms underlying these differential effects of tonic GABAAconductance. We found that Ca2+transients during pairing of an action potential with an EPSP were less sensitive to tonic GABAAconductance-induced shunting inhibition than Ca2+transients induced by EPSP burst. Our results may explain how different forms of memory are affected by increasing tonic GABAAconductances under physiological or pathologic conditions, as well as under the influence of substances that target extrasynaptic GABAAreceptors (e.g., neurosteroids, sedatives, antiepileptic drugs, and alcohol).SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTBrain activity is associated with neuronal firing and synaptic signaling among neurons. Synaptic plasticity represents a mechanism for learning and memory. However, some neurotransmitters that escape the synaptic cleft or are released by astrocytes can target extrasynaptic receptors. Extrasynaptic GABAAreceptors mediate tonic conductances that reduce the excitability of neurons by shunting. This results in the decreased ability for neurons to fire action potentials, but when action potentials are successfully triggered, tonic conductances are unable to reduce them significantly. As such, tonic GABAAconductances have minimal effects on spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity while strongly attenuating the plasticity evoked by EPSP bursts. Our findings shed light on how changes in tonic conductances can selectively affect different forms of learning and memory.
The Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Mediates a Preference for High-Agency Environments
Authors: Norton Kaitlyn G. , Liljeholm Mimi 
Published: April 2020

The ability to exert flexible instrumental control over one's environment is a defining feature of adaptive decision-making. Here, we investigated neural substrates mediating a preference for environments with greater instrumental divergence, the distance between outcome probability distributions associated with alternative actions. A formal index of agency, instrumental divergence allows an organism to flexibly obtain the currently most desired outcome as preferences change. As such, it may have intrinsic utility, guiding decisions toward environments that maximize instrumental power. Consistent with this notion, we found that a measure of expected value that treats instrumental divergence as a reward surrogate provided a better account of male and female human participants' choice preferences than did a conventional model, sensitive only to monetary reward. Using model-based fMRI, we found that activity in the rostrolateral and ventromedial PFC, regions associated with abstract cognitive inferences and subjective value computations, respectively, scaled with the divergence-based account of expected value. Implications for a neural common currency of information theoretic and motivational variables are discussed.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAgency is a central concept in philosophy and psychology. While research thus far has focused on cognitive and perceptual measures of agency, recent work demonstrating a strong preference for high-agency environments indicates a salient motivational dimension. Here, using instrumental divergence, the distance between outcome distributions associated with alternative actions, as a formal index of agency, we found that brain regions associated with directed exploration and subjective value computations, respectively, were selectively modulated by a model that treated agency as a reward surrogate, over models that assigned utility only to monetary payoffs. In a subset of regions, such effects were predicted by the influence of instrumental divergence on economic choice preferences. Our results elucidate neural mechanisms mediating the utility of agency.
It is time to mobilize suicide prevention for sexual and gender minorities in Canada
Authors: Ferlatte Olivier , Salway Travis , Oliffe John L. , Saewyc Elizabeth M. , Holmes Cindy , Schick Lynette , Purdie Aaron , Damstrom-Albach Diana (Dammy) , Mantler Edward R.G. , Ho Darren , Knight Rod 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSuicide is a significant health issue among sexual and gender minority adults (SGMA); yet, there are no tailored suicide prevention programs for these marginalized populations in Canada. We hosted two world cafés with community leaders, health professionals, policymakers, and researchers to identify recommendations for mobilizing SGMA-focused suicide prevention programs. We identified five priorities: (1) make society safer for sexual and gender minorities; (2) decrease barriers to mental health services; (3) support community-driven and community-based interventions; (4) increase suicide knowledge and reduce stigma; (5) expand the knowledge base on SGMA suicide. In the absence of a national Canadian SGMA suicide prevention policy, these priorities provide a starting point in addressing SGMA suicide inequities by advancing SGMA-tailored interventions.
Challenges Associated with Anti-epilepsy Medication and Use of Complementary or Alternative Medicines among People with Epilepsy in Rural Communities of Zimbabwe
Authors: Mutanana Ngonidzashe 
Published: April 2020

The main objective of this study was to analyze challenges associated with anti-epilepsy medication and use of complementary or alternative medicines among people with epilepsy in rural communities of Zimbabwe. The study opted for qualitative research because it is culturally specific and data collected is contextually rich. The target population was people with epilepsy and caregivers of children with epilepsy and using a snowball sampling technique, a sample of 15 people with epilepsy and 5 caregivers of children with epilepsy was selected. The study purposively selected 2 traditional healers, 2 faith healers and 2 psychiatric nurses to have their insight on complementary and alternative medicines in the community and data was collected using face-to-face in-depth interviews. Findings revealed that anti-epilepsy medication is associated with a number of challenges in rural communities, chief among them that people with epilepsy are not informed about the side-effects of anti-epilepsy medication such as stomach upset, dizziness, blurred vision and sexual dysfunction. As a plateau to these anti-epilepsy medication side-effects, they make use of traditional and spiritual medicines either as complementary or alternative to anti-epilepsy medication. They are also facing challenges of Anti-Epilepsy Drugs shortages and long distances to health facilities and consequently, they opt for complementary or alternative medicines to sustain their livelihoods. The study recommends modern healthcare providers to supply people with epilepsy with adequate information on the side-effects of drugs. Healthcare providers must have enough information on complementary and alternative medicines. Traditional and faith healers must be accommodated in epilepsy treatment because of sociocultural aspects, and they too must be educated on the relevance of the modern healthcare system in epilepsy treatment. The study finally recommends a study on the multi-cultural approach of epilepsy management in Zimbabwe.