bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of obesity on outcomes in patients undergoing emergency cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis
Authors: Wong Alixandra , Naidu Sanjeev , Lancashire Raymond P. , Chua Terence C. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundObesity is a perceived risk factor for poorer surgical outcomes, including increased complication rates and mortality. As obesity rates rise annually, evaluating surgical outcomes in the obese population has become increasingly important. This study examines the impact of obesity on outcomes following emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for acute cholecystitis.MethodsA retrospective review of patients who underwent emergency LC for acute cholecystitis between March 2018 and March 2021 was performed. A total of 326 patients were included and stratified by body mass index (BMI) into two groups: obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n = 156) and non‐obese (BMI <30 kg/m2, n = 170). Primary outcomes included length of stay, time to definitive surgery, and postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes included total operative time and intraoperative findings.ResultsObese patients were younger than non‐obese patients (median, 45 [34.3–56.8] and 48.5 [34.0–66.3] years; p < 0.001) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes (13.5% versus 6.5%; p = 0.034). Higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (p < 0.001) and operative grading scores were observed in the obese group (76.3% versus 40.6%, p < 0.001), who were more likely to have a distended gallbladder (19.9% versus 11.2%, p = 0.030) and gallstone impaction (23.1% versus 11.8%, p = 0.007) in comparison to the non‐obese group. Length of hospital stay, time to definitive surgery, and postoperative complication rates were similar between groups.ConclusionAlthough obesity is associated with greater technical difficulty during surgery than non‐obese patients, similar postoperative outcomes were achieved. Obesity should not be a contraindication for LC and can be safely performed in the emergency setting.
Racism without racists and consequentialist life‐maximizing approaches to triaging
Authors: Cordeiro‐Rodrigues Luis , Ewuoso Cornelius 
Published: February 2022

AbstractConsequentialist life‐maximizing approaches to triaging prescribe that everyone ought to have an equal chance of living a typical lifespan, through the saving more life‐years (or saving most lives) principle, which emphasizes the youngest‐first principle and in some cases a lottery approach, often at the expense of the old and the sick. Although this approach has already been criticized by several bioethicists, this article provides a different kind of criticism to the life‐cycle viewpoint, one that has not yet been explored at length; namely, we contend that the life‐maximizing approach entails a form of racism without racists in its attitude towards Black people. More specifically, we contend that by neglecting the idea that current societies are not post‐racial, it privileges White individuals and disadvantages Black people in the triaging process, curtails equal opportunities for Black people, reinforces white normativity, and neglects African culture. We end the article by pointing towards an Afro‐communitarian relational triaging approach that does not face the same difficulties as consequentialist life‐maximizing approaches do.
Clinical outcomes of second relapsed and refractory first relapsed paediatric AML: A retrospective study within the NOPHO‐DB SHIP consortium
Authors: White Tara , Kaspers Gertjan , Abrahamsson Jonas , Arad‐Cohen Nira , Cianci Daniela , Fernandez Jose , Ha Shau‐Yin , Hasle Henrik , De Moerloose Barbara , Zwaan C. Michel , Goemans Bianca F. 
Published: February 2022

SummaryAs treatments for second relapsed and refractory first relapsed paediatric AML transition from purely palliative to more commonly curative in nature, comparative data is necessary for evaluating the effectiveness of emerging treatment options. Furthermore, little is known about predictors of prognosis following third‐line therapy. From 2004 until 2019, 277 of the 869 patients enrolled in NOPHO‐DB SHIP consortium trials experienced a first relapse and, of these patients, 98 experienced refractory first relapse and 59 a second relapse. Data on patient and disease characteristics within this cohort of 157 patients was analysed to determine probability of overall survival (pOS) and to identify factors influencing survival. Data on early treatment response and complete remission were not available. One and 5‐year pOS were 22 ± 3% and 14 ± 3%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between refractory first relapsed and second relapsed AML. Factors influencing prognosis included: late relapse, type of third‐line treatment, FLT3 mutational status, and original treatment protocol. These data provide a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of emerging therapies for the treatment of children with refractory first relapsed and second relapsed paediatric AML and evidence that select patients receiving third‐line therapy can be cured.
The importance of prototype similarity for physical activity: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations in a large sample of young adolescents
Authors: Wheatley Catherine , Wassenaar Thomas M. , Beale Nick , Salvan Piergiorgio , Dawes Helen , Davies Emma , Johansen‐Berg Heidi 
Published: February 2022

ObjectivesPhysical activity declines during adolescence. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is a useful framework for investigating activity but leaves variance unexplained. We explored the utility of a dual‐process approach using the TPB and the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) to investigate correlates of physical activity, and 1‐year change in physical activity, among a large sample of adolescents.DesignA cross‐sectional and longitudinal analysis of baseline and follow‐up data from the Fit to Study cluster‐randomized trial.MethodsA total of 9,699 secondary school pupils at baseline and 4,632 at follow‐up (mean age = 12.5 years) completed measures of past week physical activity and constructs from both behaviour‐change models, at time‐points 1 year apart. Cross‐sectional analyses used multilevel, stepwise regression models to measure the strength of associations between model constructs and physical activity, and variance in behaviour explained by PWM over and above TPB. In longitudinal analyses, change scores were calculated by subtracting follow‐up from baseline scores. Models controlling for trial treatment status measured the strength of associations between change scores, and variance explained.ResultsAt baseline, after controlling for past behaviour, physically active prototype similarity had the strongest relationship with activity after the intention to be active. Change in prototype similarity had the strongest relationship with change in activity after the change in intention and attitudes. Prototype perceptions and willingness explained additional variance in behaviour.ConclusionA dual‐process model incorporating prototype perceptions could more usefully predict physical activity than models based on rational expectations alone. Behaviour‐change interventions promoting an active self‐image could be tested for effects on physical activity.
A pilot study of intralesional methotrexate injections versus triamcinolone acetonide in patients affected by nail matrix psoriasis
Authors: Starace Michela , Alessandrini Aurora , Iorizzo Matilde , D'Altobrando Ambra , Ferrari Tiziano , Bruni Francesca , Piraccini Bianca Maria 
Published: February 2022

SummaryNail disorders in general are difficult to treat and often frustrating, and this is also the case with nail psoriasis, especially when it is limited to the nails, and not affecting joints. The quality of life of patients with nail psoriasis is negatively affected, owing to the chronic course of the disease and frequent relapses. The purpose of this study was to compare treatment response and maintenance of response during follow-up of 12 patients with nail matrix psoriasis limited to a few nails, who were treated with intralesional injections of either methotrexate (MTX) 25 mg/mL or triamcinolone acetonide 10 mg/mL. Patients were treated every 6 weeks for 24 weeks and followed up for 6 months. Photographic documentation and assessment by Nail Psoriasis Severity Index were performed during each treatment session and at each follow-up visit. At the end of the four treatment sessions, all patients had improvement of their disease, which continued during follow-up, especially for the MTX-treated group.
Cytomorphological and immunophenotypic characteristics of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm involving central nervous system: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Prasad Tanya , Pushpam Deepam , Chopra Anita 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBlastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare, aggressive hematopoietic neoplasm derived from precursors of plasmacytoid dendritic cells. We describe cytomorphological and immunophenotypic features of BPDCN in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a 66‐year‐old patient who presented with delayed central nervous system relapse. Morphological examination showed dense infiltration by monotonous population of intermediate‐sized cells, resembling blasts. Nuclei had irregular contour with fine chromatin and prominent nucleoli. The cells had scant, pale blue, agranular cytoplasm. In some cells, intracytoplasmic vacuoles were also seen. No lymphoglandular bodies were seen. No mitosis or karyorrhexis were observed. On immunophenotyping, these cells were positive for CD45dim, CD123dim, HLA‐DR, CD56, CD36bright, TCL1, CD4, CD117, CD38dim and negative for CD13, CD33, CD34, CD14, CD64 and CD16. The relevance of clinical suspicion, cytological recognition, and inclusion of BPDCN specific immunophenotypic markers is emphasized.
A rare case of giant left circumflex coronary artery fistula to coronary sinus in patient with persistent left superior vena cava and bicuspid aortic valve
Authors: Abazid Rami M. , Goela Aashish , Islam Ali , Blissett Sarah 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA 61‐year‐old male presented with symptoms of decompensated heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed severely impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function (LVEF of 20–25%), bicuspid aortic valve with moderate aortic insufficiency and no significant stenosis, dilated coronary sinus and a tortuous vascular structure in the left‐sided atrioventricular groove. Cardiac computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of persistent left superior vena cava and a giant coronary artery fistula to the coronary sinus. Cardiac magnetic resonance illustrated non‐specific late gadolinium enhancement in the mid‐wall of the septum. The patient was treated medically and with cardiac re‐synchronization therapy.
Cardiac adaptation to high altitudes after short‐ and long‐term exposure among Chinese Han lowlanders
Authors: Liu Guyue , Zhao Liming , Xu Qing , Lang Mingjian , Xiao Rong 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundShort‐term, high altitude (HA) exposure raises pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and decreases left ventricular volumes. However, relatively little is known of the long‐term cardiac consequences of prolonged exposure in Chinese Han lowlanders, a highly adapted HA population.AimsWe studied cardiac structure and function by echocardiography to investigate short‐term adaptation and potential long‐term cardiac remodeling.MethodsThis study included 301 healthy subjects of short‐term exposure (STE), acclimatized Chinese Han lowlanders (AL) at HA, native Tibetans (NT), and sea level residents (SLR) with 75, 77, 69, and 80 participants, respectively. All groups underwent standard echocardiography.ResultsCompared with SLR, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate of STE and AL did not significantly increase following HA exposure, but SBP in STE was lower than AL. In lowlanders, HA exposure enlarged right heart and pulmonary artery (PA), reduced left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. This decrease in LV diastolic function increased with exposure time. Compared with SLR, ejection fraction did not change significantly in STE, but decreased in AL. Interventricular septal end‐diastolic thickness (IVSd) increased both in STE and AL compared with SLR. Compared with NT, AL population had higher SBP and the greater diameter of PA.ConclusionsIn Chinese Han lowlanders, exposure to HA enlarged right ventricle and decreased the diastolic function of LV. LV systolic function was preserved after short‐term HA exposure but decreased after long‐term HA exposure. It was possible to speculate that ethnicity contributed to the observed difference in heart.
The relationship between career commitment and career success among university staff: The mediating role of employability
Authors: Van der Heijden Beatrice I. J. M. , Davies Eleanor M. M. , van der Linden Dimitri , Bozionelos Nikos , De Vos Ans 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAcross Europe, ongoing changes in higher education, such as the stagnating (even decreasing) percentage of permanent or tenure‐track jobs, and the reduced government budgets impress on us the need to conduct empirical research on the dynamics of the careers in this sector. In this study, we focussed on career success in higher education, and specifically examined the relationship of career commitment with objective and subjective career success, and the mediating role of employability in this relationship. Participants were drawn from across occupational roles including academic and support staff (N = 354) in a large Dutch university. Process macro's for SPSS were used to test our hypothesized model. We found that career commitment was particularly related to three out of the five dimensions of employability (i.e., anticipation and optimisation, personal flexibility, and corporate sense). There also was positive association between employability and objective and subjective career success. Furthermore, personal flexibility and corporate sense fully mediated the relationship between career commitment and objective career success. Corporate sense partially mediated the relationship between career commitment and subjective career success. Unexpectedly, staff status was not a moderator. Different explanatory mechanisms seem to operate between career commitment and forms of career success. Our study implies that for university staff, it is important to actively invest in their employability, with a special focus on one's corporate sense, and to be supported in this by their surrounding stakeholders (i.e., their family, friends, peers, direct supervisor, and employer). In this way, they will be able to increase their career success and add to the sustained competitive advantage of their employers.
Antemortem basal forebrain atrophy in pure limbic TAR DNA‐binding protein 43 pathology compared with pure Alzheimer pathology
Authors: Teipel Stefan J. , Grothe Michel J. ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackground and purposeCurrently, the extent of cholinergic basal forebrain atrophy in relatively pure limbic TAR DNA‐binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) pathology compared with relatively pure Alzheimer disease (AD) is unclear.MethodsWe compared antemortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based atrophy of the basal forebrain and medial and lateral temporal lobe volumes between 10 autopsy cases with limbic TDP‐43 pathology and 33 cases with AD pathology on postmortem neuropathologic examination from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohort. For reference, we studied MRI volumes from cognitively healthy, amyloid positron emission tomography‐negative subjects (n = 145). Group differences were assessed using Bayesian analysis of covariance. In addition, we assessed brain‐wide regional volume changes using partial least squares regression (PLSR).ResultsWe found extreme evidence (Bayes factor [BF]01 > 600) for a smaller basal forebrain volume in both TDP‐43 and AD cases compared with amyloid‐negative controls, and moderate evidence (BF01 = 4.9) that basal forebrain volume was not larger in TDP‐43 than in AD cases. The ratio of hippocampus to lateral temporal lobe volumes discriminated between TDP‐43 and AD cases with an accuracy of 0.78. PLSR showed higher gray matter in lateral temporal lobes and cingulate and precuneus, and reduced gray matter in precentral and postcentral gyri and hippocampus in TDP‐43 compared with AD cases.ConclusionsAtrophy of the cholinergic basal forebrain appears to be similarly pronounced in cases with limbic TDP‐43 pathology as in AD. This suggests that a clinical trial of the efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors in amyloid‐negative cases with amnestic dementia and an imaging signature of TDP‐43 pathology may be warranted.
pH variability at volcanic CO2 seeps regulates coral calcifying fluid chemistry
Authors: Comeau Steeve , Cornwall Christopher E. , Shlesinger Tom , Hoogenboom Mia , Mana Ralph , McCulloch Malcolm T. , Rodolfo‐Metalpa Riccardo 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCoral reefs are iconic ecosystems with immense ecological, economic and cultural value, but globally their carbonate‐based skeletal construction is threatened by ocean acidification (OA). Identifying coral species that have specialised mechanisms to maintain high rates of calcification in the face of declining seawater pH is of paramount importance in predicting future species composition, and growth of coral reefs. Here, we studied multiple coral species from two distinct volcanic CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea to assess their capacity to control their calcifying fluid (CF) chemistry. Several coral species living under conditions of low mean seawater pH, but with either low or high variability in seawater pH, were examined and compared with those living in ‘normal’ (non‐seep) ambient seawater pH. We show that when mean seawater pH is low but highly variable, corals have a greater ability to maintain constant pHcf in their CF, but this characteristic was not linked with changes in abundance. Within less variable low pH seawater, corals with limited reductions in pHcf at the seep sites compared with controls tended to be more abundant at the seep site than at the control site. However, this finding was strongly influenced by a single species (Montipora foliosa), which was able to maintain complete pHcf homeostasis. Overall, although our findings indicate that there might be an association between ecological success and greater pHcf homeostasis, further research with additional species and at more sites with differing seawater pH regimes is required to solidify inferences regarding coral ecological success under future OA.
Intertwined like a double helix: A meta‐synthesis of the qualitative literature examining the experiences of living with someone with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Parkinson Anne , Brunoro Crystal , Leayr Jack , Fanning Vanessa , Chisholm Katrina , Drew Janet , Desborough Jane , Phillips Christine 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic serious condition of uncertain course and outcome. There is relatively little literature on the experiences of people who live with a person with MS. They inhabit a locus of care that spans caring for (a relational act) and caring about (a moral stance, addressing fairness, compassion and justice) the person with MS.MethodsUsing the theoretical lens of personhood, we undertook a scoping review and meta‐synthesis of the qualitative literature on the experiences of people who live with a person with MS, focusing on the nature of, and constraints upon, caring.ResultsOf 330 articles, 49 were included in the review. We identified five themes. One of these—seeking information and support—reflects the political economy of care. Two are concerned with the moral domain of care: caring as labour and living with uncertainty. The final two themes—changing identities and adapting to life with a person with MS—point to the negotiation and reconstitution of personhood for both the person with MS and the people they live with.ConclusionPeople with MS are embedded in relational social networks of partners, family and friends, which are fundamental in the support of their personhood; the people who live with them are ‘co‐constituents of the patient's identity’ assisting them to make sense of their world and self in times of disruption due to illness. Support services and health care professionals caring for people with MS are currently very much patient‐centred; young people in particular report that their roles are elided in the health system's interaction with a parent with MS. There is a need to look beyond the person with MS and recognize the relational network of people who surround them and broaden their focus to encompass this network.Patient and Public InvolvementOur research team includes four members with MS and two members with lived experience of living or working with people with MS. A third person (not a team member) who lives with a partner with MS provided feedback on the paper.
Who are Canada’s temporary foreign workers? Policy evolution and a pandemic reality
Authors: Akbar Marshia 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSince the late‐2000s, Canada has admitted an increasing number of foreign workers with a wide range of temporary work permits to meet local labour shortages and growing labour market demands. Unlike permanent residents, temporary residents are subjected to restricted work authorizations and social citizenship rights. Besides, Canadian policies distinguish different groups of temporary foreign workers based on their skill level and work permit type to determine their eligibility for employment, social rights and permanent residency. Reviewing secondary sources, this paper contributes to analyzing the key policies that have shaped the diverse streams within the Canadian temporary migration program. The analysis also highlights the inequalities experienced by various categories of temporary foreign workers in Canada and assesses these inequalities within the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
The going gets rougher: Exploring the labour market outcomes of international graduates in Australia
Authors: Tang Angelina , Perales Francisco , Rowe Francisco , Baxter Janeen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractGiven emerging evidence on their troubled transition to work, this study examines patterns, trends and changes in the labour market outcomes of international graduates remaining in Australia at 4 months following course completion between 1998 and 2015. Using the Australian Graduate Survey, this study shows that the share of international graduates who stayed on with the intention to work doubled during this period. The recent cohorts tended to come from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds, hold temporary visas and lack local work experience, all of which have been linked to disadvantageous labour market outcomes. This study further reveals a clear trend of rising economic inactivity, unemployment, part‐time employment and qualification mismatch among international graduates over time, reflecting their vulnerability against a backdrop of socio‐political and economic changes in the country. These findings indicate a need to review and strengthen existing policies and interventions to better help international graduates integrate into the labour market.