Divergent Results Research Articles

Cognitive outcome following bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: A comparative observational study in the Indian population

The improvement in motor outcomes after bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) has been well established in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the cognitive changes related to STN DBS are debatable, with studies showing divergent results.

Soil Salinization Level Monitoring and Classifying by Mixed Chaotic Systems

Soil salinization process is a complex non-linear dynamic evolution. To classify a system with this type of non-linear characteristic, this study proposed a mixed master/slave chaotic system based on Chua’s circuit and a fractional-order Chen-Lee chaotic system to classify soil salinization level. The subject is the soil in Xinjiang with different levels of human interference. A fractional-order Chen-Lee chaotic system was constructed, and the spectral signal processed by the Chua’s non-linear circuit was substituted into the master/slave chaotic system. The chaotic dynamic errors with different fractional orders were calculated. The comparative analysis showed that 0.1-order has the largest chaotic dynamic error change, which produced two distinct and divergent results. Thus, this study converted the chaotic dynamic errors of fractional 0.1-order into chaotic attractors to build an extension matter-element model. Finally, we compared the soil salt contents (SSC) from the laboratory chemical analysis with the results of the extension theory classification. The comparison showed that the combination of fractional order mixed master/slave chaotic system and extension theory has high classification accuracy for soil salinization level. The results of this system match the result of the chemical analysis. The classification accuracy of the calibration set data was 100%, and the classification accuracy of the validation set data was 90%. This method is the first use of the mixed master/slave chaotic system in this field and can satisfy certain soil salinization monitoring needs as well as promote the application of the chaotic system in soil salinization monitoring.

Exon-capture data and locus screening provide new insights into the phylogeny of flatfishes (Pleuronectoidei)

There is an extensive collection of literature on the taxonomy and phylogenetics of flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes) that extends over two centuries, but consensus on many of their evolutionary relationships remains elusive. Phylogenetic uncertainty stems from highly divergent results derived from morphological and genetic characters, and between various molecular datasets. Deciphering relationships is complicated by rapid diversification early in the Pleuronectiformes tree and an abundance of studies that incompletely and inconsistently sample taxa and genetic markers. We present phylogenies based on a genome-wide dataset (4,434 nuclear markers via exon-capture) and wide taxon sampling (86 species spanning 12 of 16 families) of the largest flatfish suborder (Pleuronectoidei). Nine different subsets of the data and two tree construction approaches (eighteen phylogenies in total) are remarkably consistent with other recent molecular phylogenies, and show strong support for the monophyly of all families included except Pleuronectidae. Analyses resolved a novel phylogenetic hypothesis for the family Rhombosoleidae as being within the Pleuronectoidea rather than the Soleoidea, and failed to support the subfamily Hippoglossinae as a monophyletic group. Our results were corroborated with evidence from previous phylogenetic studies to outline regions of persistent phylogenetic uncertainty and identify groups in need of further phylogenetic inference.

Divergences in gravitational-wave emission and absorption from extreme mass ratio binaries

A powerful technique to calculate gravitational radiation from binary systems involves a perturbative expansion: if the masses of the two bodies are very different, the ``small'' body is treated as a point particle of mass ${m}_{p}$ moving in the gravitational field generated by the large mass $M$, and one keeps only linear terms in the small mass ratio ${m}_{p}/M$. This technique usually yields finite answers, which are often in good agreement with fully nonlinear numerical relativity results, even when extrapolated to nearly comparable mass ratios. Here we study two situations in which the point-particle approximation yields a divergent result: the instantaneous flux emitted by a small body as it orbits the light ring of a black hole, and the total energy absorbed by the horizon when a small body plunges into a black hole. By integrating the Teukolsky (or Zerilli/Regge-Wheeler) equations in the frequency and time domains we show that both of these quantities diverge. We find that these divergences are an artifact of the point-particle idealization, and are able to interpret and regularize this behavior by introducing a finite size for the point particle. These divergences do not play a role in black-hole imaging, e.g., by the Event Horizon Telescope.

MERS-CoV in sheep, goats, and cattle, United Arab Emirates, 2019: Virological and serological investigations reveal an accidental spillover from dromedaries.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated again the global threat posed by emerging zoonotic coronaviruses. During the past two decades alone, humans have experienced the emergence of several coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV in 2003, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. To date, MERS-CoV has been detected in 27 countries, with a case fatality ratio of approximately 34.5%. Similar to other coronaviruses, MERS-CoV presumably originated from bats; however, the main reservoir and primary source of human infections are dromedary camels. Other species within the Camelidae family, such as Bactrian camels, alpacas, and llamas, seem to be susceptible to the infection as well, although to a lesser extent. In contrast, susceptibility studies on sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, and horses obtained divergent results. In the present study, we tested nasal swabs and/or sera from 55 sheep, 45 goats, and 52 cattle, collected at the largest livestock market in the United Arab Emirates, where dromedaries are also traded, for the presence of MERS-CoV nucleic acid by RT-qPCR, and for specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assay. All sera were negative for MERS-CoV-reactive antibodies, but the nasal swab of one sheep (1.8%) repeatedly tested positive for MERS-CoV nucleic acid. Next generation sequencing (NGS) of the complete N gene of the sheep-derived MERS-CoV revealed>99% nucleotide identity to MERS-CoV sequences of five dromedaries in nearby pens and to three reference sequences. The NGS sequence of the sheep-derived MERS-CoV was confirmed by conventional RT-PCR of a part of the N gene and subsequent Sanger sequencing. All MERS-CoV sequences clustered within clade B, lineage 5. In conclusion, our study shows that noncamelid livestock, such as sheep, goats, and cattle do not play a major role in MERS-CoV epidemiology. The one sheep that tested positive most likely reflects an accidental viral spillover event from infected dromedaries in nearby pens.

Effects of Essential Oils and Aromatic Plants on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

The primary objective of this research was to investigate how beneficial essential oils and aromatic plants are at curing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is known to be one of the most incurable prevalent diseases in the elderly. Agitation, cognitive impairments, communication difficulty, irritability, and confusion may advance in AD patients. Even though the behavioral causes contributing to the disease have not yet been discovered, aggregation of tau and amyloid proteins is found in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s. With numerous experiments conducted on these proteins, scientists have surmised that this accumulation is a causative factor of Alzheimer’s disease. Multiple scientists and experts have carried out several studies regarding the enlargement of amyloid plaques on Alzheimer’s. In addition, the effects of aromatherapy, including divergent results of alternative essential oils, have been analyzed. This paper examines the distinctions between Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The review elaborates on the causes and the symptoms before describing the effects of essential oils and aromatic plants. Subsequently, this provides rudiments regarding the benefits and hazards of applying essential oils and aromatic plants to treat either Alzheimer's disease or dementia. This study focuses on utilizing essential oils and aromatic plants in the medical profession as an alternative treatment for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Likewise, a couple of case studies are shown in the paper with the analysis of amyloid plaques in mice and the effectiveness of lavender, rosemary, and orange essential oils on participants. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease Dementia Essential oils Aromatic plants Aromatherapy Amyloid and Tau

MP06-11 DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CANADIAN ENDOUROLOGY GROUP STENT SYMPTOM SCORE (CEGSSS)

You have accessJournal of UrologyStone Disease: Surgical Therapy I (MP06)1 Sep 2021MP06-11 DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CANADIAN ENDOUROLOGY GROUP STENT SYMPTOM SCORE (CEGSSS) Naeem Bhojani, Jason Y. Lee, Shubhadip K. De, Andrea G. Lantz, Sri Sivalingam, Michael Ordon, Kymora B. Scotland, Sero Andonian, and Ben H. Chew Naeem BhojaniNaeem Bhojani More articles by this author , Jason Y. LeeJason Y. Lee More articles by this author , Shubhadip K. DeShubhadip K. De More articles by this author , Andrea G. LantzAndrea G. Lantz More articles by this author , Sri SivalingamSri Sivalingam More articles by this author , Michael OrdonMichael Ordon More articles by this author , Kymora B. ScotlandKymora B. Scotland More articles by this author , Sero AndonianSero Andonian More articles by this author , and Ben H. ChewBen H. Chew More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000001973.11AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Placement of a ureteral stent is a common urological intervention that can significantly impact QoL. The ureteral stent symptom questionnaire (USSQ) has been used since its development in 2003 but its length hinders its use in clinical practice. Therefore, we sought to develop a new, shorter, practical and validated tool. METHODS: We sought to create a new quality of life questionnaire using a 2 phase schema: Phase 1: Using the USSQ as a starting point, 9 Canadian Endourology Group (CEG) members and 21 patients evaluated each item of the USSQ (Likert scale 1 to 5) to determine its importance/relevance in assessing symptoms associated with a ureteral stent. All accepted items were than discussed with face-to-face meetings. Phase 2 (Pilot trial): Patients undergoing stent placement completed the newly developed CEGSSS in addition to a short survey evaluating the tool itself. 5 rounds of 5 patients, with modifications of the CEGSSS based on feedback after every round was anticipated. RESULTS: Phase 1: After consultation with patients and CEG experts, items were accepted if the mean patient or expert rating was ≥4.0 (out of 5) with a SD of ≤0.75. Questions with mean patient or mean expert ratings of ≥4.0 but SD ≥0.75 or with divergent results between patients and experts were flagged for discussion. Those items that did not meet these requirements were rejected. The final CEGSSS contains 15 questions divided into 3 domains: Urination (8 Q), Pain (3 Q) and QoL (2 Q). Phase 2: 16 patients were recruited. After 3 rounds of patient feedback, no new feedback was received and therefore this process was deemed complete (Table 1). Median time to complete the CEGSSS was 7 minutes (2-20 minutes). 2/16 patients required assistance to complete the questionnaire, but all patients rated it as easy to navigate. Mean level of difficulty was 1.75/5. CONCLUSIONS: Through a process of expert and patient consultation and a pilot trial, a new stent symptom questionnaire was developed that is short, easy for patients to understand and clinically relevant. The next step will be external validation of the newly developed CEGSSS. Source of Funding: None © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e93-e94 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Naeem Bhojani More articles by this author Jason Y. Lee More articles by this author Shubhadip K. De More articles by this author Andrea G. Lantz More articles by this author Sri Sivalingam More articles by this author Michael Ordon More articles by this author Kymora B. Scotland More articles by this author Sero Andonian More articles by this author Ben H. Chew More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...

Effects of aerobic physical exercise on neuroplasticity after stroke: systematic review.

Stroke is among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Interventions for stroke rehabilitation aim to minimize sequelae, promote individuals' independence and potentially recover functional damage. The role of aerobic exercise as a facilitator of post-stroke neuroplasticity in humans is still questionable. To investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity in patients with stroke sequelae. A systematic review of randomized clinical trials and crossover studies was performed, with searches for human studies in the following databases: PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS and PeDRO, only in English, following the PRISMA protocol. The keywords used for selecting articles were defined based on the PICO strategy. This systematic review evaluated the impacts of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity through assessment of neural networks and neuronal excitability, neurotrophic factors, or cognitive and functional assessment. Studies that evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity after stroke measured through functional resonance (fMRI) or cortical excitability have shown divergent results, but aerobic exercise potentially can modify the neural network, as measured through fMRI. Additionally, aerobic exercise combined with cognitive training improves certain cognitive domains linked to motor learning. Studies that involved analysis of neurotrophic factors to assess neuroplasticity had conflicting results. Physical exercise is a therapeutic intervention in rehabilitation programs that, beyond the known benefits relating to physical conditioning, functionality, mood and cardiovascular health, may also potentiate the neuroplasticity process. Neuroplasticity responses seem more robust in moderate to high-intensity exercise training programs, but dose-response heterogeneity and non-uniform neuroplasticity assessments limit generalizability.

245Comparison of methods for classifying heterogeneity in gestational diabetes (GDM) and association with outcomes

Abstract Background Clinical experience suggests that diverse clinical subtypes exist within the broader diagnosis of GDM. Analysis from a single centre recently outlined heterogeneity in GDM with respect to insulin secretion and sensitivity, defining four GDM subtypes: 1) GDMsecr (<25th centile HOMA-β (Hb) for non-GDM); 2) GDMsens (<25th centile Matsuda Index for non-GDM); 3) GDMmixed (both GDMsecr and GDMsens); 4) GDMND, no defect (neither GDMsecr and GDMsens). Classification using these subtypes is associated with adverse outcomes. Methods Following similar methodology, women with GDM were classified into four subtypes including comparison of Hb, insulinogenic index (II) and Stumvoll first-phase estimate (SV) for defining GDMsecr. Analyses compared neonatal outcomes with non-GDM women and between GDM groups using c2 tests and regression analyses adjusted for multiple confounders including maternal age, BMI and HAPO study centre. Results Hb, II and SV gave divergent results for GDMsecr, with only 19% concordance. In all analyses, GDMND (10% by Hb, 6% by II, 6% by SV) showed outcome frequencies similar to those of non-GDM women; groups 1-3 showed higher risks (p < 0.01 vs non GDM). These results persisted in the fully adjusted model (aOR generally >2.0). Conclusions Different clinical subtypes in GDM are associated with differing risks of adverse outcome. Key messages Determination of GDM subtype can assist in assessing GDM women at higher risk of adverse clinical outcome and help guide clinical practice.

Religiosity and Trust: Evidence from the United States

BackgroundTrust is one of the key driving forces behind human action and an important factor in shaping human interaction. Trust can improve economic growth, political and civic involvement, democratic stability, and subjective well-being. Yet, trust has been in decline for the last 60 years in the U.S.PurposeThis article tests the effect of several indicators of religiosity, including an index for both social and individual religiosity, on trust. Common religious doctrine instructs followers to place their trust solely in God, and can therefore be interpreted as a determinant of generalized trust. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to find out whether religious people are more likely to be distrustful of others and whether they are more likely to be misanthropic.MethodsWe use the US General Social Survey (GSS, 1972–2018, [Formula: see text]), a large, recurring, and nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults. Using the GSS, we investigate the relationship between religiosity and trust (interpersonal and generalized) in a well-controlled model using OLS regressions. We examine both the effects of social religiosity (e.g. church attendance, membership at religious organization), and individual religiosity (e.g. belief in God, feeling of closeness to God, prayer), on trust and on misanthropy. Several additional robustness tests were conducted.ResultsThe findings demonstrate that while social religiosity or belonging (services attendance, church membership) predicts more trust, individual religiosity or believing (prayer, closeness and belief in God) predicts lower trust. Likewise, social religiosity lowers misanthropy, while individual religiosity promotes it. Furthermore, we show that it is important to consider individual and social religiosity simultaneously because they correlate and have opposite effects–this is an intriguing and not entirely obvious finding as most people would expect that religiosity in general, has a positive effect on trust.Conclusions and ImplicationsOur results indicate that religiosity is a substantial determinant of social trust and of misanthropy. The divergent results based on whether religiosity is social or individual in character is a new conceptual approach towards religiosity not previously undertaken in the literature. Ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation theory explains our findings—connecting with God disrupts connection with humans.

Woody plant encroachment enhanced global vegetation greening and ecosystem water‐use efficiency

AbstractAimEncroachment of woody plants into grasslands and savannas (WPE) has been observed world‐wide. However, the general ecohydrological effects of this striking change in land cover are uncertain owing to divergent results in various areas and unknown global spatial distribution. Here, we reveal the patterns and dynamics of WPE and its effects on leaf area index (LAI), gross primary production (GPP), components of evapotranspiration (ET) and ecosystem water‐use efficiency (EWUE).LocationGlobal.Time periodContemporary.Major taxa studiedWoody plants.MethodsWe used remote sensing to identify the distribution of WPE in 2002–2018, validated at 442 WPE sites, and analysed the pattern of WPE across geographical gradients. The multi‐time‐scale impacts of WPE were revealed through pairwise comparison. Differences among biomes/climate zones were compared by the Kruskal–Wallis test. The relationship of WPE to vegetation greening and the effects of WPE on EWUE were explored.ResultsGlobal WPE expanded persistently from 2002 to 2018, but the rate of increase decreased after 2010; spatially, the average rate of change was .3%/year. High values of WPE in 2018 occurred in arid and semi‐arid regions, with the peak WPE in the multi‐annual mean precipitation of 350–400 mm. Pairwise comparison showed that WPE increased the LAI, GPP, ET and ratio of transpiration to ET, with the strongest effects in summer, and enhanced annual EWUE. Both global pixel‐ and site‐level WPE mainly showed vegetation greening. The above findings varied among bioclimatic conditions; particularly in semi‐arid areas, WPE was positively correlated with vegetation greening and remarkably improved EWUE.Main conclusionsThe ongoing WPE contributed to vegetation greening and elevated vegetation productivity by increasing the LAI and partitioning more water into transpiration; these findings indicate that the WPE process should be incorporated into the carbon cycle and ecohydrology models. However, attention should also be focused on controlling adverse consequences of WPE in arid areas.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular diseases: uncertainty prevails.

In the late 1970s, a lower incidence of myocardial infarction and favorable hemostatic alterations were reported in Greenland Inuits. This observation prompted investigators worldwide to continue research on the role of a specific diet in this population and sparked an ongoing discussion about the potential use of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (VITAL), and the secondary prevention of primarily coronary artery disease (JELIS, REDUCE‑IT, OMEMI). However, the current evidence to support the preventive value of PUFAs is inconsistent. Seminal clinical trials such as the GISSI‑Prevenzione, JELIS, PREDIMED, or ASCEND differed in their approach to the assessment of cardiovascular effects of n-3 PUFAs and reported divergent results. The questions remain whether eicosapentaenoic acid is the only PUFA offering cardiovascular benefits, what is the importance of PUFA dosing, and, finally, who should receive n-3 PUFA treatment. This article discusses the latest insights into n-3 PUFA use in cardiovascular disease prevention.

Effect of t (11;14) Abnormality on Outcomes of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma in the Connect MM Registry

BackgroundThe t (11;14) (q13;32) translocation [t (11;14)] is present in ∼20% of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), but studies examining its prognostic ability have yielded divergent results, and data are lacking on outcomes from first-line therapy. Patients and MethodsData from the Connect MM Registry, a large US, multicenter, prospective observational cohort study of patients with NDMM were used to examine the effect of t (11;14) status on first-line therapy outcomes in the Overall population (n = 1574) and race groups (African American [AA] vs. non-African American [NAA]). ResultsBaseline characteristics were generally similar between patients with (n = 378) and without (n = 1196) t (11;14). Prevalence of t (11;14) was similar by race (AA, 27%; NAA, 24%). In the overall population, regardless of first-line therapy, t (11;14) status did not affect progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.02; P = 0.7675) or overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.99; P = .9417). AA patients with t (11;14) had higher likelihood of death (Nominal Cox regression P = .0298) vs. patients without t (11;14). ConclusionsAcknowledging observational study and inferential limitations, this exploratory analysis of a predominantly community-based population suggests that t (11;14) is a neutral prognostic factor in the general MM population but may be a negative factor for overall survival in AA patients.

The comprehension of grammaticalized implicit meanings in SPCD and ASD children: A comparative study.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social pragmatic communication disorder (SPCD) are two neurodevelopmental disorders with many similarities in affected individuals' impairments in social-communicative and pragmatic development. A central question pertaining to their differentiation concerns whether the distinction is truly qualitative or, instead, quantitative in nature, and indeed, defining the boundary between SPCD and ASD with IQ in the normal range often presents differential-diagnostic difficulties. While deficits in the comprehension of certain linguistically systematic implicit verbal meanings have been targeted by experimental research in ASD, to date they have not been investigated in controlled experiments in SPCD. The empirical objectives of our study are twofold. First, it is explored whether the comprehension of a set of highly systematic, grammaticalized implicit meanings is impaired in ASD and SPCD children compared to their typically developing (TD) peers, and whether ASD and SPCD children differ from each other in accessing these verbal meanings. Second, it is investigated whether receptive grammatical competence and first-order ToM abilities are associated with children's performance in any way and whether there is a difference in this regard between the ASD and the SPCD group. Our main experiment, using a sentence-picture verification task, tested the comprehension of highly systematic implicit verbal meanings, including grammaticalized implicatures, presuppositions, and entailments. The experiment was complemented with a false-belief (ToM) task and a test of receptive grammar, among other measures. Seventy-one 4-to-9-year-old children participated in the study (ASD: n=19, SPCD: n=13, TD controls: n=39). While both children with SPCD and children with ASD performed significantly more poorly than the TD group, only the comprehension profile of the SPCD group differed significantly from that of the TD group. Importantly, while ASDs' performance exhibited an association with their ToM results, the performance of SPCDs showed a correlation with their receptive grammar skills. By contrast, the performance of TDs correlated with neither. These findings reveal potential divergences in the cognitive developmental mechanisms that underlie the semantic-pragmatic difficulties in the two clinical groups, suggesting that the communicative impairments in ASD and in SPCD differ qualitatively, rather than quantitatively. Specific implications for theories of pragmatic impairments in ASD and in SPCD are discussed. What is already known on the subject Linguistically systematic implicit meanings are understudied both in ASD and in SPCD. Within this domain of verbal meaning, the majority of relevant experimental work on ASD, concentrated on generalized (mostly: scalar) implicatures, has yielded somewhat divergent results, while the comprehension difficulties in SPCD have remained barely charted territory. Linguistically more highly conventionalized implicit verbal meanings have not been experimentally investigated in either neurodevelopmental disorder. What this study adds A primary finding of our study is that although both the SPCD and the ASD group show significant deficit in the comprehension of highly conventional, grammaticalized implicit meanings, SPCD children may diverge more in their comprehension profile from their TD peers than ASD children. Another key result is that the comprehension of grammaticalized implicit meanings is linked with different cognitive functions in ASD and in SPCD. While comprehension performance is associated with ToM in ASD but not in SPCD or in TD, it is correlated with receptive grammar skills in SPCD but not in ASD or in TD. Clinical implications of this study These findings provide potential support for the hypothesis that the difference between ASD and SPCD is qualitative rather than quantitative in nature, thereby casting doubt on the conception that pragmatic limitations in SPCD are to be approached as a less severe form of similar deficits in ASD. Uncovering differences in the underlying cognitive sources and in the comprehension deficits of children with ASD and SPCD are critical for the improvement of the accuracy of SPCD children's early diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention.

Privacy nudges for disclosure of personal information: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Digital nudging has been mooted as a tool to alter user privacy behavior. However, empirical studies on digital nudging have yielded divergent results: while some studies found nudging to be highly effective, other studies found no such effects. Furthermore, previous studies employed a wide range of digital nudges, making it difficult to discern the effectiveness of digital nudging. To address these issues, we performed a systematic review of empirical studies on digital nudging and information disclosure as a specific privacy behavior. The search was conducted in five digital libraries and databases: Scopus, Google Scholar, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, and Science Direct for peer-reviewed papers published in English after 2006, examining the effects of various nudging strategies on disclosure of personal information online. The review unveiled 78 papers that employed four categories of nudge interventions: presentation, information, defaults, and incentives, either individually or in combination. A meta-analysis on a subset of papers with available data (n = 54) revealed a significant small-to-medium sized effect of the nudge interventions on disclosure (Hedges' g = 0.32). There was significant variation in the effectiveness of nudging (I2 = 89%), which was partially accounted for by interventions to increase disclosure being more effective than interventions to reduce disclosure. No evidence was found for differences in the effectiveness of nudging with presentation, information, defaults, and incentives interventions. Identifying ways to nudge users into making more informed and desirable privacy decisions is of significant practical and policy value. There is a growing interest in digital privacy nudges for disclosure of personal information, with most empirical papers focusing on nudging with presentation. Further research is needed to elucidate the relative effectiveness of different intervention strategies and how nudges can confound one another.

Organizational resilience, job satisfaction and business performance

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the effects of organizational resilience on job satisfaction and business performance in companies that have undergone corporate reorganizations.Design/methodology/approachA survey was carried out on a sample of 102 executives and managers from Brazilian companies that underwent corporate reorganization. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that organizational resilience influences business performance (in the dimensions of economy-financial, customers and processes/learning) and job satisfaction (in the dimensions of financial and personal benefits). However, the relations between job satisfaction and business performance were partial, indicating that satisfaction can affect performance through other variables.Research limitations/implicationsThe main study implication lies on the empirical immersion regarding the effects of active organizational resilience on multi-faceted business performance, to the detriment of only the financial view and on job satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe distinct effects of resilience on business performance and job satisfaction provide managers with insight into how to allocate resources, in order to benefit the interests of both employer and employee.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to provide empirical evidence of the effects of active organizational resilience on multi-dimensional business performance. The results provide new insights into this relationship and may clarify divergent results found in the literature. It also provides evidence of the effects of active organizational resilience on job satisfaction in companies that have undergone corporate reorganizations, events that are supposed to require resilient skills.

Telomeres: the role of shortening and senescence in major depressive disorder and its therapeutic implications.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorders, witha large number of patients not showing an effective therapeutic response to available treatments. Several biopsychosocial factors, such as stress in childhood and throughout life, and factors related to biological aging, may increase the susceptibility to MDD development. Included in critical biological processes related to aging and underlying biological mechanisms associated with MDD is the shortening of telomeres and changes in telomerase activity. This comprehensive review discusses studies that assessed the length of telomeres or telomerase activity and function in peripheral blood cells and brain tissues of MDD individuals. Also, results from in vitro protocols and animal models of stress and depressive-like behaviors were included. We also expand our discussion toinclude the role of telomere biology as it relates to otherrelevant biological mechanisms, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, oxidative stress, inflammation, genetics, and epigenetic changes. Inthe text and the discussion, conflicting results in the literature were observed, especially considering the size of telomeres in the central nervous system, on which there are different protocols with divergent results in the literature. Finally, the context of this review is considering cell signaling, transcription factors, and neurotransmission, which are involved in MDD and can be underlying tosenescence, telomere shortening, and telomerase functions.

Resilience in Sports: Sport Type, Gender, Age and Sport Level Differences.

There seems to be a broad consensus that there is a positive correlation between resilience and sport performance. However, different studies show divergent results on the role played by certain variables in this relationship. This study aimed to analyze the possible relationships between resilience levels and the practiced sport according to gender, age, and competitive level of the athletes in 1047 competitive athletes from five different sports (handball, basketball, volleyball, athletics, and judo). Resilience was assessed with the Spanish version of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Results of independent samples t-tests or analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant differences on the level of resilience according to the practiced sport or the competitive level. However, the analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that they were related to the gender and age of the athletes, being higher in males than in females, and there was a positive correlation with age. These results seem to suggest the convenience of using differentiated strategies, according to gender and age, when working on all those protective factors that could allow the athlete to perform better when facing adversity in the competitive environment.

Potential for Generation of Electrical Energy from Biogas Produced in the Anaerobic Treatment of Sewage Through Different Methodologies

This study aimed to evaluate the potential for electricity generating of biogas from anaerobic digestion of sewage and sewage sludge in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Four different methodologies for determining the volume of biogas produced were considered. Estimates of biogas production used actual data of the volume of treated sewage and population reached by this WWTP with sewage as presented in a report by the local authority. The results indicate some discrepancies between the methodologies employed, but in general, they all suggest a potential of electric power generation at the same order of magnitude. The most divergent results were those in which the methodologies were applied to municipalities with a population of over 250,000 inhabitants.

Three-stage revision arthroplasty for the treatment of fungal periprosthetic joint infection: outcome analysis of a novel treatment algorithm : a prospective study.

AimsFungal periprosthetic joint infections (fPJIs) are rare complications, constituting only 1% of all PJIs. Neither a uniform definition for fPJI has been established, nor a standardized treatment regimen. Compared to bacterial PJI, there is little evidence for fPJI in the literature with divergent results. Hence, we implemented a novel treatment algorithm based on three-stage revision arthroplasty, with local and systemic antifungal therapy to optimize treatment for fPJI.MethodsFrom 2015 to 2018, a total of 18 patients with fPJI were included in a prospective, single-centre study (DKRS-ID 00020409). The diagnosis of PJI is based on the European Bone and Joint Infection Society definition of periprosthetic joint infections. The baseline parameters (age, sex, and BMI) and additional data (previous surgeries, pathogen spectrum, and Charlson Comorbidity Index) were recorded. A therapy protocol with three-stage revision, including a scheduled spacer exchange, was implemented. Systemic antifungal medication was administered throughout the entire treatment period and continued for six months after reimplantation. A minimum follow-up of 24 months was defined.ResultsEradication of infection was achieved in 16 out of 18 patients (88.8%), with a mean follow-up of 35 months (25 to 54). Mixed bacterial and fungal infections were present in seven cases (39%). The interval period, defined as the period of time from explantation to reimplantation, was 119 days (55 to 202). In five patients, a salvage procedure was performed (three cementless modular knee arthrodesis, and two Girdlestone procedures).ConclusionTherapy for fPJI is complex, with low cure rates according to the literature. No uniform treatment recommendations presently exist for fPJI. Three-stage revision arthroplasty with prolonged systemic antifungal therapy showed promising results.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(8):671–678.