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Meningiomas are common brain neoplasms that can significantly influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet the factors influencing HRQOL in adult patients remain unclear. We aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by determining these key factors.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review, searching EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO up to February 2024. We included original, peer-reviewed studies focusing on adult patients (>18 years) with current or past meningioma at any stage of treatment that measured HRQOL or its proxies in relation to patient-, tumour- and treatment-related factors. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-texts, selecting studies with an acceptable risk of bias for data extraction and narrative synthesis. The protocol of this review was registered on PROSPERO (# CRD42023431097).
Results:
Of N = 3002 studies identified, N = 31 studies were included. Key factors found to influence HRQOL in adult meningioma patients include surgery, radiotherapy, neurological function, functional status, comorbidities, sleep quality, psychological impairment, age and employment. Factors related to tumour characteristics yielded inconsistent findings. Heterogeneity and inconsistencies in HRQOL measurement across studies hindered definitive conclusions about the impact of factors on HRQOL.
Conclusion:
Our review elucidates the multifaceted influences on HRQOL in meningioma patients, with significant variability due to patient-, tumour- and treatment-related factors. We emphasize the need for standardized, disease-specific HRQOL assessments in meningioma patients. Collaborative efforts towards consistent, large-scale, prospective research are essential to comprehensively understand and improve HRQOL, thereby enhancing tailored care for this population.
In the present study, we performed direct numerical simulations for a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer over the windward side of a lifting body, the HyTRV model, at Mach number $6$ and attack angle 2$^{\circ }$ to investigate the global and local turbulent features, and evaluate its difference from canonical turbulent boundary layers. By scrutinizing the instantaneous and averaged flow fields, we found that the transverse curvature on the windward side of the HyTRV model induces the transverse opposing pressure gradients that push the flow on both sides towards the windward symmetry plane, yielding significant effects of the azimuthal inhomogeneity and large-scale cross-stream circulations, moderate and azimuthal independent influences of adverse pressure gradient, and negligible impact of the mean flow three-dimensionality. Further inspecting the local turbulent statistics, we identified that the mean and fluctuating velocity become increasingly similar to the highly decelerated turbulent boundary layers over flat plates in that the mean velocity deficit is enhanced, and the outer layer Reynolds stresses are amplified as it approaches the windward symmetry plane, and prove to be self-similar under the scaling of Wei & Knopp (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 958, 2023, A9) for adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers. Conditionally averaged Reynolds stresses based on strong sweeping and ejection events demonstrated that the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability of the strong embedded shear layer induced by the large-scale cross-stream circulations is responsible for the turbulence amplification in the outer layer. The strong Reynolds analogy that relates the mean velocity and temperature was refined to incorporate the non-canonical effects, showing considerable improvements in the accuracy of such a formula. On the other hand, the temperature fluctuations are still transported passively, as indicated by their resemblance to the velocity. The conclusions obtained in the present study provide potentially profitable information for turbulent modelling modification for the accurate predictions of skin friction and wall heat transfer.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder occurring in approximately one in twenty young people in Ireland, and in one-third of those attending Irish Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). It is important to treat ADHD, as un/poorly treated ADHD is associated with a raft of negative health and socio-economic outcomes. Effective interventions for ADHD are available, and the use of standardised, evidence-based pathways for assessment and management of ADHD optimises outcomes. Despite this, there is no national standardised clinical pathway for assessment and treatment of ADHD in Ireland. ADMiRE, the first public healthcare specialist service for children and adolescents in Ireland, has developed a strongly evidence-based, efficient, effective and safe clinical pathway for assessment and management of ADHD. This paper describes the ADMiRE Clinical Pathway and references ADMiRE resources that are available to other services.
Relative to the numerous studies focused on mammalian schistosomes, fewer include avian schistosomatids particularly in the southern hemisphere. This is changing and current research emerging from the Neotropics shows a remarkable diversity of endemic taxa. To contribute to this effort, nine ducks (Spatula cyanoptera, S.versicolor, Netta peposaca), 12 swans (Cygnus melancoryphus) and 1,400 Physa spp. snails from Chile and Argentina were collected for adults and larval schistosomatids, respectively. Isolated schistosomatids were preserved for morphological and molecular analyses (28S and COI genes). Four different schistosomatid taxa were retrieved from birds: Trichobilharzia sp. in N. peposaca and S. cyanoptera that formed a clade; S.cyanoptera and S. versicolor hosted Trichobilharzia querquedulae; Cygnus melancoryphus hosted the nasal schistosomatid, Nasusbilharzia melancorhypha; and one visceral, Schistosomatidae gen. sp., which formed a clade with furcocercariae from Argentina and Chile from previous work. Of the physid snails, only one from Argentina had schistosomatid furcocercariae that based on molecular analyses grouped with T. querquedulae. This study represents the first description of adult schistosomatids from Chile as well as the elucidation of the life cycles of N.melancorhypha and T. querquedulae in Chile and Neotropics, respectively. Without well-preserved adults, the putative new genus Schistosomatidae gen. sp. could not be described, but its life cycle involves Chilina spp. and C. melancoryphus. Scanning electron microscopy of T. querquedulae revealed additional, undescribed morphological traits, highlighting its diagnostic importance. Authors stress the need for additional surveys of avian schistosomatids from the Neotropics to better understand their evolutionary history.
Marginalisation is a multilevel phenomenon in society depriving people from essential rights, resources, and opportunities. Street-outreach services in the Netherlands, like social street work (SSW), support these marginalised people in fostering their participation in society as an answer to their marginalised position in society. We followed 927 clients in SSW over an eight-month period. Clients filled in a questionnaire at three timepoints. We examined whether clients’ perceived belongingness, self-esteem, strengths, and informal support (outcome measures) were associated with the working relationship, over time. Results showed the establishment of a working relationship with clients at all three timepoints. An evolving working relationship was associated with an increase in clients’ perceived belongingness, self-esteem, strengths, and informal support over time. This study showed the ability of workers to establish a working relationship with clients in their living environment and underscored the necessity of establishing a working relationship in street-outreach services to foster clients’ participation in society. This study encourages policymakers to reflect on current street-outreach services, to deviate from demanding short-term and measurable results from professionals’ efforts, and to opt for a better fit between performance and financing conditions and daily practices of street-outreach services.
The alteration of bentonite under alkaline conditions and the subsequent changes in properties such as permeability and self-sealing ability should be evaluated for the performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories. As the period of evaluation for alterations is extremely long, natural analog (NA) studies that can observe long-term phenomena similar to the system of radioactive waste repositories have significant advantages. However, locations that can be set up as NA study sites with significant similarity are limited and should be pursued by localizing analog systems. This literature review summarized studies reporting secondary phases formed at low temperatures (<100°C) under a broader range of natural sites which are chemically similar to the alkaline conditions expected at bentonite in radioactive waste repositories, including near pyrometamorphic rocks, near ophiolites, and in alkaline saline lakes. This review provides insights into the species, formation conditions, and stability of secondary phases that could be formed during cement–bentonite interactions and the timescale for mineralogical transitions from a metastable to a stable phase. The findings could be useful for selecting secondary phases to be considered in reactive transport modeling for predicting cement–bentonite interactions in radioactive waste repositories.
We determine the characteristic polynomials of the matrices $[q^{\,j-k}+t]_{1\le \,j,k\le n}$ and $[q^{\,j+k}+t]_{1\le \,j,k\le n}$ for any complex number $q\not =0,1$. As an application, for complex numbers $a,b,c$ with $b\not =0$ and $a^2\not =4b$, and the sequence $(w_m)_{m\in \mathbb Z}$ with $w_{m+1}=aw_m-bw_{m-1}$ for all $m\in \mathbb Z$, we determine the exact value of $\det [w_{\,j-k}+c\delta _{jk}]_{1\le \,j,k\le n}$.
Obesity is associated with osteoarthritis (OA), but few studies have used fetal origin to explore the association. Our study aims to disentangle the causality between birth weight, childhood obesity, and adult OA using Mendelian randomization (MR). We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to birth weight (n = 298,142) and childhood obesity (n = 24,160) from two genome-wide association studies contributed by the Early Growth Genetics Consortium. Summary statistics of OA and its phenotypes (knee, hip, spine, hand, thumb, and finger OA) from the Genetics of Osteoarthritis Consortium (n = 826,690) were used to estimate the effects of SNPs on OA. Multivariable MR (MVMR) was conducted to investigate the independent effects of exposures. It turned out that genetically predicted standard deviation increase in birth weight was not associated with OA. In contrast, there was a marginally positive effect of childhood obesity on total [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00, 1.15 using IVW], knee (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.22 using weighted median), hip (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.24 using IVW), and spine OA (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.22 using IVW), but not hand, thumb, or finger OA. MVMR indicated a potential adulthood body mass index-dependent causal pathway between childhood obesity and OA. In conclusion, no association of birth weight with OA was suggested. Childhood obesity, however, showed a causality with OA in weight-bearing joints, which seems to be a general association of obesity with OA.
This article explores an episode in the reception of Hegel's philosophy of history and historiography of philosophy with reference to the question of the possibility of non-Western philosophy, in particular African philosophy. Section I briefly outlines the contents of the Hatäta Zär'a Ya‛ǝqob and the controversy over its authorship, focusing in particular on the argument of the Ethiopianist and scholar of Semitic languages Carlo Conti Rossini that ‘rationalistic’ philosophy was impossible in Ethiopia. In section II I suggest that a major component of the intellectual background to this notion of the impossibility of philosophy in Africa can be traced to Hegel's philosophy of history. To substantiate this claim I begin by providing an account of the broader historiographical shift between 1780 and 1830, in which Africa and Asia came to be excluded from the history of philosophy, and I suggest that Hegel's philosophy of history was decisive in this process. I examine how Hegel's account of history as the realization and actualization of freedom goes together with the development of cultural production culminating in philosophy, and how both of these processes (if they are really separate processes at all), can be mapped onto particular historical-geographical populations and cultures. I suggest that, even though this was not Hegel's intention, by the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries this served as a cultural justification for political domination: those who are unfree are unfree because they are unthinking (unphilosophical), and those who are unthinking cannot be free. Finally in section III I connect this Hegelian conception to Conti Rossini's work, both his article on the Hatäta and as apologist for Italian imperialism. I conclude by reflecting on what this underexplored connection between Hegel and early twentieth-century theorists of culture might mean for attempts to construct global histories of philosophy.
The epidemiological and burden characteristics of nutritional deficiencies (ND) have been evolving, and it is crucial to identify geographical disparities and emerging trends. This study aimed to analyse the global, regional and national trends in the burden of ND over the past 30 years. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database for the period 1990–2019. The study examined the incidence rates and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of ND at various levels. Globally, the incidence rate of ND decreased from 2226·2 per 100 000 in 2019 to 2096·3 per 100 000 in the same year, indicating a decline of 5·8 %. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) was −0·21 (–0·31, −0·11). Similarly, DALY, prevalence and mortality rates of ND exhibited significant declines (AAPC = −3·21 (–3·45, −2·96), AAPC = −0·53 (–0·55, −0·51) and AAPC = −4·97 (–5·75, −4·19), respectively). The incidence rate of ND varied based on age group, sex, cause and geographical area. Moreover, a negative association was observed between incidence and the sociodemographic index. At the regional level, the South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa regions had the highest incidence rates of ND. In conclusion, the global incidence rate of ND showed a mixed pattern, while the DALY rate consistently declined. Additionally, prevalence and mortality rates of ND decreased between 1990 and 2019.
Chronic pain is common and debilitating, and recommended treatments are only moderately effective for pain relief. Focus has shifted to refining targets for change within psychological therapy to improve pain management. Evidence has shown the role of intrusive images in many psychological disorders. However, only a few studies have advanced our knowledge of the presence and impact of mental imagery in chronic pain. This exploratory study aimed to increase our understanding of how people with chronic pain perceive intrusive visual images to influence their daily life. The study employed a qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews to explore the content, emotional valence, cognitive and behavioural impact of pain-related visual images of ten participants with self-reported diagnosis of chronic pain. Data analysis was conducted by performing an inductive thematic analysis. Three key themes were identified: (1) ‘I start to create images in my head’: pain-related mental images, which revolves around descriptions of participants’ most significant visual image; (2) metaphors for pain, related to the imagery as a means to conceptualise and give meaning to the pain; and (3) “With the pain comes the image”: a companion to pain, which focuses on the role of intrusive images in the experience of pain. Results show that pain-related mental imagery appeared to be an intrusive, uncontrollable, and vivid cognitive accompaniment for many pain sufferers. The findings suggest that mental images may serve as an additional target in cognitive behavioural therapy to enhance individuals’ cognitive, behavioural and emotional change.
Key learning aims
(1) To understand the role of mental imagery in the daily life of individuals with chronic pain.
(2) To examine the impact of intrusive images on the emotions, cognitions, and behaviours of people with chronic pain.
(3) To consider clinical implications for CBT interventions targeting pain-related mental images to manage chronic pain.
Decentralization is believed to ensure better environmental governance. However, recent studies have shown that some governments recentralize local enforcement to increase the effectiveness of policy implementation. Under what conditions is recentralization the better option for environmental enforcement? This study attempts to differentiate two possible mechanisms through which recentralization can deliver better environmental outcomes: curbing elite capture and enhancing local resources. In the context of recentralization reform and with a unique dataset of local investigations into China's environmental enforcement, we demonstrate that although decentralization has been successful from many perspectives, recentralizing local environmental enforcement can produce better outcomes for pollution reduction in China, by curbing local protectionism rather than enhancing local resources. Further qualitative analysis reveals why recentralization cannot necessarily enhance local resources and capacity, even though it is designed to do so.
When a viscous fluid partially fills a Hele-Shaw channel, and is pushed by a pressure difference, the fluid interface is unstable due to the Saffman–Taylor instability. We consider the evolution of a fluid region of finite extent, bounded between two interfaces, in the limit that the interfaces are close, that is, when the fluid region is a thin liquid filament separating two gases of different pressure. In this limit, we derive a second-order ‘thin-filament’ model that describes the normal velocity of the filament centreline, and evolution of the filament thickness, as functions of the thickness, centreline curvature and their derivatives. We show that the second-order terms in this model, that include the effect of transverse flow along the filament, are necessary to regularise the instability. Numerical simulation of the thin-filament model is shown to be in accordance with level-set computations of the complete two-interface model. Solutions ultimately evolve to form a bubble of rapidly increasing radius and decreasing thickness.
The 7th edition of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations (CSBPR) is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations, appropriate for use by healthcare providers and system planners, and intended to drive healthcare excellence, improved outcomes and more integrated health systems. This edition includes a new module on the management of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Cerebral venous thrombosis is defined as thrombosis of the veins of the brain, including the dural venous sinuses and/or cortical or deep veins. Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening type of stroke, representing 0.5–1.0% of all stroke admissions. The reported rates of CVT are approximately 10–20 per million and appear to be increasing over time. The risk of CVT is higher in women and often associated with oral contraceptive use and with pregnancy and the puerperium. This guideline addresses care for adult individuals who present to the healthcare system with current or recent symptoms of CVT. The recommendations cover the continuum of care from diagnosis and initial clinical assessment of symptomatic CVT, to acute treatment of symptomatic CVT, post-acute management, person-centered care, special considerations in the long-term management of CVT, including pregnancy and considerations related to CVT in special circumstances such as trauma and vaccination. This module also includes supporting materials such as implementation resources to facilitate the adoption of evidence into practice and performance measures to enable monitoring of uptake and effectiveness of recommendations.
This article argues that Hume is committed to the cognitive phenomenology of believing. For Hume, beliefs have some distinctively cognitive phenomenology, which is different in kind from sensory phenomenology. I call this interpretation the “cognitive phenomenal interpretation” (“CPI”) of Hume. CPI is coherent with, and supported by, the textual evidence from A Treatise of Human Nature as well as An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. In both texts, Hume talks about the distinctive “manner” of believing, and CPI provides us with the best explanation of Hume’s remarks on this distinctive “manner.”
Anticorruption audits may deter corruption and signal to citizens that institutions are proactively combating it. However, by detecting and reporting corruption, audits might also unintentionally erode trust in institutions. Therefore, the impact of audits potentially hinges on whether they uncover corruption. Audit institutions, not implicated in the corruption they uncover, might be less likely to experience a decline in trust compared to auditee institutions. This study uses survey and administrative data from Brazil, leveraging a federal anti-corruption program that randomly selects municipalities for auditing. Results do not support the claim that audits boost institutional trust. Individuals in audited municipalities show no different levels of trust in local government or the audit institution than those in non-audited municipalities, and the coefficients may even indicate a negative effect. Additionally, audit institutions may not be better insulated from the corrosive effects of uncovering corruption than the institutions they audit.
This study was conducted to investigate whether methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS) is a mediator of methionine (Met)-induced crop milk protein synthesis via the janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signalling pathway in breeding pigeons. In Experiment 1, a total of 216 pairs of breeding pigeons were divided into three groups (control, Met-deficient, and Met-rescue groups). In Experiments 2 and 3, forty pairs of breeding pigeons from each experiment were allocated into four groups. The second experiment included a control group and three MetRS inhibitor (REP8839) groups. The third experiment included a Met-deficient group, Met-sufficient group, REP8839 + Met-deficient group and REP8839 + Met-sufficient group. Experiment 1 showed that Met supplementation increased crop development, crop milk protein synthesis, the protein expression of MetRS and JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway, and improved squab growth. Experiment 2 showed that crop development, crop milk protein synthesis and the protein expression of MetRS and the JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway were decreased, and squab growth was inhibited by the injection of 1·0 mg/kg body weight REP8839, which was the selected dose for the third experiment. Experiment 3 showed that Met supplementation increased crop development, crop milk protein synthesis and the expression of MetRS and JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway and rescued squab growth after the injection of REP8839. Moreover, the co-immunoprecipitation results showed that there was an interaction between MetRS and JAK2. Taken together, these findings indicate that MetRS mediates Met-induced crop milk protein synthesis via the JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway, resulting in improved squab growth in breeding pigeons.
Philosophers of science have come to accept that contextual values can play unavoidable and desirable roles in science. This has raised concerns about the need to distinguish legitimate and illegitimate value influences in scientific inquiry. I discuss here four such concerns: epistemic distortion, value imposition, undermining of public trust in science, and the use of objectionable values. I contend that preserving epistemic integrity and avoiding value imposition provide good reasons to attempt to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate influences of values in science. However, the trust and the objectionable values concerns constitute no good reason for demarcation criteria.