scholarly journals Negative partisanship is not more prevalent than positive partisanship

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Hye-Yon Lee ◽  
Yphtach Lelkes ◽  
Carlee Beth Hawkins ◽  
Alexander Theodoridis

The dominant narrative among scholars and political pundits characterizes American partisanship as overwhelmingly negative --- portraying citizens as more repelled by the opposing party than attached to their own party. To assess the valence of partisan identity, we use novel measures, several new and existing nationally representative surveys, and behavioral outcomes obtained from two experiments. Our findings consistently depart from the negative partisanship narrative. For the majority of Americans, partisanship is either equally positive and negative or more positive than negative. Only partisan leaners stand out as negative partisans. We pair these observational findings with experimental data that differentiate between positive group behavior and negative group behavior in the partisan context. We find that the behavioral manifestations of party identity similarly include both positive and negative biases in balance, reinforcing our conclusion that descriptions of partisanship as primarily negative are exaggerated.

Author(s):  
Ghaidaa Raheem Lateef ◽  
Azhar Omaran Al-Thahab

A study was performed on 100 pregnant women in the outpatient department of gynecology and obstetrics of Maternity and Children Hospital in Al-Diwaniya City during the period between (March to September 2016). One hundred blood samples (50 for patients and 50 for control) were collected under the supervision of the treating gynecologist. The detection of Helicobacter. pylori was done by the use of the serum antibody Rapid test. The results showed that 50 (100%) were positive and 50 (100%) were negative for H. pylori in above method.All blood of patients and control samples were used for the extraction of genomic DNA,where the 107 bp PCR product size. Genotyping of the TNF-α-308 SNP (G/A)was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR (RFLP-PCR). PCR products were digested with restr NcoI iction enzyme. Individuals with the TNF-α-308(GG) homozygote produced digested DNA bands at 80,and 20 bp bp. A heterozygous genotype ofTNF-α-308 (GA)produced 107 bp,80 bp,and 20 bp bands. Individuals with the TNF-α-308 (AA) homozygote genotype had no amplicon digested and generated only one band of 107 bp. There was a significant difference in the frequency of the TNF-α-308(GG)genotype between H. pylori positive group and H. pylori negative group(72%,78% respectively). Also for GA genotype,there was a significant difference between H. pylori positive group and H. pylori negative group(24%,18% respectively). Concerning the frequency of the TNF-α-308 (AA)genotype between H. pylori positive group and H. pylori negative group,there was no significant difference between the two groups.


Author(s):  
Yi Dong ◽  
Yijie Qiu ◽  
Daohui Yang ◽  
Lingyun Yu ◽  
Dan Zuo ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound (D-CEUS) in predicting the microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 16 patients with surgery and histopathologically proved HCC lesions were included. Patients were classified according to the presence of MVI: MVI positive group (n = 6) and MVI negative group (n = 10). Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations were performed within a week before surgery. Dynamic analysis was performed by VueBox ® software (Bracco, Italy). Three regions of interests (ROIs) were set in the center of HCC lesions, at the margin of HCC lesions and in the surrounding liver parenchyma accordingly. Time intensity curves (TICs) were generated and quantitative perfusion parameters including WiR (wash-in rate), WoR (wash-out rate), WiAUC (wash-in area under the curve), WoAUC (wash-out area under the curve) and WiPi (wash-in perfusion index) were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: All of HCC lesions showed arterial hyperenhancement (100 %) and at the late phase as hypoenhancement (75 %) in CEUS. Among all CEUS quantitative parameters, the WiAUC and WoAUC were higher in MVI positive group than in MVI negative group in the center HCC lesions (P <  0.05), WiAUC, WoAUC and WiPI were higher in MVI positive group than in MVI negative group at the margin of HCC lesions. WiR and WoR were significant higher in MVI positive group. CONCLUSIONS: D-CEUS with quantitative perfusion analysis has potential clinical value in predicting the existence of MVI in HCC lesions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Young Lee ◽  
So Young Kang ◽  
Woo In Lee ◽  
Myeong Hee Kim

Abstract Objective Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is known as the hallmark of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aimed to determine whether an HBsAg neutralization test is necessary to accurately interpret HBsAg test results. Methods Initially reactive HBsAg specimens from a 5-year period, with cutoff index values between 1.0 and 2.0, were subjected to neutralization confirmatory testing using an Elecsys HBsAg Confirmatory test kit (Roche Diagnostics GmbH. Mannheim, Germany). Results The neutralization test showed 46.1% positive (confirmed positive group) and 53.9% negative (confirmed negative group) results from the total specimens. Among the confirmed negative group, 79.5% of patients were confirmed to be negative for the current infection, whereas 4 patients in the chronic hepatitis B subgroup showed a neutralization percentage close to 40%. More than half of patients in the confirmed positive group were considered to be in the hepatitis B e antigen-negative inactive HBsAg carrier phase. Conclusion In populations with intermediate HBV prevalence, a neutralization test is necessary to confirm an HBsAg result and reduce the false positive and false negative rates of initial HBsAg tests.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuichi Tatsuno ◽  
Yoshinari Morimoto ◽  
Megumi Hayashi ◽  
Takatoshi Iida

AbstractThe effects of intravenous sedation with midazolam on the cerebral function of elderly patients with severe dementia are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate its effects on parameters such as brainwaves and cerebral blood flow (CBF) and compare them between elderly individuals with dementia and without cognitive impairment. Ten patients with severe dementia and 10 without cognitive impairment were registered. The bispectral index (BIS) and normalized tissue hemoglobin index (nTHI), which reflects CBF using near-infrared spectroscopy, were measured. Midazolam was administered until a Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation score of 2 was reached. The chi-squared, Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Friedman tests and multiple regression analysis were used for comparisons. Whereas a similar decline in BIS values was observed in both groups after midazolam administration (P < 0.018), there was a significant decrease by 9% in the nTHI of the dementia-positive group (P < 0.013). However, there was no significant difference in the nTHI between the dementia-positive and dementia-negative group according to the multiple regression analysis (P = 0.058). In the dementia-negative group, none of the measured values differed from the baseline values. In the dementia-positive group, sedation with midazolam resulted in a 9% decrease in the CBF.


Open Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 332-337
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Li ◽  
Lei Rong ◽  
Peiyan Zhang ◽  
Jian Xu ◽  
Yan Rong

Abstract Aim We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive and negative anal swabs during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery and investigated the clinical significance and influence factors of anal swab detection. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed 23 moderate COVID-19 patients in the recovery phase. They were divided into anal swab positive group (n = 13) (negative for pharyngeal swabs but positive for anal swabs) and anal swab negative group (n = 10) (negative for pharyngeal and anal swabs). The epidemiology, clinical symptoms, time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative, and laboratory results were compared. Results The time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative in the anal swab positive group was 6 (5–8.5) days, significantly longer than that in the anal swab negative group (1 (1–4.25) days), P = 0.0002). The platelet count of the anal swab positive group was significantly lower than that of the anal swab negative group (198 (135–235) × 109/L vs 240.5 (227–264.75) × 109/L, P = 0.0248). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in other variables. Conclusions The time of pharyngeal swab turning negative in anal swab positive patients is longer than that in anal swab negative patients. The platelet count can be used as an indicator for viral infection evaluation. For patients with a longer time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative, the combined testing of the anal swab and platelet counts may help to avoid pharyngeal swab false negatives, premature discharge, and the possibility of fecal-oral transmission.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S59-S59
Author(s):  
Erika Reategui Schwarz ◽  
Meenakshi Rana ◽  
Rachel Chasan ◽  
Melissa R Gitman

Abstract Background Invasive candidiasis is a life-threatening infection with 40% mortality despite antifungal therapy[1] A retrospective chart review of results from our T2Candida Panels from March 2019 to March 2020 was conducted. We compared demographics, co-morbidities, days of antifungal use, length of stay (LOS) and mortality in patients with positive and negative assays. Results 271 assays were performed, 27 were positive and were compared to 81 negatives. Baseline demographics and co-morbidities were similar in both groups. All patients tested had &gt;1 risk factor for candidemia. 78% were positive for C. albicans/C. tropicalis and 11% positive for C. glabrata/C. krusei and C. parapsilosis respectively. Blood cultures were positive in 8 individuals, of which 5 had a positive assay; among the other 3, one grew C. auris. All species in the T2Candida matched the blood cultures when available. β-D-glucan was positive in 82% of patients with positive T2 results vs 46% in the T2 negative group (p = 0.016). Antifungal administration within the time of assay collection was 54% in the negative group vs 74% in the positive group (p = 0.030). Mean duration of antifungal use were significantly lower in the negative group than the positive group (5.98 vs 17.55 days, p = 0.04). Demographics and Comorbidities Outcomes Cultures Conclusion T2Candida was an effective diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship tool, leading to testing in high risk patients and reducing unnecessary antifungal use. Additional education is required for improved ordering of concurrent blood cultures. Negative results should be interpreted with caution in suspected invasive candidiasis with consideration for species not included in the panel. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 3790-3797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Sanders ◽  
Rachid Drissi ◽  
Catherine A. Billups ◽  
Najat C. Daw ◽  
Marcus B. Valentine ◽  
...  

Purpose Osteosarcoma is distinct from most cancers in that the majority of osteosarcomas lack telomerase expression and use the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism to maintain telomeres. Laboratory studies suggest that compared with ALT, telomerase expression is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness. We evaluated the clinical significance of telomerase expression in human osteosarcoma. Patients and Methods Fifty-six osteosarcomas from 51 patients treated at St Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1982 and 2003 were evaluated for telomerase enzyme activity, mRNA expression of the catalytic component of telomerase (TERT), and presence of the ALT pathway. Results Outcome analysis was based on TERT mRNA expression in the primary tumor samples from 44 patients. Fourteen primary tumors expressed TERT mRNA (32%; eight TERT only, six TERT and ALT) and 30 did not express TERT mRNA (68%; 29 ALT, one no ALT). Progression-free survival (PFS) was inferior in the TERT-positive group compared with the TERT-negative group (3-year estimates, 21.4% ± 9.5% v 63.7% ± 11.1%; P = .014). Likewise, overall survival was inferior in the TERT-positive group compared with the TERT-negative group (3-year estimates, 42.9% ± 12.2% v 70.0% ± 9.9%; P = .031). Among 31 patients with nonmetastatic disease at diagnosis, PFS was lower in the TERT-positive group compared with the TERT-negative group (3-year estimates, 33.3% ± 13.6% v 72.0% ± 11.5%; P = .092). Conclusion Telomerase expression in primary tumor samples is associated with decreased PFS and OS in patients with osteosarcoma. Additional studies are warranted to better define the clinical utility of this molecular marker.


Author(s):  
Han Ouyang ◽  
Jian Wen ◽  
Kai Song ◽  
Huaying Shen

IntroductionImmunoglobulin (Ig) G deposition in patients with IgA nephro­pathy (IgAN) often indicates poor prognosis, but the relationship between IgM deposition and the clinicopathology of IgAN remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to further understand the relationship between IgM deposition and IgAN, so as to provide a basis for clinical evaluation and treatment.Material and methodsWe included a total of 839 IgAN patients from the nephropathy departments of 2 hospitals; there were 162 IgM-positive patients and 677 IgM-negative patients. Clinical and pathological data were retrospectively analysed. In addition, a multifaceted comparison was made between the IgM-positive group and the IgM-negative group.ResultsThe serum albumin and IgG levels of the IgM-positive group were lower than those of the IgM-negative group, and the levels of low-density lipo­protein, 24 h proteinuria, and IgM were higher than those of the IgM-nega­tive group. The proportion of endothelial cell proliferation (E1), segmental sclerosis or adhesion (S1), and renal tubular interstitial score in the IgM-posi­tive group were all higher than those in the IgM-negative group. Immunofluo­rescence results showed that the proportion of IgM-positive combination and IgG and C1q deposition was higher than that in the IgM-negative group.ConclusionsImmunoglobulin A nephropathy patients with IgM deposition have relatively poor clinical biochemical indicators, and the degree of renal pathological damage is also relatively serious.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 466-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRENDA DE SOUZA MOURA ◽  
MARIA APARECIDA CAVALCANTE ◽  
WAGNER HESPANHOL

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the frequency of keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KOT) in the Oral Surgery Service (OSS) of the University Hospital Clementino Fraga Filho of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (HUCFF / UFRJ), with respect to recurrence rate, gender, age of recurrence and location of the injury Methods: clinical records were reviewed and histopathological reports of KOT patients of the HUCFF/UFRJ between 2002 and 2012. Patients diagnosed with KOT were divided into two groups for the occurrence of relapse: positive (n=6) and negative (n=19) Results: regarding the location, there was a predilection for the mandible. In the average age of patients in the positive group was 40.5 and the negative group, 35.53. In the distribution by gender, positive group showed equal distribution, different from that observed in the negative group, which showed a predilection for males Conclusion: KOT was the second most frequent injury in our patients, recurrence was lower among males and had the jaw as most affected location


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
JunYu Ding ◽  
Changxin Liu ◽  
Zhao Wang ◽  
Hua Guo ◽  
Kan Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading globally. The information regarding the characteristics and prognosis of antibody non-responders with COVID-19 is scarce.Method: In this retrospective, single-center study, we included all the patients with confirmed COVID-19 using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) admitted to the Fire God Mountain hospital from February 3, 2020, to April 14, 2020. A total of 1921 patients were divided into the antibody-negative group (n=94) and antibody-positive group (n=1827), and the 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match two groups.Results: In the antibody negative group, 40 patients (42.6%) were male, 54 patients (57.4%) were female, and 49 patients (52.1%) were older than 65 years old. Cough was the most common symptoms in the antibody negative group. White blood cell counts (WBC) 6.6×109/L [5.0, 9.1], Neutrophils 4.3×109/L [3.1, 6.6], C-reactive protein 7.3 mg/L [1.3, 49.0], Procalcitonin (PCT) 0.1 ng/mL [0.0, 0.2], Interleukin-6 (IL-6) 64.2 [1.5, 28.7], Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 193.8 U/L [154.9,260.6], Creatine kinase 60.5 U/L [40.5, 103.7], Creatine kinase isoenzyme 10.3 ng/mL [8.2, 14.5], Urea nitrogen 5.3 mmol/L [4.0, 8.7] and Creatinine 77.7 μmol/L [60.6, 98.7] were significantly higher in antibody negative patients than in antibody positive group (P<0.005). The days of nucleic acid negative conversion in the antibody negative group was shorter than that in the antibody positive group (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the hospitalization time of antibody negative patients was shorter than that of antibody positive patients (8.0 [6.0, 10.0] VS 13.0 [8.2, 23.0], P < 0.001).Conclusion: Some COVID-19 patients without specific antibodies had mild symptoms, but the inflammatory reaction caused by innate clinical immunity was more intense than those with antibodies, and the virus was cleared faster. The production of specific antibodies was unnecessary for SARS-CoV-2 clearance, and non-specific immune responses played an essential role in virus clearance.


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