bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An elicitation study to identify students’ salient beliefs towards school counselling
Authors: Hafiz Muhammad , Chong Wan Har
Published: October 2022

Underutilisation of school counselling services was prevalent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a framework, this qualitative study seeks to elicit salient beliefs towards help-seeking from a school counsellor in secondary school contexts. Through focus-group discussions and individual interviews, 29 students from 10 secondary schools were interviewed. Constructive content analysis was utilised to identify specific salient behavioural beliefs, salient normative norms and salient control belief. The salient beliefs identified include perceiving counselling as a form of professional help, nonjudgment, stigmatisation, and past counselling experience. This study identified and highlighted a systematic approach to understanding specific socio-cognitive factors that support and hinder school counselling utilisation in an Asian school context. Implications arising from the study were discussed in the light of the findings.
Duyun compound green tea extracts regulate bile acid metabolism on mice induced by high-fat diet
Authors: Zhou Xiaolu , Li Yaling , Mu Ren , Wang Chuanming , Song Yuyan , Zhou Caibi , Mei Xin
Published: October 2022

Duyun compound green tea (DCGT) is a healthy beverage with lipid-lowering effect commonly consumed by local people, but its mechanism is not very clear. We evaluated the effect of DCGT treatment on bile acids (BA) metabolism of mice with high-fat diet (HFD) – induced hyperlipidaemia by biochemical indexes and metabolomics and preliminarily determined the potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways of hyperlipidaemia mice treated with DCGT as well as investigated its lipid-lowering mechanism. The results showed that DCGT treatment could reduce HFD – induced gain in weight and improve dyslipidaemia. In addition, a total of ten types of BA were detected, of which seven changed BA metabolites were observed in HFD group mice. After DCGT treatment, glycocholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid were significantly down-regulated, while hyodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid were markedly up-regulated. These results demonstrated that DCGT treatment was able to make the BA metabolites in the liver of hyperlipidaemia mice normal and alleviate hyperlipidaemia by regulating the metabolites such as glycocholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic, as well as the BA metabolic pathway and cholesterol metabolic pathway involved.
In vitromeasurement of ciliary beat frequency in 92 children with recurrent respiratory tract problems
Authors: Drake-Lee A , Green A , McDermott A-L
Published: October 2022

Background

Chronic or recurrent mucoid respiratory tract symptoms may be difficult to diagnose.

Method

Ninety-two children with chronic respiratory symptoms were divided into 4 groups: 18 children with refractory asthma, 10 with bronchiectasis without dextrocardia, 18 with dextrocardia and 46 with recurrent respiratory tract infections. Except for five neonates, cytology samples were taken under general anaesthesia. Ciliary beat frequency was measured photometrically and analysed by in-house computer software.

Results

Nasal polyps were found in one child with normal ciliary beat frequency. Twenty-six children had no beating cilia (male to female ratio, 15:11). The effect of increasing temperature on the ciliary beat frequency of the remaining 66 patients was evaluated (42 patients, more than 30°C, median, 8.3 Hz; 24 patients, 30–37°C, median, 11.8 Hz;p =0.0003).

Conclusion

The measurement of ciliary beat frequency is part of the diagnostic work up of patients with persistent or recurrent respiratory tract infections.
Guilty knowledge: A postcolonial inquiry into knowledge, suspicion, and responsibility in the fight against terrorism financing
Authors: Anwar Tasniem , İşleyen Beste
Published: October 2022

This article studies practices of knowledge production during counterterrorism financing court cases in European courts. Developments in international law have contributed to novel regulations to criminalise and prosecute the funding of terrorism in advance of terrorist violence. In this study, we study how court cases have become important spaces for contesting and evaluating multiple knowledge claims on terrorist threat and suspicion by analysing case proceedings from both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Building on recent debates in International Relations and postcolonial theory, we make two contributions. First, building on insights from postcolonial literature on ‘abyssal thinking’, we illustrate how legal practices differentiate between different ways of knowing by dismissing certain experiences as ‘emotional’ or ‘subjective’ in contrast to the assumed objectivity of other knowledge claims. We argue that decisions on what counts as knowledge in a court setting are situated in a specific sociopolitical setting, whereby particular knowledge and life-worlds are recognised at the expense of others. Second, we empirically show how the novel criminal laws shifts the responsibility to know terrorist threat from the state to ordinary citizens. We illustrate how the court reinforces new security logics where the state can entertain doubt, uncertainty, and trust in their practices, while the citizens cannot.
NGOs as Agents of Global Justice: Cosmopolitan Activism for Political Realists
Authors: Macdonald Terry , Macdonald Kate
Published: October 2022

Several decades of scholarship on international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have established their important role in leading cosmopolitan political projects framed around moral ideals of global justice. But contemporary legitimacy crises in international liberalism call for a reexamination of NGOs’ global justice activism, considering how they should navigate the real-world moral contestations and shifting power dynamics that can impede their pursuit of justice. Recent work by deliberative-democratic theorists has argued that NGOs can help resolve disputes about global justice norms by facilitating legitimate communicative exchanges among the diverse political voices of subjected global communities on the correct interpretation and implementation of global justice norms. In response, this essay argues for an expanded account of the political roles of NGOs in global justice activism, which reflects greater sensitivity to the multifaceted political dynamics through which power in real-world global politics is constituted and contested. It is shown that in some NGOs’ real-world operational contexts, structural power imbalances and social division or volatility can undercut the operation of the ideal deliberative processes prescribed by democratic theory—calling for further attention to work focused on mitigating power imbalances, building solidarity, and organizing power in parallel or as a precursor to deliberative-democratic processes.
The Global Liberal Arts Challenge
Authors: Becker Jonathan
Published: October 2022

The democratic backsliding that has accelerated across the globe over the past decade has included a rollback of liberal arts and sciences (LAS) as a system of university education. This essay explores the origins and goals of the global LAS education reform movement. I argue that while the movement is under threat largely due to its principled value of educating democratic citizens, it still has powerful potential and global impact; in part because LAS education is primarily an indigenous phenomenon adapting to local circumstances. I also argue that U.S. universities could contribute more constructively to the movement if they conceived of their role as global civic actors that conduct themselves in the spirit of mutuality and reciprocity, not as multinational corporations that channel neoliberal tendencies to maximize revenue. U.S. critics of the global LAS movement should also pay heed to the United States’ own history. Specifically, they can learn from historically Black colleges and universities how, operating under the extreme authoritarianism of the Jim Crow era, they managed to produce leaders who shaped a more democratic country. Liberal arts education produces short term benefits for students and alumni, but in the democratic context it is a long-term wager.
Wilderness Medicine Curricula in United States EMS Fellowship, Emergency Medicine Residency, and Wilderness Medicine Programs
Authors: Holstrom-Mercader Maria , Kass Daniel , Corsetti Monica , Flamm Avram
Published: October 2022

Objective:

Wilderness Medicine (WM) focuses on care delivered in austere or resource-scarce environments. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements and core content for Emergency Medicine (EM) residency and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) fellowship in the United States (US) include some WM topics that are covered to varying degrees in these programs. Furthermore, there are no ACGME-approved WM fellowships or specific curricula. Different training programs may develop WM content and curricula that differ significantly, leading to variations in WM competencies and training. In 2009, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Wilderness Medicine Section created a Fellowship Subcommittee and Taskforce to develop a standardized curriculum and core content for EM-based WM fellowships. However, to date, EMS fellowship and EM residency WM curricula in the US content have not been analyzed for consistency with the ACEP WM fellowship curriculum.

Methods:

In this study, the WM curricula components of EM residency and EMS fellowship were evaluated using the ACEP WM fellowship curriculum as a control. Potential curriculum gaps for each program type were identified.

Results:

Of the 19 WM competencies developed by the ACEP Wilderness Medicine Section Fellowship Subcommittee and Taskforce, EMS fellowship covers more WM topics (16 topics, or 84%) than EM residency (12 topics, or 63%), and combined, they cover 89% of these topics.

Conclusions:

By expanding to cover two additional WM topics, all WM curricula topics recommended by the ACEP WM fellowship curriculum could potentially be covered in EM residency + EMS fellowship; however, the depth of education in each topic may vary. It may be beneficial for Graduate Medical Education (GME)-level learners for programs to implement hands-on educational experiences in WM topics.
Demographic and behavioural correlates of energy drink consumption
Authors: Markon André O , Ding Ming , Chavarro Jorge E , Wolpert Beverly J
Published: October 2022

Objective:

Energy drinks are consumed for a variety of reasons, including to boost mental alertness and energy. We assessed associations between demographic factors and various high-risky behaviours with energy drink consumption as they may be linked to adverse health events.

Design:

We conducted cross-sectional analysis including basic descriptive and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses to characterise demographic and behavioural factors (including diet quality, binge drinking and illicit drug use, among others obtained via questionnaires) in relation to energy drink consumption.

Setting:

We used data from two large US-based cohorts.

Participants:

46 390 participants from Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3, n 37 302; ages 16–31) and Growing Up Today Study (GUTS, n 9088, ages 20–55).

Results:

Of the 46 390 participants, 13·2 % reported consuming ≥ 1 energy drink every month. Several risky behaviours were associated with energy drink use, including illegal drug use (pooled OR, pOR: 1·45, 95 % CI: 1·16, 1·81), marijuana use (pOR: 1·49, 95 % CI: 1·28, 1·73), smoking (pOR: 1·88. 95 % CI: 1·55, 2·29), tanning bed use (pOR: 2·31, 95 % CI: 1·96, 2·72) and binge drinking (pOR: 2·53, 95 % CI: 2·09, 3·07). Other factors, such as high BMI, e-cigarette use and poor diet quality were found to be significantly associated with higher energy drink consumption (P values < 0·001).

Conclusions:

Our findings show that energy drink consumption and high-risk behaviours may be related, which could potentially serve as not only as a talking point for providers to address in outreach and communications with patients, but also a warning sign for medical and other health practitioners.
Strengthening maternal nutrition counselling during routine health services: a gap analysis to guide country programmes
Authors: Kavle Justine A
Published: October 2022

Objective:

The WHO recommends counselling on healthy eating, weight gain, and physical activity during antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC), yet advice and information are often not tailored to women’s nutritional needs and contexts. The purpose of the gap analysis was to identify key elements related to the provision of maternal nutrition counselling during routine health contacts and provide programme considerations to strengthen quality service delivery.

Design:

A search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus and Scopus databases was conducted to retrieve studies from January 2010 to December 2021. Using inclusion criteria, quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies were included in the final gap analysis.

Setting:

Low-, middle- and high-income country contexts.

Participants:

Following application of gap analysis criteria, thirty-seven articles from sixteen countries were included in the analysis.

Results:

Gaps in delivery of maternal nutrition counselling include provider capacity building, frequency, content and delivery platforms. Globally, counselling on appropriate weight gain during pregnancy is often not delivered with the desired content nor quality, while targeted counselling to overweight and obese women was provided in several high-income country contexts. Delivery of maternal nutrition counselling through multiple delivery platforms demonstrated improvements in maternal diet and/or weight gain during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

Strengthening the integration of maternal nutrition counselling into pre- and in-service curricula, routine health provider training, supportive supervision and provider mentoring is needed. Future efforts may consider generating global and regional weight gain guidelines and incorporating maternal nutrition counselling indicators as part of quality-of-care ANC/PNC standards and routine health systems.
Associations between measures of socio-economic position and sustainable dietary patterns in the NutriNet-Santé study
Authors: Baudry Julia , Allès Benjamin , Langevin Brigitte , Reuzé Anouk , Brunin Joséphine , Touvier Mathilde , Hercberg Serge , Lairon Denis , Péneau Sandrine , Pointereau Philippe , Kesse-Guyot Emmanuelle
Published: October 2022

Objective:

We aimed to explore the relationship between socio-economic characteristics and sustainable dietary patterns.

Design:

Dietary data were derived from a web-based FFQ. Diet sustainability was evaluated using a modified Sustainable Diet Index, comprising nutritional, environmental and cultural components (higher scores expressing higher sustainability). The socio-economic position markers were education, household income and occupation status. Multi-adjusted linear and Poisson regression models were used to assess the cross-sectional association of the markers of socio-economic status with a sustainable diet and sustainability subcomponents, respectively.

Setting:

France.

Participants:

29 119 NutriNet-Santé participants.

Results:

Individuals with a more sustainable diet had slightly higher diet monetary cost, lower total energy intake and consumed less animal-based foods than their counterparts. Lower education level was associated with lower overall diet sustainability (βprimary v. postgraduate = -0·62, 95 % CI (-0·72, −0·51)) and nutrition, socio-cultural and environmental subscores. Manual workers and employees had a lower modified Sustainable Diet Index than intermediate professionals (βmanual workers v. intermediate professionals = -0·43, 95 % CI (−0·52, −0·33) and βemployees v. intermediate professionals = -0·56, 95 % CI (−0·64, −0·48)). Participants with the lowest v. highest incomes had a higher environmental subscore but a lower socio-cultural subscore, whereas the results were less marked for occupational status.

Conclusions:

Overall, our results documented associations between socio-economic status and the level of diet sustainability, arguing for the implementation of appropriate food policies to promote sustainable diets at lower cost.
The protection of persons with disabilities in armed conflict: An empty shelf in an IHL-specialized library?
Authors: Crenn Sonia , Mohr Charlotte
Published: October 2022

A window into the history of international humanitarian law scholarship, the ICRC Library's collections capture over 150 years of debates and developments related to the branch of international law that protects those who do not, or no longer, take part in hostilities. Yet, among the 41,000 references in the Library's collections, only a handful of recent publications focus on how this protection applies to persons with disabilities. In this article, two ICRC reference librarians take stock of this gap in their collections and consider its implications.
Führungsfaktor Resonanz – Gelassen und stark in Führung gehen
Authors: Schröder Jörg-Peter , Blank Natalie
Published: October 2022

Berührt geführt zu neuer Kreativität und Innovation! Wie können Führungskräfte sicherstellen, dass ihre Mitarbeiter*innen und Teams sich voll entfalten können? Jörg-Peter Schröder und Natalia Blank sind sich einig: durch Reflexion der eigenen Haltung und Kraft-Ressourcen. Basierend auf dem systemischen, ressourcenorientierten und gleichsam entwicklungsfördernden Selbstführungsansatz zeigen die Autor*innen mit Anleitungen zur Selbstreflexion, pointierten Fazits und dem 8-Stufen-Plan, wie •durch Selbstreflexion und Gelassenheit Authentizität und kreative Möglichkeitsräume entstehen •die Vermittlung von Sicherheit und Verständnis Empathie, Resonanz, Eigenverantwortung und intrinsische Motivation fördert •(Kraft-)Ressourcen und Resilienz durch Achtsamkeit und Embodiment gestärkt werden können •kokreative Begeisterungskultur und echter Teamgeist in Unternehmen entfesselt werden können. Wenn Führungskräfte nicht gegen etwas kämpfen, sondern sich für eine sinnvolle Arbeit und ein gesundes Miteinander im Team einsetzen und die Führungsentscheidung treffen, an- und innezuhalten, um Dinge ganz anders zu beleuchten, kann Kreativität und Innovation ein innerer Raum und ein äußerer Rahmen gegeben werden. „Die innere Haltung ist die Voraussetzung für eine starke Führung und Kommunikation. Nur wer eine gute Verbundenheit zu sich selbst hat, kann eine gute Verbindung zu anderen entwickeln. Das 8-Schritt-Verfahren des Empowerment-Ansatzes vermittelt in einer menschlichen und berührenden Sprache nachhaltiges und spürbares Stressmanagement. Für eine echte und sinnstiftende Verbundenheit - zu sich selbst und anderen. Großartig!“ Julia Steiner, Geschäftsführung, Evers GmbH, Oberhausen „Auf die innere Haltung kommt es an. Das Vorgehensmodell entfaltet Impact, stellt den Menschen in den Mittelpunkt und eröffnet neue Wachstumspotenziale. Wertvoll ist das Buch auch durch den Beitrag zum kulturellen Wandel sowie durch die Gestaltung von innerer Führung im Kontext komplexer Veränderungsprojekte.“ Klaus Eberhardt, Gründer und Geschäftsführer, Iteratec, München Dr. med. Jörg-Peter Schröder Arzt, Business-Coach, Mediator und Burnout-Experte Natalia Blank Systemischer Business-Coach,
Functional Genes Profile of Atmospheric Dust in the East Mediterranean Suggests Widespread Anthropogenic Influence on Aerobiome Composition
Authors: Gat Daniella , Zimmermann Ralf , Rudich Yinon
Published: October 2022

The microbiome of atmospheric dust events has raised increasing interest in the last decade, resulting in numerous studies that characterized the different parameters affecting the composition of the atmospheric microbiome, that is, the aerobiome. However, less is known about the functional profile of the aerobiome and how it compares with other environments. Here, we describe the results of shotgun metagenome analysis conducted on a representative set of particulate matter (PM) samples taken in Israel under dusty and nondusty conditions. We compared the functional profiles of these samples to local metagenomes collected from soils, sea, and leaf surfaces and to PM collected in Saudi Arabia, in order to link between the sampled aerosols and potential sources that contribute to the aerobiome. We found that PM samples collected in Israel most resembled Saudi Arabian dust and Israeli soils in both community composition and functional genes profile. In addition, we found significant differences in the abundances of genes associated with anthropogenic activity. Specifically, the examined dust exhibited a significantly higher abundance of genes associated with the biodegradation of organic contaminants, mostly benzoate and aminobenzoate, compared with all other examined environments. These preliminary results suggest that an anthropogenic impact on the aerobiome composition and functional profile is widespread, and pave the path to understanding the role of dust storms in disseminating microorganisms in various environments, spreading various traits, and affecting humans, livestock, plants, and ecosystem health.
Eocene Terrane Accretion in Northern Cascadia Recorded by Brittle Left‐Lateral Slip on the San Juan Fault
Authors: Harrichhausen Nicolas , Morell Kristin D. , Regalla Christine , Lynch Emerson M. , Leonard Lucinda J.
Published: October 2022

The San Juan fault (SJF), on southern Vancouver Island, Canada, juxtaposes the oceanic Wrangellia and Pacific Rim terranes in the northern Cascadia forearc, and has been suggested to play a role in multiple Mesozoic‐Cenozoic terrane accretion events. However, direct observations of the SJF's kinematics have not been documented and its exact role in accommodating strain arising from terrane accretion is unknown. To test if, how, and when the SJF accommodated accretion‐related strain, we use geologic mapping, kinematic inversion of fault‐plane slickenlines, and dating of marine sediments to constrain the timing and direction of brittle slip of the SJF.P‐ andT‐axes from kinematic inversions indicate predominantly left‐lateral slip. Left‐lateral brittle faulting cross‐cuts ∼51 Ma magmatic intrusions and foliation, providing a maximum age of brittle deformation. The fault zone is non‐conformably overlain by a >300 m‐thick sequence of clastic marine shelf and slope sediments that are not left‐laterally offset. A strontium isotope age of foraminifers helps constrain the depositional age of the sediments to late Eocene–early Oligocene, bracketing left‐lateral slip to the Eocene. Eocene left‐lateral slip is temporally and kinematically consistent with regional southwest‐northeast compression during accretion of the Siletzia ocean island plateau, suggesting brittle slip on the SJF accommodated strain resulting from the accretion of this terrane. This result does not support hypotheses that brittle slip along the SJF directly accommodated earlier accretion of the Pacific Rim terrane to Wrangellia, instead it offsets the older accretionary boundary between these two terranes.
MEKK4-mediated Phosphorylation of HOXA10 at Threonine 362 facilitates embryo adhesion to the endometrial epithelium
Authors: Zhang Mei , Zhang Qun , Cao Zhiwen , Cai Xinyu , Liu Jingyu , Jiang Yue , Zhu Yingchun , Zhou Jidong , Yu Lina , Zhen Xin , Hu Yali , Yan Guijun , Sun Haixiang
Published: October 2022

Embryo adhesion is a very important step in the embryo implantation process. Homeobox A10 (HOXA10), a key transcriptional factor of endometrial receptivity, is indispensable for embryo adhesion. However, how to control the activation status of HOXA10 remains elusive. Here, we found that Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 4 (MEKK4) was associated with HOXA10 and directly phosphorylated HOXA10 at threonine 362. This MEKK4-mediated phosphorylation enhanced HOXA10-mediated transcriptional responses and adhesion between the embryo and endometrial epithelium. Specific deletion or kinase inactivation of MEKK4 in endometrial epithelial cells attenuates adhesion between embryo and epithelium. Therefore, the identification of MEKK4 as a novel physiological positive regulator of HOXA10 activation provides mechanistic insights to improve embryo implantation success. Moreover, when Thr362 was mutated to alanine (T362A) to mimic its dephosphorylation, the protein stability and transcriptional regulation of HOXA10 were decreased. In addition, HOXA10 -promoted embryo adhesion was weakened after the mutation of Thr362, suggesting that the phosphorylation of HOXA10 at this site may be a new indicator for evaluating endometrial receptivity and judging the ‘implantation window’.
Old drugs, new tricks: leveraging known compounds to disrupt coronavirus-induced cytokine storm
Authors: Richman Spencer , Lyman Cole , Nesterova Anastasia , Yuryev Anton , Morris Matthew , Cao Hongbao , Cheadle Chris , Skuse Gary , Broderick Gordon
Published: October 2022

A major complication in COVID-19 infection consists in the onset of acute respiratory distress fueled by a dysregulation of the host immune network that leads to a run-away cytokine storm. Here, we present an in silico approach that captures the host immune system’s complex regulatory dynamics, allowing us to identify and rank candidate drugs and drug pairs that engage with minimal subsets of immune mediators such that their downstream interactions effectively disrupt the signaling cascades driving cytokine storm. Drug–target regulatory interactions are extracted from peer-reviewed literature using automated text-mining for over 5000 compounds associated with COVID-induced cytokine storm and elements of the underlying biology. The targets and mode of action of each compound, as well as combinations of compounds, were scored against their functional alignment with sets of competing model-predicted optimal intervention strategies, as well as the availability of like-acting compounds and known off-target effects. Top-ranking individual compounds identified included a number of known immune suppressors such as calcineurin and mTOR inhibitors as well as compounds less frequently associated for their immune-modulatory effects, including antimicrobials, statins, and cholinergic agonists. Pairwise combinations of drugs targeting distinct biological pathways tended to perform significantly better than single drugs with dexamethasone emerging as a frequent high-ranking companion. While these predicted drug combinations aim to disrupt COVID-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome, the approach itself can be applied more broadly to other diseases and may provide a standard tool for drug discovery initiatives in evaluating alternative targets and repurposing approved drugs.
Current stress minimization for isolated dual active bridge DC–DC converter
Authors: Rashwan Ahmed , Ali Ahmed I. M. , Senjyu Tomonobu
Published: October 2022

This paper presents a new phase-shift modulation for isolated dual active bridge (DAB) direct current–direct current (DC–DC) converter. The proposed technique aims to minimize the maximum current stress of the converter, which could directly increase the efficiency and reduce the device losses. This modulation technique controls the converter power through only two phase-shift angles or two degrees of freedom; one phase shift is used between the legs of its first bridge and the other one between the legs of the second bridge. Although the traditional single-phase shift (SPS) technique has only one degree of freedom, it suffers from many drawbacks in terms of high current stress and reverse circulating power flow, which decrease the converter efficiency. On the other hand, increasing the number of phase-shift angles can enhance the system performance but also increase the control complexity. Thus, a comparative analysis between the proposed modulation technique and the traditional SPS was conducted; the new method showed better performance in terms of current stress reduction, along with implementation simplicity.
Clustering of trauma patients based on longitudinal data and the application of machine learning to predict recovery
Authors: Stoitsas Kostas , Bahulikar Saurabh , de Munter Leonie , de Jongh Mariska A. C. , Jansen Maria A. C. , Jung Merel M. , van Wingerden Marijn , Van Deun Katrijn
Published: October 2022

Predicting recovery after trauma is important to provide patients a perspective on their estimated future health, to engage in shared decision making and target interventions to relevant patient groups. In the present study, several unsupervised techniques are employed to cluster patients based on longitudinal recovery profiles. Subsequently, these data-driven clusters were assessed on clinical validity by experts and used as targets in supervised machine learning models. We present a formalised analysis of the obtained clusters that incorporates evaluation of (i) statistical and machine learning metrics, (ii) clusters clinical validity with descriptive statistics and medical expertise. Clusters quality assessment revealed that clusters obtained through a Bayesian method (High Dimensional Supervised Classification and Clustering) and a Deep Gaussian Mixture model, in combination with oversampling and a Random Forest for supervised learning of the cluster assignments provided among the most clinically sensible partitioning of patients. Other methods that obtained higher classification accuracy suffered from cluster solutions with large majority classes or clinically less sensible classes. Models that used just physical or a mix of physical and psychological outcomes proved to be among the most sensible, suggesting that clustering on psychological outcomes alone yields recovery profiles that do not conform to known risk factors.
Quinoline–imidazole/benzimidazole derivatives as dual-/multi-targeting hybrids inhibitors with anticancer and antimicrobial activity
Authors: Diaconu Dumitrela , Antoci Vasilichia , Mangalagiu Violeta , Amariucai-Mantu Dorina , Mangalagiu Ionel I.
Published: October 2022

Two new classes of hybrid quinoline–imidazole/benzimidazole derivatives (the hybrid QIBS salts and QIBC cycloadducts) were designed and synthesized to evaluate their anticancer and antimicrobial activity. The strategy adopted for synthesis is straight and efficient, in four steps: N-acylation, N-alkylation, quaternization and a Huisgen 3 + 2 cycloaddition. The in vitro single-dose anticancer assay of forty six hybrid quinoline-benzimidazole compounds reveal that one QIBS salt (11h), has an excellent quasi nonselective activity against all type of cancer cell with an excellent PGI in the area of 90–100% and very good lethality. Three others quinoline–imidazole/benzimidazole hybrids (8h, 12h, 12f) has an excellent selective activity against some cancer cell lines: breast cancer MDA-MB-468 and Leukemia HL-60 TB). The five-dose assay screening confirms that compound 11h possesses excellent anti-proliferative activity, with GI50 in the range of nano-molar, against some cancer cell lines: Leukemia HL-60 TB, Leukemia K-526, Leukemia RPMI-8226, Breast cancer MDA-MB-468, Lung cancer HOP-92 and Ovarian cancer IGROV1. The antibacterial assay indicates that three hybrid QIBS salts (12f, 12c, 12d) have an excellent activity against Gram-negative bacteria E. coli (superior to control Gentamicin) while against Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus only one compound 8i (R2 = -CF3) exhibits a significant activity (superior to control Gentamicin). The MIC assay indicates that two other compounds (11h, 12h) are biologically active to a very low concentration, in the range of nano-molar. We believe that all these excellent assets related to anticancer and antibacterial activities, make from our hybrid quinoline–imidazole/benzimidazole compounds bearing a phenyl group (R2 = –C6H5) in the para (4)-position of the benzoyl moiety a good candidate for future drug developing.
Single-cell transcriptomic profiling for inferring tumor origin and mechanisms of therapeutic resistance
Authors: Lin Maoxuan , Sade-Feldman Moshe , Wirth Lori , Lawrence Michael S. , Faden Daniel L.
Published: October 2022

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive epithelial cancer with poor overall response rates to checkpoint inhibitor therapy (CPI) despite CPI being the recommended treatment for recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. Mechanisms of resistance to CPI in HNSCC are poorly understood. To identify drivers of response and resistance to CPI in a unique patient who was believed to have developed three separate HNSCCs, we performed single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) profiling of two responding lesions and one progressive lesion that developed during CPI. Our results not only suggest interferon-induced APOBEC3-mediated acquired resistance as a mechanism of CPI resistance in the progressing lesion but further, that the lesion in question was actually a metastasis as opposed to a new primary tumor, highlighting the immense power of scRNA-seq as a clinical tool for inferring tumor origin and mechanisms of therapeutic resistance.
High performance supercapacitors based on wood-derived thick carbon electrodes synthesized via green activation process
Authors: Yan Bing , Feng Li , Zheng Jiaojiao , Zhang Qian , Jiang Shaohua , Zhang Chunmei , Ding Yichun , Han Jingquan , Chen Wei , He Shuijian
Published: October 2022

A green, versatile, and universal H2O2 activation method is proposed to improve the capacitive properties of high-mass loading wood-based supercapacitors.
Listening Effort and Speech Perception Performance Using Different Facemasks
Authors: Mendel Lisa Lucks , Pousson Monique A. , Shukla Bhanu , Sander Kara , Larson Brooke
Published: October 2022

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of eight different facemasks on speech perception and listening effort in listeners with normal hearing (NH) and hearing loss by manipulating both mask type and background noise levels.

Method:

Forty adults listened to Quick Speech-in-Noise Test sentences recorded by a female talker through eight different facemasks including a baseline condition with no mask. Listeners were tested in the sound field positioned 6 ft from the loudspeaker. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss and listening effort were measured.

Results:

Listeners with NH exhibited a mild SNR loss, whereas those with hearing loss experienced a moderate SNR loss. Scores for the mild hearing loss group were significantly poorer (higher) than those with slight hearing loss. Speech perception performance was best in the no mask, KN95, and surgical mask conditions and poorest in the cloth mask and cloth mask plus face shield conditions for all groups. As listening effort decreased, speech perception increased for all groups.

Conclusions:

The impact of different types of facemasks on speech perception in noise was demonstrated in this study indicating that as the SNR was reduced, listening effort increased and speech perception performance decreased for listeners with NH and slight/mild hearing loss. No mask, KN95, and surgical masks had the least impact on performance, whereas cloth masks posed a significant detriment to communication. If communication is to occur in a background of noise while wearing masks, a KN95 mask and an SNR of at least +15 dB is recommended regardless of hearing status.
Travel mode choice prediction based on personalized recommendation model
Authors: Lai Zhilin , Wang Jing , Zheng Junjie , Ding Yuxing , Wang Cheng , Zhang Huizhen
Published: October 2022

The accurate prediction of individual travel mode in the city is necessary for the development of urban traffic intelligence. Through deep analysis on distribution of travel modes, policy makers can make proper policies to improve traffic conditions. With the development of sensing techniques and telecommunication technologies, it is easy to collect travel data of individuals and use some popular models to detect travel modes. However, existing methods are limited to aggregation analysis and these models suggest that travelers' preference mainly depend on the characteristics of travelers, little is known considering to extract individual travel preference from individual historical trips. Due to collect the user information is expensive and time‐consuming, one of the difficult tasks facing the prediction of travel mode by traditional methods is the lack of user's profile. What is more, data of different travel modes are always imbalanced. Accordingly, the paper proposes a model Balance Multi Travel Mode Deep Learning Prediction (BMTM‐DLP) for individual travel mode prediction inspired by the idea of recommender system. For the first time, the theory of recommender system is introduced into the field of individual travel mode choice prediction and we take advantage of the model to extract individual travel preference for travel mode prediction. Further, the focal loss function module is introduced into the model to reduce the impact of unbalanced categories. Experiments show that the model performs well on both datasets LPMC and XSCR, achieving 92.2% and 82.8% prediction accuracy in respective. It showed that the proposed model performed well in individual travel mode prediction.
The Therapeutic Role of Rho Kinase Inhibitor, Fasudil, on Pulmonary Hypertension; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Abedi Farshad , Omidkhoda Navid , Arasteh Omid , Ghavami Vahid , Hosseinzadeh Hossein
Published: October 2022

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathophysiological disorder, which involves multiple clinical conditions such as the upregulation of the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. On the other hand, fasudil as a Rho kinase inhibitor has been investigated in the treatment of PH in some clinical studies.

Objectives The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the human clinical trials regarding the efficacy of fasudil in the management of PH.

Methods Databases were searched with pre-defined search terms, up to December 2021. Efficacy measures were such as mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), systolic PAP (sPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), systolic vascular resistance (SVR) and cardiac index (CI).

Results A total of 12 studies involving 575 PH patients were included in our research. Eight short-term trials and four mid-term trials were found (no clinical trials on the long-term effects). Short-term trials had a before-after study design and measuring pulmonary hemodynamic parameters’ intervention revealed a statistically significant improvement of mPAP, sPAP, PVR, SVR, and CI in the meta-analysis of five eligible studies. Three mid-term trials also revealed improvement in some pulmonary hemodynamic parameters with fasudil and in another mid-term trial, fasudil significantly decreased rehospitalization and mortality in PH patients. No serious adverse effects with fasudil were reported in these trials.

Conclusion Fasudil therapy is efficacious and probably safe in the improvement of some hemodynamics in PH patients along short and mid-term periods. However, long-term randomized controlled trials comparing fasudil with placebo and other treatments are warranted for confirmation of these benefits.
Assoziation schneller Reaktionen der Genexpression mit Änderungen der 3D-Chromatinkonformation in veränderter Schwerkraft
Authors: Thiel Cora S. , Vahlensieck Christian , Ullrich Oliver
Published: October 2022

Die molekularen Prinzipien bei der Transduktion von Schwerkraftänderungen in zelluläre Antwort- und Anpassungsprozesse sind bisher weitgehend unbekannt. Wir konnten in humanen Jurkat-T-Zellen zeigen, dass Gene bei veränderter Schwerkraft in Clusterstrukturen („gravity-responsive chromosomal regions“, GRCRs) differenziell reguliert werden. Durch Kombination mit Hochdurchsatz-Chromatin-Konformationsanalysen (Hi-C) konnte eine hochsignifikante Assoziation von GRCRs mit strukturellen 3D-Chromatinveränderungen identifiziert werden, die vor allem auf den kleinen Chromosomen (chr16–chr22) kolokalisieren. Wir fanden weiterhin Hinweise auf einen mechanistischen Zusammenhang zwischen Spleißprozessen und differenzieller Genexpression bei veränderter Schwerkraft. Somit haben wir erste Belege dafür gefunden, dass Änderungen der Schwerkraft in den Zellkern übertragen werden und dort 3D-Chromosomen-Konformationsänderungen hervorrufen, die mit einer schnellen Transkriptionsantwort verbunden sind. Wir vermuten, dass die schnelle genomische Antwort auf veränderte Gravitationskräfte in der Organisation des Chromatins spezifisch codiert ist.
„Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit”
Authors: Ullrich Oliver , Losch Andreas
Published: October 2022

„Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit“ (Abb. 1). Es war 13 Tage nach Landung von Apollo 8 (Abb. 2), des ersten bemannten Fluges zum Mond, als Frank Borman, Commander der Apollo-8-Mission, diesen Satz in seiner Rede vor dem US Congress am 9. Januar 1969 sagte. Ein Vierteljahrhundert später, am 4. Februar 2003, ging Präsident George W. Bush während des Gedenkgottesdienstes für die 7 beim Absturz des Space Shuttle Columbia (Abb. 3) getöteten Astronauten im NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center noch einen Schritt weiter: „This cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose; it is a desire written in the human heart.“ (Abb. 4). Borman und Bush legten den menschlichen Antrieb zur Exploration, zum Erkunden und zum Entdecken des Neuen, also tief in das Menschsein, so tief, dass es das menschliche Wesen so weitgehend präge, dass Wunsch, Willen und Handeln des Menschen sich von dieser Wesenseigenschaft ableiten.
Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness Induced by Caloric Testing: A Case Report
Authors: Workman Brady S. , Desmond Alan L.
Published: October 2022

Abstract Background The condition of persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a common chronic vestibular disorder that is thought to be due to a central vestibular maladaptation. The condition is frequently encountered in those with a history of migraine,
anxiety, or panic attacks. Many cases of PPPD are preceded by vestibular disorders, with vestibular migraine thought to precede at least 20% of cases. Purpose Those with a history of migraine have been shown to have difficulties with sensory integration, habituation, and intolerance
to stimuli. This often leads to discomfort associated with some vestibular test procedures, specifically caloric irrigations. At this time there has been little investigation into any prolonged symptoms associated with undergoing vestibular test procedures in this population. Conclusions We
pose a case report of a patient with a history of migraine that developed new-onset PPPD following caloric irrigations.
The Influence of Motoric Maneuvers on Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs)
Authors: McNerney Kathleen M. , Kaliyappan Kathiravan , Wack David S. , Muthaiah Vijaya Prakash Krishnan
Published: October 2022

Abstract Background The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) is a vestibular response that is produced by the saccule in response to intense, often low-frequency, short-duration auditory stimuli, and is typically recorded from a contracted sternocleidomastoid
(SCM) muscle. Previous research has shown that the amplitude of the cVEMP is related to the amount of SCM electromyographic (EMG) activity. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the influence of various remote motoric maneuvers on the amplitude of the cVEMP, as well
as whether they influence the level of SCM EMG activity. Research Design The cVEMP was recorded from the left SCM muscle to left ear stimulation, in response to the SCM condition, as well as three different motoric maneuvers (jaw clench, eye closure, and the Jendrassik maneuver).
EMG activity was also varied between 50, 75, and 100% of maximal EMG activity. Study Sample Data from 14 healthy subjects, with a mean age of 25.57 years (standard deviation = 5.93 years), was included in the present study. Data Collection and Analysis Mean
latency and amplitude of the cVEMP were compared across the four conditions and varying magnitudes of EMG contraction. SPSS 26 was used to statistically analyze the results. Results cVEMP latency did not vary across condition. cVEMP amplitude decreased with decreasing EMG magnitude.
SCM contraction with jaw clench produced the largest increase in cVEMP amplitude; however, this condition was not significantly different from the SCM condition alone. SCM contraction with the Jendrassik maneuver produced a cVEMP amplitude that was similar and not statistically different from
SCM contraction alone, and the addition of the eye closure maneuver to SCM contraction resulted in the lowest cVEMP amplitude, which was found to be statistically different from the standard SCM condition at 100 and 75% EMG activity. The amplitude relationship across the conditions was not
found to vary with changes in EMG activity; however, a significant increase in EMG amplitude was found during the 50% muscle contraction condition when subjects performed the Jendrassik maneuver in addition to the standard SCM contraction. Conclusions The addition of the eye
closure maneuver to SCM contraction resulted in a significant decrease in cVEMP amplitude, while the addition of the Jendrassik maneuver resulted in a significant increase in EMG activity at the lowest level of SCM activation (i.e., 50%). Additional research is necessary to determine how motoric
maneuvers influence the cVEMP amplitude, and whether the results are also dependent on how SCM contraction is being produced (e.g., while supine vs. sitting).
Correlação entre posicionamento do cage e lordose lombar em fusão transforaminal minimamente invasiva (TLIF)
Authors: Vialle Emiliano Neves , Ramos Guilherme Zandavalli , Hinojosa Fabian Lopez , Guiroy Alfredo , Rocha Luiz Gustavo Dal'Oglio da , Arruda André de Oliveira
Published: October 2022

Objetivo Avaliar os resultados radiográficos e comparar a lordose pós-operatória em técnica de artrodese intersomática lombar transforaminal (TLIF, na sigla em inglês), considerando como variável o posicionamento do dispositivo intersomático (cage) em relação ao espaço discal.

Métodos Análise retrospectiva radiográfica de pacientes cirúrgicos, em nível único, por doença lombar degenerativa, aplicando-se TLIF e instrumentação pedicular posterior. Os pacientes foram divididos, conforme a posição do cage, em 2 grupos: 1. TLIF-A – cages na posição anterior do espaço discal; e 2. TLIF-P, cages na posição posterior do espaço discal (considerando-se o platô vertebral superior da vértebra inferior incluída na instrumentação, cages que ocuparam a superfície correspondente a 50% anterior da linha média, compuseram o grupo TLIF-A; opostamente, cages em posicionamento posterior compuseram o grupo TLIF-P). Procedeu-se à avaliação dos exames radiográficos ortostáticos em perfil no pré- e pós-operatórios, com a tomada das seguintes medidas: lordose lombar (LL) (ângulo L1–S1); lordose segmentar (LS) (L4–S1) e lordose segmentar do cage (LSC).

Resultados Cem pacientes foram incluídos de 2011 a 2018, sendo 44 homens e 46 mulheres, com idade média de 50.5 anos (27–76 anos). Um total de 43 cages foram classificados como “anteriores” (TLIF-A) e 57, “posteriores” (TLIF-P); considerando o grupo TLIF- A, os resultados pós-operatórios médios foram: LL 50.7°, LS 34.9° e LSC 21.6°; para o grupo TLIF-P, comparativamente: LL 42.3° (p < 0,01), LS 30.7° (p < 0,05) e LSC 18.8° (p > 0,05).

Conclusão: O posicionamento anterior do cage em relação ao espaço discal correlaciona-se a melhora da lordose lombar e segmentar na radiografia em comparação com o posicionamento posterior do implante.