bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health, burnout and well-being of UK cardiology trainees: insights from the British Junior Cardiologists’ Association Survey
Authors: Jenner William John , Brown Oliver Ian , Moore Abigail , Gilpin Thomas , Morgan Holly , Bowater Sarah , Braganza Denise , Camm C Fielder
Published: September 2024

Background

Cardiology training is demanding and associated with high workloads. Poor lifestyle and health among clinicians may stretch workforces and impact patient care. It has not been established what impact training in cardiology has on the doctors undertaking it. We aimed to establish the prevalence of physical and mental illness, burnout and the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle among cardiology trainees in the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods

The 2023 British Junior Cardiologists’ Association training survey included questions on ill health, burnout, healthy living and invited responders to complete screening questionnaires for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9; PHQ-9) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7; GAD-7). Significant anxiety and depression were defined as scoring within the moderate or severe range (PHQ-9≥10; GAD-7≥10). Burnout was a self-reported outcome. Poisson regression was used to determine prevalence ratios (PR) between univariate predictors of anxiety, depression and burnout.

Results

Of 398 responders, 212 consented to answer health and well-being questions. Prior physical and mental health conditions were reported by 9% and 7% of trainees, respectively. Significant depression and anxiety symptoms were reported by 25% and 18% of trainees, respectively. Burnout was reported by 76% of trainees. Less than full-time trainees reported greater anxiety (PR 2.92, 95% CI 1.39 to 6.16, p<0.01) and depression (PR 3.66, 95% CI 2.24 to 5.98, p<0.01), while trainees with dependents reported less burnout (PR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.92, p<0.01). Exercise, good sleep quality and maintaining a healthy diet were associated with less burnout and depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Half of trainees reported training having a negative impact on well-being, driven by the amount of service provision, curriculum requirements and lack of training opportunities.

Conclusions

The prevalence of anxiety, depression and burnout is high among UK cardiology trainees. Further work should establish the impact of cardiology trainee health on the quality of patient care. Training bodies should consider how occupational factors may contribute to health.
Immune isolation-enabled nanoencapsulation of donor T cells: a promising strategy for mitigating GVHD and treating AML in preclinical models
Authors: Mei Dan , Xue Ziyang , Zhang Tianjing , Yang Yining , Jin Lin , Yu Qianqian , Hong Jian , Zhang Xianzheng , Ge Jinru , Xu Li , Wang Han , Zhang Ziwei , Zhao Yuchen , Zhai Yuanfang , Tao Qianshan , Zhai Zhimin , Li Qingsheng , Li Hongxia , Zhang Lingling
Published: September 2024

Background

In allogeneic-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), donor T cells combat leukemia through the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect, while they also pose a risk of triggering life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by interacting with recipient cells. The onset of GVHD hinges on the interplay between donor T cells and recipient antigen-presenting cells (APCs), sparking T-cell activation. However, effective methods to balance GVHD and GVL are lacking.

Methods

In our study, we crafted nanocapsules by layering polycationic aminated gelatin and polyanionic alginate onto the surface of T cells, examining potential alterations in their fundamental physiological functions. Subsequently, we established an AML mouse model and treated it with transplantation of bone marrow cells (BMCs) combined with encapsulated T cells to investigate the GVL and anti-GVHD effects of encapsulated T cells. In vitro co-culture was employed to probe the effects of encapsulation on immune synapses, co-stimulatory molecules, and tumor-killing pathways.

Results

Transplantation of BMCs combined with donor T cells selectively encapsulated onto AML mice significantly alleviates GVHD symptoms while preserving essential GVL effects. Encapsulated T cells exerted their immunomodulatory effects by impeding the formation of immune synapses with recipient APCs, thereby downregulating co-stimulatory signals such as CD28-CD80, ICOS-ICOSL, and CD40L-CD40. Recipient mice receiving encapsulated T-cell transplantation exhibited a marked increase in donor Ly-5.1-BMC cell numbers, accompanied by unaltered in vivo expression levels of perforin and granzyme B. While transient inhibition of donor T-cell cytotoxicity in the tumor microenvironment was observed in vitro following single-cell nanoencapsulation, subsequent restoration to normal antitumor activity ensued, attributed to selective permeability of encapsulated vesicle shells and material degradation. Moreover, the expression of apoptotic proteins and FAS-FAS ligand pathway at normal levels was still observed in leukemia tumor cells.

Conclusions

Encapsulated donor T cells effectively mitigate GVHD while preserving the GVL effect by minimizing co-stimulatory signaling with APCs through early immune isolation. Subsequent degradation of nanocapsules restores T-cell cytotoxic efficacy against AML cells, mediated by cytotoxic pathways. Using transplant-encapsulated T cells offers a promising strategy to suppress GVHD while preserving the GVL effect.
Durability of response to immune checkpoint blockade following treatment discontinuation and efficacy of rechallenge in advanced Merkel cell carcinoma
Authors: Ramadoss Tanya , Nichols Matthew , Palacios Christian , Eroglu Zeynep , Markowitz Joseph , Karapetyan Lilit , Tarhini Ahmad A , Wuthrick Evan J , Sondak Vernon K , Khushalani Nikhil I , Tsai Kenneth Y , Brohl Andrew S
Published: September 2024

Background

Advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) has a high response rate to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, but the durability of responses once treatment is discontinued remains unclear. We therefore reviewed the long-term outcomes of advanced patients with MCC who discontinued ICB treatment after achieving favorable initial response.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of advanced patients with MCC treated at a single high-volume referral center, including all patients who received at least one dose of anti-programmed death receptor 1 (ligand) monotherapy for unresectable or metastatic disease, achieved stable disease (SD) or better, and discontinued treatment for a reason other than disease progression.

Results

Of 195 advanced patients with MCC treated with ICB, we identified 45 who met the study criteria. Of these, 21 (46.6%) had a complete response (CR) to initial ICB treatment, 23 (51.1%) a partial response and 1 (2.2%) SD. 25 (55.6%) patients discontinued ICB electively and 20 (44.4%) discontinued due to toxicity. In total, 21 of the 45 patients (46.6%) experienced disease progression at a median of 11.3 months (range 2.1–22.7 months) from ICB cessation. There was a lower rate of progression in patients who achieved CR versus non-CR (23.8% vs 66.7%, p=0.006) and a trend towards a lower rate in those who discontinued electively versus due to toxicity (36.0% vs 60.0%, p=0.14). There was a higher risk for progression in patients with viral positive MCC compared with viral negative MCC (75.0 vs 30.8%, p=0.02). 16 of the 21 patients who experienced progression were retreated subsequently with ICB therapy, including both single-agent rechallenge (12) and escalation to combination ICB (4). 11 of 15 evaluable ICB-retreated patients (73.3%) achieved an objective response.

Conclusions

Patients with advanced MCC have a substantial risk of disease progression following treatment discontinuation despite initial favorable ICB response, particularly in those that achieve less than a CR. Most of these patients maintain sensitivity to retreatment with the same drug class. Virus-positive MCC may be a risk factor for post-discontinuation relapse, which should be validated in future studies.
Learning from serum markers reflecting endothelial activation: longitudinal data in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bergkamp Sandy C , Bergkamp Nick D , Wahadat Mohamed Javad , Gruppen Mariken P , Nassar-Sheikh Rashid Amara , Tas Sander W , Smit Martine J , Versnel Marjan A , van den Berg J Merlijn , Kamphuis Sylvia , Schonenberg-Meinema Dieneke
Published: September 2024

Objectives

In childhood-onset SLE (cSLE), patients have an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis. The pathophysiological mechanisms for this premature atherosclerosis are not yet completely understood, but besides traditional risk factors, the endothelium plays a major role. The first aim of this study was to measure levels of SLE-associated markers involved in endothelial cell (EC) function and lipids in a cSLE cohort longitudinally in comparison with healthy controls (HC). Next aim was to correlate these levels with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and nailfold capillaroscopic patterns.

Methods

Blood serum samples, videocapillaroscopy images and patient characteristics were collected in a multicentre longitudinal cSLE cohort and from age and sex comparable HC. Disease activity was evaluated by SLEDAI. A total of 15 EC markers and six lipids were measured in two longitudinal cSLE samples (minimum interval of 6 months) and in HC. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy images were scored according to the guidelines from the EULAR Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases.

Results

In total, 47 patients with cSLE and 42 HCs were analysed. Median age at diagnosis was 15 years (IQR 12–16 years). Median time between t=1 and t=2 was 14.5 months (IQR 9–24 months). Median SLEDAI was 12 (IQR 6–18) at t=1 and 2 (IQR 1–4) at t=2. Serum levels of angiopoietin-2, CCL2, CXCL10, GAS6, pentraxin-3, thrombomodulin, VCAM-1 and vWF-A2 were elevated in cSLE compared with HC at t=1. While many elevated EC markers at t=1 normalised over time after treatment, several markers remained significantly increased compared with HC (angiopoietin-2, CCL2, CXCL10, GAS6, thrombomodulin and VCAM-1).

Conclusion

In serum from patients with cSLE different markers of endothelial activation were dysregulated. While most markers normalised during treatment, others remained elevated in a subset of patients, even during low disease activity. These results suggest a role for the dysregulated endothelium in early and later phases of cSLE, possibly also during lower disease activity.

Trial registration number

NL60885.018.17.
Inflammatory biomarkers predicting long-term remission and active disease in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a population-based study of the Nordic JIA cohort
Authors: Glerup Mia , Kessel Christoph , Foell Dirk , Berntson Lillemor , Fasth Anders , Myrup Charlotte , Nordal Ellen , Rypdal Veronika , Rygg Marite , Arnstad Ellen Dalen , Peltoniemi Suvi , Aalto Kristiina , Schleifenbaum Susanne , Høllsberg Malene Noer , Bilgrau Anders Ellern , Herlin Troels
Published: September 2024

Objectives

To assess the ability of baseline serum biomarkers to predict disease activity and remission status in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) at 18-year follow-up (FU) in a population-based setting.

Methods

Clinical data and serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers were assessed in the longitudinal population-based Nordic JIA cohort study at baseline and at 18-year FU. A panel of 16 inflammatory biomarkers was determined by multiplexed bead array assay. We estimated both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models on binary outcomes of disease activity and remission with baseline variables as explanatory variables.

Results

Out of 349 patients eligible for the Nordic JIA cohort study, 236 (68%) had available serum samples at baseline. We measured significantly higher serum levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-12p70, IL-13, MMP-3, S100A9 and S100A12 at baseline in patients with active disease at 18-year FU than in patients with inactive disease. Computing receiver operating characteristics illustrating the area under the curve (AUC), we compared a conventional prediction model (gender, age, joint counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein) with an extended model that also incorporated the 16 baseline biomarkers. Biomarker addition significantly improved the ability of the model to predict activity/inactivity at the 18-year FU, as evidenced by an increase in the AUC from 0.59 to 0.80 (p=0.02). Multiple regression analysis revealed that S100A9 was the strongest predictor of inactive disease 18 years after disease onset.

Conclusion

Biomarkers indicating inflammation at baseline have the potential to improve evaluation of disease activity and prediction of long-term outcomes.
Correlations between curling stone frictions and tribology’s Stribeck curve: concepts to consider
Authors: Brown Alex C.
Published: September 2024

The glides of curling stones to the button on curling-sheet ice are composed of three segments: ( i) an initial high-speed travel characterized by mild decelerations (and minor curls); ( ii) a slower-speed segment with visibly greater rates of deceleration (and curl); and ( iii) an abrupt end-of-travel. It is proposed here that these three travel segments correlate with the three well-known frictional regimes of tribology’s Stribeck curve: ( i) a hydrodynamic (wet) frictional regime in which, at high speeds, the generation of frictional heat from shearing stress within a lubricating water film is sufficient to melt ice and fully isolate the rock’s running-band from the ice surface, i.e., from mutually abrasive contact; ( ii) a mixed frictional regime where, with ever-more severe friction and ever-stronger deceleration and thus ever-lower speeds, the generation of frictional heat is progressively less and the lubricating water film becomes ever-thinner, allowing rock and ice asperities to cut ever-more abrasively into their opposing surfaces; and ( iii) a totally dry, highly abrasive frictional regime in which, at very low speeds, lubrication ends because of the lack of sufficient frictional heat to maintain a water film and thus the rock’s advance comes to an abrupt end.
Royal Society of Canada working group on health research system recovery: strengthening Canada’s health research system after the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Straus Sharon E. , Beckett Robyn , Fahim Christine , Pak Negin , Kasperavicius Danielle , Clifford Tammy , Holmes Bev
Published: September 2024

The Royal Society of Canada Working Group on Health Research System Recovery developed actionable recommendations for organizations to implement to strengthen Canada’s health research system. Recommendations were based on input from participants from G7 countries and Australia and New Zealand. Participants included health research funding agency leaders; research institute leaders; health, public health, and social care policy-makers; researchers; and members of the public. The recommendations were categorized using the World Health Organization’s framework for health research systems and include governance/stewardship: (1) Outline research logistics as part of emergency preparedness to streamline research in future pandemics. (2) Embed equity and inclusion in all research processes. (3) Facilitate streamlined, inclusive, and rigorous processes for grant application preparation and review. (4) Create knowledge mobilization infrastructure to support the generation and use of evidence. (5) Coordinate research efforts across local, provincial, national, and international entities. Financing: (6) Reimagine the funding of health research. Capacity building: (7) Invest in formative training opportunities rooted in equity, diversity, and anti-racism. (8) Support researchers’ career development throughout their career span. (9) Support early career researchers to establish themselves. Producing and using research: (10) Strengthen Indigenous health research and break down systemic barriers to its conduct. (11) Develop mechanisms to produce novel research. (12) Enhance research use across the health research ecosystem.
The polarized photon distribution function
Authors: de Florian Daniel , Palma Conte Lucas , Volonnino Gabriel Fernando
Published: September 2024

We employ the LuxQED approach to compute the polarized photon PDF (photon pPDF). This approach expresses the pPDF in terms of the structure functions $$g_1$$

g
1

and $$g_2$$

g
2

. Different models for the structure functions are employed according to the parameter space region. The resulting pPDF is approximately of the order of x times the unpolarized PDF. The relative uncertainty in the photon pPDF reaches up to 50% for $$x \sim 10^{-3}$$

x
∼

10

-
3

, decreasing to approximately 10% for higher values of x. The computation of the photon pPDF will be essential for improving the precision of polarized calculations and will have fundamental implications for studies at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).
A Deep Neural Network-Based Multisource Information Fusion Method for Stock Price Prediction of Enterprises
Authors: Quan Li , Zheng Dahuan
Published: September 2024

Most of the existing research works on stock price prediction ignore the synergistic effect of multi-source factors. Therefore, an enterprise stock price prediction method based on multi-source information fusion based on deep neural network (DNN) is proposed. Based on the condition of multi-source information fusion, the original data related to enterprise stock price are collected from multiple sources, and the structure level and model framework of the method are constructed. The feature extraction technology of DNN is used to extract the features useful for stock price prediction from the pre-processed data, and the DNN structure considering multi-source information fusion is established. Finally, feature extraction and evaluation settings are completed based on data variables. LOSS, ACCURACY and other indicators were used for analysis. The results show that compared with typical prediction methods, this method can make use of multiple information sources more comprehensively and improve the prediction accuracy. In addition, the proposed method has certain flexibility and can adapt to the characteristics and changes of different stock markets
Disentanglement as a strong cosmic censor
Authors: Chen Hong Zhe
Published: September 2024

If entanglement builds spacetime, then conversely, disentanglement ought to destroy spacetime. From the quantum null energy condition and quantum focusing conjecture, we obtain disentanglement criteria which necessitate infinite energies and strong spacetime singularities. We apply our results to the strong cosmic censorship proposal, where singularities at the Cauchy horizons in black holes are desirable. Using our disentanglement criteria and without resorting to any detailed calculations, we provide an exceedingly general and physically transparent discussion of strong cosmic censorship in semiclassical black holes. We argue that strong cosmic censorship is enforced in asymptotically flat and de Sitter black holes by disentanglement and describe how similar disentanglement might be avoided in some anti-de Sitter cases.
Software Vulnerability Detection: A Comparison of Statistical and Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Peerzada Bareen , Kumar Deepak
Published: September 2024

Software vulnerabilities can be defined as potential threats to an existing software structure. With the advent of networks and the internet to far and wide places, the software has become vulnerable to attacks by elements irrespective of their geographical locations. It would need consistent efforts and constant upgradation of vulnerability detection methods to keep up with the attacks. Machine learning methods can be used to detect vulnerabilities in less time. The proposed work’s main aim is to find the best possible methods to improve vulnerability detection. Classical statistical methods as well as hyper-tuned machine learning methods have been used to analyze vulnerability detection. The proposed work has employed the grid search method to improve the accuracy of SVM and neural networks. This study aims to move toward machine learning methods of vulnerability detection from classical statistical techniques with the help of empirical results, charts and graphs.
The X-semiprimeness of rings
Authors: Călugăreanu Grigore , Lee Tsiu-Kwen , Matczuk Jerzy
Published: September 2024

For a nonempty subset [Formula: see text] of a ring [Formula: see text], the ring [Formula: see text] is called [Formula: see text]-semiprime if, given [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] implies [Formula: see text]. This provides a proper class of semiprime rings. First, we clarify the relationship between idempotent semiprime and unit-semiprime rings. Secondly, given a Lie ideal [Formula: see text] of a ring [Formula: see text], we offer a criterion for [Formula: see text] to be [Formula: see text]-semiprime. For a prime ring [Formula: see text], we characterizes Lie ideals [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-semiprime. Moreover, [Formula: see text]-semiprimeness of matrix rings, prime rings (with a nontrivial idempotent), semiprime rings, regular rings, and subdirect products are studied.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Infrastructure Development in Nigeria: A Paradigm Shift or Failed Ventures Repackaged?
Authors: Chinonso Ajah Anthony , Jonah Onuoha Isaac
Published: September 2024

This paper specifically explores the impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure diplomacy in Nigeria, with a particular focus on two crucial sectors: ports and railways. It analyzes the challenges and conditions that have led to delays and abandonment of previous projects awarded to China in the past decades. Through the lens of complex interdependency theory, this paper discusses the push and pull factors that motivated the execution of BRI projects in Nigeria and how they mutually benefit the actors involved. Furthermore, it utilizes primary and secondary data gathered through Key Informant Interviews and documented sources. On the strength of the findings, this paper concludes that the BRI, unlike past Chinese projects in Nigeria, has significantly enhanced the development of infrastructure by modernizing the Nigerian railway facilities and constructing the first deep seaport in the country.
Thermodynamic Limit of the Free Electron Gas on a Circle
Authors: Fantoni Riccardo
Published: September 2024

We show that for the ground state of a one-dimensional free electron gas on a circle the analytic expression for the canonical ensemble partition function can be easily derived from the density matrix by assuming that the thermodynamic limit coincides with the limit of the eigenfunction expansion of the kinetic energy. This approximation fails to give the finite temperature partition function because those two limits cannot be chosen as coincident.
Envisaging Just Energy Transitions in Jharkhand: (Re)Interrogating the Politico-Economic Entanglements of the Private Regimes of Extraction and Accumulation
Authors: BAKSHI EKATA , BASU IPSHITA , SEAL ARUNOPOL
Published: September 2024

One of the major concerns around in coal mining and extractive regimes more generally in India has been the role of the private sector in managing precarious labor environments through intermediation, which has deep political roots. While the state–corporate nexus is well established in the coal mining sector, we observe here that an important part of sustaining productivity and profitability from mining has been the organized intermediation of private subcontractors who work between formal and informal coal economies and between coal companies and communities. This paper seeks to historically situate the emergence of these private entities and the nature of competition between them. Additionally, it elucidates how political machinery is deployed to manage such conflicts and competition. The paper argues that while competition among different private entities occurs at the profit level, the internal conflict and its efficient political management contribute to seamless accumulation—both primitive accumulation and surplus value accumulation—within the coal economies by preventing organized labor resistance. It concludes by arguing that without a nuanced understanding of the politics of the “private” within the coal economy and its accumulative regimes, any attempt at Just Transitions will fail to comprehend the multifaceted nature of exploitation, co-option, and negotiation within such regimes.
Online Conversion with Group Fairness Constraints
Authors: Jazi Hossein Nekouyan , Zargari Faraz
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we initiate the study of an online conversion problem that incorporates group fairness guarantees. This problem aims to distribute a resource with fixed capacity to a sequence of buyers based on their offered prices. Each buyer belongs to a distinct group, and the objective is to maximize revenue while ensuring fairness across groups by guaranteeing that each group receives a predetermined quantity of resources. We propose a novel threshold-based online algorithm and prove that it achieves the optimal competitive ratio with fairness guarantees.
A Gittins Policy for Optimizing Tail Latency
Authors: Harlev Amit , Yu George , Scully Ziv
Published: September 2024

Service level objectives (SLOs) for queueing systems typically relate to the tail of the system's response time distribution T. The tail is the function mapping a time t to the probability P[T > t]. SLOs typically ask that high percentiles of T are not too large, i.e. that P[T > t] is small for large t.
Pricing for Routing and Flow-Controlin Payment Channel Networks
Authors: Sankagiri Suryanarayana , Hajek Bruce
Published: September 2024

Blockchains are decentralized digital transaction systems. Most blockchains today suffer from poor transaction throughput, resulting in exorbitant transaction fees and hindering widespread adoption. Layer-two blockchain mechanisms are tools that allow transactions to take place outside of the main blockchain system, thereby increasing the system's throughput [2]. A payment channel network (PCN) is one such mechanism that is used in practice. This paper focuses on their long-term transaction processing efficiency.
Why Should I Teach Performance Evaluation to Students in Networking?
Authors: Meo Michela
Published: September 2024

In this contribution, we share our view on teaching methodological topics in STEM disciplines and we report our experience on teachning performance evaluation to students in a M.Sc. focused on ICT for Smart Societies. This program aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills in ICT to drive innovation across various engineering fields. The focal point is communication networks, viewed as a collection of enabling technologies fundamental to enhancing engineering through information-driven approaches. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the program, the students require methodological tools that can help them to understand problems in different contexts. The effort to approach problems from multiple perspectives is addressed by using tools, such as analytical modeling and simulation, in a complementary way. Performance evaluation well fits the need to propose to students general methodologies that can be applied to several fields. These methodologies push them to approach problems from different levels of abstraction, deriving holostic views, practicing creative and critical thinking.
Evaluating Preferences of Hospitalized Diabetes Patients for Hospital‐Wide Glycemic Control Programme: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Dai Jing , He Ting , He Xiaodie , Li Huaying , Li Lintong , Sun Jie , Pan Jie , Ji Cheng
Published: September 2024

Background: Effective glycemic control is crucial for hospitalized patients, leading to benefits such as shorter hospital stays and reduced postoperative infection rates. While previous studies have emphasized the effectiveness of multidisciplinary collaborative stewardship for hospital‐wide hyperglycemia management, patient perspectives and preferences have not been adequately considered.

Objective: To identify factors influencing treatment preferences of Chinese hospitalized diabetes patients using discrete choice experiments (DCEs) and provide practical insights for the construction of a hospital‐wide glycemic control programme.

Methods: A face‐to‐face survey was conducted among diabetes patients admitted to nonendocrine departments in a tertiary hospital in Nanjing, China. The attributes and levels were determined based on DCE principles, and a conditional logit model was used to quantify patients’ preferences.

Results: A total of 157 respondents were analyzed. Antihyperglycemic effectiveness, healthcare providers, treatment regimen, monitoring frequency, and adverse reactions were the five attributes that significantly influenced patient preference (p < 0.05). Notably, an 80% glycemic control rate (β = 2.009) and a multidisciplinary management team involving clinical pharmacists (β = 1.346) had the greatest impact. Negative effects were observed for hypoglycemia (β = −1.008), insulin pump use (β = −0.746), and frequent glucose monitoring (β = −0.523). Female patients exhibited higher concern for healthcare providers (β = 1.172) compared to males. Younger and shorter‐course patients prioritized antihyperglycemic effectiveness (β = 3.330, β = 1.510), while older patients preferred multidisciplinary management (β = 1.186) and opposed increased monitoring frequency (β = −0.703). Patients with higher educational backgrounds showed greater acceptance of continuous glucose monitoring (β = 1.983), and those with higher annual income placed more emphasis on glycemic control rate.

Conclusion: Treatment preferences of hospitalized diabetes patients are mainly influenced by antihyperglycemic effectiveness, adverse reactions, healthcare providers, and individual characteristics. Comprehensive consideration and an individualized therapy strategy should be given when constructing a hospital‐wide glycemic control programme.
Economic Impact Assessment of Structural Health Monitoring Systems on Helicopter Blade Beginning of Life
Authors: Ballarin Pietro , Macchi Marco , Roda Irene , Sala Giuseppe , Baldi Andrea , Airoldi Alessandro
Published: September 2024

The economic impact of Structural Health Monitoring Systems based on optical fibre sensors is assessed in the development of composite helicopter rotor blades. Hence, the focus of this analysis is on the helicopter’s Beginning Of Life stage. Two applications of the Structural Health Monitoring System are considered in the development of composite blades: curing cycle development and accomplishment of laboratory and flight certification tests. Optical fibre sensors measure the temperature field during the curing cycle and strain field during the laboratory tests and allow load identification during the load survey activity. It was found that Structural Health Monitoring Systems can potentially lead to economic benefits during the development of the blade provide that a reduction in the number of curing cycles and number of blades tested is achieved as a consequence of the improvement of the temperature and strain field quality. Moreover, an economic benefit could be achieved during the load survey activity, needed to complete the certification of the composite blade, avoiding the periodical maintenance of the applied strain gauges acquiring the strains during the flight.
Successful Treatment of Plasma Cell‐Rich Acute Rejection Using Bortezomib: A Case Report
Authors: Hashemi Sara , Hod-Dvorai Reut , Tong Rebecca , Suo Liye
Published: September 2024

Plasma cell‐rich acute rejection (PCAR), a relatively rare subtype of acute allograft rejection, is usually associated with a significantly lower treatment response rate and a higher graft failure rate. PCAR is characterized by the presence of more than 10% of plasma cells out of all graft infiltrating cells, with approximately 40%–60% of PCAR resulting in graft failure within a year. Currently, there is no gold standard for the effective treatment of PCAR. This case report demonstrates the potential treatment effect of bortezomib in PCAR. A 37‐year‐old woman with reflux nephropathy received a kidney transplant from a brain‐dead kidney donor. The patient presented with an acute kidney injury with a serum creatinine level over 4 mg/dL 4 months after the surgery. The allograft biopsy showed acute T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR), Grade IIA, plasma cell‐rich variant. There were diffuse polyclonal plasma cells infiltrating the renal parenchyma with marked tubulitis and focal endarteritis. She received a methylprednisolone pulse of 500 mg daily x3, followed by thymoglobulin (rATG) at 4.2 mg/kg. However, a repeated biopsy after 2 months showed persistent plasma cells infiltrate with increased interstitial fibrosis with tubular atrophy. Then, the patient was given one cycle of bortezomib with a total of four subcutaneous injections and continued immunosuppressants of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. Following the treatment, the patient’s serum creatinine level trended down to 2 mg/dL, and a second repeat biopsy after 4 months showed a significant treatment effect with complete resolution of interstitial inflammation and decreased chronicity. Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor that prevents cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in plasma cells and has shown great promise as a therapeutic agent for multiple myeloma. Our case suggests that bortezomib can also be used as a potential therapeutic intervention for patients with PCAR.
Low Intake of Total Antioxidant Nutrients as a Risk Factor for Incident Dementia in Older Adults: The Shanghai Aging Study
Authors: Liu Su , Luo Jianfeng , Xiao Zhenxu , Wu Wanqing , Liang Xiaoniu , Zhao Qianhua , Zhao Xianfeng , Wang Yi , Fu Wenhuan , Ding Ding
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Previous longitudinal studies reported the impact of antioxidant nutrients (ANs) on cognitive impairment in the older population, but the conclusions were inconsistent. This study aimed to verify the hypothesis that dietary intake of total AN was associated with incident dementia among older individuals. Methods: Community residents without dementia aged ≥60 years were prospectively followed up for an average of 5.2 years in the Shanghai Aging Study. At baseline, daily intakes of total dietary AN (the sum of carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and flavonoids) and energy were calculated based on an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire measuring the dietary intake over the past 1 year for each participant. A battery of neuropsychological tests was used to evaluate cognitive function, and a consensus diagnosis of dementia was made according to the DSM-IV criteria at baseline and follow-up. Results: Among 1,550 dementia-free participants, 135 (8.7%) incident dementia cases were identified during the average of 5.2 years of follow-up. Participants with low AN intake (<112 mg/day) had a significantly higher risk of incident dementia than those with high AN intake (≥112 mg/day) (hazard ratio 1.87, 95% confidence interval 1.26–2.77) after adjusting for age, gender, education, obesity, APOE-ε4, hypertension, diabetes, depression, baseline Mini-Mental State Examination score, and total energy intake. The significant association of total AN intake with incident dementia was only found in individuals ≥70 years. Conclusion: Low total AN intake may be a risk factor for incident dementia among older adults. Maintaining sufficient AN intake may be beneficial against age-related cognitive decline.
Tone language experience enhances dimension-selective attention and subcortical encoding but not cortical entrainment to pitch
Authors: Kachlicka Magdalena , Symons Ashley E. , Saito Kazuya , Dick Frederic , Tierney Adam T.
Published: September 2024

What factors determine the importance placed on different sources of evidence during speech and music perception? Attention-to-dimension theories suggest that, through prolonged exposure to their first language (L1), listeners become biased to attend to acoustic dimensions especially informative in that language. Given that selective attention can modulate cortical tracking of sounds, attention-to-dimension accounts predict that tone language speakers would show greater cortical tracking of pitch in L2 speech, even when it is not task-relevant, as well as an enhanced ability to attend to pitch in both speech and music. Here, we test these hypotheses by examining neural sound encoding, dimension-selective attention, and cue-weighting strategies in 54 native English and 60 Mandarin Chinese speakers. Our results show that Mandarin speakers, compared to native English speakers, are better at attending to pitch and worse at attending to duration in verbal and non-verbal stimuli; moreover, they place more importance on pitch and less on duration during speech and music categorization. The effects of language background were moderated by musical experience, however, with Mandarin-speaking musicians better able to attend to duration and using duration more as a cue to phrase boundary perception. There was no effect of L1 on cortical tracking of acoustic dimensions. Nevertheless, the frequency-following response to stimulus pitch was enhanced in Mandarin speakers, suggesting that speaking a tone language can boost processing of early pitch encoding. These findings suggest that tone language experience does not increase the tendency for pitch to capture attention, regardless of task; instead, tone language speakers may benefit from an enhanced ability to direct attention to pitch when it is task-relevant, without affecting pitch salience.
Sent “Without Ordre”: John Dunton, the London Book Trade, and the Provincialized Reader of Late Seventeenth-Century New England
Authors: Garcia John J.
Published: September 2024

This essay argues that a cohort of London booksellers who visited colonial New England fashioned readers as unsophisticated provincials. It focuses on the English bookseller John Dunton, who visited Boston in the 1680s. on marginalia in colonial books, and on the circumstances which undermined the publication of Magnalia Christi Americana.
Effects of Different Concentrations of Exogenous Auxins (IAA, IBA, and NAA) on Growth and Rooting Ability of Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium (Schott) Croat Stem Cuttings
Authors: Lee Jae Hwan , Shin Eun Ji , Kim Eun A , Jang In Tae , Lee Samuel , Nam Sang Yong
Published: September 2024

Background and objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different types and concentrations of exogenous auxins on growth and rooting ability of Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium stem cuttings.Methods: Auxins used included indole acetic acid (IAA) at concentrations of 80, 160, and 320 mg⋅L-1, and 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000 mg⋅L-1, respectively.Results: The application of auxins significantly improved the mean survival rate to 97.4%, compared to 91.4% in the control. The mean rooting rate also increased with auxin treatments, to 94.5% compared to 85.4% in the control. Additionally, shoot length, width, and both fresh and dry weights peaked at an IAA concentration of 320 mg⋅L-1, while leaf length and width were optimal at an IAA concentration of 160 mg⋅L-1. In contrast, the best results for root length and biomass, both fresh and dry weights, were observed with an IBA concentration of 250 mg⋅L-1. The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage Lab (CIELAB) color space analysis showed that the control had higher L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values, indicating a lower ornamental value.Conclusion: The findings confirm that auxins effectively enhance the stem-cutting propagation of P. hederaceum var. oxycardium, regardless of type and concentration. For optimal shoot growth, an IAA concentration of 320 mg⋅L-1 is recommended, while an IBA concentration of 250 mg⋅L-1 is most effective for root growth.
Influence of Social Capital on the Poverty Reduction of Rangeland Communities in the Bamyan Province, Afghanistan
Authors: Aliyar Qurban , Lee Chan-Jung , Salimath Pone , Lee Yohan
Published: September 2024

Background and objective: This study investigates the contribution of social capital on the poverty alleviation of rangeland agropastoral communities who are based on agriculture and the rearing of livestock in the Bamyan province of Afghanistan.Methods: Data was collected through a field survey from the randomly selected 186 households in three rangeland villages in the Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. The relationship between social capital and household poverty was analyzed using a binary logistic regression and correlation analysis.Results: Poor households (.728) were found to have lower social capital than non-poor households (.782). People who live in the Shah Foladi protected area (.687) have lower social capital than those of the Band-E-Amir national park area (0.800). Respondents with a government tenure (.801) were more likely to have higher social capital than those with a public tenure (.608).Conclusion: In this study, social capital has a significant impact on alleviating the poverty of rangeland households in Afghanistan. To address the poverty issue of forest dependents, the local level strategy of community development programs should target rangeland communities to build up their social capital for supporting forest tenures and benefit sharing among marginalized people.
6. Congruent, yet resentful?
Authors: Lefevere Jonas , van Erkel Patrick F. A. , Walgrave Stefaan , Jennart Isaïa , Baudewyns Pierre , Rihoux Benoît
Published: September 2024

This chapter investigates the relation between a voter’s policy incongruence and resentment. Incongruence refers to the mismatch between voters’ and parties’ preferences: we hypothesize that incongruence will be positively related to resentment. The more incongruent voters are with either their own preferred party (egotropic incongruence) or the whole party system (sociotropic incongruence), the less likely voters can expect policy that aligns with their preferences, and thus benefits them. Such incongruence likely fosters resentment. We further hypothesize that the relation between incongruence and resentment is moderated by voters’ party issue positions knowledge. Using the 2019 RepResent survey data, we find no support for the hypothesized relation between incongruence and resentment. Rather, we find strong indications that citizens’ party position knowledge moderates the relation between incongruence and resentment. This indicates that it does not just matter that citizens are incongruent with their preferred party and/or the party system, but also that they know they are incongruent.
Investigating the Ordering Structure of Clustered Items Using Nonparametric Item Response Theory
Authors: Koopman Letty , Braeken Johan
Published: September 2024

Educational and psychological tests with an ordered item structure enable efficient test administration procedures and allow for intuitive score interpretation and monitoring. The effectiveness of the measurement instrument relies to a large extent on the validated strength of its ordering structure. We define three increasingly strict types of ordering for the ordering structure of a measurement instrument with clustered items: a weak and a strong invariant cluster ordering and a clustered invariant item ordering. Following a nonparametric item response theory (IRT) approach, we proposed a procedure to evaluate the ordering structure of a clustered item set along this three-fold continuum of order invariance. The basis of the procedure is (a) the local assessment of pairwise conditional expectations at both cluster and item level and (b) the global assessment of the number of Guttman errors through new generalizations of the H-coefficient for this item-cluster context. The procedure, readily implemented in R, is illustrated and applied to an empirical example. Suggestions for test practice, further methodological developments, and future research are discussed.
Comparing and Predicting Rape Acknowledgment Between Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Categories
Authors: Pugh Brandie , Canan Sasha , Becker Patricia , Jozkowski Kristen N.
Published: September 2024

It is well known that sexual violence is a prevalent social problem that often results in numerous deleterious outcomes for victims and these outcomes are often influenced by rape acknowledgment (i.e., whether the rape victim acknowledges their experience as rape). Most research on rape acknowledgment examines acknowledgment as a dichotomous variable and comprises heterosexual cisgender women, revealing two gaps in the literature. To fill these gaps, this study used quantitative data that oversampled LGBTQ+ populations to examine three categories of rape acknowledgment (yes, no, uncertain) among a gender and sexually diverse sample ( N = 817). Results indicate that 20% of the sample were uncertain as to whether they had been raped, 33% were unacknowledged victims, and 44% acknowledged their rape. Sexual minority transgender/nonbinary people had the highest prevalence of rape acknowledgment (56%), compared with four other groupings: heterosexual cis men and women as well as sexual minority cis men and women (28%–49%). Multivariate analysis revealed that when controlling for other factors, gender identity, but not sexual orientation, significantly predicts rape acknowledgment. Namely, sexual minority transgender/nonbinary people and cis women were more likely than cis men to acknowledge their rape. This study offers evidence to suggest that acknowledgment differs significantly by gender identity and is worth further inquiry. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Comparative analysis of noise and music exposure on inflammatory responses on lipopolysaccharide-induced septic rats
Authors: Liu Hu , Peng Xing-guo , Gao Ran , Yang Kai , Zhao Yan-bo
Published: September 2024

Objective

Environmental factors such as noise and music can significantly impact physiological responses, including inflammation. This study explored how environmental factors like noise and music affect lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation, with a focus on systemic and organ-specific responses.

Materials and Methods

24 Wistar rats were divided into four groups ( n = 6 per group): Control group, LPS group, noise-exposed group, and music-exposed group. All rats, except for the Control group, received 10 mg/kg LPS intraperitoneally. The rats in the noise-exposed group were exposed to 95 dB noise, and the music-exposed group listened to Mozart’s K. 448 music (65–75 dB) for 1 h daily over 7 days. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was utilized to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), in serum and tissues (lung, liver, and kidney). Western blot examined the phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 in organ tissues.

Results

Compared with the Control group, LPS-induced sepsis rats displayed a significant increase in the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum, lung, liver, and kidney tissues, as well as a remarkable elevation in the p-NF-κB p65 protein expression in lung, liver, and kidney tissues. Noise exposure further amplified these inflammatory markers, while music exposure reduced them in LPS-induced sepsis rats.

Conclusion

Noise exposure exacerbates inflammation by activating the NF-κB pathway, leading to the up-regulation of inflammatory markers during sepsis. On the contrary, music exposure inhibits NF-κB signaling, indicating a potential therapeutic effect in reducing inflammation.