bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal Lifestyle and Prenatal Risk Factors for Childhood Leukemia: A Review of the Existing Evidence
Authors: Benítez Leticia , Castro-Barquero Sara , Crispi Fàtima , Youssef Lina , Crovetto Francesca , Fischer Ute , Kameri Ersen , Bueno Clara , Camos Mireia , Menéndez Pablo , Heinäniemi Merja , Borkhardt Arndt , Gratacós Eduard
Published: May 2024

Background: Acute leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer, with an incidence peak at 2–5 years of age. Despite the medical advances improving survival rates, children suffer from significant side effects of treatments as well as its high social and economic impact. The frequent prenatal origin of this developmental disease follows the two-hit carcinogenesis model established in the 70s: a first hit in prenatal life with the creation of genetic fusion lesions or aneuploidy in hematopoietic progenitor/stem cells, and usually a second hit in the pediatric age that converts the preleukemic clone into clinical leukemia. Previous research has mostly focused on postnatal environmental factors triggering the second hit. Summary: There is scarce evidence on prenatal risk factors associated with the first hit. Mainly retrospective case-control studies suggested several environmental and lifestyle determinants as risk factors. If these associations could be confirmed, interventions focused on modifying prenatal factors might influence the subsequent risk of leukemia during childhood and reveal unexplored research avenues for the future. In this review, we aim to comprehensively summarize the currently available evidence on prenatal risk factors for the development of childhood leukemia. According to the findings of this review, parental age, ethnicity, maternal diet, folate intake, alcohol consumption, X-ray exposure, pesticides, perinatal infections, and fetal growth may have a significant role in the appearance of preleukemic lesions during fetal life. Other factors such as socioeconomic status, consumption of caffeinated beverages, and smoking consumption have been suggested with inconclusive evidence. Additionally, investigating the association between prenatal factors and genetic lesions associated with childhood leukemia at birth is crucial. Prospective studies evaluating the link between lifestyle factors and genetic alterations could provide indirect evidence supporting new research avenues for leukemia prevention. Maternal diet and lifestyle factors are modifiable determinants associated with adverse perinatal outcomes that could be also related to preleukemic lesions. Key Messages: Parental age, ethnicity, maternal diet, folate intake, alcohol consumption, X-ray exposure, pesticides, perinatal infections, and fetal growth may have a significant role in the appearance of preleukemic lesions during fetal life. Dedicating efforts to studying maternal lifestyle during pregnancy and its association with genetic lesions leading to childhood leukemia could lead to novel prevention strategies.
Entre a dívida e a devoção: o olhar de Manuel Ferreira sobre Goa (1948-1954)
Authors: Spina Daniela
Published: May 2024

O presente artigo investiga a participação de Manuel Ferreira no meio intelectual goês entre 1948 e 1954, e a sua contribuição no Boletim da Emissora de Goa e no jornal O Heraldo. Nos primórdios da sua carreira de escritor e africanista, a experiência goesa de Ferreira se configura como um duro confronto com a problemática realidade ultramarina e com as fragilidades de um meio cultural atingido duramente pela repressão salazarista. Entre propaganda com sabor de lusotropicalismo e desapaixonada defesa de escritores e artistas locais, Ferreira inscreve a sua estadia em Goa entre a dívida e a devoção, tentando conciliar as suas obrigações políticas com o seu desejo de cultivar literatura.
Justin Martyr’s Problem with Platonism: Heresy and Anthropology in Dialogue 4 and the Syntagma
Authors: List Nicholas
Published: May 2024

In Dialogue 4, Justin changes his mind on two specific tenets of Platonic philosophy: the idea that the soul can see God, and the doctrine of transmigration. The Platonic anthropology rejected by Justin happens to be foundational to the theological systems of his Christian demiurgical opponents: Simon and Helen, Basilides, and Carpocrates (who are likely discussed and refuted in Justin’s now-lost Syntagma Against all the Heresies). In this paper, I argue that this is not coincidental, and that Justin’s problem with Platonic anthropology is bound up with his broader heresiological concerns. By rejecting these two doctrines, Justin was able to define Christianity on his own terms while effectively undermining the teachings of his religious rivals. This further explains the specificity of Justin’s problem with Platonism, which should not be read as a wholesale rejection of Platonic philosophy.
Morphological and molecular diversity analysis vis-a-vis phylogenetic correlation among pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties
Authors: Sharma Rahul , Sharma Som Dev , Sharma Vikas Kumar , Kumari Reena , Khatri Shireen
Published: May 2024

Identification of different pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes using morphological descriptors and further substantiated through molecular means is essential for a breeding program. Characterization using molecular markers has an advantage over its morphological counterpart due to its low expense, quick and reliable results, and the requirement of less sophisticated equipment. In this study, eight different pomegranate cultivars were characterized based on their morphological and molecular characters in sub-tropical regions between 2018 and 2019. Morphological experiments were conducted in a randomized block design replicated thrice for each cultivar, whereas RAPD markers were employed for molecular studies. Principal component analysis revealed significant morphological variation (79.61%) among the cultivars. A high level of polymorphism, similar to PCA, was observed with RAPD analysis (80.49%). Some discrepancies between morphological and molecular results were noted in UPGMA cluster analysis. However, eight primers (total = 41) distinctively separated the Bhagwa variety from others, with the maximum similarity coefficient value (ca. 0.54) and superior fruit quality distinguished in PCA analysis with the maximum mean Euclidean distance (ca. 16). Hence, RAPD markers could be used along with morphological markers for a quick screening of germplasms in further crop improvement programs.
Factors influencing Italian consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for insect-fed poultry products
Authors: Tiboldo G. , Casolani N. , Reguzzi M.C. , Cominelli F. , Coderoni S. , Arata L. , Mazzoni E.
Published: May 2024

The use of insects as a protein source in feed production can significantly improve the sustainability of livestock production. Despite several environmental and animal welfare benefits, the economic sustainability of such an approach depends on the level of consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for insect-fed poultry diets. Using the results of an online survey of more than 850 Italian consumers, we first examine the main differences between two groups of consumers: those who are willing to buy insect-fed poultry meat and eggs and those who are not. The t-test is used to search for statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of their stated preferences for key food attributes that influence purchase decisions, as well as their view on food safety, quality and environmental issues. We then use ordered logit regression to estimate the determinants of consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium for insect-fed poultry compared to conventional poultry products. Particular attention is paid to the possible role of trust in the ability of the food system to provide safe food in influencing consumers’ preferences. The results show that consumers who are willing to buy insect-fed meat and eggs are more environmentally aware, have a stronger belief in the crucial role that changes in current food consumption patterns can play for the environment and social well-being, and have a higher level of trust in the system that guarantees food safety. The willingness to pay a price premium for insect-fed poultry food is mainly influenced by respondents’ beliefs about insect-fed poultry food, especially in terms of its expected quality characteristics and animal welfare. Findings from this analysis could provide insights into investments to ensure the economic sustainability of a more circular supply chain.
Poor, Sick, and Mad: Treating the Mentally Ill in the Hungarian Hospitals of the Brothers of Mercy (1740–1830)
Authors: Kovács Janka
Published: May 2024

The paper addresses the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century practices of care provision for the mentally ill in Hungarian hospitals run by the Brothers of Mercy, highlighting the connections between illness and poverty, and the approaches taken towards the treatment of mental illness throughout this period. Even though we cannot talk about standardized care and a systematic therapeutic regime having emerged by the early nineteenth century, the practice of registering and isolating those perceived as mentally ill within hospitals is already detectable. Besides the social background of the patients, the remaining documents (patient statistics, registries, and regulations) enable us to examine how mental illnesses were named and classified in the hospitals of the Order. There are references, moreover, to the isolation and division of these patients into different classes based as much on their social and financial backgrounds as on their mental state. A survey of the documents of hospital administration, alongside narrative sources that reflect the daily routine of the Order’s hospitals (e.g., newspapers, medical topographies, travelogues), highlights the problems of medicalization and the pursuit of specialized care for this severely marginalized and stigmatized subgroup of hospital patients. They also offer a unique glimpse into early strategies of care provided by the Church at a time when the medico-political authorities were only beginning to address the problem in the Habsburg monarchy.
Jesus and the Making of the Modern Mind, 1380-1520
Authors: Clossey Luke
Published: May 2024

For his fifteenth-century followers, Jesus was everywhere – from baptism to bloodcults to bowling. This sweeping and unconventional investigation looks at Jesus across one hundred forty years of social, cultural, and intellectual history. Mystics married him, Renaissance artists painted him in three dimensions, Muslim poets praised his life-giving breath, and Christopher (“Christ-bearing”) Columbus brought the symbol of his cross to the Americas. Beyond the European periphery, this global study follows Jesus across – and sometimes between – religious boundaries, from Greenland to Kongo to China.

Amidst this diversity, Jesus and the Making of the Modern Mind, 1380-1520 offers readers sympathetic and immersive insight into the religious realities of its subjects. To this end, this book identifies two perspectives: one uncovers hidden meanings and unexpected connections, while the other restricts Jesus to the space and time of human history. Minds that believed in Jesus, and those that opposed him, made use of both perspectives to make sense of their worlds.

This book includes over one hundred images, tables and audio clips.
2. The Two Kens
Authors: Clossey Luke
Published: May 2024

We can better understand the fifteenth-century mind by delineating two different perspectives, here called "kens." The plain ken sees the world as a mess of particular things and human actions. This mess occur in an everyday spacetime, subject to certain rules: Every event can be located precisely with three spatial coordinates and a time stamp. There is no deep meaning beyond what we happen to project onto events. The plain ken sees in a coincidence merely a coincidence, random and accidental. In contrast, the deep ken allows for all these things the plain ken denies. There is subtle, deep, real meaning—and meaningful connections—beyond the accidental constructions by humans and the chance encounters of normal spacetime. There are subtle and powerful meaning, necessities, and connections, found especially in beauty and proportions.
5. Jesus Places
Authors: Clossey Luke
Published: May 2024

Issues involving the deep and plain kens arose in the construction of temples, between the need to create a structure in normal spacetime and the need to imbue that structure with symbolic resonance. This chapter shows how prominent temples such as the Church of the Nativity, the Mosque of the Cradle, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre drew meaningful connections with key points in Jesus's life. At the same time, pilgrims, real or would-be, became interested in the plain-ken specifics of the contemporary Holy Land. This plain-ken interest of the actual spatial dimensions of the Holy Sepulchre, for example, was balanced by a deep-ken interest in geometrical perfection. Attention on the tomb itself was part of a broader plain-ken attention to Jerusalem's metrics, which predated, but peaked in, our period. This plain-ken love for precise, if ugly, measurements existed in a deep-ken space where the original tomb consonated with scale copies re-created across Europe. Inscriptions played a particularly important role in Islamic architecture, including Jesus references encircling the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Minaret of Jam near Kabul.
22. Afterword
Authors: Clossey Luke
Published: May 2024

This final chapter reflects on the two kens' implications for writing history. In both training and instincts, professional historians today tend to rely entirely on the plain ken. Could we use the deep ken to write history? Should we? Ideally both kens can coexist, and each find value and beauty in the other.
8. Lists of Commodities
Authors: Khan Geoffrey
Published: May 2024

This section presents lists of all the commodities mentioned in the documents.
10. Slaves and Servants
Authors: Khan Geoffrey
Published: May 2024

This section presents the various terms relating to slaves and servants that occur in the documents. The differences in the status of these people are described.
Toward User-Friendly All-Sky Surface Longwave Downward Radiation from Space: General Scheme and Product
Authors: Du Yihan , Wang Tianxing , Zhou Yu , Letu Husi , Li Dahui , Xian Yuyang
Published: May 2024

Longwave downward radiation (LWDR) is an important driving parameter in climate and hydrological models. Compared to traditional ground-based measurements, remote sensing has unique advantages in estimating global LWDR. However, for current remote sensing missions, as the typical available satellite-derived LWDR product with global coverage and hourly temporal resolution, the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System-Synoptic (CERES-SYN) top of atmosphere and surface fluxes and clouds has a low spatial resolution (1° × 1°). There is still much room for improvement of the existing remote sensing LWDR products in terms of accuracy, spatiotemporal resolutions, and the ability to explain and quantify the changes of longwave radiation at various scales. To overcome these limitations, this paper developed a new global LWDR product with improved accuracy (RMSE < 30 W m−2 over the globe), high temporal resolution (hourly), and spatial resolution (5 km) based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. It serves as a LWDR product within the Long-term Earth System spatiotemporally Seamless Radiation budget dataset (referred to as LessRad). As the first long-term high-resolution, spatiotemporally continuous LWDR product (2002–22, 1 h, 5 km), the LessRad reveals its advantages in studying the spatiotemporal variability of LWDR on finer scales. It also provides a valuable data source for various applications, such as analyzing land–atmosphere interactions and quantifying climate feedback, and thus is potentially helpful for understanding Earth’s energy budget and dynamics.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Mortality and Clinical Characteristics in Hospitalized Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease in the Year 2020 in Germany
Authors: Piepenburg Sven M. , Maslarska Mariya , Kaier Klaus , Mühlen Constantin von zur , Westermann Dirk , Hehrlein Christoph
Published: May 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic developed its full destructive capacity in 2020. This retrospective study aimed to examine the effects of COVID-19 on the mortality and the clinical characteristics in PAD patients with COVID-19 compared to PAD patients without COVID-19.

Methods and results

Data derived from a German nationwide register of the year 2020 which encompassed all hospitalized patients with PAD ( n = 173.075); N = 2553 also suffered from a COVID-19 infection and had significantly higher mortality rates of 11.2%. PAD + COVID-19 patients presented more clinical complications like major amputations (11.59%), myocardial infarction (2.08%), cardiogenic shock (2.98%), chronic kidney failure with GFR<= 15 mL/min (5.33%) and prolonged ventilation time >48 h (3.37%). Rates of pulmonary thromboembolism (0.24%), myocardial infarction (2.08%), and stroke (1.02%) were low in patients with PAD + COVID-19. Adjusted regression analyses for risk differences revealed possible causes of higher mortality rates, such as prolonged ventilation time, pneumonia, major amputations, multiple organ system failure, and length of hospital stay in patients with severe PAD (Rutherford 5-6) + COVID-19.

Conclusion

Pneumonia and major amputations were associated with high mortality rates in PAD + COVID-19 in 2020. However, we could not detect a relevant influence of pulmonary thromboembolism, myocardial infarction or stroke on higher death rates of PAD + COVID-19.
Risk Factors for Complications in Patients Undergoing Temporal Bone Resection and Neck Dissection: Insights From a National Database
Authors: Ordoyne Liam M. , Alvarez Ivan , Borne Grant , Fabian Isabella , Adilbay Dauren , Kandula Rema A. , Asarkar Ameya A. , Nathan Cherie-Ann O. , Olinde Lindsay , Pang John
Published: May 2024

Background:

Temporal bone resection (TBR) with or without neck dissection (ND) is performed for otologic malignancies with occult or clinical cervical lymph node metastases. To date, characterization of post-operative complications in single institution case series may be non-representative of real-world outcomes. Here, we used data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to comprehensively assess the complications encountered, their frequencies, and to identify underlying risk factors to improve future outcomes.

Methods

The population was patients undergoing TBR and ND derived from the NIS between the years of 2017 and 2019. We utilized ICD-10 diagnosis codes to identify patients with post-operative complications, those discharged to non-home facilities (DNHF), and those with increased length of stay (LOS). Multivariable regression was performed to identify significant variables related to the above outcomes.

Results:

Ninety of 277 patients that underwent LTBR with ND had postoperative complications. Wound complications were the most frequent complication, occurring in 11 (4%) of patients, followed by CSF leak (n = 6; 2.2%), with acute respiratory failure being the most common medical complication (n = 4; 1.4%). Sixteen percent (45/277) were discharged to a facility besides home. Dementia (OR = 7.96; CI95 3.62-17.48), anemia (OR = 2.39; CI95 1.15-4.99), congestive heart failure (OR = 5.31; CI95 1.82-15.45), COPD (OR = 3.70; CI95 1.35-10.16), and history of prior stroke (OR = 8.50; CI95 1.55-46.68) increased the odds of DNHF. When evaluating LOS (median = 5 days, IQR = 1, 9), anemia (OR = 5.49; CI95 2.86-10.52), and Medicaid insurance (OR = 3.07; CI95 1.06-10.52) were found to increase the LOS.

Conclusions:

The vast majority of patients undergoing LTBR with ND have no complications and are discharged within a week. Liver disease is a risk factor for medical complications and increased charges. Patients with dementia or a prior stroke are at risk for DNHF, and those with prior anemia are at risk for a wound complication.

Lay Summary:

This study identified factors related to worse post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing temporal bone resection and neck dissection. Although safe for most patients, an existing diagnosis of liver disease, stroke, dementia, and anemia specifically are at risk for developing negative outcomes.

Level of Evidence:

3.
Mental health–related service and medicine use among a cohort of urban Aboriginal children and young people: Data linkage study
Authors: Young Christian , Burgess Leonie , Falster Kathleen , Zoega Helga , Banks Emily , Clapham Kathleen , Woolfenden Sue , Cutmore Mandy , Williamson Anna
Published: May 2024

Objective:

The objective was to describe mental health service and psychotropic medicine use among a cohort of Aboriginal young people and quantify their relation to sociodemographic, family and health factors.

Methods:

In a prospective cohort study with data linkage, 892 Aboriginal children aged 0–17 years living in urban and regional areas of New South Wales, Australia, were included. We assessed mental health–related service use, paediatric service use and psychotropic medicine dispensing claims covered by the Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from July 2012 to June 2017.

Results:

Most children (71%) did not have a record of mental health service or psychotropic medication use. 18.7% had ⩾1 mental health–related service claim; 26.7% had ⩾1 paediatric service claim; and 20.3% had ⩾1 psychotropic medicine dispensing claim. General practitioner services were the most accessed mental health–related service (17.4%) and 12.7% had been dispensed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines. Child characteristics associated with treatment included emotional and behavioural problems (prevalence ratio: 1.97, 95% confidence interval = [1.46, 2.64] for mental health services; prevalence ratio: 2.87, 95% confidence interval = [2.07, 3.96] for medicines) and risky behaviour (prevalence ratio: 1.56, 95% confidence interval = [1.12, 2.16] for mental health services; prevalence ratio: 2.28, 95% confidence interval = [1.54, 3.37] for medicines). Parent-related factors included chronic illness (prevalence ratio: 1.42, 95% confidence interval = [1.03, 1.95] for mental health services; prevalence ratio: 2.00, 95% confidence interval = [1.49, 2.69] for medicines) and functional limitations (prevalence ratio: 1.61, 95% confidence interval = [1.16, 2.24] for mental health services; prevalence ratio: 1.86, 95% confidence interval = [1.34, 2.59] for medicines).

Conclusions:

Most Aboriginal children and young people did not have claims for mental health services or medicines. Aboriginal children with emotional and behavioural problems, or parents with health problems were more likely to have mental health service or medicine claims.
Kurt Lewin: The Foundations of an Academic Life
Authors: Burnes Bernard
Published: May 2024

For most of his working life, Kurt Lewin was known as a pioneering child psychologist. In 1939, Lewin appears suddenly to move his focus from children to adults and from laboratory experiments to changing behavior in the real world. This paper examines when and how, as a supposedly laboratory-based child psychologist, he developed the motivation, skills, knowledge and tools necessary to become the “intellectual father” of social and organizational change. It investigates Lewin's formative years, his education - especially his doctoral studies at the University of Berlin, and his military service in WW1. The paper concludes that rather than seeing Lewin as a pioneering child psychologist, we need to see him as a pioneering and campaigning psychologist, who had been studying human behavior (adult and child) and how to change it since beginning his doctoral studies in 1911, and applying this knowledge to organizations for almost as long.
Molding Heritage Through Humanitarian Aid: German-Americans, Nazism, and Debates on Postwar German Suffering and Guilt
Authors: Klose Maximilian
Published: May 2024

The article investigates how US-Americans of German origin and ancestry used humanitarian aid to Germany after the Second World War to deliberate their individual notions of heritage amidst the recent violent past of the land of origin. For this purpose, it looks at the rhetoric used by the leaders of German-American heritage organizations and both ethnic and non-ethnic humanitarian agencies. The article finds that these groups employed debates on German postwar suffering and the idea of the Germans being Hitler's ‘first victims’ to circumvent any accusation of potential German public complicity. They did so not because their German origin subjected immigrants to much public hostility in the United States the way it had during the First World War, but rather because the Nazi atrocities threatened to taint their understandings of Germanness and heritage. By portraying fascism as an outside force that was not inherently German but that had preyed on Germanness from the outside, immigrants could resort to humanitarian aid as a means of rehabilitation that did not support the perpetrators but the victims of the Second World War.
Low Literacy Levels Among U.S. Adults and Difficult Ballot Propositions
Authors: Parker Rebecca L.
Published: May 2024

High-level literacy skills are required for full participation in the democratic process through voting. Consequently, adults with low-level literacy skills are at a disadvantage. This work investigated the disparity between the readability of U.S. ballot propositions for year 2022 state elections and grade level reading estimates (≤eighth grade) for adults. Educational attainment was also examined. Propositions ( n = 140) from 38 states were included. Mean readability was 18 (range 7.0-64.0). Only four measures (3%) fell within range of national estimates for adult reading ability. Thirty-nine percent of adults completed high school or less, yet 74% of ballots were written well above a high school reading level. There is a discrepancy between the literacy skills of the average voter and the readability of most propositions. The findings of this study have important implications for individuals with learning disabilities. Policy changes and educational support efforts should be initiated.
Paying with Money or Paying with Points: How Variable Versus Fixed Exchange Rates Influence Loyalty Point Redemption
Authors: Chun So Yeon , Hamilton Rebecca W.
Published: May 2024

Although research examining loyalty point redemption has focused almost exclusively on fixed exchange rates between points and money (e.g., 100 points = $1), variable exchange rates are observed frequently in practice (e.g., 100 points might equate to more or less than $1, depending on the monetary price and the required points for a flight redemption within the continental United States). Such variable rates are particularly common in loyalty programs in the hospitality industry. In this research, the authors show that the stability of the exchange rate—whether the exchange rate is fixed or variable across offers—systematically influences point redemption. Consumers are less likely to redeem loyalty points and instead spend money when they observe a variable exchange rate between money and points than when they observe a fixed exchange rate, even when the average value of points is the same. This effect is demonstrated in a series of studies across contexts, including an incentive-compatible retail loyalty program and a hotel loyalty program. The findings show that a variable point exchange rate induces more optimism than a fixed exchange rate, reducing point redemption. This effect is moderated by individual differences in optimism and by point expiration date. The authors conclude by discussing the implications for managers of loyalty programs and for consumers.

This manuscript was submitted to JMR before Rebecca Hamilton’s appointment as Editor in Chief. The editor team that began the review process, Sachin Gupta and Vikas Mittal, finished the review process and final acceptance, per the AMA policy on submissions by journal editors.
Finding the archival traces of “misery trains”: Early accounts of train transport before the Holocaust
Authors: Schmidt Christine
Published: May 2024

This article analyses a collection of eyewitness accounts by survivors of Nazi persecution gathered in the mid-1950s by the Wiener Library in London, narratives that were elicited about lived experiences of railway transport and trauma, as well as the implication of railway personnel and structures in resistance activities. The accounts provide an opportunity to interrogate early postwar narratives that reveal emerging constructions of refugee identity, agency, and survival through key memories deemed particularly “valuable” to the Library, an institution created by Jewish refugees who fled Nazi persecution. Through a case study approach framed by Ketelaar's distinction between archivalisation and archivisation, this paper argues that narratives of trauma, displacement and resistance associated with deportation by train were of special interest to Library staff already in the 1950s. This is striking due to a lack of scholarly focus on these themes until decades later. The recent publication of the collection as a digital resource has the potential to further expand and recontextualise “tacit narratives” of transport embedded in the collection.
Predictors of Complicated Grief During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Classified Analysis
Authors: Morstead Talia , Rights Jason D. , Sin Nancy L. , DeLongis Anita
Published: May 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic left many people grieving multiple deaths and at risk for developing symptoms of complicated grief (CG). The present study is a prospective examination of the role of neuroticism and social support in the development of CG symptoms. Findings from cross-classified multilevel models pointed to neuroticism as a risk factor for subsequent CG symptoms. Social support had a stress-buffering effect, emerging as a protective factor following the loss of a first degree relative. More recent loss and younger age of the deceased were both independently associated with heightened CG symptoms. Results from the present study provide insight into heterogeneity in CG symptom development at the between-person level, and variability in CG symptoms within individuals in response to different deaths. Findings could therefore aid in the identification of those at risk for the development of CG symptoms.
Non-staining resistance to dyes and odors of synthetic leathers composed of polyurethane resins with different glass transition temperatures
Authors: Mochiduki Yuna , Yoshikura Niko , Enomoto Masao , Tokino Seiji , Shirai Kazuaki , Kobayashi Mitsuharu
Published: May 2024

The objective of this study was to develop a highly durable synthetic leather with excellent resistance to light discoloration and deterioration without the use of fluorine or silicon and a surface that is resistant to dyes and odors. Environment-friendly biomass feedstock was used as the reaction component. Firstly, polyurethane (PU) resins with varying glass transition temperatures ( Tg) were synthesized. Subsequently, these were used as surface treatment agents for synthetic leather, and the relationship between the non-staining performance of the PU resin and the Tg values was discussed. In addition, the physical durability over time was investigated. The non-staining performance of the synthetic leather surface against dyed clothing and the odor of ammonia evidently depended on the Tg of the PU resin used as the surface treatment agent. The Tg range that is the most convenient for practical purposes, and the related best light discoloration and degradation resistance and bending resistance, were confirmed, and serve as indicators that the material can be used as a highly durable interior material.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Sleep Function of Hospital Staff Working With COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study
Authors: Al-Tamimi Mohammad , Aolymat Iman , Alkhateeb Rahaf , Alshurman Saba , Dauod Esra’a , Rawabde Farah
Published: May 2024

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented a globally challenging situation for human physical and mental health. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are affected by increased levels of anxiety, stress, and insomnia. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on HCWs anxiety, stress, and insomnia levels. This cross-sectional study employed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale 10, and Insomnia Severity Index to assess anxiety, stress, and insomnia among HCWs at 10 COVID-19 isolation and treatment hospitals/centers after the first COVID-19 wave in Jordan. A web-based survey was used to collect data from 183 participants. Statistical analysis of factors affecting the mean scores of anxiety, stress, and insomnia was carried using student t-test or ANOVA while factors associated with differences in anxiety, stress, and insomnia frequencies were tested using Chi-square/Fisher exact test. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors. Among participants, 97.3% reported moderate to severe levels of stress, 68% reported borderline to high abnormal levels of anxiety, and 32% had moderate to severe insomnia. The mean of anxiety total score was 9.8 ± 4.8, stress total score was 22.7 ± 4.5, and insomnia total score was 11.0 ± 7.1. Significant positive correlations were noted between anxiety, stress, and insomnia ( P < .005). Female gender, migraine, less working years, increased time spent with patients, lower workforce, clinical insomnia and high stress were significant independent factors associated with anxiety ( P < .05). Younger age, being single or divorced, heart disease, smoking, occupation (nurses), lower workforce, vaccination dose, and anxiety were significant independent factors associated with insomnia ( P < .05). Increased time spent with patients, lower workforce, lower spouse and colleagues support, sadness due to isolation and anxiety were significant independent factors associated with stress. HCWs at COVID-19 centers had high levels of stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Appropriate interventions to maintain HCWs mental health are recommended.
UX Design for Deaf Children: How is it Done Now? Should it Change?
Authors: Polanco Alexis , Liu Tsai Lu
Published: May 2024

The process by which user experiences (UX) for children are created is uncertain, especially for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. This paper seeks to (I) describe the origins of UX and child–computer interaction and to describe what is being taught to designers today; (II) use the example of digital assessment to extract insights from practitioners about UX design for DHH children; and (III) describe opportunities for amending today's UX design curricula to foster more equitably designed products for children. Interviewing 13 practitioners revealed the following findings. (1) Allowing non-designer participants to self-identify their profession makes them more likely to discuss design concepts. (2) The challenge of working with children is more about legal/risk assessment than any gaps in design education. (3) Practitioners who design products for children follow similar processes to designers who design for adults; age-specific language is the main difference child and adult UX.
Exponential-form predefined-time convergent controller and its applications to Van-der-Pol system and 2-DOF helicopter
Authors: Hernandez-Gonzalez Miguel , Basin Michael
Published: May 2024

This paper proposes a predefined-time convergent stabilization controller for a class of nonlinear systems. First, a controller is introduced for linear systems where the convergent time is selected in advance, independent of initial conditions, and can be assigned as a parameter of a control input. The corresponding result is then obtained for a multidimensional system consisting of [Formula: see text] nonlinear differential equations. The block control technique is employed to consequently stabilize each state component by a virtual control until the real control appears. Finally, the presented result is applied to a multivariable nonlinear system to design a predefined-time convergent robust controller. To show effectiveness of the proposed convergent controller, numerical simulations have been carried out for a Van-der-Pol system and a 2-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) helicopter model.
WIC Peer Counselors Support Breastfeeding Among WIC Participants
Authors: Wagner Lisa , Phillips Carolyn A.
Published: May 2024

Background:

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, is associated with improved health outcomes for participants. The role of WIC Peer Counselors was created to support breastfeeding among WIC participants.

Objective:

This Naturalistic Inquiry study explored the perceptions and experiences of 9 WIC Peer Counselors located in Southeast Texas.

Methods:

The WIC Peer Counselors were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling and participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Data collection, analysis, and trustworthiness adhered to established guidelines.

Results:

Study findings revealed the novel approaches the WIC Peer Counselors used to encourage, initiate, support, and sustain WIC participants’ breastfeeding, including using tools of their craft, involving and educating family members, making themselves accessible 24/7, and identifying the need for equipment and supplies.

Conclusions:

The WIC Peer Counselors’ understanding of the breastfeeding culture of their WIC clients and their unique ability to establish and maintain rapport with them make WIC Peer Counselors ideally suited resources to meet the WIC goal of increasing breastfeeding and thereby improving the health of the nation. Health care providers should recognize the valuable, yet unrecognized and underutilized, contributions of WIC Peer Counselors and consider referring pregnant and postpartum dyads to WIC for breastfeeding education and support.
Double jeopardy for families of prisoners in Kashmir: A focus on prison visiting experiences
Authors: Nisa Roonaq un
Published: May 2024

This analysis delves into the challenges faced by women prisoners’ families in Kashmir during the prison visitation process. Drawing on 51 interviews with incarcerated women and their families, this article elucidates the difficulties in establishing and maintaining communication with the prisoners. Despite the pivotal role families play in the visitation process and rehabilitation of prisoners, there is a notable absence of consideration of the challenges from the familial perspective in extant discourse. In the context of Kashmir, the visitation process is intricately complicated, as logistical and political challenges intertwine to add layers of complexity to the procedure. Further, there exists negligible research that considers the perspective of families visiting their loved ones in prison. The article explores the double jeopardy families face due to financial strain, long travel distances, strict prison procedures, lockdowns due to the pandemic and political instability. The analysis illustrates the gendered complexities involved in sustaining connections with women prisoners amid practical and emotional constraints.
Compression therapy after endovenous laser ablation: Patient compliance and impact on clinical outcome
Authors: Dietrich Carmen K , Stucker Markus , Hartmann Karsten , Hirsch Tobias , Mattausch Thomas , Wenzel Hans-Christian , Zollmann Philipp , Veltman Jürgen , Weiler Thomas K , Lengfellner Guido , Müller Lars , Pannier Felizitas , Cussigh Christiane , Uhlmann Lorenz , Müller-Christmann Christine
Published: May 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the impact of post-interventional compression therapy on clinical outcomes after endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) of incompetent saphenous veins.

Methods

This prospective, controlled, multicenter study in Germany involved 493 varicose vein patients followed-up for 6 months.

Results

Compression therapy significantly reduced symptoms compared to no compression (VCSS: 1.4 ± 1.6 vs 2.2 ± 2.2; p = .007). Post-interventional therapy duration of up to 14 days was found to be most effective for improving patient-reported disease severity ( p < .001) and higher quality of life ( p = .001). Patient compliance was high (82%), and non-compliance was linked to worse disease severity (VCSS 1.4 ± 1.5 vs 2.1 ± 2.3, p = .009).

Conclusion

In conclusion, post-interventional compression therapy is beneficial by reducing symptoms and improving quality of life. High patient compliance with the therapy is observed, and non-compliance is associated with worse disease severity.
Cefepime-induced encephalopathy in an older patient with polypharmacy and renal insufficiency: a case report
Authors: Tsai I-Hsuan , Wang Yi-Chi
Published: May 2024

The world population is rapidly aging. Societal aging poses many challenges for individuals, families, nations, and the global healthcare system. Therefore, geriatric care is a crucial issue that demands our attention. In this case report, we describe a woman in her early 70s with multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, and renal insufficiency who developed cefepime-induced encephalopathy with moderate to severe cerebral dysfunction during treatment of a urinary tract infection. The patient’s consciousness level gradually improved, and no further seizures were observed following the discontinuation of cefepime for several days. This case report underscores the fact that polypharmacy and medication safety are significant concerns that are often overlooked when caring for older patients. The report also highlights the increased susceptibility of older individuals to antibiotic-associated adverse reactions during the management of infectious diseases. Therefore, optimization of antibiotic therapy for older patients is a critical issue that requires thorough investigation and consideration in geriatric care.
Improving a practical course assignment for mechatronics education
Authors: Alatalo Juho , Torvela Janne Erik , Liedes Toni
Published: May 2024

Hands-on learning is widely recognized as an essential component of mechatronics education. In this article, we describe an implementation of a student work assignment in an advanced course in mechatronics. The article compares the previous free-form project with the new common-form exercise. The purpose is to renew the form, execution, and grading of the assignment, for better control over the learning outcomes and focusing the workload of the teaching staff without needlessly limiting the students’ own exploration of the topic. The evaluation is based on the teachers’ observations and the students’ feedback. In the assignment, the students will design and build a controllable see-saw mechanism powered by ordinary computer cooling fans. Similar experiments are commonly used for teaching in the form of ready-made plans, kits or complete devices. In our version, we wanted to involve the students in the lower level design to better illustrate the effects of mechanical details on the control system. The updated exercise was well received, the students reported clearer understanding of the synergy between the different disciplines of mechatronics, and the teachers were able to provide more comprehensive assistance on questions. Some challenges were identified, including a lack of analytical research by the students when not specifically prompted to do so. In our opinion this renewed approach is flexible enough to accommodate students from various backgrounds and helps the teachers to better adjust the supplied materials according to their students’ particular needs.
Hydrological evolution and differential response of the eco-environment recorded in Lake Maozangtianchi, eastern Qilian Mountains, over the last 900 years
Authors: Guo Shilong , Wu Duo , Wang Tao , Chen Lin , Li Youmo , Wang Tianxiao , Shao Shuai , Zhou Aifeng
Published: May 2024

The Qilian Mountains (QLM) act as an “ecological security barrier” in western China, impacting the downstream ecosystems and water resource utilization. However, the hydrological evolution of the QLM during the last millennium remains controversial, and their ecological response to climate change is poorly understood. We present a pH record based on the brGDGTs (branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers) of a 14C-dated sediment core from Lake Maozangtianchi in the QLM. We combined this record with element contents determined by scanning XRF and grain size to reconstruct the summer monsoon precipitation variability over the last 900 years. We also reconstructed the history of eco-environmental changes from the total n-alkane contents. On centennial scales, local precipitation exhibited peaks during the intervals of 1100‒1300 CE and 1750‒2000 CE, as well as between 1400‒1750 CE. Additionally, abrupt decreases in precipitation occurred during the transition from the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) to the Little Ice Age (LIA) (1300‒1400 CE). This pattern coherent with other hydroclimatic records from the monsoonal margin of northern China, likely resulted from the combined impact of the El Niño‒Southern Oscillation on tropical Pacific sea-surface temperatures and the meridional shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. In addition, a coupled relationship between plant biomass in the Lake Maozangtianchi watershed and fluctuations in monsoon precipitation was observed, with higher plant biomass during 1100‒1200 CE, 1750‒1900 CE, and 1950‒2000 CE, and lower biomass during 1200‒1400 CE and 1900‒1950 CE. However, during 1400‒1750 CE, plant biomass exhibited a minor increasing trend, deviating from its usual correlation with monsoon precipitation. Despite precipitation usually being the primary climatic factor influencing plant biomass in the QLM, during the LIA, nutrients transported by dust and decreased evapotranspiration became pivotal in bolstering plant growth. Our research emphasizes the significant moderating effects of exogenic dust on vegetation changes in alpine ecosystems.
Serum LINC00339 is a promising biomarker for prognosis prediction of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Qi Xunjing , Yuan Lijuan , Wu Zhijiao , Tian Yuanyuan
Published: May 2024

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in serum were useful and promising biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic application. Herein, we investigated the serum lncRNA LINC00339 expression and its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

In this study, we recruited a cohort of 129 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, 68 patients with nasopharyngitis, and 80 healthy controls. Serum LINC00339 levels were measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan–Meier curve analyses were conducted to evaluate th e clinical role of LINC00339. The effects of linc00339 on cellular activities were measured using CCK-8 and Transwell assays.

Results

We observed that serum LINC00339 expression was upregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and closely associated with tumor node metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis, and overall survival rate. Meanwhile, ROC analysis showed serum LINC00339 had diagnostic value to distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients from healthy individuals and nasopharyngitis patients. Silencing of LINC00339 could repress cellular behaviors by targeting miR-152.

Conclusion

This study clarified that LINC00339 was upregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and that serum LINC00339 may act as a diagnostic or prognostic marker, and a hopeful therapeutic target for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.