bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Seizure‐Associated Genes Across Species (SAGAS) database offers insights into epilepsy genes, pathways and treatments
Authors: Gracie Lara , Rostami‐Hochaghan Danial , Taweel Basel , Mirza Nasir ,   the SAGAS Scientists' Collaborative
Published: June 2022

Objective

Decades of genetic studies on people with many different epilepsies, and on many nonhuman species, using many different technologies, have generated a huge body of literature about the genes associated with seizures/epilepsy. Collating these data can help uncover epilepsy genes, pathways, and treatments that would otherwise be overlooked. We aimed to collate and structure these data into a database, and use the database to identify novel epilepsy genes and pathways, and to prioritize promising treatments.

Methods

We collated all the genes associated with all types of seizures/epilepsy in all species, and quantified the supporting evidence for each gene, by manually screening ~10 000 publications, and by extracting data from existing databases.

Results

The largest published dataset of epilepsy genes includes only 977 genes, whereas our database (www.sagas.ac) includes 2876 genes, which demonstrates that the number of genes that can potentially contribute to seizures/epilepsy is much higher than previously envisaged. We use our database to identify 12 hitherto unreported polygenic epilepsy genes, 479 high‐confidence monogenic epilepsy genes, and 394 more biological pathways than identified using the previously largest epilepsy gene dataset. We use a unique feature of Seizure‐Associated Genes Across Species—the number of citations for each gene—to demonstrate that a drug is more likely to affect seizures if there is more evidence that the genes it affects are associated with seizures, and we use these data to identify promising candidate antiseizure drugs.

Significance

This database offers insights into the causes of epilepsy and its treatments, and can accelerate future epilepsy research.
Artificial intelligence of medical things for disease detection using ensemble deep learning and attention mechanism
Authors: Djenouri Youcef , Belhadi Asma , Yazidi Anis , Srivastava Gautam , Lin Jerry Chun‐Wei
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we present a novel paradigm for disease detection. We build an artificial intelligence based system where various biomedical data are retrieved from distributed and homogeneous sensors. We use different deep learning architectures (VGG16, RESNET, and DenseNet) with ensemble learning and attention mechanisms to study the interactions between different biomedical data to detect and diagnose diseases. We conduct extensive testing on biomedical data. The results show the benefits of using deep learning technologies in the field of artificial intelligence of medical things to diagnose diseases in the healthcare decision‐making process. For example, the disease detection rate using the proposed methodology achieves 92%, which is greatly improved compared to the higher‐level disease detection models.
Monitoring fish using imaging sonar: Capacity, challenges and future perspective
Authors: Wei Yaoguang , Duan Yunhong , An Dong
Published: June 2022

The demand for fish products, which provide crucial protein for humans, is rising as the global population grows. In contrast, fish stock is declining due to human activity, environmental changes and overfishing. Fish monitoring provides valuable support data for effective fishery management and ecosystem conservation. The common monitoring methods are based on manual sampling, which is time‐consuming, laborious and intrusive. Imaging sonar is a hydroacoustic system that produces acoustic images similar to optical images by transmitting and receiving sound waves, allowing for in situ monitoring of fish non‐intrusively in the dark and turbid water environments where optical cameras are limited. In the last decade, imaging sonar, especially high frequency multibeam forward‐looking sonar and side‐scan sonar, has been widely used in fish monitoring. We reviewed the literature from the previous decade on the use of these two types of imaging sonar in fish species identification, abundance estimation, length measurement and behaviour analysis, as well as the sonar imagery processing concerning fish. The review results show that these imaging sonars are efficient and effective tools for fish monitoring in complex environments. The challenges include (1) the recognition of small fish forming dense aggregations; (2) species identification, which limits their use in species‐specific studies; (3) time‐consuming massive data processing. Therefore, advanced algorithms for sonar imagery processing and integrations with other sampling technologies are needed for future development.
Moving warm‐season forage bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) into temperate regions of North America
Authors: Baxter Lisa L. , Anderson William F. , Gates Roger N. , Rios Esteban F. , Hancock Dennis W.
Published: June 2022

Georgia, located in the Southeastern USA, has been historically dominated by two perennial forage grass production systems. Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] S.J. Darbyshire) is more prevalent in the northern parts of the state, while bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is ubiquitous to the southern portion. Climatologists have documented notable changes in temperature and precipitation patterns in the state that have contributed to an invasion of warm‐season species in the northern portion of the state. In the transition zones between warm‐season and‐cool‐season perennial grass‐dominated regions of North America, C4 grasses can maintain productivity at high temperatures while C3 grasses are transitioning to a reproductive stage with minimal vegetative growth during summer. For this reason, warm‐season grasses could replace a portion of the grasslands at latitudes greater than 35°. This manuscript documents the expansion of warm‐season bermudagrass into northern Georgia, explores the climatic factors driving this transition, and highlights previous and on‐going research. We specifically focus on evaluating freeze or cold tolerance of bermudagrass germplasm. The C. dactylon cultivars exhibit more cold tolerance than C. nlemfuënsis (stargrass) since they are more rhizomatous and rely less on above‐ground stolons for regrowth and winter survival. Conversely, these cultivars tend to have poor nutritive value and are highly susceptible to insect damage. On‐going research is identifying germplasm that provides adequate cold tolerance to meet the needs of farmers transitioning to warm‐season production systems in the lower transition zone.
Self‐management of lower urinary tract symptoms in post‐prostatectomy cancer patients: Content analysis
Authors: Amano Koji , Suzuki Kumi
Published: June 2022

What are the experiences of post‐prostatectomy cancer patients regarding self‐management of lower urinary tract symptoms? Individuals with prostate cancer are required to self‐manage their post‐operative lower urinary tract symptoms and issues associated with them. Clarifying the various aspects of self‐management can help in improving patient‐tailored support. This study therefore aimed to clarify the self‐management of lower urinary tract symptoms in prostate cancer patients who underwent total prostatectomy. Most post‐prostatectomy cancer patients have multiple lower urinary tract symptoms. They have a reduced quality of life due to the symptoms and associated physical, psychological, and social issues. Self‐management of the symptoms in uncomplicated cases has been shown to be effective, but this has not been clarified for post‐prostatectomy cancer patients. The study setting consisted of two designated cancer centres. A survey with semi‐structured interviews was conducted among 13 patients with prostate cancer that underwent total prostatectomy. Data were analysed using the qualitative content analysis techniques of Mayring. A total of 410 codes were extracted from which 42 subcategories and 10 categories emerged. The categories were: (1) recognition of issues associated with lower urinary tract symptoms to be solved; (2) examination of strategies for coping with these symptoms; (3) incorporation of actions that lead to an improvement in the symptoms; (4) avoidance of behaviours that cause worsening of the symptoms; (5) devising ways to prevent interference with one's daily life; (6) dealing with problems associated with the symptoms; (7) building relationships with medical staff and surroundings; (8) self‐evaluation of bladder control status; (9) positive acceptance of the symptoms; and (10) sensing the effectiveness of strategies regarding the control of urination. The results suggest that health care professionals need to provide feedback to patients on LUTS strategies and their effects to help support patient coping strategies. In addition, determining individual patients' strengths and deficiencies in self‐management will allow us to tailor assistance to patients. This is the first step towards the development of self‐management scales to objectively assess self‐management.
Is oral rehydration therapy associated with early childhood caries in children resident in Ile‐Ife, Osun State, Nigeria?
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Finlayson Tracy , Oginni Ayodeji Babatunde , Alade Michael Abimbola , Adeniyi Abiola Adetokunbo , El Tantawi Maha
Published: June 2022

Background

Oral rehydration therapy may increase the risk of early childhood caries (ECC) because of reduced pH in the oral environment.

Aim

To investigate associations between the use of oral rehydration therapy and the prevalence and severity of ECC in children resident in the Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.

Design

This observational study assessed the prevalence and severity of caries, using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II index. The outcome variables were the prevalence and severity of ECC. The explanatory variable was the use of oral rehydration solution for the management of diarrhea in the 12 months preceding the study. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine associations between the explanatory and outcome variables.

Results

Only 217 (14%) of the 1564 children had used oral rehydration solution for the management of diarrhea. Seventy‐three (4.7%) children had ECC. The use of oral rehydration solution was not significantly associated with the prevalence and severity of ECC.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest that the use of oral rehydration therapy in the management of diarrhea may not be a risk factor for ECC in communities with low prevalence and severity of ECC and high prevalence of gastroenteritis.
Implementing mixed nursing care teams in intensive care units during COVID‐19: A rapid qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Geltmeyer Klara , Neyrinck Dries , Benoit Dominique , Malfait Simon , Goedertier Hilde , Duprez Veerle
Published: June 2022

Aims

The goal of this study was to gain insight into the views and experiences of an intensive care team working in a new nursing‐care delivery model during the COVID‐19 waves. A new model of care was implemented to augment nursing capacity and provide sufficient intensive care beds.

Design

A qualitative monocentric study using rapid qualitative descriptive methods was reported in line with the COREQ checklist.

Methods

Nurse, ward manager and physician participants were purposively recruited between January and March 2021 in a tertiary university‐affiliated hospital in the Flemish‐speaking part of Belgium. Semistructured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis methods.

Results

The participants were seventeen expert nurses, twelve supporting nurses, seven ward managers and four physicians. A central theme of ensuring safe, high‐quality care emerged from the findings. There was a sense of losing one's grip on clinical practice when working in the mixed nursing‐care teams. Different underlying experiences played a part in this sense of losing control: dealing with unknown elements, experiencing role ambiguity, struggling with responsibility and the absence of trust. Several coping mechanisms were developed by the nursing‐care team to deal with those experiences, including attempts to create stability, to strike a balance between delegating and educating, to build in control and to communicate openly.

Conclusion

In this rapid qualitative descriptive study, the implementation of a new nursing‐care delivery model during a pandemic was seen to lead to several challenges for all members of the care team. Coping mechanisms were developed by the team to deal with these experienced challenges.

Impact

When rethinking nursing‐care delivery models, the findings of this study may help guide the process of implementing mixed nursing‐care teams. Special attention needs to be paid to clarifying roles, sharing responsibility and clinical leadership. Other significant influences (such as moral distress) should also be taken into account.
Aristolochic acid I induces proximal tubule injury through ROS/HMGB1/mt DNA mediated activation of TLRs
Authors: Upadhyay Rohit , Batuman Vecihi
Published: June 2022

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are extracted from certain plants as folk remedies for centuries until their nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity were recognized. Aristolochic acid I (AAI) is one of the main pathogenic compounds, and it has nephrotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Previous studies have shown that AAI acts mainly on proximal renal tubular epithelial cells; however, the mechanisms of AAI‐induced proximal tubule cell damage are still not fully characterized. We exposed human kidney proximal tubule cells (PTCs; HK2 cell line) to AAI in vitro at different time/dose conditions and assessed cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, nitric oxide (NO) production, m‐RNA/ protein expressions and mitochondrial dysfunction. AAI exposure decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis, ROS generation / NO production in PTCs significantly at 24 h. Gene/ protein expression studies demonstrated activation of innate immunity (TLRs 2, 3, 4 and 9, HMGB1), inflammatory (IL6, TNFA, IL1B, IL18, TGFB and NLRP3) and kidney injury (LCN2) markers. AAI also induced epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mitochondrial dysfunction in HK2 cells. TLR9 knock‐down and ROS inhibition were able to ameliorate the toxic effect of AAI. In conclusion, AAI treatment caused injury to PTCs through ROS‐HMGB1/mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA)‐mediated activation of TLRs and inflammatory response.
Nemolizumab efficacy in prurigo nodularis: onset of action on itch and sleep disturbances
Authors: Ständer S. , Yosipovitch G. , Lacour J.‐P. , Legat F.J. , Paul C. , Reich A. , Chaouche K. , Ahmad F. , Piketty C.
Published: June 2022

Background

Patients with prurigo nodularis (PN) have multiple itchy nodules, impaired quality of life and sleep deprivation. Prurigo nodularis patients have a high burden of disease, primarily due to the intensity of the itch. It is reasonable to expect that rapid relief of itch – and associated improvement of sleep – are highly valued clinical outcomes for patients. Nemolizumab is an IL‐31A‐receptor inhibitor that modulates the neuroimmune response with reported positive efficacy and safety data in a phase 2 study of PN.

Objectives

To evaluate the onset of action of nemolizumab on itch and sleep disturbances.

Methods

Post hoc analysis of a phase 2 trial of nemolizumab 0.5 mg/kg SC vs. placebo in patients (n = 70) with moderate‐to‐severe PN (≥20 nodules) and severe pruritus (NRS ≥ 7). Time to significant reduction was assessed for peak pruritus (PP) and sleep disturbance (SD) using numerical rating scales (NRS), also assessed was scratching time during sleep.

Results

Nemolizumab significantly reduced itch vs. placebo within 48 h (PP NRS −19.5% vs. −5.8%, respectively, P = 0.014). Significant difference between nemolizumab and placebo in reducing itch by ≥4 on PP NRS was achieved at Day 3 (23.5% vs. 0%, P < 0.001). A significant difference in SD NRS was reported by Day 4 (−24.0% vs. −4.3% placebo, P = 0.012). In addition, there was a separation between groups in SD responders (decrease of ≥4 points) in favour of nemolizumab by Day 2 (8.8% vs. 0%, P = 0.037). Sleep continued improving through Week 4, when there was a −56.0% reduction in SD NRS vs. −22.9% placebo (P < 0.001). Actigraphy data showed improvement in scratch/sleep duration for nemolizumab vs. placebo, respectively, by Week 1 (−32.15 vs. +28.15 min/h, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Nemolizumab has a rapid and robust onset of action in PN with itch reduction and improvement of sleep within 48 h.
Evaluation of histological post‐mortem changes in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) at different time intervals and storage temperatures
Authors: Furnesvik Lisa , Erkinharju Toni , Hansen Miroslava , Yousaf Muhammad Naveed , Seternes Tore
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate histologic post‐mortem autolytic changes in farmed Atlantic salmon. The fish were either stored at room temperature (RT, 21°C), refrigerated (4°C) or frozen (−20°C), while fish necropsy was performed at 0, 1, 4, 24 and 48 h post‐storage (hps). In addition, gills were sampled at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 min post‐storage (mps) at room temperature (RT). The haematoxylin and eosin‐stained tissue slides were evaluated and scored by using a semi‐quantitative scoring system. Our findings demonstrated gills and pyloric caeca/pancreas as the most severely autolysed organs while heart and skeletal musculature were least affected. Generally, moderate to severe autolysis appeared first at 4 hps, while severe changes were seen at 24 hps. Gills demonstrated autolytic changes as early as 10 mps and pyloric caeca/pancreas at 1 hps. Freezing did not prevent the autolysis and even contributed to freezing artefacts, which may lead to misdiagnosis. Keeping organs refrigerated slowed the autolytic progress within the first 4 hps marginally. This study recommends gills and pyloric caeca/pancreas should be sampled as early as possible, at least within 10 min post‐necropsy.
Disease‐related knowledge in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their informal caregivers: A multilevel modelling analysis
Authors: Matarese Maria , Lyons Karen S. , Piredda Michela , De Marinis Maria Grazia
Published: June 2022

Aims and objectives

To assess the level of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)‐related knowledge within patient and informal caregiver dyads, and to identify factors influencing the knowledge level considering the interdependence within the dyads.

Background

Patients with COPD and their informal caregivers present poor disease knowledge and different characteristics are associated with their level of knowledge. Disease knowledge and related characteristics have been assessed separately in patients and informal caregivers, without considering possible influence within the dyads.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

A convenience sample of dyads was recruited in outpatient and inpatient settings in Central and South Italy. The Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire was used to measure disease knowledge. Sociodemographic, clinical and caregiving characteristics, self‐efficacy and depression were measured in patients and caregivers. Multilevel modelling was used to analyse COPD knowledge at the level of the dyad to control for interdependency between patients and informal caregivers. The STROBE guidelines for cross‐sectional studies were followed for study reporting.

Results

We recruited 133 dyads. The total level of correct knowledge shared by dyads was 32.89%. Dyads presented higher levels of correct knowledge about disease symptoms, smoking cessation and vaccination, and lower about COPD treatment. Younger patients with greater self‐efficacy, who attended pulmonary rehabilitation and were cared for by a spouse/partner with low levels of depression, and informal caregivers who were patients' spouse/partner were more likely to have higher levels of disease‐related knowledge.

Conclusions

Our study advances dyadic research in COPD. Future studies should investigate the effects of shared knowledge and incongruent knowledge (where one member knows more than the other) on patient self‐care and caregiver contribution to patient self‐care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Our study shows what knowledge nurses should provide in educational programmes directed at patients and caregivers, and which dyads have greater knowledge deficits, to whom offer targeted educational interventions.
“The terrible dryness woke me up, I had some trouble breathing”—Critical situations related to oral health as described by CPAP‐treated persons with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Ahonen Hanna , Broström Anders , Fransson Eleonor I. , Neher Margit , Lindmark Ulrika
Published: June 2022

Continuous positive airway pressure is a common and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but adherence remains an issue. Both obstructive sleep apnea and oral diseases are associated with cardiovascular diseases, and as oral dryness contributes to treatment abandonment, oral health is of importance for this patient group. The aim was therefore to explore how persons with continuous positive airway pressure‐treated obstructive sleep apnea experience situations associated with their oral health, and which actions they take to manage these. An explorative and descriptive design was adopted using the critical incident technique. Based on a purposeful selection, 18 adults with long‐term experience of continuous positive airway pressure‐treatment were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide. Both negative and positive situations were described. Negative situations consisted of challenges with breathing, including mouth‐breathing, choking sensations, problems with night‐time and daytime oral dryness, changes in the saliva composition, and deteriorating oral health. Positive situations included experiences of reduced mouth‐breathing and oral dryness. The situations were often successfully managed by mimicking daytime movements, changing sleeping position, adjusting the CPAP‐device and mask, increasing oral hygiene efforts, drinking water, using a humidifier or chinstrap, or contacting their oral healthcare clinic. Long‐term experience of persons with continuous positive airway pressure‐treated obstructive sleep apnea regard situations and actions from everyday life. Successful management can contribute to long‐term adherence and decrease negative effects on oral health. More interdisciplinary collaborations could enable identification and adequate recommendations for persons who experience negative situations during their continuous positive airway pressure treatment.
Combination of hyperlipidemia and 17β‐Estradiol induces TMJOA‐like pathological changes in rats
Authors: Zhao Yan , Gan Ye‐Hua
Published: June 2022

Objective

We explored whether hyperlipidemia or combination of hyperlipidemia and E2 could induce TMJOA.

Materials and Methods

Four groups of female rats were treated with normal diet, normal diet with E2, high‐fat diet, and high‐fat diet with E2 (HFD/E2), respectively, to induce TMJOA till 8 weeks. Another three groups were then used for COX2 inhibitor celecoxib to block the induction of TMJOA. Primary condylar chondrocytes were treated with combination of E2, ox‐LDL, and corresponding inhibitors for evaluating expressions of related molecules.

Results

Condylar cartilage proliferation with plenty of chondrocyte apoptosis and increased staining for LOX1, nuclear NF‐κB, IL‐1β, and COX2 at 4 weeks and decreased condylar cartilage and increased subchondral bone density at 8 weeks were observed only in the HFD/E2 group. Celecoxib significantly alleviated the cartilage proliferation and apoptosis in the HFD/E2 group. Serum ox‐LDL increased in both high‐fat diet groups, while serum IL‐1β increased only in the HFD/E2 group. Combination of E2 and ox‐LDL synergistically induced expressions of LOX1, phosphorylated NF‐κB, IL‐1β, and COX2, while LOX1 inhibitor blocked the induction of phosphorylated NF‐κB, and NF‐κB inhibitor the induction of IL‐1β, and IL‐1β inhibitor the induction of COX2.

Conclusion

Combination of hyperlipidemia and E2‐induced TMJOA‐like pathological changes through LOX1/NF‐κB/IL‐1β/COX2‐signaling pathway.
Relook into the Risk Factors of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis in Early Onset Scoliosis Patients: Does the Location of Upper Instrumented Vertebra in Relation to the Sagittal Apex Matter?
Authors: Yang Bo , Xu Liang , Zhou Qingshuang , Qian Zhuang , Wang Bin , Zhu Zezhang , Qiu Yong , Sun Xu
Published: June 2022

Objective

Growing rods surgery is the mainstay of treatment for early‐onset scoliosis (EOS) while proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is one of the most commonly reported postoperative complications. We sought to investigate the impact of the location of upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) in relation to the sagittal apex on proximal junctional kyphosis in EOS after traditional growing rods (GRs) treatment.

Methods

A total of 102 EOS patients who received traditional growing rods treatment with a follow‐up of at least 2 years between 2009 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographic measurements were performed before and after the index surgery and at the latest follow‐up. We investigated the coronal Cobb angle and spinopelvic parameters of the whole spine. The location of the UIV, apex, lower instrumented vertebra (LIV), inflection vertebra (IV), the number and distance of UIV‐apex, LIV‐apex and IV‐apex were also recorded. Risk factors for PJK were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.

Results

PJK was observed in 21 patients (20.6%) during the follow‐up period. The PJK group showed a younger age at the index surgery (5.9 vs. 7.1 years, P = 0.042), more lengthening procedure times (5.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.032), larger preoperative coronal Cobb angle (82.0 vs. 75.6°, P = 0.038), higher correction rate (51.2% vs. 44.4%, P = 0.047) and larger postoperative proximal junctional angle (PJA) (13.9 vs. 5.5°, P < 0.001) than the non‐PJK group. The ratio of the number and distance from UIV‐apex to IV‐apex also differed significantly between the two groups. The logistic regression revealed that age at the index surgery ≤ 7 years, the ratio of the number from UIV‐ apex to IV‐ apex ≤ 0.6 and the ratio of the distance from UIV‐ apex to IV‐ apex ≤ 0.6 were independent risk factors for postoperative PJK.

Conclusion

Besides younger age, a closer location of UIV relative to the sagittal apex is identified to be an independent risk factor of postoperative PJK. Selection of UIV at a relatively farther location away from the sagittal apex might help prevent occurrence of PJK.
Recall devices: Defects at initial visit and during remote monitoring supported follow‐up
Authors: Grymuza Maciej , Chmielewska‐Michalak Lidia , Katarzyńska‐Szymańska Agnieszka , Migaj Jacek , Lesiak Maciej , Mitkowski Przemysław
Published: June 2022

Background

In March 2021, Biotronik informed about the risk of premature battery depletion in a group of implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators. Following the manufacturers’ recommendation, our center executed a recall and introduced remote monitoring (RM) in patients with susceptible devices. This study reports the rate of premature battery depletion in our center and events found in RM‐supported follow‐up.

Methods

Single‐center observational study.

Results

Out of the 206 susceptible implanted devices, 125 patients appeared for the visit and RM was introduced in 107 (83%) patients. Until the visit, three (2.4%) devices required replacement due to battery depletion, and a further three (2.4%) devices had unexpected battery depletion during follow‐up.

Conclusions

The recalled devices had a higher rate of battery exhaustion than expected, while other device or lead defects were less common.
Fly with the wings of live‐stream selling—Channel strategies with/without switching demand
Authors: Pan Ran , Feng Juan , Zhao Zhenling
Published: June 2022

Live‐stream selling is becoming increasingly popular in e‐commerce platforms, where streamers sell products through real‐time interactions, while consumers make purchases during live‐stream time. We identify several important factors to evaluate the live‐stream selling: (1) the streamer's ability to sell, which brings an extra value to consumers through real‐time illustrations and social interactions; (2) whether the extra value is positively or negatively correlated to consumers’ preference value; and (3) consumers’ cost to purchase through the live‐stream channel since consumers have to participate in the live‐stream show during a fixed time. We find that adding a live‐stream channel is profit‐enhancing only when the streamer's ability to sell is sufficiently high. If we consider the switching demand to the traditional channel from consumers who would have purchased from the live‐stream channel during the live‐stream time, we find that (1) a single live‐stream channel can be optimal, and (2) a high streamer's ability to sell may result in a profit loss. We also find that regardless of the switching demand, live‐stream selling is always more profitable when the extra value is negatively correlated with the consumer's preference value than the scenario when the extra value is positively correlated. These findings not only contribute to the literature on live‐stream selling and price discrimination but also offer guidelines for firms to make strategic decisions on live‐stream selling.
Perceptions of Partners’ Fertility Preferences and Women's Covert Contraceptive Use in Eight Sub‐Saharan African Countries
Authors: Sarnak Dana O. , Gemmill Alison
Published: June 2022

Covert use of contraception is a common but underreported and understudied phenomenon where one partner uses contraception without the other's knowledge. We used Demographic and Health Survey couple data to examine the relationship between wives’ perceptions of husbands’ fertility preferences and type of contraceptive use (overt vs. covert) in Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia using logistic regression. Wives who perceived that their husbands wanted more children than them had increased odds of using covertly, compared to those who perceived that husbands wanted the same number of children in all countries except Benin, and the strength of the relationships ranged from adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.89 (95 percent confidence interval (CI) 1.75–4.76) in Zambia to aOR 4.01 (95 percent CI 1.68–9.58) in Mali. Wives who reported not knowing their husbands’ fertility preferences had increased odds of using covertly compared to wives who perceived that their husbands wanted the same number of children in all countries except Zambia, ranging from aOR 2.02 (95 percent CI 1.11–3.69) in Ethiopia to aOR 3.82 (95 percent CI 2.29–6.37) in Kenya. Our findings indicate that efforts to increase partner engagement to align couple's fertility preferences may encourage overt use.
Thematic analysis and natural language processing of job‐related problems prior to physician suicide in 2003–2018
Authors: Kim Kristen , Ye Gordon Y. , Haddad Angela Maria , Kos Nicholas , Zisook Sidney , Davidson Judy E.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Although previous studies have consistently demonstrated that physicians are more likely than non‐physicians to experience work‐related stressors prior to suicide, the specific nature of these stressors remains unknown. The current study aimed to better characterize job‐related problems prior to physician suicide.

Methods

The study utilized a mixed methods approach combining thematic analysis and natural language processing to develop themes representing death investigation narratives of 200 physician suicides with implicated job problems in the National Violent Death Reporting System database between 2003 and 2018.

Results

Through thematic analysis, six overarching themes were identified: incapacity to work due to deterioration of physical health, substance use jeopardizing employment, interaction between mental health and work‐related issues, relationship conflict affecting work, legal problems leading to work‐related stress, and increased financial stress. Natural language processing analysis confirmed five of these themes and elucidated important subthemes.

Conclusions

This is the first known study that integrated thematic analysis and natural language processing to characterize work‐related stressors preceding physician suicide. The findings highlight the importance of bolstering systemic support for physicians experiencing job problems associated with their physical and mental health, substance use, relationships, legal matters, and finances in suicide prevention efforts.
The novel HLA‐C*03 allele, HLA‐C*03:597, identified in a Chinese patient
Authors: Zhou Xiao‐Yang , Wu Qing‐Jun , Yang Xiao‐Qin , Cai Jian‐Ping , Yin Jian
Published: June 2022

HLA‐C*03:597 differs from HLA‐C*03:03:01:01 by a single non‐synonymous nucleotide substitution in exon 5 (922 A>G).
An analysis of absurdity1
Authors: Lau Tony Tsz Fung
Published: June 2022

This paper offers an account of propositional absurdity and investigates its connection to falsity. I propose that instances of absurdity just are cases of what I call maximal abnormality. In light of the works of Smith (2016) and Pietroski and Rey (1995) on normic conditionals which link normality to explanatory demands, I suggest that absurdity also has a close tie with explanations (more precisely, the lacking thereof). Interesting consequences follow under such an account – first, I argue that we should see absurdity as ceteris paribus guide to falsehood – what is absurd is expected to be false, unless further evidence suggests otherwise; second (and relatedly), when further evidence indeed suggests otherwise, absurd propositions would not cease to be absurd.
An outlook multiple: The ontological multiplicity of the Met Office's 3‐month outlook
Authors: Manktelow Chris
Published: June 2022

This paper uses a material semiotic approach to explore how the ontological multiplicity of climate affects the communication of seasonal climate outlooks (SCO). The analysis is based on an ethnography of the UK Meteorological Office's (Met Office) 3‐month outlook, which predicts seasonal climate variability for the whole of the UK over the next 3 months. I advance geographical knowledge by critiquing a tendency among SCO providers to assume that stakeholders only treat the climate as a descriptive index of weather trends. Instead, I propose that the idea of a normal climate, which is central to this mode of communication, is an effect of materially diverse professional practices, such as running seasonal climate models, making contingency plans, or writing and publishing newspaper articles. These socio‐material practices enact multiple understandings, or ontologies, of what the climate is, which then shape how SCO are understood and used. The analysis identifies moments where ontologies of climate converge and diverge and discusses the effect that these moments have on the communication of the Met Office's 3‐month outlook. The paper concludes by assessing the theoretical significance of material semiotic approaches for geographical research into the multiplicity of climate, as well as the practical significance of this work for scientists who are involved in communicating climate information.
Assessment of Factors Affecting Contractors Tendering Success for Construction Projects in North-Central Nigeria
Authors: Muhammed Abdulhaqq Onoruoyiza , Muhammed Abdulsamad Adinoyi , Yakubu Henry Anda , Suleiman Abdulmutalib , Adam Abubakar
Published: June 2022

The challenge of construction tendering process is a common theme in developing countries especially Nigeria. Tendering process is often tedious, multitasking and complex. Contractors have the responsibility of tendering appropriately for construction projects; and clients as well as consultants have a duty to create an enabling platform for a successful tendering process. This study examines the factors affecting contractors tendering success for construction projects in North-Central Nigeria with an aim to harmonizing the perception of the construction professionals. Semi-structured questionnaires comprising of fifty-five (55) questions retrieved from literature were categorized into six (6) groups which are project characteristics, business benefits, capabilities, bidding situation, client related factors and external environment related factors. The data were retrieved from 299 respondents out of 384 respondents requisite for this study. Frequency, Percentile and Mean Index Score (MIS) were used to analyze the responses. Results indicated a level of agreement among the stakeholders on the top eleven (11) contractors tendering success factors and concludes that expansion of organization expertise, tendering capabilities, flexibility for changes and variations, number of competitors, project difficulties, design constructability, project methodology, tender document detailing, client reputation, involvement of other parties and political consideration to be the top factors affecting contractors tendering success. The practical implication of this is that, there is a broader understanding of the topmost factors affecting contractors tendering success among the stakeholders within the North-Central region of Nigeria. The study recommended that reasonably sufficient time should be given to examine project characteristic in order for the contractors to assess their suitability for every construction projects they intend to tender for. Furthermore, construction design approach, bidding process and project methodology should be properly delineated to all the stakeholders by the client to eliminate vagueness in the tendering process and subsequently, project delivery process.
The miRNA‐143‐3p–Sox6–Myh7 pathway is altered in obesogenic diet‐induced cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: de Oliveira Silva Tábatha , Lino Caroline A. , Miranda Juliane B. , Balbino‐Silva Camila S. , Lunardon Guilherme , Lima Vanessa M. , Jensen Leonardo , Donato Jose , Irigoyen Maria Cláudia , Barreto‐Chaves Maria Luiza M. , Diniz Gabriela P.
Published: June 2022

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What is the effect of an obesogenic diet on the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in cardiac hypertrophy in female mice?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Female mice fed an obesogenic diet exhibited cardiac hypertrophy associated with increased levels of miRNA‐143‐3p, decreased mRNA levels of Sox6 and increased mRNA levels of Myh7. Inhibition of miRNA‐143‐3p increased Sox6 mRNA levels and reduced Myh7 expression in cardiomyocytes, and prevented angiotensin II‐induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The results indicate that the miRNA‐143‐3p–Sox6–Myh7 pathway may play a key role in obesity‐induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Obesity induces cardiometabolic disorders associated with a high risk of mortality. We have previously shown that the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile is changed in obesity‐induced cardiac hypertrophy in male mice. Here, we investigated the effect of an obesogenic diet on the expression of miRNAs involved in cardiac hypertrophy in female mice. Female mice fed an obesogenic diet displayed an increased body weight gain, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia. In addition, obese female mice exhibited cardiac hypertrophy associated with increased levels of several miRNAs, including miR‐143‐3p. Bioinformatic analysis identified Sox6, regulator of Myh7 gene transcription, as a predicted target of miR‐143‐3p. Female mice fed an obesogenic diet exhibited decreased mRNA levels of Sox6 and increased expression of Myh7 in the heart. Loss‐of‐function studies in cardiomyocytes revealed that inhibition of miR‐143‐3p increased Sox6 mRNA levels and reduced Myh7 expression. Collectively, our results indicate that obesity‐associated cardiac hypertrophy in female mice is accompanied by alterations in diverse miRNAs, and suggest that the miR‐143‐3p–Sox6–Myh7 pathway may play a key role in obesity‐induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Hazard Management Plan for Mass Transit System
Authors: Li James , Howard Andrew , Kalbasi Amin
Published: June 2022

The literature has recognized that developing a Hazard Management Plan is the most efficient way to outline the process of identifying hazards, assessing the hazard risks, and eliminating hazards or mitigating the hazard risks to the acceptable level for a Mass Transit System. Hazard management is a comprehensive, collaborative approach to manage hazards. It brings different hazard analyses and hazard management tools together to identify the hazard, control the hazard, eliminate the hazard, or mitigate the hazard risk to an acceptable level at an early stage. Hazard management is a top-down hazard management process which involves the Hazard Management Plan (HMP) to outline the hazard management process from the initial stages of identifying a hazard to the final stage in the process of closing a hazard. Hazard analyses that are identified by the HMP include: Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) to provide an early assessment of the top-level hazards associated with a design or concept; Operating and Support Hazard Analysis (OSHA) to identify and analyze hazards associated with personnel and procedures during production, installation, testing, training, operations, maintenance, and emergencies; Interface Hazard Analysis (IHA) to capture interface hazards introduced because of fault or failures in the interaction or interface between systems and between system and Civil works which covers both internal and external interfaces; Subsystem Hazard Analysis (SSHA) to identify previously unidentified hazards associated with the design of subsystems, including component failure modes, critical human error inputs, and hazards resulting for functional relationships between components and equipment comprising each subsystem and recommend actions necessary to eliminate identified hazards or control their associated risk to acceptable levels; System Hazard Analysis (SHA) to evaluate top-level hazards to ensure at the system level the hazards are mitigated to an acceptable level; Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to identify weakness in the design (i.e., common mode failures); Failure Modes, Effect Analysis (FMEA) to identify and analyze possible failures early in the design phase so that appropriate actions are taken to eliminate, minimize, or control safety. A Hazard Log is a hazard management tool to collect all the hazards identified from various hazard analyses and manage the hazards to closure. In some cases, where hazards are owned by other parties the HMP process will define Hazard Transfer Forms (HTF) to transfer the hazard to the responsible party who will be responsible to supply the evidence of closure or accept the residual risk. This paper will introduce the HMP, various hazard analyses, hazard log and hazard management process that applies to a Mass Transit System.
Machine Learning Based Estimation of Residual Useful Life of High-Speed Train Wheels Based on Vehicle-Mounted Vibration Sensor Data
Authors: Tang Haichuan , Dai Junyan
Published: June 2022

Safety is always a top priority during the development of high-speed rail systems. Wheel, as one of the most important components of a high-speed train, requires frequent inspections and maintenances in order to prevent operation failure of the train or even catastrophes from happening. The Residual Useful Life (RUL) has been extensively studied in the research field of health management for industrial components or systems. It is critical to understand the RUL of the high-speed train wheel for informed maintenance and replacement. Given an accurate estimation of train wheel RUL, rail companies can optimize maintenance and repair schedules more economically while ensuring safety. In this paper, we develop a machine learning based methodology to estimate the RUL of high-speed train wheels, using actual, in-field vibration data from sensors mounted on bogies. To our best knowledge, few studies have used data from in-field sensors mounted directly on train components to train and test a model for train wheel RUL estimation. A traditional time-domain signal processing method is implemented to extract characteristic features from the vibration data. Various machine learning models are introduced and applied to validate our proposed method. The estimation results conform to the empirical data, and can be used to infer the RUL of the wheel based on vehicle-mounted vibration sensor data for rail safety management.
Maximizing RF Communications Throughput for Railroad Applications at 160 MHz
Authors: Ghasemzadeh Pejman , Hempel Michael , Sharif Hamid , Omar Tarek
Published: June 2022

As the railroad industry in North America pursues the further expansion of their wireless communications capabilities in support of many different railroad applications, such as Positive Train Control and wireless wayside monitoring, it faces a critical challenge due to the rapidly worsening congestion and over-utilization of RF spectrum resources. Thus, the rail industry is exploring the use of underutilized non-traditional RF bands. One such example is the 160 MHz RF band. In this paper we present initial results from our comprehensive evaluation and RF solutions design effort for the 160 MHz band, with the aim of maximizing communications throughput while complying with current regulatory requirements such as channelization and emission mask regulations. Accomplishing this investigation involves capturing and evaluating all parameters impacting the signal and its spectral characteristics, such as sampling rate and the root-raised-cosine filter parameters (roll-off, filter span, etc.), in order to adhere to channel width mandates and avoid adjacent channel interference. Our results assist with formulating bit rate and symbol rate selections to maximize performance within FCC-mandated spectral mask requirements for this RF band. For our comprehensive investigation we evaluated signals modulated using QAM, Mil188QAM, APSK, DVB-S2/S2X/SH-APSK, PSK and PAM, with different modulation orders ranging from 2 to 256. We then further expanded our work by considering Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and its corresponding parameters, e.g., FFT size, cyclic prefix, guard bands and more. This research is designed to pave the way to enable vital rail applications for non-traditional RF bands, or expand critical applications such as Positive Train Control into bands such as 160 MHz.
Estimation of a sediment attenuation coefficient using mid-frequency bottom-interacting signals in Jinhae Bay, Southeast Korea
Authors: Kwon Hyuckjong , Kim Byoung-Nam , Choi Jee Woong
Published: June 2022

The inversion results of geoacoustic parameters using bottom-interacting signals in Jinhae Bay, South Korea, were presented in March 2019 by Kwon, Choi, Ryang, Son, and Jung [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 145, 1205–1211 (2019)]. At site 1 in this study area, where the surficial sediment was dominated by mud, bottom-loss estimates were typical of losses in sediment with a sound speed lower than that of the water column. In this case, because most of the energy incident on the bottom at the angle of intromission is transmitted into the sediment, scattering may dominate the bottom-path energy, which can lead to an underestimate of bottom loss and an overestimate of the sediment attenuation coefficient. Here, we attempt to provide an accurate estimate of the sediment attenuation coefficient by comparing the difference in amplitudes between the bottom-reflected and sub-bottom-reflected signals over a frequency band of several kHz. To verify the inversion results, measurements of sediment attenuation at the site were also taken by repeatedly transmitting and receiving continuous acoustic waves of 120–180 kHz using four stake transducers embedded in the sediment. The inversion results are in reasonable agreement with the sediment attenuation coefficients measured in situ.