bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upskilling the cell therapy manufacturing workforce: design, implementation, and evaluation of a massive open online course
Authors: Yang Mingyu , Keumurian Flora J. , Neufeld Caleb , Skrip Elizabeth , Duguid John , Vega-Mercado Humberto , Rao Reeta P. , Rolle Marsha W. , Springs Stacy L. , Wolfrum Jacqueline M. , Barone Paul W. , Van Vliet Krystyn J.
Published: May 2024

We assembled a team of university researchers and industry professionals to develop an online course on the principles and practice of cell therapy manufacturing. We believe that this course can serve as a model for how academia and industry can collaborate to create innovative, scalable training programs to meet the demands of the modern biotechnology workforce.
Optimal hematocrit theory: a review
Authors: Sitina Michal , Stark Heiko , Schuster Stefan
Published: May 2024

In humans and many animals, a trade-off between a sufficiently high concentration of erythrocytes (hematocrit) to bind oxygen and sufficiently low blood viscosity to allow rapid blood flow has been achieved during evolution. The optimal value lies between the extreme cases of pure blood plasma, which cannot practically transport any oxygen, and 100% hematocrit, which would imply very slow blood flow or none at all. As oxygen delivery to tissues is the main task of the cardiovascular system, it is reasonable to expect that maximum oxygen delivery has been achieved during evolution. Optimal hematocrit theory, based on this optimality principle, has been successful in predicting hematocrit values of about 0.3–0.5, which are indeed observed in the systemic circulation of humans and many animal species. Similarly, the theory can explain why a hematocrit higher than normal, ranging from 0.5 to 0.7, can promote better exertional performance. Here, we present a review of theoretical approaches to the calculation of the optimal hematocrit value under different conditions and discuss them in a broad physiological context. Several physiological and medical implications are outlined, for example, in view of blood doping, temperature adaptation, dehydration, and life at high altitudes.
Young Adults with Anxiety Disorders Show Reduced Inhibition in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex at Higher Trait Anxiety Levels: A TMS-EEG Study
Authors: Pokorny Lena , Biermann Lea , Breitinger Eva , Jarczok Tomasz Antoni , Wagner Daniel , Vöckel Jasper , Bender Stephan
Published: May 2024

Background. The neuropathology of anxiety disorders, including specific phobias, social phobias, and generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), has been believed to be rooted in a reduced inhibition of limbic areas by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Trait anxiety has been linked to insufficient recruitment of DLPFC mechanisms for attentional control. Despite limited research on individuals with anxiety disorders, our study utilized transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess DLPFC cortical activity and emotional states using the N100 as an indicator of GABA-B-mediated cortical inhibition. Additionally, we aimed to correlate trait anxiety scores with cortical activity. Methods. A total of 20 subjects with social phobia and GAD and 21 subjects with specific phobia were compared to 24 control subjects regarding their inhibitory N100 in the DLPFC. Therefore, TMS was applied on the left and right DLPFC during an emotional task with fearful, angry, and neutral faces and a rest condition. Results. Smaller N100 amplitudes after DLPFC stimulation were found in subjects with social phobia, GAD, and social phobias compared to the control group. Furthermore, a correlation between trait anxiety scores and smaller N100 amplitudes, independent of group effects, was found. Conclusion. There appears to be a decrease in GABA-B-mediated cortical inhibition in the DLPFC in subjects with anxiety disorders. The correlation between trait anxiety and N100 amplitudes suggests a trait-related modulation of cortical inhibition.
Advancing Energy Performance Efficiency in Residential Buildings for Sustainable Design: Integrating Machine Learning and Optimized Explainable AI (AIX)
Authors: Alotaibi Badr Saad
Published: May 2024

Buildings play a critical role in energy consumption, representing one of the primary consumers of power. Heating load (HL) and cooling load (CL) are essential for determining the energy efficiency of buildings. Several research projects attempt to address the critical challenge of enhancing energy efficiency in residential buildings, focusing on accurately estimating HL and CL using solutions that implement statistical prediction or typical building control management. This study, however, looked into advanced machine learning (ML) models for sustainable building design based on harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence and explainable AI (AIX) technologies. The proposed model was trained and tested using a dataset of 768 buildings based on feature engineering methods with various ML algorithms (including cutting‐edge emotional neural learning (ENN), nonparametric kernel‐based probabilistic models known as Gaussian process regression (GPR), and boosted tree (BT) algorithm). In addition, the output of the model was fed to standard building energy performance software (Ecotect) that utilizes the dataset from twelve different building shapes to perform various building energy efficiency analyses. The overall performance of the proposed model was measured using different performance metrics, including MAPE, MAE, RMSE, and PCC to measure the performance of HL‐ and CL‐based building energy efficiency. The performance evaluation results indicate that the M3 variants, especially GPR‐M3, consistently outperformed their counterparts across heating and cooling scenarios. The three models indicated reliability for modeling HL and CL. However, for HL, the GPR‐M3 model emerged as the best model, outperforming GPR‐M1 by 9.2% and GPR‐M2 by 3.9%. Similarly, GPR‐M3 is superior to CL, with the highest PCC at 0.9858, marking an 8.1% and 1.9% improvement over GPR‐M1 and GPR‐M2, respectively.
Targeting Chemoresistance in Advanced Bladder Cancers with a Novel Adjuvant Strategy
Authors: Seremak Juliette R. , Gupta Kunj Bihari , Bonigala Sunilkanth , Liu Elise , Marshall Brendan , Zhi Wenbo , Bokhtia Riham M. , Panda Siva S. , Lokeshwar Vinata B. , Lokeshwar Bal L.
Published: May 2024

Advanced urinary bladder cancer is characterized by rapid progression and development of therapy resistance. About 30% of the patients are diagnosed with high-grade tumors (grade > T2a). A typical nonsurgical treatment is systemic chemotherapy using cisplatin (C) and gemcitabine (G). However, treatment failure and subsequent disease progression are common in treated patients, and adjuvant therapies are not significantly effective. The therapeutic potential of a molecular hybrid of ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic-triterpene conjugated to N-methyl piperazine (UA4), was tested on both naïve (WT) and gemcitabine-resistant (GemR) variants of two human invasive bladder cancer cell lines, 5637 and T24. UA4 killed 5637 (4 µmol/L), T24 (4 µmol/L) WT, and GemR cells in vitro at equal potency. Pretreatment with UA4 followed by G synergistically killed WT and GemR cells by >50% compared with G followed by UA4. Oral gavage of UA4 (100 mg/kg) inhibited WT and GemR tumor growth in athymic mice. UA4 + G was more effective against GemR tumors than either drug alone. Studies revealed cytotoxic autophagy as a mechanism of UA4 cytotoxicity. UA4 induced moderate apoptosis in T24 but not in 5637 cells. Mitochondrial integrity and function were most affected by UA4 because of high levels of reactive oxygen species, disruption of mitochondrial membrane, and cell cycle arrest. These effects were enhanced in the UA4 + G combination. UA4 was well-tolerated in mice, and oral gavage led to a serum level >1 µmol/L with no systemic toxicity. These results show the potential of UA4 as a nontoxic alternative treatment for high-grade bladder cancer.
Data from Pan-Cancer Interrogation of B7-H3 (CD276) as an Actionable Therapeutic Target Across Human Malignancies
Authors: Miller Carly D. , Lozada John R. , Zorko Nicholas A. , Elliott Andrew , Makovec Allison , Radovich Milan , Heath Elisabeth I. , Agarwal Neeraj , Mckay Rana R. , Garje Rohan , Bastos Bruno R. , Hoon Dave S.B. , Orme Jacob J. , Sartor Oliver , VanderWalde Ari , Nabhan Chadi , Sledge George , Shenderov Eugene , Dehm Scott M. , Lou Emil , Miller Jeffrey S. , Hwang Justin H. , Antonarakis Emmanuel S.
Published: May 2024

Abstract
B7-H3 (CD276) is a transmembrane glycoprotein of the B7 immune checkpoint superfamily that has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. To better understand the applicability of B7-H3–directed therapies, we analyzed 156,791 samples comprising 50 cancer types to interrogate the clinical, genomic, transcriptomic, and immunologic correlates of B7-H3 mRNA expression. DNA (592-gene/whole-exome) and RNA (whole-transcriptome) sequencing was performed from samples submitted to Caris Life Sciences. B7-H3 high versus low expression was based on top and bottom quartiles for each cancer type. Patients’ overall survival was determined from insurance claims data. Pathway analysis was performed using gene set enrichment analyses. Immune cell fractions were inferred using quanTIseq. B7-H3 is expressed across several human malignancies including prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. High B7-H3 expression is associated with differences in overall survival, possibly indicating a prognostic role of B7-H3 for some cancers. When examining molecular features across all cancer types, we did not identify recurrent associations between B7-H3 expression and genetic alterations in TP53, RB1, and KRAS. However, we find consistent enrichment of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, Wnt, TGFβ, and Notch signaling pathways. In addition, tumors with high B7-H3 expression are associated with greater proportions of M1 macrophages, but lower fractions of CD8+ T cells. We have begun to define the genomic, transcriptomic, clinical, and immunologic features associated with B7-H3 expression in 50 cancer types. We report novel clinical and molecular features of B7-H3–high tumors which may inform how current B7-H3 therapeutics should be deployed and prioritized.
Significance:
B7-H3–targeting therapeutics have shown promising results in initial clinical trials. In this pan-cancer analysis of B7-H3 mRNA expression, we found that B7-H3 exhibits robust expression in many common cancer types. These results may inform further development of B7-H3–targeting therapeutics and may guide clinical decisions for patients with limited treatment options.
Clinical and Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of 2 Sibling Cases with 17q25 Duplication due to Unbalanced Translocation
Authors: Chen Na , Zeng Wenshan , Luo Yuqin , Dong Minyue
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Partial 17q duplication is a rare chromosome abnormality. Features include severe psychomotor retardation, intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism, proximal limb shortness, and hyperlaxity of limb joints. Case Presentation: The proband is a 7-year and 4-month-old boy with developmental delay, facial abnormality, joint laxity and scoliosis, ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalus, hypophosphatemia, and squint, while his older brother is a fetus who was aborted at 33rd week of gestation because of multiple malformations including ventriculomegaly and moderate hydrocephalus. Both siblings have features such as ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus. Conclusion: Here, we report 2 sibling cases with 17q25 duplication from a maternal translocation t(14;17). Our findings expanded the clinical spectra and described the fetal phenotype of 17q25 microduplication.
Trends, Outcomes, and Economic Implications of Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis Hospitalizations: A National Cohort Study
Authors: Shah Ankur D. , Vashisth Shagun , Raker Christina A. , Hu Susie L.
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP) is a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis, associated with significant morbidity, modality transition, and mortality. Here, we provide an update on the national burden of this significant complication, highlighting trends in demographics, treatment practices, and in-hospital outcomes of PDAP from 2016 to 2020. Methods: Utilizing a national all-payer dataset of hospitalizations in the USA, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of PDAP from 2016 to 2020. We analyzed demographic, clinical, and hospital-level data, focusing on in-hospital mortality, PD catheter removal, length of stay, and healthcare expenses. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates was employed to identify risk factors associated with adverse outcomes. Results: There was a stable burden of annual PDAP admissions from 2016 to 2020. Healthcare expenditures associated with PDAP were high, totaling over USD 75,000 per admission. Additionally, our data suggest geographic inconsistencies in treatment patterns, with treatment at western and teaching hospitals associated with increased rates of catheter removal relative to northeastern and non-teaching centers and a mean cost of nearly USD 55,000 more in Western states compared to Midwest states. 23.2% of episodes resulted in the removal of the PD catheter. Risk factors associated with adverse outcomes included older age, higher Charlson comorbidity index scores, peripheral vascular disease, and the need for vasopressors. Conclusion: PDAP is a major cause of mortality among PD patients, and there is a vital need for future studies to examine the impact of hospital location and teaching status on PDAP outcomes, which can inform treatment practices and resource allocation.
Pathophysiology of Physical Exercise in Kidney Patients: Unveiling New Players – The Role of Myokines
Authors: Picciotto Daniela , Macciò Lucia , Verzola Daniela , Baciga Federica , Momentè Claudia , Russo Elisa , Viazzi Francesca , Battaglia Yuri , Esposito Pasquale
Published: May 2024

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive systemic condition characterized by numerous complications. Among these, alterations in skeletal muscle physiology, such as sarcopenia, are particularly significant, as they are associated with poor outcomes and reduced quality of life. Summary: Various interventions, including pharmacological approaches and lifestyle modifications have been investigated to slow CKD progression and prevent or treat its complications. Physical exercise, in particular, has emerged as a promising intervention with multiple beneficial effects. These include improvements in physical functioning, increased muscle mass, modulation of metabolic abnormalities, and reduced cardiovascular risk. However, the pathophysiology of physical exercise in patients with kidney disease is complex and remains only partially understood. A crucial advancement in understanding this phenomenon has been the identification of myokines – molecules expressed and released by skeletal muscle in response to physical activity. These myokines can exert both paracrine and systemic effects, influencing not only skeletal muscle physiology but also other processes such as energy metabolism and lipid regulation. Key Messages: The interplay among skeletal muscle, physical activity, and myokines may act as a pivotal regulator in various physiological processes, including aging, as well as in pathological conditions like cachexia and sarcopenia, frequently observed in CKD patients at different stages, including patients on dialysis. Despite the potential importance of this relationship, only a limited number of studies have explored the relationship between exercise and myokine, and the effect of this interaction on experimental models or individuals with kidney disease. In the following sections, we review and discuss this topic.
Macroeconomic and generational impacts of fiscal devaluation: an application for the Brazilian case
Authors: De Freitas Carlos Eduardo , Paes Nelson Leitão
Published: May 2024

A desvalorização fiscal normalmente envolve a redução das contribuições para a seguridade social sobre a folha de pagamento com o aumento do imposto sobre o consumo. Este estudo avalia o impacto da desvalorização fiscal no Brasil sobre o consumo, capital, produção e distribuição de renda entre gerações. Para isso, usamos um modelo dinâmico de equilíbrio geral com gerações sobrepostas, expectativa de vida finita, risco de morte e seguridade social. Os resultados sugerem que a desvalorização fiscal provocou resultados positivos, mas modestos, sobre o produto, capital e consumo a longo prazo, sem grandes sacrifícios para a economia no seu caminho de transição.
Economic activities and deforestation in Brazil's Carajás region. Examining production deforestation linkages
Authors: Willumsen Maria Jose , Cruz Robert D. , Trottier Annick
Published: May 2024

This paper assesses the impacts of productive activities on macroeconomic conditions and deforestation using a two-region CGE model. The object ofstudy is the interaction between productive sectors (especially agriculture, livestock, timber and pig iron) and deforestation in the Eastern Amazon region ofBrazil. This region, also known as the Carajas Comdor, has experienced rapid growth and settlement over the last three decades. Over this same period a significant portion of its natural resources (particularly forest) has been depleted. The growth simulations reveal that expansion and development of the metals sector only indirectly result in higher levels of deforestation by stimulating the expansion of agriculture and livestock production. The expansion of agricultural activities results in sufficient wood by-products to meet the greater demand for charcoal production caused by development of the metals sector.
Avaliação da qualidade dos postos de trabalho das regiões administrativas do Estado de São Paulo: um estudo a partir dos dados da RAIS
Authors: Fernandes Reynaldo , Toneto Junior Rudinei , Moreira Guilherme Renato C.
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this paper is to compare the quality of jobs across administrative regions in the São Paulo State. A methodology to evaluate the quality of jobs is proposed based on RAIS's data base. The results suggest that quality ofjobs, instead of skills of workers, is the fundamental factor in explaining the differences in the wage averages across regions in São Paulo State.
A note on the optimum composition of public debt: reflections on the Brazilian case
Authors: Goldfajn Ilan , Paula Áureo de
Published: May 2024

Esta nota visa resumir, de forma não-técnica, as considerações levantadas pela literatura econômica acerca da composição ótima da dívida pública, concentrando-se em aspectos mais aplicados da teoria para a política da escolha ótima da composição da dívida. Segundo a literatura, o gestor da dívida pública deve ter em mente objetivos como a minimização do risco orçamentário (ligada ao objetivo de suavização de impostos), a manutenção de credibilidade, sinalização, a minimização do risco de rolagem, a provisão de liquidez ao mercado e a minimização de riscos ligados à indexação da economia. Faz-se uma breve análise para o caso brasileiro, onde se indicam as prescrições de política recomendadas pela literatura aqui resumida.
Determinantes das exportações de frutas da região Nordeste brasileira (2000 – 2018): uma análise sob a ótica do modelo gravitacional
Authors: Lisbinski Fernanda Cigainski , Coronel Daniel Arruda , Feistel Paulo Ricardo
Published: May 2024

Este trabalho analisa os determinantes das exportações das principais frutas produzidas pelo Nordeste brasileiro para seus principais mercados de destino, compreendendo o período de 2000 a 2018. A metodologia utilizada foi o modelo gravitacional. Os resultados encontrados corroboram com trabalhos seminais da literatura econômica, os quais indicam que os fluxos comerciais se relacionam positivamente com as rendas dos países importadores e negativamente com a distância entre país importador e exportador. Ademais, observou-se que o desempenho exportador de cada fruta analisada possui características próprias, tendo em vista que as variáveis analisadas influenciamesse desempenho diferentemente, destacando-se a importância dessa análise desagregada.
Bloom, apenas um homem: a subversão do herói épico em Uma viagem à Índia, de Gonçalo M. Tavares
Authors: Nascimento Diogo
Published: May 2024

Uma viagem à Índia, de Gonçalo M. Tavares, dialoga, de modo livre, com a forma e a temática de Os Lusíadas. Uma vez que é estabelecida essa relação com uma epopeia, pretende-se fazer uma análise do protagonista Bloom, verificando em que medida a configuração do personagem se apropria e, ao mesmo tempo, subverte a dos heróis épicos Vasco da Gama e Odisseu.
Negri, Hardt e a dialética hegeliana
Authors: Fonseca Thiago Silva Augusto da
Published: May 2024

Nosso propósito aqui é o de apresentar um panorama das leituras que Antonio Negri faz de Hegel, ou, antes, da dialética hegeliana, ao longo de sua obra. Pretendemos mostrar como a leitura de Negri passa de um discurso favorável à dialética como instrumento conceitual a um segundo momento – no qual também figurará Michael Hardt, coautor de algumas de suas obras mais recentes – em que ela é criticada e abandonada, e as dificuldades encontradas pelos autores nesse percurso.
Fostering Psychological Safety and Supporting Mental Health Among Cardiovascular Health Care Workers: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association
Authors: Mehta Laxmi S. , Churchwell Keith , Coleman Dawn , Davidson Judy , Furie Karen , Ijioma Nkechinyere N. , Katz Jason N. , Moutier Christine , Rove Jessica Y. , Summers Richard , Vela Alyssa , Shanafelt Tait ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Leadership Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences; Council on Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative and Resuscitation; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research
Published: May 2024

The psychological safety of health care workers is an important but often overlooked aspect of the rising rates of burnout and workforce shortages. In addition, mental health conditions are prevalent among health care workers, but the associated stigma is a significant barrier to accessing adequate care. More efforts are therefore needed to foster health care work environments that are safe and supportive of self-care. The purpose of this brief document is to promote a culture of psychological safety in health care organizations. We review ways in which organizations can create a psychologically safe workplace, the benefits of a psychologically safe workplace, and strategies to promote mental health and reduce suicide risk.
Cardiomyopathy in First-Degree Relatives of Patients Presenting With Acute Myocarditis: Prevalence and Prognostic Significance
Authors: Boulet Jacinthe , Lakdawala Neal K. , Christiansen Mia Nielsen , Schou Morten , Køber Lars , Gustafsson Finn , Gislason Gunnar H. , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Andersson Charlotte
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND:

Acute myocarditis has been genetically linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), but the clinical significance remains uncertain. We investigated the prevalence and long-term prognosis of DCM and heart failure (HF) among unselected patients hospitalized with acute myocarditis and their first-degree relatives compared with an age- and sex-matched cohort.

METHODS:

This was an observational study utilizing the Danish nationwide registries, where all patients with a first-time myocarditis diagnosis from 1995 to 2018 were identified and matched (on birth year and sex) with 10 controls from the general population.

RESULTS:

Totally 3176 patients with acute myocarditis and 31 760 controls were included (median age, 49.8 [Q1–Q3, 32.5–70.2] years; 35.6% female). At baseline, patients with myocarditis had a higher prevalence of DCM (7 [0.2%] versus 8 [0.0%]) and HF (336 [10.6%] versus 695 [2.2%]) than controls;
P
<0.0001 for both. Patients with myocarditis more often had siblings with DCM (12 [0.4%] versus 17 [0.05%]) or HF (36 [1.1%] versus 89 [0.3%]);
P
<0.0001, odds ratios 7.09 (3.38–14.85) and 2.92 (1.25–6.80), respectively, whereas parental DCM and HF did not differ among patients with myocarditis and controls. Patients with myocarditis had greater 20-year incidence of DCM, HF, and all-cause mortality (0.5% [0.3%–0.9%], 15% [13%–17%], and 47% [44%–50%]) compared with controls (0.06% [0.03%–0.11%], 6.8% [6.4%–7.3%], and 34% [33%–35%];
P
<0.0001). Having a first-degree relative with DCM or HF was associated with increased long-term mortality among the patients with myocarditis (hazard ratio, 1.40 [1.11–1.77]) but not among the controls (hazard ratio, 0.90 [0.81–1.01];
P
difference
=0.0008).

CONCLUSIONS:

Acute myocarditis aggregates with DCM within families, where it carries a worsened prognosis. A differential association between parents and siblings (with sibling preponderance) could suggest that additional environmental factors are important for myocarditis development even in predisposed individuals.
Effect of Population-Level Blood Pressure Treatment Strategies on Cardiovascular and Cognitive Outcomes
Authors: Burke James F. , Sussman Jeremy B. , Yaffe Kristine , Hayward Rodney A. , Giordani Bruno J. , Galecki Andrzej T. , Whitney Rachael , Briceño Emily M. , Gross Alden L. , Elkind Mitchell S.V. , Manly Jennifer J. , Gottesman Rebecca F. , Gaskin Darrell J. , Sidney Stephen , Levine Deborah A.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND:

The large and increasing number of adults living with dementia is a pressing societal priority, which may be partially mitigated through improved population-level blood pressure (BP) control. We explored how tighter population-level BP control affects the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events and dementia.

METHODS:

Using an open-source ASCVD and dementia simulation analysis platform, the Michigan Chronic Disease Simulation Model, we evaluated how optimal implementation of 2 BP treatments based on the Eighth Joint National Committee recommendations and SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) protocol would influence population-level ASCVD events, global cognitive performance, and all-cause dementia. We simulated 3 populations (usual care, Eighth Joint National Committee based, SPRINT based) using nationally representative data to annually update risk factors and assign ASCVD events, global cognitive performance scores, and dementia, applying different BP treatments in each population. We tabulated total ASCVD events, global cognitive performance, all-cause dementia, optimal brain health, and years lived in each state per population.

RESULTS:

Optimal implementation of SPRINT-based BP treatment strategy, compared with usual care, reduced ASCVD events in the United States by ≈77 000 per year and produced 0.4 more years of stroke- or myocardial infarction–free survival when averaged across all Americans. Population-level gains in years lived free of ASCVD events were greater for SPRINT-based than Eighth Joint National Committee–based treatment. Survival and years spent with optimal brain health improved with optimal SPRINT-based BP treatment implementation versus usual care: the average patient with hypertension lived 0.19 additional years and 0.3 additional years in optimal brain health. SPRINT-based BP treatment increased the number of years lived without dementia (by an average of 0.13 years/person with hypertension), but increased the total number of individuals with dementia, mainly through more adults surviving to advanced ages.

CONCLUSIONS:

Tighter BP control likely benefits most individuals but is unlikely to reduce dementia prevalence and might even increase the number of older adults living with dementia.
Roles and Relations in Biblical Law
Authors: Canu Højgaard Christian
Published: May 2024

Leviticus 17–26, an ancient law text known as the Holiness Code, prescribes how particular persons are to behave in concrete, everyday situations. The addressees of the law text must revere their parents, respect the elderly, fear God, take care of their fellow, provide for the sojourner, and so on. The sojourner has his own obligations, as do the priests. Even God is said to behave in various ways towards various persons. Thus, the law text forms an intricate web of persons and interactions.

There is a growing awareness that ancient law texts were not arbitrary collections of legal paragraphs but articulations of certain world views. The laws were rational in their own respect and were based on the lawgiver’s ethos. However, since the ethical values of the lawgiver rarely—if ever—surface in the text itself, it has proven difficult to grasp with traditional, exegetical methods. This study offers a novel approach to mapping out the ethos of an ancient law text like Leviticus 17–26. By employing social network analysis, the participants and their interactions are mapped to scrutinize the ethical roles embodied by the persons of the law.

To accomplish this, the study undertakes meticulous research into both the participants and the interactions of Leviticus 17–26. The book investigates a semi-automatic approach to extracting participant information from a text and offers new methods for analysing Hebrew interactions (realised as verbal predicates) in terms of dynamicity, causation, and agency.
1. Introduction
Authors: Canu Højgaard Christian
Published: May 2024

Leviticus 17–26, an ancient law text known as the Holiness Code, prescribes how particular persons are to behave in concrete, everyday situations. Among Christian readers and scholars of the text, it has for the most part been considered obsolete or even a decay of biblical theology.

There is a growing awareness, however, that ancient law texts are not arbitrary collections of primitive laws but represent an ancient understanding of life and society which is rational in its own respect. Thus, over the last generation, a stream of anthropological, literary, and rhetorical approaches has enriched the study of biblical law. This chapter introduces yet another approach to grasp the ethos of the ancient law giver, namely that of social network analysis which offers a mapping of all persons of the text and their internal interactions as a means to investigate ethical roles and thereby the ethics implied by the text.
3. Tracking the Participants
Authors: Canu Højgaard Christian
Published: May 2024

When social network analysis has been applied to texts, the participants or persons of the text have commonly been conceptualized as nodes and their relationships as edges. Most often, the data have been extracted manually as semantic triplets, also known as RDF triplets, in order to reduce the complexity of the data. Obviously, texts do not usually come in neat semantic triplets, so the question is how information can be extracted more consistently in order to increase the accuracy of analysis.

In Leviticus 17–26 there are 4,092 individual participant references, so manual tagging is problematic. This chapter investigates a semi-automatic approach to participant resolution in order to map linguistic references unto text-level persons. A number of crucial issues are discussed, including the problem of identical, yet different participants, conflation of participants, synonymous participants, and references to individual participants in a group.
7. Participants in Social Networks
Authors: Canu Højgaard Christian
Published: May 2024

Social network analysis has only occasionally been applied to the analysis of texts. This chapter offers a novel attempt to map the social network of an ancient law text, Leviticus 17–26. Using the participants and their interactions as nodes and edges, respectively, graph-based and feature-based approaches to role discovery are applied to detect clusters of participants. Three clusters emerge, and crucial representatives of each cluster are analysed in depth to suggest the roles obtained by the participants in the network. Finally, the ethos expressed by the network is discussed and related to the major theme of holiness in Leviticus 17–26.

The chapter advances existing methods of social network analysis of texts by conceptualizing the network edges as the agency invested by the participants in concrete interactions. Moreover, it is argued that texts exhibit another dimension apart from participants and interactions, namely that of textual structure. Participants and interactions are embedded in a discourse or narrative, and their embeddedness adds important information about their role in the social network as implied by the text.
Forecasting Ocean Waves off the U.S. East Coast Using an Ensemble Learning Approach
Authors: Chaichitehrani Nazanin , He Ruoying , Allahdadi Mohammad Nabi
Published: May 2024

This study introduces an ensemble learning model for the prediction of significant wave height and average wave period in stations along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The model utilizes the stacking method, combining three base learner models—least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, support vector machine, and multilayer perceptron—to achieve more precise and robust predictions. To train and evaluate the models, a 20-yr dataset comprising meteorological and wave data was used, enabling forecasts for significant wave height and average wave period at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-h intervals. The data collection involved two NOAA buoy stations situated on the U.S. Atlantic coast. The findings demonstrate that the ensemble learning model constructed through the stacking method yields significantly higher accuracy in predicting significant wave height within the specified time intervals. Moreover, the study investigates the influence of swell waves on forecasting significant wave height and average wave period. Notably, the inclusion of swell waves improves the accuracy of the 12-h forecast. Consequently, the developed ensemble model effectively estimates both significant wave height and average wave period. The ensemble model outperforms the individual models in forecasting significant wave height and average wave period. This ensemble learning model serves as a viable alternative to conventional coastal models for predicting wave parameters.
Delivering and Evaluating Climate Services: The North Central U.S. Climate and Drought Webinar Series
Authors: Haigh Tonya R. , Kluck Douglas R. , Todey Dennis P. , Nowatzke Laurie
Published: May 2024

Evaluation of near-term (sub)seasonal climate services’ impact is challenging but necessary for ensuring that society’s needs for actionable information are met. We use a descriptive study of the monthly North Central U.S. Climate and Drought Webinar Series at two time points (2014 and 2021) to examine societal impacts on capacity-building, sensemaking, fact-establishing, communication, decision-making, and social–ecological systems. The North Central U.S. Climate and Drought Webinar Series arose following a 2011 climate disaster and established itself over the next 10 years as a monthly resource for climate and impact information translation and interaction. Survey respondents indicated early benefits related to understanding how to find and use climate information and improved conceptual understanding of climate issues and problems. Many used webinar information to compare with other sources of data or to incorporate into their own communications, uses which can increase overall societal trust in climate information over time. Attendees’ self-reported capacity for using climate information in decision-making and actual use of information in specific decisions or management contexts increased as the webinar series approached the 10-yr mark. Most participants did not note financial or other social–ecological outcomes of their use of the webinars. We conclude by recommending that climate services be evaluated over sufficiently long time periods to capture evolving impacts and that evaluations incorporate impact rubrics that measure subtle yet important societal capacities and decision-making processes related to climate risk management.
Effects of Radiation on Olfactory Function in Head and Neck Malignancy
Authors: Manojan Sourabh , Saldanha Marina , Ail Sandeep , Bhat Vadisha , Aroor Rajeshwary
Published: May 2024

Objectives:

Olfactory dysfunction is an overlooked adverse effect of radiation therapy. This study is designed to find the effect of radiation therapy on olfactory function in head and neck malignancy excluding tumors of nose and nasopharynx and correlate the olfactory changes with the radiotherapy dose.

Method:

This prospective observational study was done over a 2-year period in 34 participants with head and neck malignancies who underwent radiation therapy (RT). The participants olfaction was evaluated subjectively with Italian Nose Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (I-NOSE) scale and objectively by a modified I-Smell test which included an olfactory identification score and an olfactory threshold score at 5 time points. The beginning of RT ( T0), at 2 weeks of RT( T1), end of RT ( T2), 1 month follow-up ( T3), and 3-month follow-up ( T4). The near maximum dose to the nasal cavity ( D2%) and mean dose to the nasal cavity ( Dmean) were calculated for all participants and correlated with olfactory function.

Results:

A total of 34 patients with head neck malignancy were recruited. The median I-NOSE score reached maximum at the end of radiation and decreased to baseline at 3 months follow-up ( P < .001). The olfactory identification score, olfactory threshold score, and median combined olfactory score showed a significant decrease at the end of radiation therapy compared to Pre-radiation therapy values. There was a significant but incomplete recovery in the 3-month follow-up period ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

There was a significant deterioration in quality of life for olfaction, olfactory identification, and olfactory threshold at the completion of radiotherapy. At 3 months follow-up, though there was no complete recovery of olfaction, it did not have an adverse effect on the quality of life.
Effects of a Psychological Intervention Program on Competitive Anxiety and Psychological Profile in Young Soccer Players
Authors: Domínguez González José Antonio , Reigal Garrido Rafael Enrique , Morales Sánchez Verónica , Hernández Mendo Antonio
Published: May 2024

Our aim in the present study was to test the efficacy of a 13-week, 19-session psychological intervention program on young soccer players’ competitive anxiety and their sport psychological profiles. Participants were 37 players in the under-15 age category, of which 18 players formed the experimental group ( M age = 14.67 years, SD = .48) and 19 players formed the control group ( Mage = 14.23 years, SD = .42); this was a quasi-experimental design without random assignment to groups. We had all participants complete the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance (IPED), the Questionnaire of Psychological Characteristics of Sport Performance (CPRD), and the Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) before and after the intervention. Results indicated positive effects for the intervention group (but not the control group) on stress control and motivation dimensions of the CPRD, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence on the CSAI-2, and self-confidence and attentional control on the IPED. These results suggest that psychological training for athletes contributes to their improved psychological skills, providing them tools to better adapt to the competitive environment.
The Influence of Gun Victimization on Support for Gun Control Legislation
Authors: Hartley Deborah J. , Davila Mario A.
Published: May 2024

The primary objective of the current study was to add to the literature and broaden our understanding of gun violence victims by examining attitudes towards gun legislation held by victims of gun violence. To our knowledge, there are only two quantitative studies that have examined the impact of gun victimization on attitudes towards gun control legislation. A secondary objective was to examine the link between impressions of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun policy preferences, which remains an understudied area in the gun legislation literature. The current study additionally examined other factors that may impact support for gun control measures. Utilizing data from a national sample of 880 adults and controlling for demographic predictors, logistic regression was employed to examine the impact of gun victimization on attitudes towards gun control legislation. Although prior gun victimization did not yield any significant findings, concordant with prior research, regression results indicated that gun ownership was a strong predictor of opposition to gun control among respondents. Interestingly, holding a favorable attitude towards the NRA was an even stronger predictor of opposition to firearms legislation than gun ownership. Findings point to the need for additional empirical research on the impact of gun victimization and the influence that organizations like the NRA have on public opinion and subsequent gun safety legislative efforts.
Small is beautiful? Making sense of ‘shrinking’ homes
Authors: Hubbard Phil
Published: May 2024

Current land pressures in the world cities of the global North are encouraging a move towards denser urban living and the development of smaller homes than has been the case for many decades. While this appears environmentally beneficial when compared with the alternative of suburban sprawl, it comes at a cost: the number of extremely small homes appears to be increasing particularly rapidly, with less communal and public space available to those living in compact homes which offer little room for socialising, storing possessions or working from home. Drawing specifically on the experience of England and Wales, with a focus on the overheated property market in London, this commentary sets out an international agenda for the study of small homes, noting the growing evidence of the negative impact of dense urban living on mental and physical health, home-working and familial and intimate relations, as well as its failure to solve the crisis of affordability. The article suggests that rather than being a reasoned response to the housing and environmental crises, the phenomenon of ‘shrinking homes’ indicates the growing role of finance in the development of cities, suggestive of the way that developers are extracting maximum value from restricted urban sites in an era of planning deregulation. In conclusion, the commentary argues that urban scholarship needs to compile more evidence of space inequality in cities, pushing for policies designed to enforce minimal space standards while reducing the ability of the wealthy to construct very large homes.
Communities built on political trust: Theory and evidence from China
Authors: Zeng Yu , Qiao Shitong
Published: May 2024

This study offers a unique mixed-methods investigation on the formation of neighbourhood communities in China’s megacities. We find that the local government helps homeowners overcome prevalent collective action problems and govern themselves more effectively. Neighbourhoods that have established homeowners’ associations (HOAs) enjoy better governing outcomes than those without HOAs, as evidenced by homeowners wielding greater control over neighbourhood affairs, showing heightened respect for democratic principles, and maintaining a stronger sense of community identity. Owing to these positive outcomes, and as compared to their counterparts in neighbourhoods without HOAs, homeowner activists in neighbourhoods with HOAs develop a deeper trust in their local government. As such, our argument that urban communities are based on political trust in authoritarian regimes complicates the conventional view that such regimes either repress civic engagement or manipulate civic organisations for social control.
Wellbeing and Happiness and Their Association With Working Conditions at Sea: A Cross-sectional Study Among the Global Workforce of Seafarers
Authors: Hayes-Mejia Rebecca , Stafström Martin
Published: May 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate whether seafarers’ self-reported work experiences were associated with wellbeing and happiness while onboard. The study also examined which indicators of the work experiences had an effect in what direction. We analyzed the survey responses from 13 008 seafarers onboard, from 154 different nationalities, serving in 44 different international shipping companies. The outcome measures were wellbeing and happiness, and the exposure variables were work environment factors: satisfaction, expectations, ideal, skills and training, challenges, and workload. General psychosocial work environment onboard and socioeconomic independent variables were also included. We conducted different logistic regression analyses, and presented the results as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The study found that most seafarers reported high levels of wellbeing and happiness and that these were significantly associated to the work environment factors, except for workload. A stratified analysis, showed that workload modified the effect of the other work environment factors. The study found that there were independently significant associations between work related factors and wellbeing and happiness among seafarers at sea. The findings suggest that a greater emphasis on these outcomes could have a positive impact both on crew retention and safety at sea.
Travel Animosity and Affinity: A Chaordic Perspective
Authors: Farmaki Anna , Pappas Nikolaos , Karadimitriou Christina
Published: May 2024

The aim of this study is to investigate the complex effects of animosity and affinity on travel intentions. In so doing, we draw from a sample of 400 Greek holidaymakers and use complexity theory to examine the chaordic influence of animosity and affinity on their intentions to potentially travel to Russia in the near future. Contrary to previous studies on animosity and affinity which adopted a linear analytic approach, we use fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for the examination of the derived complex configurations. The results reveal three pathways that can influence travel intentions: (i) affinity and animosity, (ii) destination characteristics, and (iii) risk perceived animosity. Overall, the study adds to extant literature on travel decision-making at times of crisis as it examines animosity and affinity concurrently, revealing the complexity underpinning travel decisions. The study also enables destination planners to improve their crisis management and resilience plans.
Right or Wrong? The Civil–Military Problematique and Armed Forces & Society’s 50th
Authors: Feaver Peter D.
Published: May 2024

The central concern of civil–military relations theory is how to have a military institution simultaneously strong enough to protect society and the state from enemies while also properly sized and obedient enough not to pose a threat itself to that society and state. When scholars wrestle with this question, they must engage the seminal contributions from Samuel Huntington and Morris Janowitz, as I did in “The Civil-Military Problematique: Huntington, Janowitz, and the Question of Civilian Control.” In hindsight, it is clear that I was right enough in theory but perhaps not in practice. Thirty years of American civil–military relations shows the importance of norms and the strain on military professionalism imposed by the principal norm for democracies: that civilians have the right to be wrong. Future scholars must emphasize the shoring up of norms that build the trust that lubricates day-to-day civil–military interactions.