bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of Malignant Transformation of Giant Cell Tumors of Bone Is 8 Times Lower with Megavoltage vs. Orthovoltage Radiation Therapy
Authors: Musharbash Farah N. , Edelstein Alexander , El Abiad Jad M. , Levin Adam S. , Alcorn Sara R. , Morris Carol D.
Published: October 2022

Background. The first-line treatment for most giant cell tumors (GCTs) of bone is surgical; radiotherapy (RT) is reserved for inoperable or refractory cases. While RT techniques have undergone a dramatic change over the past few decades, with the higher energy megavoltage RT replacing orthovoltage RT, concerns for high rates of malignant transformation following RT have limited its use. Evidence suggests a lower incidence of secondary malignancy after treatment with megavoltage compared with orthovoltage RT, but this has not been studied in GCTs. Our main purpose was to compare the incidence of malignant transformation of GCTB between patients treated with orthovoltage vs. megavoltage RT. Methods. A literature review was performed to identify studies reporting GCTBs treated with RT from 01/1900 through 12/2019. Studies that did not report RT modality or separate orthovoltage and megavoltage results were excluded. Included in the analysis were 6 patients from our institution. Primary outcome was the incidence of malignant transformation; secondary outcomes were time to transformation and incidence of local recurrence. Fisher’s exact tests and independent sample t-tests were used, and significance was set at

p
<
0.05

. Results. Twenty-two studies were included, which reported on 168 GCTBs treated with orthovoltage and 393 treated with megavoltage RT. Transformation incidence was 14% (n = 24) for orthovoltage and 1.8% (n = 7) for megavoltage RT, an 8-fold difference (odds ratio (OR) 9.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9–22,

p
<
0.001

). Mean time to transformation was 8.7 years for orthovoltage and 11.2 years for megavoltage RT (

p
=
0.28

). Incidence of local recurrence was 38% (63/167) for orthovoltage and 17% (66/393) for megavoltage RT (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.0–4.6,

p
<
0.001

). Conclusions. The risk of developing a malignancy after RT of GCTB is 8 times lower with megavoltage than with orthovoltage. Malignant transformation with megavoltage, while not zero, is lower than that in historical series. Use of modern RT techniques in inoperable or refractory GCTB may be appropriate.
Monitoring of Circulating Tumor DNA Predicts Response to Treatment and Early Progression in Follicular Lymphoma: Results of a Prospective Pilot Study
Authors: Fernández-Miranda Ismael , Pedrosa Lucía , Llanos Marta , Franco Fernando F. , Gómez Sagrario , Martín-Acosta Paloma , García-Arroyo Francisco R. , Gumá Josep , Horcajo Beatriz , Ballesteros Ana K. , Gálvez Laura , Martínez Natividad , Marín Miguel , Sequero Silvia , Navarro Marta , Yanguas-Casás Natalia , Calvo Virginia , Rueda-Domínguez Antonio , Provencio Mariano , Sánchez-Beato Margarita
Published: October 2022

Purpose:

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most frequent indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Around 20% of patients suffer early disease progression within 24 months (POD24) of diagnosis. This study examined the significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in predicting response to therapy and POD24 in patients with FL.

Experimental Design:

We collected 100 plasma samples, before and during the treatment, from 36 patients with FL prospectively enrolled in 8 Spanish hospitals. They were treated with a chemotherapy-rituximab regimen and followed up for a median of 3.43 years. We performed targeted deep sequencing in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and tumor genomic DNA from 31 diagnostic biopsy samples.

Results:

Of the alterations detected in the diagnostic tissue samples, 73% (300/411) were also identified in basal cfDNA. The mean numbers of alterations per basal cfDNA sample in patients who suffered progression of disease within 24 months (POD24-pos) or did not achieve complete response (non-CR) were significantly higher than in POD24-neg or CR patients (unpaired samples t test, P = 0.0001 and 0.001, respectively). Pretreatment ctDNA levels, as haploid genome equivalents per milliliter of plasma, were higher in patients without CR (P = 0.02) and in POD24-pos patients compared with POD24-neg patients (P < 0.001). Dynamic analysis showed that ctDNA levels decreased dramatically after treatment, although the reduction was more significant in patients with CR and POD24-neg patients.

Conclusions:

Basal ctDNA levels are associated with the risk of early progression and response to treatment in FL. cfDNA monitoring and genotyping during treatment and follow-up predict response to treatment and early progression.
MCPIP-1-Mediated Immunosuppression of Neutrophils Exacerbates Acute Bacterial Peritonitis and Liver Injury
Authors: Lin Jian , Lu Zhanjun , Li Gengfeng , Zhang Cui , Lu Huiying , Gao Sheng , Zhu Ruixin , Huang Hailiang , Aden Konrad , Wang Jianhua , Cong Yingzi , Wu Huili , Liu Zhanju
Published: October 2022

Monocyte chemotactic protein-1-induced protein-1 (MCPIP-1) is highly expressed in activated immune cells and negatively regulates immune responses, while the mechanisms underlying the immunoregulation of neutrophils in acute bacterial infection and liver injury remain elusive. Here, we examined the role of MCPIP-1 in regulating neutrophil functions during acute bacterial peritonitis and liver injury. Mice with myeloid cell-specific overexpression (McpipMye-tg) or knockout (McpipΔMye) of MCPIP-1 were generated. We found that reactive oxygen species and myeloperoxidase production, formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, and migratory capacity were deficient in McpipMye-tg neutrophils but enhanced in McpipΔMye neutrophils. The recruitment of neutrophils and pathogen clearance were markedly suppressed in McpipMye-tg mice following intraperitoneal infection with Salmonella typhimurium while intensified in McpipΔMye mice. Severe acute S. typhimurium-infected peritonitis and liver injury occurred in McpipMye-tg mice but were alleviated in McpipΔMye mice. RNA sequencing, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation and qPCR analysis revealed that MCPIP-1 downregulated the protective functions of neutrophils via degrading the mRNA of cold inducible RNA-binding protein. Consistently, MCPIP-1 was highly expressed in neutrophils of patients with acute infectious diseases, especially in those with liver injury. Collectively, we uncover that MCPIP-1 negatively regulates the antibacterial capacities of neutrophils, leading to exacerbating severe acute bacterial peritonitis and liver injury. It may serve as a candidate target for maintaining neutrophil homeostasis to control acute infectious diseases.
Risk Factors of Postoperative Intra-Abdominal Infectious Complications after Robotic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Ojima Toshiyasu , Hayata Keiji , Kitadani Junya , Takeuchi Akihiro , Yamaue Hiroki
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Robotic surgery is regarded as an evolved type of laparoscopic surgery. Few studies have undertaken detailed analysis of complications following robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study of 149 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent robotic gastrectomy. It examines in detail the postoperative complications in robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, focusing on intra-abdominal infectious complications including anastomotic leakage, pancreatic fistula, and intra-abdominal abscess. We also aim to identify the related risk factors. Results: The median operation time was 299 min and the median bleeding was 25 mL. The incidence of overall complications higher than grade II was 8.7%. Clinically serious complications higher than grade IIIa occurred in 6.7% of cases. The incidence of intra-abdominal infectious complications that were higher than grade II was 4.0%. Mortality in our consecutive series was zero. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications were significantly associated with history of abdominal surgery (p = 0.043), with odds ratios of 17.890 (95% confidence interval 1.092–293.150) and with non-curative resection (p = 0.025), with odds ratios of 58.629 (95% confidence interval 1.687–2,037.450). Discussion/Conclusion: Robotic gastrectomy was shown to be a safe and effective treatment for gastric cancer when performed by experienced surgeons. Attention should be paid to the risk of developing postoperative complications when performing robotic gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients with a history of abdominal surgery and in patients with advanced gastric cancer in whom there is expected to be difficulty in curative resection.
Off-Label-Use: Ruxolitinib im Einsatz bei entzündlichen Hauterkrankungen
Authors: Sondermann Wiebke
Published: October 2022

Purpose: Ruxolitinib (Jakafi) is a Janus kinase 1 and 2 small molecule inhibitor that the Food and Drug Administration approved for myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera. It has been expanded to off-label treatment for a variety of dermatologic conditions, with several clinical trials ongoing. A review of available studies and cases of off-label uses was performed to guide clinicians seeking evidence on the efficacy of this Janus kinase inhibitor for dermatologic disorders. Materials and methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched with the term "ruxolitinib," and results were manually reviewed to identify published data on off-label uses of ruxolitinib. Studies included are structured by quality of evidence available. Results: Ruxolitinib may have utility in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and vitiligo, with data from open-label and randomized trials supporting efficacy of topical formulations. Evidence of utility for alopecia areata is mixed and differs depending on topical versus oral form. Evidence for numerous other conditions is available through case reports and case series. Conclusions: There is growing evidence supporting potential off-label use of oral and topical ruxolitinib for a wide range of skin conditions. There are several ongoing investigations of ruxolitinib use in dermatology that will undoubtedly better define its efficacy and appropriate use in dermatology.
Control for induction motor drives using predictive model stator currents and speeds control
Authors: Ha Vo Thanh , Giang Pham Thi
Published: October 2022

This paper is presented for designing a new controller using the predictive model current and speed control method for the asynchronous motor. This control method is based on traditional predictive controller development to have a cascade structure similar to the rotor flux control (field-oriented control) and direct torque control (DTC). Therefore, this control method will have two control loops. Both inner and outer loop controllers use predictive power. The outer ring is speed control, while the internal circle is stator current control. The inner loop is based on the finite control set – model predictive control (FCS-MPC), while the outer ring to take full advantage of the high dynamic response of the inner circle uses the deadbeat MPC. MATLAB simulation results show that this control method has performance equivalent to traditional controllers while minimizing overshoot and having fast, on-demand response times.
Impact of renewable energy sources technologies on power system stability: a Moroccan case study
Authors: Drhorhi Ismail , Fadili Abderrahim El
Published: October 2022

Most countries of the world have adopted renewable energy sources (RES) because of consistent policy and industry support. The use of these sources is expanding and will cover a larger part of the generation capacity in the future. Thus, power systems (PS) are experiencing the high scale RES integration. For a power system dominated by RES, the electrical grid characteristics, namely, the inertia constant (Hs) and the rate of change of frequency (ROCOF), should be evaluated. Furthermore, the requirements related to these characteristics should be specified in the grid code (GC) to reflect the actual needs of the transmission system operator (TSO) and to prepare the evolution of the RES penetration level. Due to the delay in specifying or updating these GC requirements, RES that are incorporating unsuitable functionalities for the future perspective, regarding fault-ride-through (FRT) and frequency support requirements, will remain operational by 2030; this will create additional constraints on the PS frequency stability after large-scale RES integration. In this paper, the impact assessment of deployed RES technologies on the Moroccan PS frequency stability is assessed by the year 2030, using MATLAB/Simulink environment. The main reason for focusing on the case study of Morocco is the country’s target of installing 52% of the energy supply from RES in the horizon of 2030.
Prospective Clinical Split-Mouth Study of Two-Wing–Retained Resin-Bonded Anterior Fixed Dental Prostheses with Metallic and Ceramic Frameworks: 5-year Results
Authors: Edelhoff Daniel , Liebermann Anja , Schubert Oliver , Güth Jan-Frederik
Published: October 2022

Purpose: To analyze the clinical performance of two-wing–retained resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs) after 5 years of clinical use with respect to technical and biologic complications, as well as survival and success rates. Materials and Methods: RBFDPs were fabricated from 3Y-TZP zirconia layered by hand (Lava Frame veneered with Lava Ceram; 3M ESPE) or metal (Remanium Star, Dentaurum; layered with Reflex, Wieland). The primary endpoints were debonding and fracture. The secondary endpoints (marginal integrity, marginal discoloration, abrasion of antagonist dentition, patient satisfaction, Gingival Index, and side effects) were evaluated at baseline and after 5 years. Survival and success rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to compare the survival and success rates of the different materials. Results: The mean observation time was 6 years and 10 months. The estimated cumulative success rate after 5 years was 88.9% ± 10% for metal-supported and 33% ± 16% for all-ceramic two-wing RBFDPs. After conversion into one-wing RBFDPs, the survival rate was 100% in both groups. Debonding of one of the two wings was the major complication. One zirconia framework fracture occurred. Metal-based two-wing RBFDPs showed a significantly higher success rate, but lower esthetic evaluation. Conclusion: Due to a reduction in technical complication rate and less invasiveness, one-wing RBFDPs should be preferred over two-wing RBFDPs whenever possible.
“Tint and Form”: The Geometric Philosophy Underlying Oliver Byrne’sElements
Authors: Moriarty Clare Marie
Published: October 2022

Oliver Byrne published his groundbreaking and visually remarkable edition of Euclid’s Elements in 1847. The book is extraordinary, featuring four-color diagrams, illustrations, grids, and decorative engraving. Its aesthetic similarity to various stylistic themes of the Bauhaus and De Stijl movements has been noted, but little attention has been paid to the pedagogical and theoretical insights that shaped Byrne’s illustrative choices. In this article, the author explains some key philosophical ideas underlying Byrne’s geometric illustrations and contextualizes them amid Byrne’s wider mathematical preoccupations.
Artistic Defamiliarization in the Age of Algorithmic Prediction
Authors: Curry Derek
Published: October 2022

Predictive algorithms are indeterminate when they are used on data that differs from their training set, which is always a possibility in real-world applications. Anthropomorphic metaphors can obfuscate the differences between human perception and the computational processes that comprise algorithmic decision-making. This article shows how artistic uses of predictive algorithms can reveal the algorithms’ indeterminate nature and raise questions about the efficacy and dangers of algorithmic decision-making. In particular, the author presents the technique of artistic defamiliarization as a way to question the foundations of positivist epistemologies that equate quantification and calculation with objective truth.
Transformed Strangely: Lyotardian Indeterminacy in John Cage’sChild of Tree
Authors: Gritten Anthony
Published: October 2022

The author sketches a Lyotardian reading of John Cage’s plant pieces of the mid-1970s. Given that at the time both Jean-François Lyotard and Cage were concerned with working through Marcel Duchamp’s multifarious legacies, the author uses Lyotard’s writings on Duchamp to unpack the operation of indeterminacy in Cage’s ecological events.
Dithering Eyes: Or, Correspondences with Erratic Bodies
Authors: Jauernik Christina
Published: October 2022

This article discusses an experimental seeing machine and its spatial, sensorial, and technical implications. By examining this real-time motion tracking and visualization system and reflecting on how it engendered embodied experiences of sharing movement across physical and virtual bodily spheres, the author raises questions about the construction of identity, visibility regimes, technical glitches, indeterminacy, and error. The mediating space, emerging through the coexistence of and interference between these distinct technologies/bodies brought together in common points of view, also suggests another mode of perception, perhaps unsettling what it means to “see.”
Making AI-Infused Products and Services More Legible
Authors: Pilling Franziska , Ali Akmal Haider , Lindley Joseph , Gradinar Adrian , Coulton Paul
Published: October 2022

The increasing availability of large data sets has initiated a resurgence in artificial intelligence (AI) research. Today AI is integrated into a wide variety of so-called smart products to personalize user experiences. Smart technologies are typically designed for ease of use, with their complex underlying procedures (intentionally) obfuscated; explaining particular outcomes is hampered by their inherent ambiguity. This lack of legibility leads to misconceptions about how AI works. Through design research, the authors address the challenge of AI legibility by designing AI iconography as an accessible way to communicate and better understand the role AI and data increasingly play in our everyday interactions.
Exercises in Humility: Gregory Bateson on Contingency, Croquet, and Revising Habits of Thought through Play
Authors: Stark Doug
Published: October 2022

Though critics consider games fundamentally indeterminate, common sense dictates that game-based contingency is paradigmatically delimited—possible moves and outcomes preset and immutable. Drawing on cyberneticist Gregory Bateson, this article elaborates a second paradigm for game-based contingency wherein the game neither determines possibilities beforehand nor excludes aberrance but integrates contingency by recursively modifying its structure. It explicates this second paradigm’s ethical import vis-à-vis the croquet match in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and “fumblecore” video game Sumotori Dreams. Whereas most games encourage prediction, reinforce norms, and furnish a sense of mastery, these recursive games can frustrate calculation, unsettle habits, and humble players.
The AI Laocoön: Art and the Artificial Imagination, or Survival Aesthetics in the Anthropocene
Authors: Choi Suk Kyoung
Published: October 2022

The art-as-research described in this article—a project named The Drowned World, after J.G. Ballard’s dystopian novel of the same name—is a reflection on environmental collapse and its technical representation in the Anthropocene. Is imagination being subsumed by the artificial? Are the sociotechnic hyperobjects of artificial intelligence and global warming chimera of the imagination, or are they certainties emergent from a desire for virtuality? In The Drowned World project, the author proposes to employ text-driven image synthesis as an aesthetic apparatus obscuring the distinction between imagination (potentiality) and virtuality (artificiality) to offer a computational poetics of a world drowning in data, an imaginative ecology of the virtual sublime.
Visualizing Spatial Gaze Data in the Perception of 3D Objects
Authors: Han Eugene
Published: October 2022

In response to the rapid development of mobile eye tracking, this paper proposes methods for the visualization of gaze patterns in three dimensions. Methods are divided into two basic categories, beginning with translations from 2D graphic conventions to those that incorporate 3D mesh geometries. They are first discussed in principle and thereafter demonstrated on actual gaze data of sculptural reproductions. The tracing of eye movements of objects in the round required consideration of variables typically unaccounted for in conventional eye-tracking visualization, most importantly with regards to the moving position of the viewing eye. A major advantage of 3D visualizations is the capacity to present gaze information simultaneously on obverse, reverse, and oblique surfaces of perceptual attention. The included methods provided for effective communication of a subject’s perceptual distribution over potentially complex stimulus geometries.
Impacts of Northeastern Pacific Buoy Surface Pressure Observations
Authors: Reynolds Carolyn A. , Stone Rebecca E. , Doyle James D. , Baker Nancy L. , Wilson Anna M. , Ralph F. Martin , Lavers David A. , Subramanian Aneesh C. , Centurioni Luca
Published: October 2022

Under the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance (AR Recon) Program, ocean drifting buoys (drifters) that provide surface pressure observations were deployed in the northeastern Pacific Ocean to improve forecasts of U.S. West Coast high-impact weather. We examine the impacts of both AR Recon and non-AR Recon drifter observations in the U.S. Navy’s global atmospheric data assimilation (DA) and forecast system using data-denial experiments and forecast sensitivity observation impact (FSOI) analysis, which estimates the impact of each observation on the 24-h global forecast error total energy. Considering all drifters in the eastern North Pacific for the 2020 AR Recon season, FSOI indicates that most of the beneficial impacts come from observations in the lowest quartile of observed surface pressure values, particularly those taken late in the DA window. Observations in the upper quartile have near-neutral impacts on average and are slightly nonbeneficial when taken late in the DA window. This may occur because the DA configuration used here does not account for model biases, and innovation statistics show that the forecast model has a low pressure bias at high pressures. Case studies and other analyses indicate large beneficial impacts coming from observations in regions with large surface pressure gradients and integrated vapor transport, such as fronts and ARs. Data-denial experiments indicate that the assimilation of AR Recon drifter observations results in a better-constrained analysis at nearby non-AR Recon drifter locations and counteracts the NAVGEM pressure bias. Assimilating the AR Recon drifter observations improves 72- and 96-h Northern Hemisphere forecasts of winds in the lower and middle troposphere, and geopotential height in the lower, middle, and upper troposphere.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to understand how observations of atmospheric pressure at the ocean surface provided by drifting buoys impact weather forecasts. Some of these drifting buoys were deployed under a program to study atmospheric rivers (ARs) to improve forecasts of high-impact weather on the West Coast. We find that these observations are most effective at reducing forecast errors when taken in regions near fronts and cyclones. The additional drifting buoys deployed under the AR Reconnaissance project reduce forecast errors at 72 and 96 h over North America and the Northern Hemisphere. These results are important because they illustrate the potential for improving forecasts by increasing the number of drifting buoy surface pressure observations over the world oceans.
Improved Kasai Hepatoportoenterostomy Outcomes After Implementation of a Dedicated Biliary Atresia Team
Authors: Jamil Omar K. , Shanmugarajah Kumaran , Azzam Ruba K. , Slidell Mark B.
Published: October 2022

It can be difficult or impractical to refer all biliary atresia (BA) patients to high-volume centers. Our hypothesis was that a low volume center could improve outcomes with implementation of a dedicated multidisciplinary BA team. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with BA who underwent hepatic portoenterostomy at our institution from 2003 to 2020, before and after the development of a dedicated BA team. Ten consecutive patients with BA were identified following the establishment of a dedicated BA team. Since the establishment of the BA team, total bilirubin (TB) clearance (TB < 2 mg/dL) achieved by 3 and 6 months has been 60% and 60%, respectively, and survival of the native liver (SNL) at 1 and 2 years post HPE at 90% and 86%, respectively. Outcomes were markedly improved after the team was established. A dedicated BA team prioritizing communication and expeditious workup can improve outcomes at a low volume center.
“A Tale of Two Cities”: Cemetery Heterotopia and Spatial Relations in Lagos City
Authors: Alimi Shina
Published: October 2022

What does cemetery teach us about the social world? How do spatial configurations of cemetery mirror urban social realities? In what ways can the understanding of spatial order of necropolis contribute to the episteme of spatial relations? In this paper, I juxtapose space practices in the cemetery with spatial relations and practices in the city of Lagos to frame an alternative way of imagining and writing about cityscapes and a new approach of thinking about social taxonomies such as gender, class, race, ethnicity and power. Following Foucault’s theory of heterotopia and relational ontology of space this paper frames cemetery as a counter-site to the city. Drawing from oral interviews, participant observation and archival document, the paper argues that cemetery is a container that encloses different sites and sets of social relations as well as lived experiences.
Residues of ractopamine, a livestock feed additive, in meat might alleviate misuse of cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and morphine
Authors: Fan Frank S.
Published: October 2022

Background: Substance misuse brings tremendous harm to global health. Strategies for the treatment and prevention of drug addiction are in urgent need. Aim: Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) widely distributed in the central nervous system has been identified as a hopeful target in the management of certain substance abuse. Discovery of food ingredients that act on TAAR1 might help health care providers develop chemoprevention for substance misuse disorders. Methods: Animal experiments clearly demonstrated the capability of TAAR1 agonists in attenuating addictive behavior regarding cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and morphine. Ractopamine, a livestock feed additive used in the United States for over 20 years, has proven to be a full TAAR1 agonist. Literature review and internet web database survey were performed to see if ractopamine residues in meat could affect substance addiction behavior. Results: Integrating all available epidemiologic studies revealed that the prevalence of cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and opioid misuse showed steadily downward or stable trends coincidently during the same time period of ractopamine use in the United States. Conclusion: A hypothesis is thus raised here that ractopamine residues in meat might have contributed secretly to the smoothened prevalence curves of cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and opioids addiction.
Health and disability care providers’ experiences and perspectives on end-of-life care needs of individuals with long-standing physical disability: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Belperio Irene , Devery Kim , Morgan Deidre D , Rawlings Deb , Raghavendra Parimala , Walker Ruth
Published: October 2022

Background:

Little is known about the specific needs and experiences of individuals with long-standing physical disability at end of life.

Aim:

To explore health and disability care providers perspectives and experiences in relation to end-of-life care needs of individuals with long-standing physical disability.

Design:

Qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis.

Setting/participants:

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine health and disability care providers from two Australian states.

Results:

Five themes were constructed from the data: (1) The significance of place. All participants described how the end-of-life care experience was significantly impacted by the place in which dying occurred. (2) Knowing the person and their needs. Knowledge and familiarity with the individual with long-standing disability were seen as invaluable in terms of providing continued high-quality care. (3) Navigating a new care landscape. For disability support workers, struggling to adapt from providing disability support to end-of-life care was difficult. (4) Complexities of family involvement. Past experiences of families within the healthcare system had resultant impacts on care received by the individual with long-standing disability. (5) Being prepared. Participants felt more was needed in terms of end-of-life planning and discussions around end of life for this cohort.

Conclusions:

This research highlights a significant lack of continuity of care and problems at the intersection of the disability and health systems when providing end-of-life care for this cohort. Suggested areas for improvement include team approaches to enable continuity of care and dying in place, and a need for knowledge and skills in this area for all stakeholders.
Clinical correlates of early onset antipsychotic treatment resistance
Authors: Fonseca de Freitas Daniela , Agbedjro Deborah , Kadra-Scalzo Giouliana , Francis Emma , Ridler Isobel , Pritchard Megan , Shetty Hitesh , Segev Aviv , Casetta Cecilia , Smart Sophie E. , Morris Anna , Downs Johnny , Christensen Søren Rahn , Bak Nikolaj , Kinon Bruce J. , Stahl Daniel , Hayes Richard D. , MacCabe James H.
Published: October 2022

Background:

There is evidence of heterogeneity within treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), with some people not responding to antipsychotic treatment from illness onset and others becoming treatment-resistant after an initial response period. These groups may have different aetiologies.

Aim:

This study investigates sociodemographic and clinical correlates of early onset of TRS.

Method:

Employing a retrospective cohort design, we do a secondary analysis of data from a cohort of people with TRS attending the South London and Maudsley. Regression analyses were conducted to identify the correlates of the length of treatment to TRS. Predictors included the following: gender, age, ethnicity, problems with positive symptoms, problems with activities of daily living, psychiatric comorbidities, involuntary hospitalisation and treatment with long-acting injectable antipsychotics.

Results:

In a cohort of 164 people with TRS (60% were men), the median length of treatment to TRS was 3 years and 8 months. We observed no cut-off on the length of treatment until TRS presentation differentiating between early and late TRS (i.e. no bimodal distribution). Having mild to very severe problems with hallucinations and delusions at the treatment start was associated with earlier TRS (~19 months earlier). In sensitivity analyses, including only complete cases (subject to selection bias), treatment with a long-acting injectable antipsychotic was additionally associated with later TRS (~15 months later).

Conclusion:

Our findings do not support a clear separation between early and late TRS but rather a continuum of the length of treatment before TRS onset. Having mild to very severe problems with positive symptoms at treatment start predicts earlier onset of TRS.
The influence of stimulus onset asynchrony, task order, sex and hormonal contraception on prepulse inhibition and prepulse facilitation: Methodological considerations for drug and imaging research
Authors: Naysmith Laura F , Williams Steven C R , Kumari Veena
Published: October 2022

Background:

Prepulse-induced startle modulation occurs when a weak sensory stimulus (‘prepulse’) is presented before a startling sensory stimulus (‘pulse’), producing an inhibited (Prepulse Inhibition, PPI) or facilitated (Prepulse Facilitation, PPF) startle response. We recently identified several gaps and outlined future lines of enquiry to enable a fuller understanding of the neurobiology of PPI and PPF in healthy and clinical populations. However, before embarking on these studies, it is important to consider how task and population characteristics affect these phenomena in healthy humans.

Methods:

We examined PPI and PPF in separate tasks, with counterbalanced task order across participants in one session, using a range of stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs), in 48 healthy adults (23 men, 25 women; 10 hormonal contraceptive users) to determine which SOAs produce the strongest PPI and PPF and also explored how sex and hormonal contraception might influence PPI and PPF under these experimental conditions.

Results:

Both PPI and PPF were affected by SOA, with greatest PPI observed at 60 and 120 ms, and greatest PPF at 4500 and 6000 ms. PPI was influenced by sex (more PPI in men than women) and hormonal contraception, whereas PPF was affected by task order (greater PPF when the PPF task followed, rather than preceded, the PPI task).

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate that studies of PPI and PPF need to consider, not only sex and hormonal status of study participants, but also task characteristics and presentation order to reduce variance and increase replicability across studies.
Strategies for Cluster Branding in MSMEs Clusters: A Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Bhamra Manmeet , Kishore Kaushal
Published: October 2022

Cluster initiatives are an essential way to increase the competitiveness of enterprises, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within the region. Therefore, building a strong cluster brand is a prerequisite for a successful cluster initiative. However, the concept of cluster branding in MSMEs handloom clusters remains unexplored in India. The drive of this research was to examine the role of branding as a strategic asset and how it plays an instrumental role in the overall growth of MSMEs clusters, with a specific focus on handloom clusters of Gujarat, India.

Using the grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Surendranagar saree cluster in Gujarat, India. The study led to the formulation of strategies for cluster branding, along with the benefits and impacts on member MSMEs of the handloom cluster. Finally, a framework is proposed as the outcome of qualitative research which may be helpful to the stakeholders in taking the clusters to the next level in the era of globalization and competitive environment.
Klippel Feil Syndrome Type III With Associated Rare Congenital Anomalies (Sprengel Deformity, Scoliosis, and Atlanto-Occipital Assimilation): A Rare Case Report
Authors: Singh Tarun , Gupta Deepak , Keswani Payal , Liladhar Patil Tushar
Published: October 2022

Klippel Feil Syndrome (KFS) is a congenital anomaly having fusion of 2 or more cervical vertebral bodies characterized by the presence of classic triad of low posterior hairline, short neck, and restricted range of motion. We have reported a rare case of Type III Klippel Feil Syndrome having classical clinical triad with Sprengel deformity and atlantooccipital assimilation. The baby was born at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Mangolpuri, New Delhi, India. The detailed discussion is done in the case report. Prognosis is based on radiological classification by Samartzis et al which classifies KFS under 3 types with type II as the commonest variety. Associated anomalies include scoliosis or kyphosis, renal disease, Sprengel deformity, loss of hearing, synkinesis or mirror movements, congenital heart defects, craniofacial malformations, and skeletal abnormalities of ear, nose, mouth and larynx. Proper management requires multidisciplinary approach including neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, pediatrician, nurse practitioner, physical therapist, and neurosurgeon.
Concurrent Intimate Partner Violence: Survivors’ Health and Help-Seeking
Authors: Kim Woojong , Cho Hyunkag , Hong Seunghye , Nelson Abbie , Allen Jennifer
Published: October 2022

This study examined intimate partner violence patterns using the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, a nationally representative sample collected in 2010. The latent class analysis detected six distinctive patterns: Sexual Violence, Psychological Aggression, Multiple Violence, Coercive Control, Physical and Psychological Violence, and Stalking. Multiple Violence was the most common among males, while Coercive Control was the most common among females. Multiple Violence and Physical and Psychological Violence perpetrators inflicted more negative health consequences than the other types. Intervention and prevention approaches that consider perpetrator types as a part of survivor need assessments will improve services.
Self-Reported Causes of Psychological Distress Among Czech Perinatal Women
Authors: Hrdličková Kristýna , Banášová Renata , Nosková Eliška , Vodičková Renata , Byatt Nancy , Šebela Antonín
Published: October 2022

Background:

Various risk factors to perinatal mental health disorders have been described; however, there is a dearth of data on the perspectives of women themselves regarding what increases the risk of psychological distress. This qualitative study explores women’s perceptions of factors that increase the risk of perinatal psychological distress.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to elucidate women’s perceptions of factors that increase the risk of perinatal psychological distress.

Methods:

A qualitative design with an exploratory and descriptive approach is used. Women ( N = 188) aged 18 to 45 years who self-report experiencing perinatal psychological distress complete an online survey.

Results:

Perceived causes of perinatal psychological distress include: adverse experiences with childbirth and/or breastfeeding, negative attitudes of people close to the participant, financial and social challenges, health challenges, staff behavior in a maternity hospital, a challenging baby, family circumstances, and the new role as mother.

Conclusion:

Women’s perceived causes of perinatal psychological distress may allow for women-centered innovations in perinatal mental health care. The results highlight the need to train maternity staff regarding perinatal mental health and communication. These findings can serve as important guidelines on women-centered planning of innovations of perinatal mental health care. Interventions need to focus on the role of partners and others close to women so as to support the women during the perinatal period.
Investigating factors affecting HIV/AIDS knowledge among women in low and middle-income countries in Asia
Authors: Dzadey Dela , Biswas Raaj Kishore , Bhowmik Jahar
Published: October 2022

Sustainable Development Goal 3 focuses on reducing HIV/AIDS spread, for which disseminating correct information on the disease is required. This study investigated factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge among women in several Asian LMICs. Global Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey-6 (MICS-6) for Bangladesh, Lao, Mongolia and Nepal were assessed. Bivariate analysis and generalised linear regression models were fitted. Overall, 60% of the respondents were aware or heard of the existence of HIV/AIDS, with 63.2% having transmission knowledge and 80.4% misconception knowledge. Results revealed that several demographic factors such as wealth index, education and access to information had a significant association with HIV/AIDS knowledge. Mongolia and Nepal have formal programmes in place that may provide policy and implementation advantages compared to Bangladesh and Lao.
The development of sustainable livelihood framework for community-based ecotourism in developing countries
Authors: Kunjuraman Velan
Published: October 2022

Community-based ecotourism (CBE) ventures were introduced in the 1990s with the aim to enhance the livelihoods of the destination communities in developing countries. However, incorporating sustainable livelihood frameworks to analyse the communities’ livelihood changes in CBE remains unknown. Two pioneer ecotourism destinations located in lower Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysia have been chosen to assess livelihood changes induced by CBE ventures using a sustainable livelihood framework. Qualitative research design is adopted using in-depth interviews and field observation for data collection. It is revealed that CBE ventures have transformed the local communities as ecotourism entrepreneurs to generate income to secure livelihoods despite depending on fishing which was considered as the main livelihood activity. However, identified costs were hindering the local communities to enjoy the benefits of CBE, thereby distressing the overall livelihood sustainability. All the elements in the sustainable livelihood framework were captured in this study and are acknowledged as the best analytical tools to assess the livelihood changes of local communities through CBE ventures. The study proposed a revised sustainable livelihood framework with novel socio-cultural capital for CBE development in developing countries.
Analysis of causal relations of marine accidents during ship navigation under pilotage: A DEMATEL approach
Authors: Demirci SM Esad , Canımoğlu Refik , Elçiçek Hüseyin
Published: October 2022

Marine accidents cause many irreversible losses for life, property, and the environment. Moreover, accidents occurred in coastal areas cause even more. As a precaution, marine pilotage plays a key role in the safety of navigation. However, accidents still occur in coastal areas even if the pilot is on board. The paper, therefore, focuses on ship accidents that occurred while pilot is on board. In addition to pilot, as many complicated factors affect ship navigation in coastal areas and contribute ship accidents, solving intertwined relations between factors is essential to understanding accidents reasons. In this study, 32 factors contributing to ship accidents were identified based on accident investigation reports obtained from Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) and expert opinion. These factors were analyzed by using DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method to solve causal relations between factors. The findings showed that the human and ship related factors are the most significant main categories in the accidents under pilotage. In addition, their sub-categories which are crew training, ship condition, length over all, ship draught, master experience, pilot experience, and bridge team management have the most critical effect on the occurrence of accidents. It was concluded that there is a need for highly collaborative and fruitful relationship between master and pilot to provide safe navigation. Accordingly, effective control and preventive measures, which also provide a deeper understanding of safety management in the dangerous water are extensively discussed. Consequently, the obtained results provide valuable information for maritime transportation safety.
EU legal and regulatory update October 2022
Authors: Charbonnel Severine , Milchior Richard
Published: October 2022

Herald Avocats is a French law firm involved in intellectual property law, pharmaceutical law and European Union law that provides services to healthcare, biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Soberanía alimentaria y salud: perspectivas de tres pueblos indígenas de Colombia
Authors: Calderón Farfán Juan Camilo , Rosero Medina Diego Fernando , Arias Torres Dolly
Published: October 2022

La soberanía alimentaria es el derecho colectivo a decidir sobre la producción, distribución y consumo de alimentos y promueve la generación de suministros alimenticios para el consumo local de tal forma que los consumidores queden resguardados de la volatilidad de los precios de mercados internacionales. En los pueblos indígenas esta tendencia resulta trascendental para hacer frente a condiciones de inequidad histórica que han impactado negativamente su salud pública. No obstante, es ignorada en algunos casos y en otros reemplazada por nociones centradas en la seguridad alimentaria, término alineado con políticas transnacionales derivadas del modelo económico dominante.

Objetivo:

analizar con tres comunidades indígenas de Colombia las perspectivas de soberanía alimentaria y su influencia en la salud.

Método:

investigación participativa basada en la comunidad, para recolectar datos mediante grupos de discusión, entrevistas y observación. La población de estudio fueron tres comunidades indígenas del sur de Colombia. La selección de participantes se realizó según su trayectoria en la comunidad.

Resultados:

las comunidades entienden la soberanía alimentaria como la conservación de semillas nativas y alimentos propios, vista como oportunidad para el cuidado de la salud. Su debilitamiento se relaciona con el desarrollo de enfermedades de las personas y de la madre tierra. Para su fortalecimiento identificaron el tul, el yatul y la chagra (huerta) que reafirman la unión familiar, contribuyen a la recuperación de modos de producción desde la sabiduría ancestral y se posicionan como alternativa para la sostenibilidad económica.

Conclusión:

la soberanía alimentaria conserva los saberes y prácticas tradicionales para una alimentación propia, debilitada por los sistemas agroindustriales. Es asumida como iniciativa local suscrita en un proyecto global de resistencia política y económica para la salud colectiva de los pueblos.
The economics of 5G-based network slicing in smart network industries
Authors: Knieps Guenter
Published: October 2022

The transition towards 5G-based smart network industries is concomitant with a fundamental change of the traditional physical infrastructures driven by digitalization which pervades all decision-relevant components of the infrastructure value chains. The goal of this paper is to develop a network economic foundation for 5G-based network slicing based on a generalization of the concept of virtual networks combining a required sequence of virtual networks in order to fulfill the necessities of smart network industries. The key concept to analyze the economic incentives of the different actors involved is the well-established concept of opportunity costs of usage of scarce network resources. The allocation problem of traffic service providers fundamentally differs from the allocation problem of virtual network providers. Whereas interoperability and interconnection between different virtual networks are not standardized significant standardization efforts via network slicing can be observed in particular from the perspective of end-to-end QoS guarantees. 5G-based big data use cases with cross-border challenges for network slicing, and the subsequent interoperability of virtual networks, enable tremendous potential for innovation in smart physical infrastructures. The 5G-based European Future Railway Mobile Communication System and cross-border oriented, 5G-based connected, cooperative, and automated mobility applications are investigated with a large and open set of heterogeneous use cases requiring cross-border standardization of QoS-differentiated network slices.