bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homocysteine Associated With Low Cognitive Function Independent of Asymptomatic Intracranial and Carotid Arteries Stenoses in Chinese Elderly Patients: An Outpatient-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wang Xiaona , Qiao Tian , Liu Min , Wang Xiang
Published: January 2021

Introduction:

A high homocysteine (Hcy) concentration is correlated with cognitive impairment; however, the exact underlying mechanism is still not fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate whether asymptomatic intracranial and carotid arteries stenoses are involved in Hcy-related low cognitive function.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study in outpatient clinics. Residents aged ≥60 years, who came to the Stroke and Rehabilitation Clinic of Shandong Provincial Third Hospital in Jinan, Shandong Province from December 2019 to May 2020 to seek consultation due to abnormal transcranial Doppler reports (eg., increased cerebral blood flow velocity) were eligible. Information including demographics, medical history, lifestyle habits were collected. Fasting blood was used to detect total serum homocysteine level (tHcy). Cerebrovascular magnetic resonance angiography and neck vascular ultrasound examination were used to confirm the diagnosis of intracranial and carotid artery stenoses. The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to assess the cognitive function of each participant. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between tHcy levels and cognitive function.

Results:

This study included 236 participants (mean age: 64.0 (SD, 7.5) years, female: 58.1%). Multivariable analyses adjusted for several potential confounders, including creatinine and cardiovascular risk factors, showed that tHcy was associated with carotid artery stenosis (CAS). After adjusting for CAS, ICAS and several potential confounders, the association between tHcy level and low cognitive function remained significant (odds ratio: 1.09, 95% confidence interval: (1.03, 1.16), P = 0.032) .

Conclusion:

Increased serum tHcy level was associated with low cognitive function independent of asymptomatic intracranial and carotid arteries stenoses.
Using a Mobile App When Surveying Highly Mobile Populations: Panel Attrition, Consent, and Interviewer Effects in a Survey of Refugees
Authors: Jacobsen Jannes , Kühne Simon
Published: January 2021

Panel attrition poses major threats to the survey quality of panel studies. Many features have been introduced to keep panel attrition as low as possible. Based on a random sample of refugees, a highly mobile population, we investigate whether using a mobile phone application improves address quality and response behavior. Various features, including geo-tracking, collecting email addresses and adress changes, are tested. Additionally, we investigate respondent and interviewer effects on the consent to download the app and sharing GPS geo-positions. Our findings show that neither geo-tracking nor the provision of email addresses nor the collection of address changes through the app improves address quality substantially. We further show that interviewers play an important role in convincing the respondents to install and use the app, whereas respondent characteristics are largely insignificant. Our findings provide new insights into the usability of mobile phone applications and help determine whether they are a worthwhile tool to decrease panel attrition.
Synthesis, characterization, photophysical properties, and computational studies on N-hexylphenothiazine/cyanopyridine based π-conjugated copolymers
Authors: El-Shehawy Ashraf A , Attia Adel M , Abdallah Abdul-Rahman IA , El-Hendawy Morad M
Published: January 2021

In this paper, π-conjugated copolymers, namely N-hexylphenothiazine/cyanopyridine/phenyl/benzothiadiazole, N-hexylphenothiazine/cyanopyridine/phenyl/9,9-dihexylfluorene, and N-hexylphenothiazine/cyanopyridine/phenyl/9,9-diethylhexylfluorene were readily synthesized via Pd-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The polymer structures and their photophysical properties were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, GPC, TGA, XRD, UV-vis absorption and PL spectroscopy measurements. The coupling agent effect on photophysical properties of copolymers was investigated to rationally design polymers with particular physical properties to be employed in optoelectronic devices. The UV-vis absorption spectroscopy of copolymers showed λmax at a range of ∼334–474 nm and red-shifted in their films to a range of ∼342–381 nm. These copolymers displayed highly intense fluorescence in their solutions and films. The PL spectra of copolymers indicated red and near-infrared light, rendering them a prospect for being red and near-infrared light-emitting materials for PLEDs. XRD analysis demonstrated a d-spacing range of ∼3.79–4.32 Å, reflecting π-π stacking and some degree of crystallinity in some polymers, and only P1 and P2 showed peaks in the small-angle region, indicating lamellar structures. To understand the relationship between molecular structures of target materials and their photophysical and photovoltaic properties, density functional theory (DFT) and its time-dependent form (TD-DFT) were employed.
Design and manufacture of automatic plastic valve welding machine
Authors: Özdilli Özgür
Published: January 2021

Plastic welding method is a widely used technology for the welding of pressure and vacuum bags using plastic valves. Conducting this process with traditional methods creates disadvantages in terms of production speed, product quality and economical aspects. Today, assembly costs make up the majority of total production costs, manufacturers pay more attention to assembly automation and work in this direction in order to reduce costs, speed up the production process and increase efficiency. In this study, it is aimed to design and manufacture a single Automatic Valve Welding Machine that can do all of these operations and integrated automation system instead of cutting, punching and plastic welding process that can be performed with multiple machines and workers. In this context, a new automated machine was designed in 3 D, and engineering analyzes were carried out to manufacture a prototype. In design, the machine has been made suitable for developing technology by using PLC (Programming Logic Controller) and pneumatic system. In addition, static analyzes of the machine were made. With the inclusion of a production-specific automatic controlled plastic welding machine, manufacturing can be done faster, with higher quality, lower costs and less wastage compared to the traditional manufacturing process.
Suicide risk assessment in a large public mental health service: do suicide risk classifications identify those at risk?
Authors: Wyder Marianne , Ray Manaan Kar , Russell Samara , Kinsella Kieran , Crompton David , van den Akker Jeremy
Published: January 2021

Introduction:

Risk assessment tools are routinely used to identify patients at high risk. There is increasing evidence that these tools may not be sufficiently accurate to determine the risk of suicide of people, particularly those being treated in community mental health settings.

Methods:

An outcome analysis for case serials of people who died by suicide between January 2014 and December 2016 and had contact with a public mental health service within 31 days prior to their death.

Results:

Of the 68 people who had contact, 70.5% had a formal risk assessment. Seventy-five per cent were classified as low risk of suicide. None were identified as being at high risk. While individual risk factors were identified, these did not allow to differentiate between patients classified as low or medium.

Discussion:

Risk categorisation contributes little to patient safety. Given the dynamic nature of suicide risk, a risk assessment should focus on modifiable risk factors and safety planning rather than risk prediction.

Conclusion:

The prediction value of suicide risk assessment tools is limited. The risk classifications of high, medium or low could become the basis of denying necessary treatment to many and delivering unnecessary treatment to some and should not be used for care allocation.
The Role and Activities of Board-Certified Chaplains in Advance Care Planning
Authors: Kwak Jung , Cho Soyeon , Handzo George , Hughes Brian P. , Hasan Sami S. , Luu Albert
Published: January 2021

Background:

Healthcare chaplains have key roles in providing palliative support to patients and families, and they are well-suited to facilitate advance care planning (ACP). However, empirical data on the roles and responsibilities of chaplains in facilitating ACP are limited.

Objectives:

To examine the roles of board-certified healthcare chaplains in ACP in various healthcare settings.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, web-based self-report survey was conducted with 585 board-certified chaplains recruited from 3 major professional chaplains’ organizations in the U.S. The survey data included chaplains’ demographic and professional characteristics, their roles and responsibilities, and responses regarding communication and participation with other healthcare team members in facilitating ACP, including experienced barriers.

Results:

More participants worked in community hospital settings (42%) and academic medical centers (19.6%) than in any other setting. Over 90% viewed ACP as an important part of their work, 70% helped patients complete advance directives, and 90% helped patients discuss their preferences about end-of-life treatments. Many chaplains were not consistently included in team discussions regarding decision-making, although most chaplains reported that they could always find ways to communicate with their teams.

Conclusion:

Professional board-certified chaplains regularly engage in facilitating ACP discussions with patients and families in various healthcare settings. There is a need to recognize and provide systematic support for the role of chaplains in facilitating ACP conversations and to integrate chaplains into routine interdisciplinary team and family meetings.
Craniofacial Features in Richieri-Costa-Pereira Syndrome
Authors: Pardo Milena P. , Santos Gabriela Lopes dos , Carvalho Izabel M.M. , Tjioe Kellen Cristine
Published: January 2021

Objective:

Patients with Richieri-Costa-Pereira syndrome (RCPS) present severe craniofacial alterations and frequently require orthodontic and surgical procedures. Thus, this study aims to describe the craniofacial relationships in patients with RCPS.

Design:

Panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalometric teleradiographs of 7 patients with RCPS and 7 age- and sex-matched nonsyndromic patients were analyzed. Cephalometric measurements were used to determine the size of apical bases, the relationship between them, the pattern of craniofacial growth, and the facial heights of the patients. Interobservers’ concordance was verified by intraclass coefficient. For comparison between the groups, paired t test was employed. P values <.05 indicated statistical significance.

Results:

Average age of patients with RCPS was 18.5 years. Six patients were female. All patients with RCPS had Pierre-Robin sequence while 2 also presented cleft mandible. Most patients with RCPS had missing lower central incisors (100%), lower lateral incisors (85.7%), lower second premolars (85.7%), and/or upper lateral incisors (57.1%). Concordance between observers was excellent for all cephalometric measurements (0.87-0.99). Patients with RCPS presented severe craniofacial alterations when compared to control group: sella–nasion–B point (SNB) angle (73.8o ± 4.86o vs 78.85o ± 4.53o, P = .029), maxillary length (7.89 cm ± 0.58 cm vs 16.36 cm ± 0.75 cm, P = .001), mandibular length (9.90 cm ± 0.46 cm vs 20.61 cm ± 0.45 cm, P = .001), upper anterior face height (5.41 cm ± 0.50 cm vs 9.40 cm ± 0.47 cm, P = .001), lower anterior face height (5.48 cm ± 0.75 cm vs 11.66 cm ± 0.55 cm, P = .001), and posterior face height (6.70 cm ± 0.33 cm vs 13.65 cm ± 1.06 cm, P = .001). There was no difference in SNB, A point–nasion–B point, pogonion–nasion–B point, and mandibular place angles between the groups ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

Patients with RCPS present deficient development of maxilla and mandible when compared with nonsyndromic patients.
On making futures with human touch
Authors: Barona Anna M. , Malafouris Lambros
Published: January 2021

We commend Rietveld’s affordance-based approach to art and architecture for foregrounding an oft-neglected area in the cognitive sciences: the material dimension of human cognition, creativity and imagination. We suggest that supplementing the cross-disciplinary approach that Rietveld calls for with insights from archaeology and anthropology can not only help us create futures ‘with human touch’ but also gain a deeper understanding creativity more broadly.
Smart paddy field monitoring system using deep learning and IoT
Authors: Sethy Prabira Kumar , Behera Santi Kumari , Kannan Nithiyakanthan , Narayanan Sridevi , Pandey Chanki
Published: January 2021

Paddy is an essential nutrient worldwide. Rice gives 21% of worldwide human per capita energy and 15% of per capita protein. Asia represented 60% of the worldwide populace, about 92% of the world’s rice creation, and 90% of worldwide rice utilization. With the increase in population, the demand for rice is increased. So, the productivity of farming is needed to be enhanced by introducing new technology. Deep learning and IoT are hot topics for research in various fields. This paper suggested a setup comprising deep learning and IoT for monitoring of paddy field remotely. The vgg16 pre-trained network is considered for the identification of paddy leaf diseases and nitrogen status estimation. Here, two strategies are carried out to identify images: transfer learning and deep feature extraction. The deep feature extraction approach is combined with a support vector machine (SVM) to classify images. The transfer learning approach of vgg16 for identifying four types of leaf diseases and prediction of nitrogen status results in 79.86% and 84.88% accuracy. Again, the deep features of Vgg16 and SVM results for identifying four types of leaf diseases and prediction of nitrogen status have achieved an accuracy of 97.31% and 99.02%, respectively. Besides, a framework is suggested for monitoring of paddy field remotely based on IoT and deep learning. The suggested prototype’s superiority is that it controls temperature and humidity like the state-of-the-art and can monitor the additional two aspects, such as detecting nitrogen status and diseases.
Using Q Methodology to Explore American Adolescents’ Self-Images and Images of Their Parents
Authors: Lim Sooyeon , Bang Hyeyoung , Ark Amanda
Published: January 2021

We explored adolescents’ self-images and their images of their parents and how their views of the present and the future relate to their parents’ support. Forty American adolescents sorted two sets of Q statements. Types for adolescents’ self-images are optimistic go-getter in achievement, pioneer in moratorium, hedonistic fun seeker in diffusion, apprehensive self in moratorium, and other conscious self in foreclosure versus self-confident skeptic in moratorium. Types for adolescents’ images of their parents are parents as a role model for life, old-fashioned authoritarian versus poor emotional supporter, and domesticated parents with unhealthy attachment to children versus all-in to the children’s education. Adolescents’ self-images are related to consciousness of their economic situation and their parents’ support of their autonomy.
Public Health Policy Actions to Address Health Issues Associated with
Drought in a Changing Climate
Authors: Lookadoo Rachel E. , Bell Jesse E.
Published: January 2021

Over the last century, droughts have caused more deaths internationally
than any other weather- or climate-related disaster. Like other natural
disasters, droughts cause significant changes in the environment that can
lead to negative health outcomes. As droughts are becoming more frequent and
intense with climate change, public health systems need to address impacts
associated with these events. Partnering with federal and local entities, we
evaluated the state of knowledge of drought and health in the United States
through a National Drought and Public Health Summit and a series of
subsequent regional workshops. The intended outcome was to develop public
health strategies for implementing activities to better support and prepare
public health systems for future droughts. The information gathered from
this work identified multiple policy and law options to address the public
health issues associated with drought. These policy recommendations include
the use of public health emergency declarations for drought events,
increased usage of preparedness evaluations for drought emergencies, and
engagement of drought and climate experts in state and local risk
assessments. As drought events are projected to increase in frequency and
magnitude with climate change, taking policy action now will help decrease
the health impacts of drought and save lives.
Adaptation of Animal and Human Health Surveillance Systems for
Vector-Borne Diseases Accompanying Climate Change
Authors: Halabi Sam F.
Published: January 2021

Anthropogenic climate change is causing temperature rise in temperate
zones resulting in climate conditions more similar to subtropical zones. As
a result, rising temperatures increase the range of disease-carrying insects
to new areas outside of subtropical zones, and increased precipitation
causes flooding that is more hospitable for vector breeding. State
governments, the federal government, and governmental agencies, like the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of USDA and the National
Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) of the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, lack a coordinated plan for vector-borne
disease accompanying climate change. APHIS focuses its surveillance
primarily on the effect of illness on agricultural production, while NNDSS
focuses on the emergence of pathogens affecting human health. This article
provides an analysis of the current framework of surveillance of, and
response to, vector-borne infectious diseases, the impacts of climate change
on the spread of vector-borne infectious diseases, and recommends changes to
federal law to address these threats.
The Health Reframing of Climate Change and the Poverty of Narrow Bioethics
Authors: Ferguson Kyle
Published: January 2021

We must resist thoroughly reframing climate change as a health issue. For human health–centric ethical frameworks omit dimensions of value that we must duly consider. We need a new, an environmental, research ethic, one that we can use to more completely and impartially evaluate proposed research on mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Enhancing Community Safety through Interagency Collaboration: Lessons from Connecticut's Project Longevity
Authors: Gripp Camila , Jha Chandini , Vaughn Paige E.
Published: January 2021

Group Violence Interventions (GVIs) combine a focused deterrence law enforcement approach with community mobilization and social services. The current study qualitatively examines Project Longevity, Connecticut's largest GVI initiative, to contribute to the limited literature on implementation of gun violence reduction strategies. Relying on interviews with 24 of Project Longevity law enforcement and non-law enforcement partners, we explore the establishment of interagency collaboration, which was viewed by study participants as the most pressing implementation challenge of Project Longevity. Our case study results offer important lessons to practitioners responsible for implementing GVI strategies.
A Behavioral Addiction Model of Revenge, Violence, and Gun Abuse
Authors: Kimmel James , Rowe Michael
Published: January 2021

Data from multiple sources point to the desire for revenge in response to grievances or perceived injustices as a root cause of violence, including firearm violence. Neuroscience and behavioral studies are beginning to reveal that the desire for revenge in response to grievances activates the same neural reward-processing circuitry as that of substance addiction, suggesting that grievances trigger powerful cravings for revenge in anticipation of experiencing pleasure. Based on this evidence, the authors argue that a behavioral addiction framework may be appropriate for understanding and addressing violent behavior. Such an approach could yield significant benefits by leveraging scientific and public health-oriented drug abuse prevention and treatment strategies that target drug cravings to spur development of scientific and public-health-oriented “gun abuse” prevention and treatment strategies targeting the revenge cravings that lead to violence. An example of one such “motive control” strategy is discussed. Approaching revenge-seeking, violence, and gun abuse from the perspective of compulsion and addiction would have the added benefit of avoiding the stigmatization as violent of individuals with mental illness while also acknowledging the systemic, social, and cultural factors contributing to grievances that lead to violent acts.
DNA Methylation Based Molecular Subtypes Predict Prognosis in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Wu Zeng-Hong , Tang Yun , Zhou Yan
Published: January 2021

Background:

Epigenetic changes are tightly linked to tumorigenesis development and malignant transformation’ However, DNA methylation occurs earlier and is constant during tumorigenesis. It plays an important role in controlling gene expression in cancer cells.

Methods:

In this study, we determining the prognostic value of molecular subtypes based on DNA methylation status in breast cancer samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA).

Results:

Seven clusters and 204 corresponding promoter genes were identified based on consensus clustering using 166 CpG sites that significantly influenced survival outcomes. The overall survival (OS) analysis showed a significant prognostic difference among the 7 groups (p<0.05). Finally, a prognostic model was used to estimate the results of patients on the testing set based on the classification findings of a training dataset DNA methylation subgroups.

Conclusions:

The model was found to be important in the identification of novel biomarkers and could be of help to patients with different breast cancer subtypes when predicting prognosis, clinical diagnosis and management.
Cancer patient experience of telephone clinics implemented in light of COVID-19
Authors: Dalby Melanie , Hill Alison , Nabhani-Gebara Shereen
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Due to the pandemic of COVID-19 a number of National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in the UK adopted telephone consultations for patients who were shielding. As the pandemic continues to affect these services an evaluation was conducted to determine whether telephone consultations implemented during the pandemic should be maintained long term. The objective was to evaluate this new service and to understand patient experience.

Methods

This study was conducted via a telephone survey. Staff working in the Macmillan centres across the Trust called patients to survey them about their experience of telephone consultations. Data were collected 23/06/20 – 17/07/20. A mix of eight open and closed questions were asked. Data were collected on an Excel spreadsheet and patient identifiable information was anonymised.

Results

55 patients accepted to participate in this study. Out of 55, 39 patients rated the phone consultation they had as either 4 or 5 out of 5. When asked if they would like to continue with phone clinics 33 said they would. The majority of consultations were conducted by doctors (43/55). Patients commented they had received great support from their healthcare professionals and they felt that phone consultations were safer in the current climate. Three of the patients felt the calls were rushed and others found it difficult to discuss pain management, sides effects and post-surgery issues.

Conclusions

This evaluation provides a brief snapshot of the experience cancer patients are having with phone clinics. A re-evaluation will take place once video consultations are implemented.
The domain of existence of solitary waves in fluid-filled thin elastic tubes
Authors: Defaz R Ivan , Epstein Marcelo , Federico Salvatore
Published: January 2021

Under given prestress conditions, solitary waves in fluid-filled elastic tubes are confined to a rather narrow set of combinations of the background fluid velocity and the wave speed. This set, which we call the domain of existence, is bounded by several curves that represent various physical and mathematical restrictions. Remarkably, these restrictions can be cast as purely algebraic conditions to be imposed upon the governing system of differential equations. Paramount among the physical restrictions are the avoidance of wrinkles and the self-impenetrability of the wave profile. In particular, the existence of a critical wave speed of impending wrinkling, independent of the background fluid velocity, is established rigorously.
Evaluating and Enhancing Driving Skills for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities Through Simulator Training
Authors: Randall Kristina N. , Ryan Joseph B. , Stierle Jordan N. , Walters Sharon M. , Bridges William
Published: January 2021

Research consistently demonstrates that attainment of a driver’s license and access to a vehicle directly and favorably influence employment outcomes, enhance one’s ability to capitalize on quality jobs, and expand one’s access to community and independent opportunities. This study used a driving simulator to provide driving lessons to 12 young adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs). The purpose was to use a safe learning environment to screen candidates for those who showed the potential to obtain a driver’s license. Instruction was provided using a set of interactive exercises focusing on controlling the vehicle via lane keeping, speed maintenance, and obstacle avoidance tasks. Results revealed that simulator training provided a safe learning environment to identify individuals demonstrating the potential to safely operate a motor vehicle. Participants demonstrated moderate to large gains in maintaining lane position, speed, braking response, and target detection. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.
Natural course of acquired vitelliform lesions associated with pigment epithelial detachments in dry age related macular degeneration
Authors: Yanık Özge , Demirel Sibel , Batıoğlu Figen , Özmert Emin
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

To describe the natural history of acquired vitelliform lesions (AVLs) associated with different types of pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) in dry age-related macular degeneration.

Methods:

A retrospective review of clinical examination and multimodal imaging data of patients with AVLs associated with PED(s) was performed.

Results:

This study included 25 eyes of 17 patients. The mean age of patients was 67.2 ± 9.7 (47–83) years. The mean follow-up time was 32.6 ± 16.2 (12–66) months, excluding four patients (five eyes) that were lost to follow-up. The mean logMAR BCVA was 0.21 ± 0.16 at baseline and 0.38 ± 0.28 at final visit ( p = 0.016). At the end of the follow-up period, PEDs enlarged in eight eyes (40%) and were unchanged in two eyes (10%). Spontaneous resolution of the central PED(s) with AVLs was seen in four (20%) eyes. Rupture of the PED(s) occurred in four eyes (20%), with two developing central foveolar atrophy afterwards. Overall, central foveolar atrophy was seen ultimately in four eyes (20%).

Conclusion:

It seems that high PED size may be a risk factor for PED rupture during follow-up. 1/3 of the eyes ended up with unfavorable anatomical outcome.
Intralesional Antigen Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Periungual Warts
Authors: Nofal Ahmad , Alakad Rania , Fouda Ibrahim , Fawzy Mohamed M.
Published: January 2021

Background

Intralesional immunotherapy using different types of antigens is considered an effective and safe treatment option for different types of warts. However, there are few studies that illustrate the use of these antigens in the treatment of periungual warts as a distinct type of warts.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of three antigens: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, Candida antigen, and purified protein derivative (PPD) in the treatment of periungual warts.

Methods

The study included 150 patients who were randomly assigned to 3 groups with 50 patients in each. Each agent was injected intralesionally at a dose of 0.1 mL into the largest wart at 2-week intervals until complete clearance or for a maximum of 5 sessions.

Results

Complete clearance of warts was observed in 70%, 80%, and 74% in PPD, Candida antigen, and MMR vaccine groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference regarding the therapeutic response between the 3 studied groups. Adverse effects were transient and insignificant in the 3 groups. No recurrence of the lesions was reported in any of the studied groups.

Conclusions

Intralesional antigen immunotherapy seems to be an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of periungual warts.
Characterisation of MS phenotypes across the age span using a novel data set integrating 34 clinical trials (NO.MS cohort): Age is a key contributor to presentation
Authors: Dahlke Frank , Arnold Douglas L , Aarden Piet , Ganjgahi Habib , Häring Dieter A , Čuklina Jelena , Nichols Thomas E , Gardiner Stephen , Bermel Robert , Wiendl Heinz
Published: January 2021

Background:

The Oxford Big Data Institute, multiple sclerosis (MS) physicians and Novartis aim to address unresolved questions in MS with a novel comprehensive clinical trial data set.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to describe the Novartis–Oxford MS (NO.MS) data set and to explore the relationships between age, disease activity and disease worsening across MS phenotypes.

Methods:

We report key characteristics of NO.MS. We modelled MS lesion formation, relapse frequency, brain volume change and disability worsening cross-sectionally, as a function of patients’ baseline age, using phase III study data (≈8000 patients).

Results:

NO.MS contains data of ≈35,000 patients (>200,000 brain images from ≈10,000 patients), with >10 years follow-up. (1) Focal disease activity is highest in paediatric patients and decreases with age, (2) brain volume loss is similar across age and phenotypes and (3) the youngest patients have the lowest likelihood (<25%) of disability worsening over 2 years while risk is higher (25%–75%) in older, disabled or progressive MS patients. Young patients benefit most from treatment.

Conclusion:

NO.MS will illuminate questions related to MS characterisation, progression and prognosis. Age modulates relapse frequency and, thus, the phenotypic presentation of MS. Disease worsening across all phenotypes is mediated by age and appears to some extent be independent from new focal inflammatory activity.
The challenge of predicting blood glucose concentration changes in patients with type I diabetes
Authors: Borle Neil C , Ryan Edmond A , Greiner Russell
Published: January 2021

Patients with Type I Diabetes (T1D) must take insulin injections to prevent the serious long term effects of hyperglycemia. They must also be careful not to inject too much insulin because this could induce (potentially fatal) hypoglycemia. Patients therefore follow a “regimen” that determines how much insulin to inject at each time, based on various measurements. We can produce an effective regimen if we can accurately predict a patient’s future blood glucose (BG) values from his/her current features. This study explores the challenges of predicting future BG by applying a number of machine learning algorithms, as well as various data preprocessing variations (corresponding to 312 [learner, preprocessed-dataset] combinations), to a new T1D dataset that contains 29,601 entries from 47 different patients. Our most accurate predictor, a weighted ensemble of two Gaussian Process Regression models, achieved a (cross-validation) [Formula: see text] loss of 2.7 mmol/L (48.65 mg/dl). This result was unexpectedly poor given that one can obtain an [Formula: see text] of 2.9 mmol/L (52.43 mg/dl) using the naive approach of simply predicting the patient’s average BG. These results suggest that the diabetes diary data that is typically collected may be insufficient to produce accurate BG prediction models; additional data may be necessary to build accurate BG prediction models over hours.
Simulation of the viscoplastic extrusion process using the radial point interpolation meshless method
Authors: Costa ROSS , Belinha J , Natal Jorge RM , Rodrigues DES
Published: January 2021

Additive manufacturing is an emergent technology, which witnessed a large growth demanded by the consumer market. Despite this growth, the technology needs scientific regulation and guidelines to be reliable and consistent to the point that is feasible to be used as a source of manufactured end-products. One of the processes that has seen the most significant development is the fused deposition modeling, more commonly known as 3D printing. The motivation to better understand this process makes the study of extrusion of materials important. In this work, the radial point interpolation method, a meshless method, is applied to the study of extrusion of viscoplastic materials, using the formulation originally intended for the finite element method, the flow formulation. This formulation is based on the reasoning that solid materials under those conditions behave like non-Newtonian fluids. The time stepped analysis follows the Lagrangian approach taking advantage of the easy remeshing inherent to meshless methods. To validate the newly developed numerical tool, tests are conducted with numerical examples obtained from the literature for the extrusion of aluminum, which is a more common problem. Thus, after the performed validation, the algorithm can easily be adapted to simulate the extrusion of polymers in fused deposition modeling processes.
National prisms of a global phenomenon: A comparative study of press coverage of climate change in the US, UK and China
Authors: Song Yunya , Huang Zeping , Schuldt Jonathon P , Yuan Y Connie
Published: January 2021

This study compares press coverage of climate change in the US, the UK and China from a longitudinal perspective, through a combination of computer-assisted quantitative linguistic analysis and critical discourse analysis. Specifically, we examine the extent to which these three countries portray climate change similarly or differently, and further explore how moral reasoning – a growing area of research in climate change communication – may shape media portrayal of the issue across different cultures. There have been few scholarly inquiries examining how moral reasoning is deployed in media discourse around climate change. This study aims to address this gap with a comparative analysis of moral reasoning in news about climate change in leading national newspapers from three countries over a 6-year period. The findings suggest that while US and UK newspapers tended to frame climate change coverage as a domestic issue, Chinese media tended to frame it as a global issue that the world community needs to tackle. Moreover, US and UK newspapers often adopted the balanced reporting norm in communicating uncertainty and controversy, in contrast to the climate consensus that was firmly embedded in Chinese media discourse. Overall, the findings show mixed support for East and West differences in the moral rhetoric underpinning their climate change press coverage.
The effect of menu presentation on consumers’ willingness to purchase
Authors: Soh Jungtae , Sharma Amit
Published: January 2021

Consumers may perceive information costs differently because they are affected by how information is presented during the decision-making process. Using a self-reported research design, this study assessed whether perceived information costs associated with written and visual presentation of information can impact respondents’ purchase intentions. Results of this study show that perceived information costs have a significant effect on purchase intentions. In particular, visual choice presentation has a positive effect on willingness to purchase because the information costs of visually presented information are lower than the information costs associated with verbal presentation. This suggests different types of information presentation (visual and verbal) can affect consumers’ attitudes and behavioral outcomes. This study contributes to the literature by offering an alternative approach for examining the effect of perceived information costs and the influence of different choice presentations on purchase decisions.
Theorising tourism in crisis: Writing and relating in place
Authors: Gibson Chris
Published: January 2021

Recent headline events – most notably the COVID-19 pandemic – have illustrated the fragility of tourism capitalism, prompting forward-looking analyses among critical scholars. While grappling with political and philosophical implications, commentaries have tended towards the prescriptive and general: contemplating the collapse of tourism as-we-know-it, and foregrounding opportunities to reconstitute more sustainable, resilient and inclusive forms of tourism. Heeding Haraway’s call to ‘stay with the trouble’, I briefly outline three sympathetic critiques, integrating insights from more-than-human theory, disaster studies and climate change adaptation literatures. First, I unsettle temporalities of disruption and change that emphasise singular moments, such as lockdowns, rather than multiple temporalities of vulnerability and resilience. Second, a lurking species exceptionalism, which positions humans as the locus of agency, is contrasted with nonhuman capacities to shape unfurling events. Third, speculations on tourism’s future that rest on normative categories, disembodied from lived experience, are contrasted with First Nations ontologies, and the messiness of tourism’s relatings in place. Theorising tourism, within and beyond crisis, must evolve iteratively from the ethnographic. To illustrate, I ‘write from’ the east coast of Australia, where an otherwise steady-growth tourism economy has experienced profound disruption in 2020, not just from coronavirus-related travel restrictions, but from climate-change-amplified catastrophic bushfires. From this vantage point, multiple traumas refract tourism industry responses, while hope commingles with caution, tempering strident proclamations on the future. The nonhuman, political-economic, and emotional are inextricably entwined in the fabric of tourism. The fraught navigation of lived (more-than-human) experience must figure more prominently in our scholarly reckonings.
Between iconic image and (artificial) ruins: Shanghai Sihang Warehouse and World War II memory in China
Authors: Pan Lu
Published: January 2021

Opened in 2015, the Sihang Warehouse Memorial Museum is an architectural relic of the fierce and famous ‘Defense of Sihang Warehouse’ that took place in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Regarding the warehouse as a national war icon lost and found, the author examines the transformations of the symbolic meanings of the warehouse per se and how it has been represented visually in photography and film in relation to the vicissitudes of history. As the spatial history of the warehouse shows, the warehouse was forgotten for a long time. With the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, its memory was revived, but as an artificial recreation that remains silent about the ruptures under the surface of historical continuity. The case shows how the meaning of commemorative space for modern and contemporary Chinese war memory has been constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed visually and physically.
LINC01232 Sponges Multiple miRNAs and Its Clinical Significance in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Diagnosis and Prognosis
Authors: Du Wenyan , Lei Chengbin , Wang Yanzhen , Ding Yiwen , Tian Peng
Published: January 2021

Background:

Long noncoding RNAs have been demonstrated to play important roles in different kinds of human malignancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1232 (LINC01232) in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and further explore the clinical significance of the potential miRNAs that might be sponged by LINC01232.

Methods:

The potential target miRNAs that might be sponged by LINC01232 were analyzed using bioinformatics analysis. The Real-Time quantitative PCR was adopted to measure the relative expression of LINC01232 and target miRNAs in PAAD serum and tissue samples. The diagnostic and prognostic value of LINC01232 was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, respectively.

Results:

LINC01232 expression was upregulated in PAAD serum and tissues and associated with patients’ TNM stage. Serum LINC01232 expression had diagnostic value, and the high levels of LINC01232 could predict unfavorable prognosis in PAAD patients. miR-204-5p, miR-370-5p and miR-654-3p were proposed as 3 targets of LINC01232 in PAAD, and their decreased expression levels in PAAD patients showed certain clinical significance in diagnosis and prognosis.

Conclusion:

The data of this study revealed that LINC01232 expression is upregulated in PAAD serum and tissue samples with considerable diagnostic and prognostic significance. In addition, miR-204-5p, miR-370-5p and miR-654-3p may be sponged by LINC01232 in PAAD, which also show potencies in PAAD diagnosis and prognosis.
Relationship Status Update on Astrocytic VEGFR-3 and mTOR Signaling: It’s Complicated
Authors: Brewster Amy L.
Published: January 2021

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Can Treating Patients With PNES Lower the Risk of Sudden Unexpected Death?
Authors: Bermeo-Ovalle Adriana C.
Published: January 2021

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A Journal of the Plague Year: Rapid-Response Archiving Meets the Pandemic
Authors: Tebeau Mark
Published: January 2021

Pandemics challenge the foundations of social life, pushing us apart even as we yearn for human contact. A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive of COVID-19 (JOTPY) emerged as effort by historians and archivists to document the current crisis. Rapid-response archival projects and two decades of digital archiving work, have provided the framework driving the development of JOTPY’s mission, including (among other things) a commitment to addressing the silences in traditional archives, collecting ethically, and developing robust metadata—a particular strength of JOTPY. Nonetheless, archiving pandemic nonetheless presents a distinctive problem that has suggested an altogether new type of rapid-response archive. More broadly, JOTPY is part of a global effort to document the pandemic and seeks to provide a useful model for other research teams involved in this important work.
With Plenty of Elbow Room: Planning New and Upgraded Spaces for Library and Archives Conservation and Audiovisual Preservation
Authors: Baker Whitney
Published: January 2021

In 2018, the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries upgraded from a tired, twenty-year-old basement space to a new, purpose-built conservation lab for library and archives collections. The new conservation lab, which is housed in the special collections and archives library, quadrupled available lab space for its conservators and fleet of student employees. The move afforded Conservation space in the same library as the most vulnerable collection materials. In addition, rooms in the special collections and archives library were repurposed for audiovisual (AV) preservation, creating two new spaces for film and video workflows and upgrading an existing small audio room. This paper will discuss the conservation and preservation lab construction literature and will serve as a practical exemplar of the challenges and successes of the planning process, including lessons learned and unexpected benefits.
In Favor of the 2019 Equality Act: A Comment on Burt
Authors: Mezey Susan Gluck
Published: January 2021

There are three reason why I disagree with the author’s premise that 2019 Equality Act disadvantages women by blurring the distinction between sex and gender identity. First, it ignores current legal theory and practice that sex discrimination encompasses gender identity discrimination in federal law; second, it has not made a sufficient case that the Act’s interpretation of sex would harm women; third, it incorrectly assumes gender equality in the workplace can be achieved while sex-segregated spaces remain segregated by biological sex. In sum, revising the Equality Act to exempt women’s spaces would sacrifice the principle of gender equality upon which the Act is based.
Efficacy and safety of DOACs in patients with peripheral arterial disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuan-Su , Chen Jin-Hui , Mei Tong , Li Shuai , Lu Yong-Ming
Published: January 2021

Background

The efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with peripheral arterial disease are not completely understood. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the effects of DOACs in this population.

Methods

We systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science till April 2020 for relevant randomized controlled trials and observational studies, with no linguistic restrictions. The efficacy outcomes were cardiovascular death, stroke, myocardial infraction, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), acute limb ischemia, amputation, and target lesion revascularization. The safety outcome was major bleeding events. Random effects risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results

A total four randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. Among peripheral arterial disease patients, DOACs did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular death (RR = 1.02 95%CI 0.75–1.37, P = 0.92), stroke (RR = 0.73 95%CI 0.46–1.14, P = 0.16), myocardial infraction (RR = 0.85 95%CI 0.70–1.03, P = 0.10), MACE (RR = 0.73 95%CI 0.46–1.14, P = 0.16), or amputation (RR = 0.73 95%CI 0.46–1.14, P = 0.16) compared with control. However, DOACs were associated with reduction in acute limb ischemia (RR = 0.67 95%CI 0.55–0.80, P < 0.01) and target lesion revascularization (RR = 0.89 95%CI 0.81–0.99, P = 0.02) at the expense of major bleeding events (RR = 1.43 95%CI 1.16–1.77, P < 0.01) compared with control.

Conclusions

Based on current evidence, no significant difference in cardiovascular death, stroke, myocardial infraction, MACE, and amputation was found when DOACs were compared to antiplatelet monotherapy. The benefits of preventing target lesion revascularization and acute limb ischemia were balanced by amplified risk of major bleeding. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to figure out the uncertainty around efficacy and safety of medications for peripheral arterial disease.
Real-time path planning in dynamic environments for unmanned aerial vehicles using the curve-shortening flow method
Authors: Huptych Marcel , Röck Sascha
Published: January 2021

This article proposes a new algorithm for real-time path planning in dynamic environments based on space-discretized curve-shortening flows. The so-called curve-shortening flow method shares working principles with the well-established elastic bands method and overcomes some of its drawbacks concerning numerical robustness and parameterability. This is achieved by efficiently applying semi-implicit time integration for evolving the path and secondly by developing a methodology for setting the algorithm’s parameters based on physical quantities. Different short- and long-term validation scenarios are performed with three interlinked instances of the curve-shortening flow method each running on an individual industrial control and driving a real or a simulated unmanned aerial vehicle.