bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate Change Impacts on Extreme Rainfall in Eastern Africa in a Convection-Permitting Climate Model
Authors: Chapman Sarah , Bacon James , Birch Cathryn E. , Pope Edward , Marsham John H. , Msemo Hellen , Nkonde Edson , Sinachikupo Kenneth , Vanya Charles
Published: September 2022

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of rainfall extremes. Understanding future changes in rainfall is necessary for adaptation planning. Eastern Africa is vulnerable to rainfall extremes because of low adaptive capacity and high future population growth. Convection-permitting climate models have been found to better represent moderate (yearly) rainfall extremes than parameterized convection models, but there is limited analysis of rare extremes that occur less frequently than once per year. These events often have the largest socioeconomic impacts. We use extreme value theory and regional frequency analysis to quantify rare rainfall extremes over East Africa in a convection-permitting climate model (CP4A). We compare the results with its parameterized counterpart (P25), the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment for the African region (CORDEX-Africa) ensemble, and observations to understand how the convection parameterization impacts the results. We find that CP4A better matches observations than the parameterized models. With climate change, we find the parameterized convection models have unrealistically high changes in the shape parameter of the extreme value distribution, which controls the tail behavior (i.e., the most extreme events), leading to large increases in return levels of events with a return period of >20 years. This suggests that parameterized convection models may not be suitable for looking at relative changes in rare rainfall events with climate change and that convection-permitting models should be preferred for this type of work. With the more realistic CP4A, RCP8.5 end-of-century climate change leads to 1-in-100-yr events becoming 1-in-23-yr events, which will necessitate serious adaptation efforts to avoid devastating socioeconomic impacts.

Significance Statement

We use a new, high-resolution climate model to examine how rare extreme rainfall events in East Africa might change in the future with climate change and compare the results with those from standard-resolution climate models. We find that the standard-resolution models have unrealistically large increases in rainfall for events that occur less frequently than every 20 years. The high-resolution model is more realistic and is required to illustrate possible future changes in rare rainfall extremes. Extreme events will become more common with climate change, and in the more realistic model we show that a 1-in-100-yr event may become a 1-in-23-yr event by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced.
Asymmetric Impacts of El Niño and La Niña on Equatorial Atlantic Warming
Authors: Jiang Leishan , Li Tim , Ham Yoo-Geun
Published: September 2022

Despite an insignificant linear relation between the boreal summer equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature anomaly (EA SSTA) and preceding winter El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), an EA warming event was found to be mostly preceded by either phase of ENSO. Physical mechanisms of this asymmetric impact of El Niño and La Niña on EA warming were investigated through observational and modeling analyses. For the El Niño–induced EA warming group, the El Niño–related SSTA induces a warm SSTA in the South Atlantic during developing fall and winter via the Pacific–South American (PSA) pattern. The induced extratropical SSTA extends to the equator through local air–sea interaction processes and favors EA warming development. In contrast, for the La Niña–induced EA warming group, there is no significant SSTA in the South Atlantic from developing fall to winter. It is not until La Niña decaying spring that a significant westerly anomaly is generated and thus an EA warming through the remote Gill-type response. The asymmetric South Atlantic response is attributed to the stronger (weaker) heating strength over the central Pacific and Maritime Continent for El Niño (La Niña). The distinctive evolutions of El Niño (fast transition) and La Niña (long persistence) also contribute to the asymmetric EA response. The persistent La Niña makes a stronger equatorial Atlantic response during ENSO decaying spring. Our results suggest that the South Atlantic SSTA and ENSO temporal evolution are important in explaining the asymmetric impacts of the El Niño and La Niña on EA warming. Furthermore, the Indian Ocean SSTA is also suggested to contribute to the asymmetric impacts.
The Winter North Pacific Teleconnection in Response to ENSO and the MJO in Operational Subseasonal Forecasting Models Is Too Weak
Authors: Garfinkel Chaim I. , Chen Wen , Li Yanjie , Schwartz Chen , Yadav Priyanka , Domeisen Daniela
Published: September 2022

Teleconnection patterns associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impact weather and climate phenomena in the Pacific–North American region and beyond, and therefore accurately simulating these teleconnections is of importance for seasonal and subseasonal forecasts. Systematic biases in boreal midwinter ENSO and MJO teleconnections are found in eight subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) forecast models over the Pacific–North America region. All models simulate an anomalous 500-hPa geopotential height response that is too weak. This overly weak response is associated with overly weak subtropical upper-level convergence and a too-weak Rossby wave source in most models, and in several models there is also a biased subtropical Pacific jet, which affects the propagation of Rossby waves. In addition to this overly weak response, all models also simulate ENSO teleconnections that reach too far poleward toward Alaska and northeastern Russia. The net effect is that these models likely underestimate the impacts associated with the MJO and ENSO over western North America, and suffer from a reduction in skill from what could be achieved.
Prediction Skill of GEFSv12 in Depicting Monthly Rainfall and Associated Extreme Events over Taiwan during the Summer Monsoon
Authors: Nageswararao M. M. , Zhu Yuejian , Tallapragada Vijay , Chen Meng-Shih
Published: September 2022

The skillful prediction of monthly scale rainfall in small regions like Taiwan is one of the challenges of the meteorological scientific community. Taiwan is one of the subtropical islands in Asia. It experiences rainfall extremes regularly, leading to landslides and flash floods in/near the mountains and flooding over low-lying plains, particularly during the summer monsoon season [June–September (JJAS)]. In September 2020, NOAA/NCEP implemented Global Ensemble Forecast System, version 12 (GEFSv12), to support stakeholders for subseasonal forecasts and hydrological applications. In the present study, the performance evaluation of GEFSv12 for monthly rainfall and associated extreme rainfall (ER) events over Taiwan during JJAS against CMORPH has been done. There is a marginal improvement of GEFSv12 in depicting the East Asian summer monsoon index (EASMI) as compared to GEFS-SubX. The GEFSv12 rainfall raw products have been calibrated with a quantile–quantile (QQ) mapping technique for further prediction skill improvement. The results reveal that the spatial patterns of climatological features (mean, interannual variability, and coefficient of variation) of summer monsoon monthly rainfall over Taiwan from QQ-GEFSv12 are very similar to CMORPH than Raw-GEFSv12. Raw-GEFSv12 has an enormous wet bias and overforecast wet days, while QQ-GEFSv12 is close to reality. The prediction skill (correlation coefficient and index of agreement) of GEFSv12 in depicting the summer monsoon monthly rainfall over Taiwan is significantly high (>0.5) in most parts of Taiwan and particularly more during peak monsoon months, September, and August, followed by June and July. The calibration method significantly reduces the overestimation (underestimation) of wet (ER) events from the ensemble mean and probabilistic ensemble forecasts. The predictability of extreme rainfall events (>50 mm day−1) has also improved significantly.
Designing a Framework for Bidding and Estimating Life Cycle Cost in Indian Defence Sector: A Systematic Approach
Authors: Sinha Gyanesh Kumar , Gupta Mukesh Kumar
Published: September 2022

Lifecycle Management (LCM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of products or services right from the inception (design, manufacture, supply) stage to the maintenance and disposal oSf products. It integrates the people, data, processes and business systems and provides product information backbone for enterprises and their extended units. LCM in the defence sector is a very critical and complex process. This is specifically mandated in the operational framework defined by the Government of India at the proposal stage itself. The main objective of the current study is to identify the various challenges being experienced by the companies in executing LMC, especially in the defence sector and critically examine various methods and practices of the bidding system. Crafting a strategy for participating companies, in defence projects in India and winning them, is considered a difficult task. This study evaluates the international best management practices and applies the maturity model for contract management as being practised in the Netherlands. This maturity model consists of a model for the identified tactical level and operational level in contract management. These two models can help an organisation to determine their ‘as is’ situation and structured review system, identify key factors those having influence on the optimal level found in this process, and their ‘to be’ situation. The current research also proposes a review gates system to enable organisations to facilitate a systematic approach in analysing any project opportunity in the context of the procurement life cycle as per guidelines and policies defined by Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP), Government of India. Additionally, a detailed framework has been suggested to generate and maintain agreed cost estimates within the wider business context.
Explaining the Relation Between Perceived Social Support and Psychological Well-Being Among Chinese Nursing Students: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model Involving Integrative Self-Knowledge and Self-Integrity
Authors: Zhou Lu , Cai EnLi , Thitinan Chankoson , Khunanan Sukpasjaroen , Wu YuMing , Liu Gao
Published: September 2022

Background

Addressing numerous calls for understanding the theoretical mechanisms that explain the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being to enhance nursing students’ mental health.

Aims

This study focused on how integrative self-knowledge and self-integrity mediate the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being.

Methods

The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to estimate the mediation effects on the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being among 487 undergraduate nursing students. To examine the directionality of effects, the present study also tested the reverse serial mediation model. Multi-group SEM (MGSEM) was used to test gender differences in the mediation model.

Results

Integrative self-knowledge and self-integrity, in sequence, mediated the association between perceived social support and psychological well-being among nursing students. In addition, there was no gender difference in these associations.

Conclusions

Improving nursing students’ perceived social support, integrative self-knowledge, and self-integrity is beneficial for promoting their mental health.
Vladimir Putin’s Russian World Turned Upside Down
Authors: Gioe David V. , Styles William
Published: September 2022

What will the long-term impact of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine be upon the Russian state? This article assesses the likely outcomes of the Kremlin’s war of aggression in Ukraine across a spectrum of economic, military, political, and social factors to evidence the scale of Russian miscalculation regarding its disastrous decision to invade Ukraine, and argues for the inevitability of Russian strategic decline as a direct consequence of its reckless military adventurism.
Insulin infusion rate control using information theoretic–based nonlinear model predictive control for type 1 diabetes patients
Authors: Zadeh Birjandi Sahar , Hosseini Sani Seyed Kamal , Pariz Naser
Published: September 2022

It has been proven that model predictive control (MPC) is an efficient method for closed-loop insulin delivery in clinical studies. This paper aims to design an observer-based fractional-order nonlinear MPC for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. It is assumed that the proposed model is nonlinear and contains parametric uncertainty. To estimate unknown states, optimal non-fragile H∞ observer is designed for Lipschitz nonlinear fractional-order systems including parametric uncertainty and the existence of input disturbance. The min–max optimization-based robust fractional model predictive control (RFMPC) has been presented in the following for insulin delivery. Since sensor noise of continuous monitoring of interstitial glucose concentration is considered non-Gaussian, the performance of the proposed controller is improved under non-Gaussian measurement noise by selecting a proper cost function based on generalized correntropy, and as a contrast, the performance of the mean square error (MSE)-based controller is simulated. According to the results, not only is the performance of the proposed controller better under non-Gaussian situations but also effectively reaches the set point in the case of disturbance and uncertainty and provides higher control accuracy and robustness compared with the MSE-based MPC.
A Descriptive Review of Telehealth for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Kane Courtney L. , DeBar Ruth M.
Published: September 2022

Since the early 2000s, telehealth has been used to provide behavior analytic intervention to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evaluating evidence supporting telehealth remains valuable, especially as there has been increased accessibility since the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there is empirical support for telehealth as an effective service-delivery option, important variables (e.g., costs, implementer training) remain unknown. Despite potential roles in telehealth service-delivery models, a careful review of participant prerequisite skills, implementer characteristics (e.g., experience, education), technology variables (e.g., HIPAA compliance), and skill(s) targeted (i.e., mastered or untrained skills) have not been considered. Therefore, we aimed to extend prior telehealth literature reviews by evaluating current research across variables important for telehealth service-delivery involving individuals with ASD. We found thorough descriptions of participants and implementers, implementer training, and social validity evaluations. Limitations of telehealth literature include exclusion of teen and adult participants, limited description of prerequisite skills and evaluations of direct telehealth interventions. Future research areas were identified.
Visual spatial learning disabilities and braille instruction
Authors: Mendoza Debbie
Published: September 2022

Braille reading consists of three basic components: tactile sensitivity, memorization of dot placement, and positional perception or detection of the location of the dots within the braille cell. Difficulty in any of those three areas leads to trouble decoding words. The presence of a visual spatial learning disability greatly decreases a student’s ability to determine positional perception. Multi-sensory reading strategies have proven effective for sighted readers who have learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of multi-sensory strategies when used with a braille reader with a visual spatial learning disability. In this study, they were proven effective. Strategies used with this student will be shared.
Workers’ individual and dyadic coping with the COVID-19 health emergency: A cross cultural study
Authors: Donato Silvia , Brugnera Agostino , Adorni Roberta , Molgora Sara , Reverberi Eleonora , Manzi Claudia , Angeli Maria , Bagirova Anna , Benet-Martinez Veronica , Camilleri Liberato , Camilleri-Cassar Frances , Kazasi Evi Hatzivarnava , Meil Gerardo , Symeonaki Maria , Aksu Ayça , Batthyany Karina , Brazienė Ruta , Genta Natalia , Masselot Annick , Morrissey Suzy
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to examine workers’ psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic as a function of their individual coping, dyadic coping, and work-family conflict. We also tested the moderating role of gender and culture in these associations. To achieve this aim, we run HLM analyses on data from 1521 workers cohabiting with a partner, coming from six countries (Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Greece, and Russia) characterized by various degrees of country-level individualism/collectivism. Across all six countries, findings highlighted that work-family conflict as well as the individual coping strategy social support seeking were associated with higher psychological distress for workers, while the individual coping strategy positive attitude and common dyadic coping were found to be protective against workers’ psychological distress. This latter association, moreover, was stronger in more individualistic countries.
CtDNA-guided rechallenge with anti-EGFR therapy in RASwt metastatic colorectal cancer: Evidence from clinical practice
Authors: D’Onofrio Raffaella , Caputo Francesco , Prampolini Francesco , Spallanzani Andrea , Gelsomino Fabio , Bettelli Stefania , Manfredini Samantha , Reggiani Bonetti Luca , Carotenuto Pietro , Bocconi Alessandro , Dominici Massimo , Luppi Gabriele , Salati Massimiliano
Published: September 2022

Aim:

To apply extended ctDNA-based RAS genotyping to clinical criteria for improving the selection of patients eligible for anti-EGFR-based rechallenge in a real-world setting.

Methods:

ctDNA testing was prospectively applied to RASwt mCRC progressed after a first-line anti-EGFR-containing regimen and at least one other line. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate.

Results:

Among ten enrolled patients, the anti-EGFR rechallenge resulted in an objective response rate and disease control rate of 70% and 90%. The median progression-free survival was 11.3 months and overall survival was not reached. Compared with a historical cohort retreated with anti-EGFR agents based on clinical criteria, the ctDNA-driven approach resulted in a higher chance of achieving an objective response and longer survival.

Conclusions:

Blood-based RASwt status may enrich metastatic colorectal cancer more likely to benefit from anti-EGFR-based rechallenge. RAS genotyping in ctDNA represents a feasible, fast, and cost-effective tool to be implemented in the clinic for advancing precision medicine.
Female Nationalist Activism in Japan: Truth-Telling Through Everyday Micro-Practices
Authors: Öberg Dan , Hagström Linus
Published: September 2022

There is an emerging debate about the role and importance of women in right-wing nationalist movements. Drawing on research that highlights the need to study such women as active and complex political agents, this article examines a phenomenon that has previously received little attention—the activism of female Japanese nationalists. We approach the question of how such activism is practiced by analyzing a group interview with female nationalists, a nationalist manga centering on women’s experiences, and autobiographic books on such activism by and for Japanese women. The article contributes by arguing that female nationalist agency in Japan is a complex phenomenon, which is enacted through everyday micro-practices. It outlines how female nationalist activism draws upon and enhances, as well as challenges and transcends, a traditional Japanese “housewife identity.” As such, the female Japanese nationalist is imagined as having access to certain truths. She takes on the role of “truth-teller,” who is playing a strategic role in “waking people up” to the nationalist cause by voicing anger but also making space for a more “joyful,” “cute,” and inconspicuous everyday activism.
Dynamic behavior of axially moving web in multi-span roll-to-roll microcontact printing system
Authors: Ali Sajid , Hawwa Muhammad A , Hardt David E
Published: September 2022

This article presents theoretical dynamic analysis of a vibrating axially moving web of a multi-span / multi-roll microcontact printing system and experimental measurements of the system’s frequency response. A unique lab-scale microcontact printing machine with high-speed web handling capabilities is used. The axially moving web is modeled as a string and as a membrane. Then, numerical results of both models are compared with experimentally obtained response. The experiment is run for both case of constant axial speed and varying axial speed with time. Although both models are in good agreement with the experimental results, the values of frequencies obtained from the string model are found to be in closer agreement with those obtained from the experimental findings. It is found that increasing the web tension and decreasing the axial web speed increase the system’s frequency.
Work Identity and Future Research on Work as a Calling
Authors: Reed Americus , Jones Samuel , Dik Bryan J.
Published: September 2022

Research on work as a calling is gaining momentum, and work-as-a-calling theory is providing a helpful deductive structure to the consistent evidence that people who view their work as a calling and can actively live out that calling usually experience both career-related and general well-being. What is less clear are the key processes that may lead people to perceive a calling in the first place. By bringing work identity into sharper focus, we propose an especially promising framework for constructing a sense of calling, one that uses a cognitive approach. This cognitive approach to eliciting a sense of calling builds on four key work-identity precursors: effort calculation, reflection, appraisal, and fusion. These forward-looking processes are supported by extant research and are promising areas for future research that can illuminate how people may come to perceive a calling.
Factors Influencing Sustainable Software Practices and the Moderating Role of Knowledge Accessibility: Evidence from the Malaysian Electronic Industry
Authors: Giweze Chukwuyem , Aziz Nor Azah Abdul , Arshad Yusri
Published: September 2022

The current study investigates factors influencing sustainable software practices due to the growing concern for environmental desolation in software sustenance among software practitioners in the electronic industry. It validates the GREEN SOFT Reference Model in the Malaysian context by conducting a study in Selangor, Malaysia, using non-probability sampling techniques. The research involved 250 employees from various software departments. Partial least square via SmartPLS3.3 examined the constructs of governance, software strategy, knowledge accessibility, software practitioners, sustainable environmental practices and sustainable software practices. Empirical results show that the GREEN SOFT Reference Model positively and directly influenced software practices, including software strategy, software practitioners, sustainable environmental practices and knowledge accessibility. However, knowledge accessibility moderated the link between software strategy and sustainable software practices. The other factors did not indicate the moderating effect. The research shows that knowledge accessibility has the most substantial impact compared to the other factors. Therefore, the study suggests that practitioners should pursue sustainable software practices to enhance effectiveness in the workplace. The study presents the theoretical and practical implications for future consideration.
Exploring Relationships Between State-Level LGBTQ Inclusivity and BRFSS Indicators of Mental Health and Risk Behaviors: A Secondary Analysis
Authors: White Bradley Patrick , Abuelezam Nadia N. , Fontenot Holly B. , Jurgens Corrine Y.
Published: September 2022

Objectives:

Minority Stress Theory suggests that repeated exposure to enacted stigma adversely affects mental health. States have wide authority to enact policies affecting the level of inclusivity experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) residents. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between states’ level of LGBTQ inclusivity and indicators of mental health/risk behaviors among an LGBTQ sample.

Methods:

The 2018 Human Rights Campaign State Equality Index (SEI) and the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) were used to examine relationships between states’ levels of LGBTQ inclusivity (predictor variable) and indicators of mental health/risk behaviors (outcome variables). Relationships were explored using descriptive statistics and survey-weighted logistic regression.

Results:

Lower state inclusivity increased odds of fair/poor general health (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.48), increased odds of poor mental health days (AOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.11–1.62), increased odds of smoking (AOR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.27–2.07), and increased odds of heavy drinking (AOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.26–1.86) and binge drinking (AOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01–1.49). State inclusivity did not influence odds of a depressive disorder diagnosis or driving under the influence of alcohol.

Conclusions:

LGBTQ persons in restrictive states had increased odds of experiencing several indicators of mental health and risk behaviors. More research is needed to determine whether state policies affect other domains of LGBTQ persons’ health. Health care providers should be mindful of LGBTQ persons’ mental health/risk behaviors and the state policy environment, and should seek to implement mitigating health care strategies such as the use of validated assessment.
The effect of nonsupervised physical activity before and after breast cancer surgery on quality of life: Results from a randomized controlled trial (PhysSURG-B)
Authors: Heiman Jenny , Onerup Aron , Bock David , Haglind Eva , Olofsson Bagge Roger
Published: September 2022

Background and objective:

The PhysSURG-B trial of prehabilitation before breast cancer surgery randomized patients to a nonsupervised physical activity or a control group. The effects of the intervention on short- and long-term quality of life (QoL) were examined, with a subgroup analysis of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods:

Female patients planned for surgery were randomly assigned to either an intervention of 30 min of self-administered physical aerobic activity daily 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery or control. QoL was assessed with questionnaires at baseline, 4 weeks and 12 months postoperatively using the instruments FACT-B, RAND-36, and EQ-VAS.

Results:

Of 354 included participants at 12 months after surgery, 287 were available for analysis. FACT- B scores at 4 weeks and 12 months showed no differences between intervention compared to control, odds ratio (OR) of 0.975 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.636–1.495) and 0.883 (95% CI 0.581–1.342), respectively. There was no difference in EQ-VAS comparing intervention to control at 4 weeks and 12 months, respectively, OR 1.163 (95% CI 0.760–1.779) and 0.817 (95% CI 0.559–1.300). RAND-36 domains “role limitations due to physical health” and “pain” showed a decrease at 4 weeks in both groups, returning toward baseline at 12 months follow-up. The subgroup who received adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly lower QoL measured using FACT-B at 12 months compared to patients not receiving chemotherapy (OR 0.475; 95% CI 0.300–0.753).

Conclusions:

An intervention of non-supervised physical activity before and after surgery for breast cancer showed no effect on short or long-term QoL, compared to control.

Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT 02560662.
Impact of an Outpatient Fracture Liaison Service on Osteoporosis Evaluation Among Patients With Upper Extremity Fragility Fracture
Authors: Seyok Thany , Collins Jamie E. , Erikson Samantha J. , Charles Julia F. , Earp Brandon E.
Published: September 2022

Background:

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of implementation of an outpatient fracture liaison service (FLS) on completion rates of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and screening labs including 25-OH vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in patients with upper extremity (UE) fragility fractures.

Methods:

At our institution, 367 patients were treated in 2014-2015 for UE fragility fractures of the distal radius and proximal humerus before implementation of our outpatient FLS and 395 patients in 2017-2018 after implementation. Retrospective chart review was conducted to identify completed DXA scans within 2 years of fracture treatment and completed 25-OH vitamin D and PTH labs within 1 year of fracture treatment.

Results:

There were no statistical differences in the demographics of patients treated for distal radial and proximal humeral fragility fractures during the 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 time periods. Implementation of the FLS resulted in a 9.9% increase ( P value = .021) in completed DXA scans within 2 years of fracture treatment. Completed 25-OH vitamin D and PTH labs saw a significant increase of 17.1% and 23.8%, respectively ( P values < .001).

Conclusions:

Implementation of an outpatient FLS can help to improve osteoporosis evaluation with completed DXA scans and 25-OH vitamin D and PTH labs.
Dose-dependent Action of Zingiber officinale on Colonic Dysmotility and Ex Vivo Spontaneous Intestinal Contraction Modulation
Authors: Abidi Chaima , Rtibi Kais , Boutahiri Salima , Tounsi Haifa , Abdellaoui Afifa , Wahabi Soumaya , Gressier Bernard , Eto Bruno , Sebai Hichem
Published: September 2022

Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) rhizomes are commonly used in foods and employed for many ailments including gastrointestinal disorders. Our main objective was to evaluate the effect of Zingiber officinale aqueous extract (ZOAE) on gastrointestinal (GI) physiological motility and colonic dysmotility. Thereby, Wistar rats were given loperamide (LP, 3 mg/kg, b.w.) and ZOAE (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg, b.w.) or yohimbine (YOH, 2 mg/kg, b.w.). ZOAE-action on intestinal secretion was assessed using Ussing chamber technique and intestinal motility with isometric transducer. GI-transit (GIT) and gastric emptying (GE) were evaluated with the charcoal meal test and the red phenol methods. ZOAE-bioactive components were analyzed by liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-HRESIMS). Constipation was induced with LP and the different indicators such as stool composition, GIT, oxidative stress biological parameters, and colonic mucosa histological alteration were performed. Anti-constipation effect of ZOAE was confirmed on stool composition, GIT (53.42% to 85.57%), GE (55.47% to 98.88%), and re-established oxidative balance. ZOAE induces an amplitude increase of spontaneous intestinal contraction with EC50 of 10.52 μg/mL. No effect of ZOAE was observed on electrogenic transport of intestinal fluid. These findings suggest that ZOAE-bioactive candidates might exert an anti-constipation action and spontaneous intestinal contraction modulation.
Linear regression and artificial neural network models for predicting abrasive water jet marble drilling quality
Authors: Hammouda Mouna , Ghienne Martin , Dion Jean-Luc , Ben Yahia Noureddine
Published: September 2022

Marble is a fragile and heterogeneous material whose properties vary depending on the nature and origin of the marble. Therefore, the marble machining process requires the skills and know-how of the stone cutter to manually configure the machining parameters for each piece of marble. This study addresses the enhancement of quality achieved by marble drilling processes in the industry. The objective of this work is to drill marble with high quality performance and avoid fracturing the material. This article focuses on the process of drilling white Carrara marble with an abrasive water jet. This unconventional tool significantly reduces unwanted damage resulting from the drilling process (fractures, spalling) compared to the conventional drilling process (rotating abrasive tools). The effect of waterjet cutting parameters, namely jet pressure, stand-off distance, nozzle traverse speed, abrasive flow rate, and hole diameter on drilling tolerances is studied. Five defects in the drilling process are modeled in this work: surface roughness, hole circularity, hole cylindricity, hole location error, and hole taper, using analysis of variance of linear regression models and an artificial neural network width high accuracy. These models could be of great interest to stone cutters to configure marble machining parameters and improve marble manufacturing quality.
What are nurses’ roles in modern healthcare? A qualitative interview study using interpretive description
Authors: Jackson Jennifer , Maben Jill , Anderson Janet E
Published: September 2022

Aim

Nursing work has historically been difficult to specify. This has led to difficulties in determining safe staffing requirements and adequately supporting safe patient care. The aim of this qualitative interview study was to explore how nurses understand their work.

Design

Qualitative interview study, using the interpretive description methodology.

Methods

Twenty registered nurses and nursing students completed semi-structured interviews about their work. The researcher drew on the interpretive description methodology to analyse interview data and create a model that interprets participants’ experiences of their nursing work.

Results

Nurses understand their work by its role in the healthcare system, rather than by the tasks or activities they complete. This understanding is significant because nurses adapt their work constantly, and rigid definitions of working would not support safe adaptation. Nurses report working across three broad roles: clinical work, which is patient-facing; managing work, which sustains the care environment; and enabling work, which provides supports like research and education that make nursing a profession.

Conclusions

Clinical, managing and enabling work have different aims, but all serve the purpose of supporting safe patient care and sustaining healthcare systems. Adaptation is a constant feature of each of these roles. This model may be useful for nurses in structuring and explaining their work and informing nursing workforce policy.
Singing World Music: Issues and Ideas for Culturally Responsive Teaching
Authors: Allan Amalia A.
Published: September 2022

Implementing culturally responsive teaching is helpful when singing songs in different languages in the general music classroom. Two main hurdles exist when planning music lessons that include songs in different languages—maintaining musical authenticity and overcoming language barriers. One must then find a way to balance an aim for authenticity while also meeting instructional objectives. To help with the planning and execution of culturally responsive lessons that use songs from different countries, the author has included lesson plan examples and music notations for two types of songs in different languages—traditional and translated. There is also a table with online sources for world music.
Be Intentional: Anti-Racist Music, SEL, and DEI Alignments
Authors: Varner Edward
Published: September 2022

A general music classroom alignment with social & emotional learning (SEL) and diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) can, if implemented with commitment and purpose, help promote student success in important ways by acknowledging systemic inequities, identifying personal bias, and actively interrupting obstacles to equity. SEL alone will not solve long-standing, deep-seated inequities in the education system or society. This column shares insight as to how SEL & DEI alignments in the music classroom have the potential to cultivate knowledge, beliefs, practices, and relationships that can improve lives in communities. The piece encourages music teachers to steadily work to improve practices and ensure that efforts are equitable and connect to larger, more universal goals in education.
Thromboembolic events, bleeding, and mortality in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Skajaa Nils , Vandenbroucke Jan P. , Simonsen Claus Ziegler , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Adelborg Kasper
Published: September 2022

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) predominantly affects young to middle-aged women. Scarce data exist regarding the long-term prognosis. We examined the clinical course of patients with CVT overall and according to their age and sex. Using Danish registries, we identified all patients with a first-time primary inpatient diagnosis of CVT from 1996-2018 (N = 653; median age, 41 years; 67% women) and individuals from the general population matched for age, sex, and calendar year (N = 65 300). Patients with CVT were at an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) at other sites, ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and mortality. For both sexes, the increased risks of VTE at other sites were most prominent among younger patients (18-54 years), whereas the increased risks of ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and mortality were most prominent among older patients (≥55 years). Among young women, the 10-year risks of VTE at other sites for patients with CVT compared with members of the matched cohort were 2.2% vs 0.4% (risk difference, 1.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0-3.6). Among older women, compared with members of the matched cohort, the 10-year risks were 12.8% vs 3.1% (risk difference, 9.7%; 95% CI, 1.6-17.9) for ischemic stroke, 11.1% vs 4.6% (risk difference, 6.5%; 95% CI, −1.0 to 14.1) for major bleeding, and 43.1% vs 26.7% (risk difference, 16.4%; 95% CI, 3.7-29.1) for all-cause mortality. The risk of myocardial infarction was not elevated. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of age and sex heterogeneity in the prognosis of CVT.
Boolean implication analysis of single-cell data predicts retinal cell type markers
Authors: Subramanian Rohan , Sahoo Debashis
Published: September 2022

Background

The retina is a complex tissue containing multiple cell types that are essential for vision. Understanding the gene expression patterns of various retinal cell types has potential applications in regenerative medicine. Retinal organoids (optic vesicles) derived from pluripotent stem cells have begun to yield insights into the transcriptomics of developing retinal cell types in humans through single cell RNA-sequencing studies. Previous methods of gene reporting have relied upon techniques in vivo using microarray data, or correlational and dimension reduction methods for analyzing single cell RNA-sequencing data computationally. We aimed to develop a state-of-the-art Boolean method that filtered out noise, could be applied to a wide variety of datasets and lent insight into gene expression over differentiation.

Results

Here, we present a bioinformatic approach using Boolean implication to discover genes which are retinal cell type-specific or involved in retinal cell fate. We apply this approach to previously published retina and retinal organoid datasets and improve upon previously published correlational methods. Our method improves the prediction accuracy of marker genes of retinal cell types and discovers several new high confidence cone and rod-specific genes.

Conclusions

The results of this study demonstrate the benefits of a Boolean approach that considers asymmetric relationships. We have shown a statistically significant improvement from correlational, symmetric methods in the prediction accuracy of retinal cell-type specific genes.

Furthermore, our method contains no cell or tissue-specific tuning and hence could impact other areas of gene expression analyses in cancer and other human diseases.
Neuroanatomical regions associated with non-progressive dysarthria post-stroke: a systematic review
Authors: Summaka Marwa , Hannoun Salem , Harati Hayat , Daoud Rama , Zein Hiba , Estephan Elias , Naim Ibrahim , Nasser Zeina
Published: September 2022

Background

Dysarthria is a common and persisting sequela to stroke. It can have a negative influence on psychological wellbeing, and quality of life. This systematic review aimed to describe and identify the neuroanatomical regions associated with non-progressive dysarthria following stroke.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and ScienceDirect was conducted to identify all relevant articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to December 2021. Following data extraction, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tools were used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

Out of 2186 papers found in the literature related to dysarthria post-stroke, 24 met the inclusion criteria. Eligible articles assessed 1150 post-stroke subjects. Out of them, 420 subjects had dysarthria from isolated lesions. Regarding dysarthric subjects with ischemic strokes, 153 sustained supratentorial infarctions, while 267 had infratentorial infarctions. The majority had pontine infarctions (n = 142), followed by infarctions in the corona radiata (n = 104), and the cerebellum (n = 64).

Conclusion

This systematic review is the first step toward establishing a neuroanatomical model of dysarthria throughout the whole brain. Our findings have many implications for clinical practice and provide a framework for implementing guidelines for early detection and management of dysarthria post-stroke.
Morphology and composition of the ventral neck muscles in individuals with chronic whiplash related disorders compared to matched healthy controls: a cross-sectional case–control study
Authors: Peolsson Anneli , Karlsson Anette , Peterson Gunnel , Borén Hanna , Zsigmond Peter , Elliott James M. , Leinhard Olof Dahlqvist
Published: September 2022

Background

Objective

Studies of cross-sectional area (CSA) (morphology) and muscle fat infiltration (MFI) (composition) in ventral neck muscles is scarce in patients with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD), especially for men and those with severe WAD compared with matched healthy controls. The aim was to compare CSA and MFI of sternocleidomastoid (SCM), longus capitis (LCA) and longus colli (LCO) in patients with chronic right-sided dominant moderate (Neck Disability Index: NDI < 40) or severe WAD (NDI ≥ 40), compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Methods

Cross-sectional case–control study with blinded investigators. Thirty-one patients with chronic WAD (17 women and 14 men, mean age 40 years) (SD 12.6, range 20–62)) and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging of ventral neck muscles segmental level C4.

Results

Unique to the severe group was a larger magnitude of MFI in right SCM (p = 0.02) compared with healthy controls. There was no significant difference between the groups with regards to the other muscles and measures.

Conclusions

Individuals with severe right-sided dominant WAD have a higher MFI in the right SCM compared to healthy controls. No other differences were found between the groups. The present study indicates that there are changes in the composition of muscles on the side of greatest pain.
The role of companion animals in advanced cancer: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: McGhee William R. G. , Dempster Martin , Graham-Wisener Lisa
Published: September 2022

Background

There is evidence that a companion animal (CA) or ‘pet’ can be helpful during the management of chronic illness. However, the psychological effects of CAs and the mechanism by which they can be beneficial to individuals managing life-limiting conditions is unknown. This study addresses this gap and provides the first examination of the lived experience of CAs among community-dwelling adults with advanced cancer.

Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interview study consisting of a homogenous sample of 6 individuals with an advanced cancer diagnosis, who either self-selected to the study or were recruited through a regional charity that supports palliative and end-of-life care patients in maintaining a connection with their CA. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results

Four superordinate themes occurred in the data: a protective relationship, positive behavioural change, facilitating meaningful social connections and increased loss-orientated cognitions. The findings suggest that CAs offer de-arousing and socially protective supports that mitigate physical and psychological sequalae experienced by people with advanced cancer. However, as their illness progresses, individuals may also experience thoughts related to not meeting their CA’s needs currently and in the future.

Conclusions

CAs provide emotional, practical, and social supports to individuals diagnosed with advanced cancer that can improve individual psychological wellbeing. Consequently, it is important that CAs are considered in advance care planning processes and that services are available to mitigate any negative effects of CA ownership, in order to maximise the benefits CAs confer to individuals managing advanced cancer.
A novel Silva pattern-based model for precisely predicting recurrence in intermediate-risk cervical adenocarcinoma patients
Authors: Guo Chenyan , Tao Xiang , Zhang Lihong , Zhang Ying , Hua Keqin , Qiu Junjun
Published: September 2022

Background

Considering the unique biological behavior of cervical adenocarcinoma (AC) compared to squamous cell carcinoma, we now lack a distinct method to assess prognosis for AC patients, especially for intermediate-risk patients. Thus, we sought to establish a Silva-based model to predict recurrence specific for the intermediate-risk AC patients and guide adjuvant therapy.

Methods

345 AC patients were classified according to Silva pattern, their clinicopathological data and survival outcomes were assessed. Among them, 254 patients with only intermediate-risk factors were identified. The significant cutoff values of four factors (tumor size, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), depth of stromal invasion (DSI) and Silva pattern) were determined by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Subsequently, a series of four-, three- and two-factor Silva-based models were developed via various combinations of the above factors.

Results

(1) We confirmed the prognostic value of Silva pattern using a cohort of 345 AC patients. (2) We established Silva-based models with potential recurrence prediction value in 254 intermediate-risk AC patients, including 12 four-factor models, 30 three-factor models and 16 two-factor models. (3) Notably, the four-factor model, which includes any three of four intermediate-risk factors (Silva C, ≥ 3 cm, DSI > 2/3, and > mild LVSI), exhibited the best recurrence prediction performance and surpassed the Sedlis criteria.

Conclusions

Our study established a Silva-based four-factor model specific for intermediate-risk AC patients, which has superior recurrence prediction performance than Sedlis criteria and may better guide postoperative adjuvant therapy.