bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framing as a tool of influencer marketing in the management of marketing communications and brand representation
Authors: Oklander Michael , Chaikovska Maryna , Shkeda Oleksandr
Published: March 2023

Topicality of the selected issue is due to the change in the orientation of brand communications in the information space from rational economic goals and values to behavioral economic ones, as well as the probability of incorrect decoding of the information message by the recipient of the information. The aim was to create a model of representative marketing communications transition from the formation of meanings to the formation of trends by using framing as an impact marketing tool. To accomplish the tasks set, the work uses the selection of general scientific and special methods and techniques of scientific research, such as the method of semantic, morphological, comparative and critical analysis, the ontology construction method, system-structural and functional approaches, simulation modeling, etc. The brand phenomenon is considered from the point of view of social constructivism, as a result of which seven principles of brand existence in the concept of communications with society have been identified. Two types of frameworks, which are used when building a narrative in the context of representative brand actions, have been substantiated theoretically. The methodology for using these frameworks is considered from the position of marketing, logical, communicative and social metrics included extensional and intensional equalities, as a result of which a model, that allows determining the transformation of brand communications into meanings or trends and its trendy potential, has been built. The following framing tools have been analyzed and adapted for marketing purposes: Overton Window, Hallin’s Spheres, Opinion Corridor, Spiral of Silence, Echo Chamber and Epistemic Bubble. Reframing is considered from the point of view of culture, namely the processes of inculturation. The difference of approaches has been revealed and a model of the transition of using framing tools from constructing meanings to constructing trends has been built. This model allows to minimize the problem of incorrect decoding of information during representative and communicative actions of the brand
Obsesif istem dışı düşüncelerin Bilişsel-Davranışçı Modelinin anlık ve geriye dönük ölçümler ile incelenmesi: Deneyim örnekleme yöntemine dair bir ön çalışma
Authors: Durna Gülşah , Yorulmaz Orçun
Published: March 2023

Obsesif-Kompulsif Bozukluğun gelişimi ve sürdürülmesinde etkin faktörlerin doğru ve gerçek zamanlı olarak değerlendirilmesi, tedavisi ve önlenmesi bakımından oldukça önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, Obsesif-Kompulsif Bozukluğun Bilişsel-Davranışçı Modeline ilişkin bileşenlerin ekolojik anlık değerlendirme yöntemi ile incelenmesi amacıyla Deneyim Örnekleme Formu geliştirilmiş ve modele ait bileşenlerin birbirleriyle ilişkili olup olmadığı anlık ve geriye dönük ölçümler ile karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmaya, uygun örnekleme yöntemi ile 55 yetişkin birey katılmıştır. Katılımcılar, ilk olarak Sosyodemografik Bilgi Formu ve Obsesif İstem Dışı Düşünceler Envanterini doldurmuştur. Ardından katılımcıların, akıllı telefonlarına yüklenen bir cep telefonu uygulamasıyla bir gün boyunca belirli zaman aralıklarındaki seçkisiz zamanlarda 8 telefon bildirimi almaları sağlanmış ve her bildirimde telefon ekranında beliren Deneyim Örnekleme Formunu doldurmaları beklenmiştir. Araştırma bulguları öncelikle anlık olarak değerlendirilen olumlu ve olumsuz duygulanım, istem dışı düşünce yoğunluğu, bu düşüncelere yönelik duygusal tepkiler, kontrol zorluğu, kontrol stratejileri ve kompulsiyon değişkenlerinin birbirleriyle ve geriye dönük ölçüm alınan Obsesif İstem Dışı Düşünceler Envanterinin ilgili faktörleri ile anlamlı şekilde ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Bunun yanı sıra, Obsesif İstem Dışı Düşünceler Envanteri alt faktörlerinden oluşturulan uç gruplar, anlık ölçümlenen değişkenler açısından karşılaştırılmış ve gruplar arası anlamlı farklar elde edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları, deneyim örnekleme yönteminin güncel model doğrultusunda Obsesif-Kompulsif Bozukluğu başlatan ve sürdüren bilişsel faktörleri sorgulama ve etkili değişkenleri daha gerçekçi ve anlık değerlendirme amacıyla kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir. Ekolojik geçerliği yüksek olan bu yöntemin, Obsesif-Kompulsif Bozukluğun değerlendirilmesi ve tedavisine önemli katkılar sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.
Prevalence of childhood cough in epidemiological studies depends on the question used: findings from two population-based studies
Authors: Mallet Maria Christina , Mozun Rebeca , Pedersen Eva S. L. , Ardura-Garcia Cristina , Gaillard Erol A. , Latzin Philipp , Moelller Alexander , Kuehni Claudia E. , On behalf of the LUIS study group
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies use different questions to assess recurrent cough in children. In two independent population-based studies, we assessed how prevalence estimates of cough vary depending on the questions parents are asked about their child’s cough and how answers to the different questions overlap.

METHODS: We analysed cross-sectional data from two population-based studies on respiratory health: LuftiBus in the School (LUIS), conducted in 2013-2016 among 6- to 17-year-school children in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and the 1998 Leicester Respiratory Cohort (LRC) study, UK where we used data from 6- to 8-year-old children from the 2003 follow-up survey. Both studies used parental questionnaires that included the same three questions on the child’s cough, namely cough without a cold, dry cough at night and coughing more than others. We assessed how the prevalence of cough varied depending on the question and how answers to the different questions on cough overlapped. We also assessed how results were influenced by age, sex, presence of wheeze and parental education.

RESULTS: We included 3457 children aged 6–17 years from LUIS and 2100 children aged 6–8 years from LRC. All respiratory outcomes – cough, wheeze and physician-diagnosed asthma – were reported twice as often in the LRC as in LUIS. We found large differences in the prevalence of parent-reported cough between the three cough questions. In LUIS, 880 (25%) parents reported cough without a cold, 394 (11%) dry night cough, and 159 (5%) reported that their child coughed more than other children. In the LRC, these numbers were 1003 (48%), 527 (25%) and 227 (11%). There was only partial overlap of answers, with 89 (3%) answering yes to all questions in LUIS and 168 (8%) in LRC. Prevalence of all types of cough and overlap between the cough questions was higher in children with current wheeze.

CONCLUSION: In both population-based studies prevalence estimates of cough depended strongly on the question used to assess cough with only partial overlap of responses to different questions. Epidemiological studies on cough can only be compared if they used exactly the same questions for cough.
Die Formalisierung der konsensualen Erledigung nach § 153a StPO
Authors: Algasinger Tobias
Published: March 2023

In view of the massive expansion of material criminal law over the past 50 years, law enforcement agencies are making extensive use of § 153a StPO to cope with the increasing volume of proceedings. The associated application deficits (including a lack of transparency) are comparable to those of procedural agreements prior to their codification in 2009. The dissertation therefore takes the approach of addressing these deficits by transferring knowledge from the nowadays strictly formalized procedural agreement (§ 257c StPO) to the non-formalized § 153a StPO. Unlike previous reform proposals, the study does not remain selective in terms of material or procedural modifications, but provides a comprehensive procedural approach.
Modified Roll Flap Technique for Horizontal Ridge Augmentation - A Case Report
Authors:   Department of Implantology and Periodontology SOEP - Dental Study and Research System / ICS FACSET, Brazil, de Sousa Leandro Lecio , de Barros Junior João Carlos Vicente ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology RIDGE (Research Implant Dentistry and Graft Expertise) / ICS FUNORT, Brazil, Morais Davideney Silva ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology RIDGE (Research Implant Dentistry and Graft Expertise) / ICS FUNORT, Brazil, de Lima Silva Marilia Patricia ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology SOEP - Dental Study and Research System / ICS FACSET, Brazil, Lima Silva Yuri Cassio de ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology SOEP - Dental Study and Research System / ICS FACSET, Brazil, Ribeiro Martins Sergio Charifker ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology SOEP - Dental Study and Research System / ICS FACSET, Brazil, Martins de Sá Bruno Costa ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology RIDGE (Research Implant Dentistry and Graft Expertise) / ICS FUNORT, Brazil, Ishimine Skiba Tarcio Hiroshi ,   Department of Implantology and Periodontology RIDGE (Research Implant Dentistry and Graft Expertise) / ICS FUNORT, Brazil
Published: March 2023

The modified roll flap technique is a procedure in which a pedicled connective tissue is harvested and rolled from the palate into the oral mucosa in order to increase the peri-implant soft tissue width. This technique is effective, provides an excellent alternative for the soft tissue recovery of deficient areas, improves gingival phenotype and aesthetics. The aim of this paper is to report a clinical case in which the modified roll technique was employed along with the placement of a provisional.
Composite Cryogels for Drug Delivery Applications: A Preliminary Study with Dye as a Model Drug
Authors: DEMİR KARAKUŞ Didem , CEYLAN Seda , BÖLGEN Nimet
Published: March 2023

Cryogels are suitable candidates to be used as drug release systems due to their interconnected pore structures, high surface areas, high liquid absorption capacities, and elasticity. With this purpose, we aimed to produce a cryogel structure to be used in drug release applications with the approach of tissue engineering. As biodegradable and biocompatible polymers chitosan and gelation were selected. The cryogels were fabricated using the combination of these polymers in the presence of glutaraldehyde under cryogenic conditions. The produced optimum gel scaffold was first characterized using FTIR, SEM, porosity, swelling ability, and degradation analyses. Successfully crosslinked gels exhibited an interconnected pore structure with an average pore diameter of 52.95 µm. As a result of the examination of the time-dependent weight change, it was also revealed that the cryogels have a liquid absorption capacity of about 500 times their dry weight and are biodegradable. The mainly characterized cryogel sample was evaluated for potential drug loading and release applications using methyl orange (MO) as a model drug. Gels, which swell in a short time, absorb the dye quickly and the cumulative release of the dye indicates that the gels are suitable for extended-release systems.
Service Quality in the Banking System
Authors: ÇABIRI MIJO Ketrina , SALAJ Xhorxhina , MUCEKU Hysen
Published: March 2023

The work environment is constantly changing thus it is a prerequisite for businesses to effectively adapt themselves to increase productivity. Various performance reports have shown that the approach how a bank operates drives its path toward growth or degradation. The purpose of this research is to provide insights on the role of service quality in the banking system, with a case study on Tirana Bank. Using financial statements as key indicators, we have provided basic information on the growth and development of Tirana Bank in Albania. Young people in Albania are the generation that understand the positive consequences of practicing emotional intelligence, shifting greater emphasis on how to achieve a worthy presentation between the equally sensitive and uncompromising “client service”. Therefore, we have collected responses of a questionnaire submitted by clients of Tirana Bank, gathering as such the necessary information to conduct a study on the importance of service quality in the banking system. Methodologically speaking, this paper uses a simple regression analysis and Cronbach’s alpha model, based on 18 questions posed to 350 clients at different ages over a period of 1 month. Through this analysis, it argues that there is a strong positive relationship between service quality and other influential variables, reliability, security, loyalty, sensitivity, vulnerability and responsibility. This means that an increase of the above factors leads to the enhancement of service quality, therefore results show that to increase the bank’s reputation, bring effectiveness to the institution and create increased competition, managers must upgrade it to the most optimal level possible.
‘‘Catch the Flood Before it Catches You’’: Spate Irrigation in Arid Regions of Pakistan
Authors: Nawaz Karim
Published: March 2023

Floods wreak chaos and destruction in many places, but for people in arid regions using spate irrigation, the floods that emerge from ephemeral rivers symbolize life, livelihood and prosperity. Communities pray for floods as they are the only source of water. Pakistan has the largest amount ofland under spate irrigation in the world. Spate irrigation is a unique 1000-year-old system. Yet despite its many environmental, social, cultural, managerial and economic benefits, it is not widely known among academics, researchers or practitioners. The practice is based on indigenous knowledge learned from elders and passed down from one generation to the next, with enthusiasm and interest, as part of culture and heritage. This article explores the innovative aspects of this system, which is crucial as a sustainable means of livelihood. It explains how the system lets people effectively manage the spate flows, protecting them against the havoc caused by floods, and allowing land to be developed to meet the needs of future populations.
Underwater Cultural Heritage: Out of Sight, Out of Mind and at Risk
Authors: Underwood Chris
Published: March 2023

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. Tangible and intangible cultural heritage assets located in coastal and near-shore underwater environments are under particular threat due to climate change and its impact on water. These threatened sites and practices have served historically to not only feed and employ large and small coastal communities, but importantly have provided the societal and cultural roots that have helped bond them together. Although it is acknowledged that water environments (in the context of this article ‘‘water’’ is taken to mean oceans, seas and inland waters) function as a major global food source (SDG 2 Zero Hunger), and play a major role as a carbon sink (SDG13 Climate Action), water is also a vehicle for commerce and many other ocean activities labeled ‘‘the Blue Economy,’’ all of which are considered of critical importance. However, the societal consequences of damage and loss to underwater tangible and intangible heritage assets and associated practices should not be underestimated. Threatened by sea level rise, with seas estimated to rise by up to a meter by the end of the century, combined with extreme weather events (Gregory et al. 2022), it is anticipated that there will be significant loss of these assets with social and cultural consequences. In extreme circumstances, the very existence of some coastal communities and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is also at risk. Therefore, how to value, protect and manage these often “unseen” underwater cultural heritage sites sustainably is of vital social and cultural importance.
Religious Heritage and Water Management
Authors: Wijsen Frans
Published: March 2023

Water is central to most religions. However, the treatment of water in those religions is often far from holy. With examples from the Netherlands and Indonesia, this article shares insights concerning the intricate link between water, religion and world views. In recent decades, religious and interreligious institutions and organizations have taken stands against wastage and pollution and for the sustainable uses of water. As it turns out, religion can be an obstacle to, but also a source of, environment-friendly practices.
Blue-Green Infrastructure: An Opportunity for New Natural Heritage in Zwolle
Authors: Dolman Nanco
Published: March 2023

Living with water is an essential part of the cultural heritage of the city of Zwolle, NL. The historic development of the city within its water systems has been recognized as an inspiration for climate adaptation. In July 2019, the city of Zwolle presented its Adaptation Strategy. Building on its water heritage, a cohesive blue-green network (city scale) in the city can develop and expand, with room for urban sponges (neighborhood scale) that will combat heat stress. This will create a new natural heritage that is recognized and supported by the community. In this plan, various components are interconnected and will strengthen the blue-green network as the physical basis of an adaptation strategy to make Zwolle and its surroundings climate proof and adaptive. Zwolle’s blue-green transformation aims at achieving SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and has the potential to fulfill targets regarding climate action (SDG13), the protection of water quality (SDG 6) and the restoration of biodiversity (SDG 14 and 15).
The Embodied Brain and Sandtray Therapy: Stories of Healing and Transformation
Authors: Van Hollander Tammi , Pantier Kay
Published: March 2023

This is a book review.
Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Health Crisis
Authors: Solanki Renu , Anand Shailly , Anand Mugdha , Kumar Prateek , Kumar Munendra , Khanna Kapur Monisha
Published: March 2023

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has been recognized as a global health crisis. It occurs when the microbial pathogens develop mechanisms by means of which the existing antibiotics become ineffective against them and the management of infections caused by them become difficult. According to the data of World Health Organization (WHO) the most common multidrug resistant (MDR) microbes include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium difficile, Klebsiella pneumoniae and many more. Overpopulation, globalization, misuse of antibiotics by humans, injudicious use of antibiotics in livestock, poor hygiene standards in hospitals and lack of development of new antibiotics constitute the major causes for the rise in antimicrobial resistance. Although, the development of new antibiotics is considered as a potential solution to tackle the spread of AMR; newer alternative strategies including vaccines, bacteriophages, monoclonal antibodies, other bioactive molecules like peptides and development of effective diagnostic tools are also being explored by scientists to overcome this issue. This global concern thus requires collaborative efforts from countries across the world. Therefore, different organizations like World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Infectious Diseases Society of America, World Economic Forum are working tirelessly towards the control of AMR.
COVID-19 advising application development for Apple devices (iOS)
Authors: Alshahrani Saeed M. , Khan Nayyar Ahmed
Published: March 2023

One of humanity’s most devastating health crises was COVID-19. Billions of people suffered during this pandemic. In comparison with previous global pandemics that have been faced by the world before, societies were more accurate with the technical support system during this natural disaster. The intersection of data from healthcare units and the analysis of this data into various sophisticated systems were critical factors. Different healthcare units have taken special consideration to advance technical inputs to fight against such situations. The field of natural language processing (NLP) has dramatically supported this. Despite the primitive methods for monitoring the bio-metric factors of a person, the use of cognitive science has emerged as one of the most critical features during this pandemic era. One of the essential features is the potential to understand the data based on various texts and user inputs. The deployment of various NLP systems is one of the most challenging factors in handling the bulk amount of data flowing from multiple sources. This study focused on developing a powerful application to advise patients suffering from ailments related to COVID-19. The use of NLP refers to facilitating a user to identify the present critical situation and make necessary decisions while getting infected. This article also summarises the challenges associated with NLP and its usage for future NLP-based applications focusing on healthcare units. There are a couple of applications that reside for android-based systems as well as web-based chat-bot systems. In terms of security and safety, application development for iOS is more advanced. This study also explains the block meant of an application for advising COVID-19 infection. A natural language processing powered application for an iOS operating system is indeed one of its kind, which will help people who need to advise proper guidance. The article also portrays NLP-based application development for healthcare problems associated with personal reporting systems.
Cloning and comparative modeling identifies a highly stress tolerant Cu/Zn cytosolic super oxide dismutase 2 from a drought tolerant maize inbred line
Authors: Gautam Anuradha , Khan Fatima Nazish , Priya Surabhi , Kumar Krishan , Sharda Shivani , Kaul Tanushri , Singh Ishwar , Langyan Sapna , Yadava Pranjal
Published: March 2023

Plants have a complex system of stress response that deals with different types of stresses. Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the most important crops grown throughout the world, across a range of agro-ecological environments, employs complex mechanisms of gene regulation in response to drought stress. HKI 335 is a tropical maize inbred line showing remarkable adaptation to drought stress. Abiotic stresses, like drought, trigger the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the incomplete reduction or excitation of molecular oxygen, eventually leading to cell damage. Superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) is a metalloenzyme that acts as the first line of defense against ROS. We cloned the Sod2 gene from HKI 335 inbred line and analyzed its protein through detailed in silico characterization. Our comparative modeling revealed that at the level of tertiary structure, the HKI 335 SOD2 protein is highly similar to Potentilla atrosanguinea SOD2, which had been previously identified as highly thermostable SOD that can tolerate autoclaving as well as sub-zero temperatures. We performed phylogenetic analysis, estimated physicochemical properties, post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions, and domain composition of this SOD2. The phylogenetic analysis showed that orthologous sequences of SOD from different species were clustered into two clusters. Secondary structure prediction indicates that SOD2 is a soluble protein and no transmembrane domains have been found. Most of the beta sheets have RSA value greater than 2. The Ramachandran plot from PDBsum revealed that most of the residues fall in the highly favored region. It was estimated that the value of the instability index was less than 40, the value of the aliphatic index was extremely high and the GRAVY value lies between −2 and +2. We could identify only one phosphorylation site, located at position 20 with a score of 0.692. Overall, the unique stress-tolerant properties of the HKI 335 SOD2, may be one of the reasons contributing to the high drought tolerance trait exhibited by HKI 335 maize inbred line. Further research may reveal more insights into the drought adaptation mechanism in maize and the eventual deployment of the trait in maize hybrids.
Brain mechanism of unfamiliar and familiar voice processing: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis
Authors: Sun YuXiang , Ming Lili , Sun Jiamin , Guo FeiFei , Li Qiufeng , Hu Xueping
Published: March 2023

Interpersonal communication through vocal information is very important for human society. During verbal interactions, our vocal cord vibrations convey important information regarding voice identity, which allows us to decide how to respond to speakers (e.g., neither greeting a stranger too warmly or speaking too coldly to a friend). Numerous neural studies have shown that identifying familiar and unfamiliar voices may rely on different neural bases. However, the mechanism underlying voice identification of individuals of varying familiarity has not been determined due to vague definitions, confusion of terms, and differences in task design. To address this issue, the present study first categorized three kinds of voice identity processing (perception, recognition and identification) from speakers with different degrees of familiarity. We defined voice identity perception as passively listening to a voice or determining if the voice was human, voice identity recognition as determining if the sound heard was acoustically familiar, and voice identity identification as ascertaining whether a voice is associated with a name or face. Of these, voice identity perception involves processing unfamiliar voices, and voice identity recognition and identification involves processing familiar voices. According to these three definitions, we performed activation likelihood estimation (ALE) on 32 studies and revealed different brain mechanisms underlying processing of unfamiliar and familiar voice identities. The results were as follows: (1) familiar voice recognition/identification was supported by a network involving most regions in the temporal lobe, some regions in the frontal lobe, subcortical structures and regions around the marginal lobes; (2) the bilateral superior temporal gyrus was recruited for voice identity perception of an unfamiliar voice; (3) voice identity recognition/identification of familiar voices was more likely to activate the right frontal lobe than voice identity perception of unfamiliar voices, while voice identity perception of an unfamiliar voice was more likely to activate the bilateral temporal lobe and left frontal lobe; and (4) the bilateral superior temporal gyrus served as a shared neural basis of unfamiliar voice identity perception and familiar voice identity recognition/identification. In general, the results of the current study address gaps in the literature, provide clear definitions of concepts, and indicate brain mechanisms for subsequent investigations.
The risks of low hemoglobin deferral in a large retrospective cohort of plasmapheresis donors and the influence factors of return for a subsequent donation in China
Authors: Xiao Guanglin , Dong Demei , Wang Ya , Li Changqing , Huang Gong tian , Yang Hui , Huang Jing , Chen Fei
Published: March 2023

Background

According to the Technical Operation Procedures for Plasmapheresis Collection Station (2019) in China, plasmapheresis donors with low hemoglobin (Hb) levels (men <12.0 g/dL; women <11.0 g/dL) were deferred for at least 2 weeks. The purpose of this retrospective study was to survey the demographic characteristics of plasmapheresis donors with low Hb deferral (LHD) and identify at-risk LHD donors, so as to enhance donor safety and improve donation service management.

Methods

From 2018 to 2020, a multi-center study involving plasmapheresis donors from 18 plasmapheresis centers in three provinces (Sichuan, Yunnan and Hunan) of China was conducted. Donor demographics (age, sex) and donation information (date of donation, first-time donors vs. repeat donors, the number of lifetime donations, the number of donations in the last 12 months, and whether the LHD donor returned for a subsequent donation) were collected. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method was used to explore the risk factors for LHD while adjusting for the different provinces. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the factors influencing the return for a subsequent donation after LHD.

Results

A total of 497,039 plasmapheresis donors were included. Female donors’ LHD rate was 0.15% on average, while male donors’ LHD rate was 0.01%. Female donors aged 41–50 years old (OR: 2.276, 95% CI [1.333–3.887], p = 0.002) were more likely to experience LHD temporarily than those aged 18–30 years old. For female donors, compared with donations in the winter, they had a higher risk for LHD in the summer (OR: 2.217, 95% CI [1.670–2.943], p < 0.001), spring (OR: 2.402, 95% CI [1.806–3.196], p < 0.001), and fall (OR: 2.002, 95% CI [1.500–2.673], p < 0.001). Among the LHD donors, those who had donated more frequently in the past were more likely to return for a subsequent donation (p = 0.012).

Conclusions

Female donors were at a higher risk of LHD, particularly between the ages of 41 and 50. A clear seasonal pattern in the rate of LHD was observed. In the winter, the risk of LHD was the lowest; thus, it was advised to recruit plasmapheresis donors throughout the winter and to make the required adjustments for recruitment measures during other seasons. The number of previous donations was correlated with the return rate after LHD. Our observations could have practical implications for plasmapheresis donor management.
Clinicopathological Profile of Patients with Multiple Myeloma: An Ambispective Study
Authors: Gupta Aditi , Malukani Kamal , Dhamnani Garima , Tripapathi Sushmita , Wankhade Suvidhi , Raghuwanshi Avinash
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a clonal expansion of B lineage plasma cells in bone marrow. MM accounts for 10- 15% of haematological malignancies and 1% of all malignant diseases. Though, the aetiology of the disease is largely unknown, various factors have been found to increase the incidence of MM. The present comprehensive research work on MM in the Malwa region of central India is an attempt to establish on clinicodemographic, haematological, biochemical and radiological parameters and finally to stage them according to Durie Salmon Staging (DSS) system. Aim: To study clinicopathological profile of patients with MM. Materials and Methods: The present ambispective study was conducted on total 70 cases of MM reported in the Department of Pathology at Sri Aurobindo Medical College and Post Graduate Institute, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, from July 2012 to June 2020. The study design included retrospective studies from July 2012 to December 2018 (six years and five months) and prospective studies from November 2017 to April 2019 (one year and five months). The demographic data of patients’ including history and clinical findings were recorded. Complete Blood Count (CBC) was done in all cases. Biochemical investigations were also done. Urine samples of all patients were screened for the presence of Bence Jones protein. Biochemical parameters and staging of MM patients was done. Statistical analysis prepared in excels spreadsheet and quantitative data were presented as proportions. Results: The study included a total of 70 cases of MM diagnosed on peripheral smear and/or bone marrow examination. The male:female ratio was 2.1:1, with a male preponderance. The results of the present study, reported 48 (68.57%) patients were male and 22 (31.43%) patients were females. In the present investigation, the authors diagnosed serum Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were estimated in 63, out of 70 patients. Out of which, 25 (39.69%) patients had levels <240 U/L, while 23 (33%) and 17 (23.81%) patients had levels between 241-480 U/L and >480 U/L, respectively. Conclusion: The present study, underlines the association between clinical presentation, laboratory parameters and radiological findings in establishing the diagnosis of MM. The present study emphasises not only the role of a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in establishing a diagnosis of MM, but also, assessing the plasma cell burden in the marrow.
Nutritional Quality and In vitro Protein Digestibility of Complementary Foods Formulated from Maize, Cowpea and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Flours: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Adigwe N. E. , Kiin-Kabari D. B. , Emelike N. J. T.
Published: March 2023

Complementary foods were formulated from blends of maize, cowpea and orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP). Five different blends of flour were formulated with the substitution with cowpea flour at 5-30%, and OFSP substitution at 5-20% while 100% maize flour was used as the control. The flour blends were heated and extruded using a cold extruder. The samples were thereafter analyzed for their proximate, mineral, and vitamin compositions, and % In vitro Protein Digestibility. The moisture, ash, fat, crude protein, crude fibre, carbohydrate and energy of the complementary fruits samples varied from 8.11-11.39%, 2.27-3.66%, 2.20-3.10%, 8.87-13.07%, 2.39-4.07%, 68.90-73.43% and 357.08-367.68 Kcal/100g, respectively. All the samples were within the standard RDA for infants and young children, except for fat which was less than 10% recommendation. The mineral contents of the complementary food samples ranged from 44.20 – 80.67mg/100g for calcium, 8.86 – 24.50 mg/100g iron, 127.23- 167.72 mg/100 g magnesium, 1.53 -3.17 mg/100g zinc, 31.75 – 63.75 mg/100g phosphorus and 26.86 – 39.98 mg/100g sodium. There were significantly increase (p < 0.05) in these minerals as the substitution with cowpea and OFSP flours increased. β -carotene and vitamin C content of the complementary food samples ranged from 10.90 – 31.00 mg/100g and 1.80 – 12.01 mg/100 g, respectively.  Increase in substitution with cowpea and OFSP led to an increase in β -carotene values. Vitamin content also increase significantly (P<0.05) with increase in proportion of cowpea and OFSP flours. % in vitro protein digestibility of the samples varied between 30.29 in MCOA (100% maize complementary food) to 48.77% in sample MCOF (50% maize: 30% cowpea: 20% OFSP). Protein digestibility of the complementary food samples also increased significantly with increase in substitution. Most of the nutrients were highest in the samples containing 20% an 10% OFSP and 30% cowpea and 20% OFSP, making these samples suitable for use as of complementary foods.
Gender Differences Influence Student’s Numeracy Literacy in Secondary Schools in Kolaka Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Jahring  , Haidar Irajuana
Published: March 2023

This study aims to describe students' numeracy literacy skills by gender, and analyze inferentially the differences in numeracy literacy between male and female students. The sample of this study involved 48 students of MTs Negeri 1 Kolaka consisting of 21 male students and 27 female students. Research data were collected using numeracy literacy test instruments, data analysis includes: (1) descriptive analysis that aims to describe students' numeracy literacy ability which includes mean score, standard deviation and variance; and (2) inferential analysis aimed at determining differences in numeracy literacy skills between male students and female students using independent sample t tests on the condition that the normality and homogeneity of the data are met. The results of the study include: (1) descriptively, including: students' numeracy literacy ability is in the low category, and the numeracy literacy ability of female students is higher than that of male students; and (2) inferentially, including: data on students' numeracy literacy ability are normally distributed, and homogeneous, and there is no difference in numeracy literacy ability between male and female students.
A Bibliometric Overview of IoT-Based Digital Voting
Authors: Essah Richard , Ampofo Isaac Atta Senior
Published: March 2023

Abstract: Several studies have empirically explored biometric voting using the IoT to transfer votes to the central system. There aren't many bibliometric studies that categorize the output in this area, though. By keeping an eye on the papers posted on the Scopus platform, this study’s goal is to give research bibliometric analysis on biometric voting utilizing IoT to transfer votes to a central system, classifying trends, the state of the art, and other indications. 267 different materials made up the sample. Using the VOSviewer program, the data was processed and the outcomes graphically represented. According to the study, which examined publications’ simultaneous occurrence by year, trends of keyword, co-citations, coupling bibliographic, and co-authorship analysis, institutions, and countries, the body of knowledge on biometric voting that uses the Internet of Things to transfer votes to a central system is expanding quickly. More than 530 citations were found in just eight works. However, there are other industrious writers. The most significant of the 267 sources used in the review were published in 26.066 percent of the papers. China is the world's leader in this field. This study offers knowledge about the current state of the art and indicates research opportunities and gaps in IoT-based biometric voting.
siRNA: A Comprehensive Review of Marketed Products till August 2022
Authors: Ghosh Rupali , Nayan Md. Iqbal Hossain , Nandi Tirtha
Published: March 2023

Small interference RNA (siRNA) is a double-stranded RNA of 21~25 nucleotides. siRNA functions using a natural phenomenon known as RNA interference (RNAi), a gene silencing mechanism. Hypothetically, siRNA can target and regulate the expression of any disease-related gene in a sequence-specific manner. In 1993, this mechanism was noticed in a nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, later discovered in humans. After two decades, in 2018, the first siRNA therapeutics (Patisiran) were developed successfully and got approval from USFDA. Followed by three more siRNA drugs (Givosiran, Lumasiran, and Inclisiran) approved in consecutive years to treat rare, inherited genetic disorders. Recently approved one is Vutisiran with a similar indication of patisiran. Limitation of conventional therapies, this new & standard pharmacotherapy opens a new era of changing the treatment options of human diseases. Six siRNA candidates are in phase III clinical trials and are hoped to enter the pharmaceutical market soon. Challenges faced during the development of these novel therapies were off-target effects, target-specific delivery, cellular uptake, recognition by the innate immune system, limited efficacy, and others. However, chemical modification of the siRNA nucleotides in sugar, base, and phosphate moiety makes it successful in overcoming obstacles. In addition, a non-viral delivery carrier also helped in many aspects during formulation. This study is a narrative review and will summarize pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, design approaches, and other attributes faced during the development of marketed siRNA products.
Assessment of the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Nonhospitalized Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Fang Margaret C. , Reynolds Kristi , Tabada Grace H. , Prasad Priya A. , Sung Sue Hee , Parks Anna L. , Garcia Elisha , Portugal Cecilia , Fan Dongjie , Pai Ashok P. , Go Alan S.
Published: March 2023

Importance

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have higher rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the risk and predictors of VTE among individuals with less severe COVID-19 managed in outpatient settings are less well understood.

Objectives

To assess the risk of VTE among outpatients with COVID-19 and identify independent predictors of VTE.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at 2 integrated health care delivery systems in Northern and Southern California. Data for this study were obtained from the Kaiser Permanente Virtual Data Warehouse and electronic health records. Participants included nonhospitalized adults aged 18 years or older with COVID-19 diagnosed between January 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, with follow-up through February 28, 2021.

Exposures

Patient demographic and clinical characteristics identified from integrated electronic health records.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the rate per 100 person-years of diagnosed VTE, which was identified using an algorithm based on encounter diagnosis codes and natural language processing. Multivariable regression using a Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model was used to identify variables independently associated with VTE risk. Multiple imputation was used to address missing data.

Results

A total of 398 530 outpatients with COVID-19 were identified. The mean (SD) age was 43.8 (15.8) years, 53.7% were women, and 54.3% were of self-reported Hispanic ethnicity. There were 292 (0.1%) VTE events identified over the follow-up period, for an overall rate of 0.26 (95% CI, 0.24-0.30) per 100 person-years. The sharpest increase in VTE risk was observed during the first 30 days after COVID-19 diagnosis (unadjusted rate, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.51-0.67 per 100 person-years vs 0.09; 95% CI, 0.08-0.11 per 100 person-years after 30 days). In multivariable models, the following variables were associated with a higher risk for VTE in the setting of nonhospitalized COVID-19: age 55 to 64 years (HR 1.85 [95% CI, 1.26-2.72]), 65 to 74 years (3.43 [95% CI, 2.18-5.39]), 75 to 84 years (5.46 [95% CI, 3.20-9.34]), greater than or equal to 85 years (6.51 [95% CI, 3.05-13.86]), male gender (1.49 [95% CI, 1.15-1.96]), prior VTE (7.49 [95% CI, 4.29-13.07]), thrombophilia (2.52 [95% CI, 1.04-6.14]), inflammatory bowel disease (2.43 [95% CI, 1.02-5.80]), body mass index 30.0-39.9 (1.57 [95% CI, 1.06-2.34]), and body mass index greater than or equal to 40.0 (3.07 [1.95-4.83]).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of outpatients with COVID-19, the absolute risk of VTE was low. Several patient-level factors were associated with higher VTE risk; these findings may help identify subsets of patients with COVID-19 who may benefit from more intensive surveillance or VTE preventive strategies.
Association of Participation in a Value-Based Insurance Design Program With Health Care Spending and Utilization
Authors: Zhang Hui , Cowling David W.
Published: March 2023

Importance

Value-based insurance design (VBID) has mostly been used in improving medication use and adherence for certain conditions or patients, but its outcomes remain uncertain when applied to other services and to all health plan enrollees.

Objective

To determine the association of participation in a California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) VBID program with its enrollees’ health care spending and utilization.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective cohort study with difference-in-differences propensity-weighted 2-part regression models was performed in 2021 to 2022. A VBID cohort was compared with a non-VBID cohort both before and after VBID implementation in California in 2019 with 2 years’ follow-up. The study sample included CalPERS preferred provider organization continuous enrollees from 2017 through 2020. Data were analyzed from September 2021 to August 2022.

Exposures

The key VBID interventions include (1) if selecting and using a primary care physician (PCP) for routine care, PCP office visit copayment is $10 (otherwise, PCP office visit copayment is $35 as for specialist visit); and (2) annual deductibles reduced by a half through completion of the following 5 activities: annual biometric screening, influenza vaccine, nonsmoking certification, second opinion for elective surgical procedures, and disease management participation.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome measures included annual per member total approved payments for multiple inpatient and outpatient services.

Results

The 2 compared cohorts of 94 127 participants (48 770 were female [52%]; 47 390 were younger than 45 years old [50%]) had insignificant baseline differences after propensity-weighting adjustment. The VBID cohort had significantly lower probabilities of inpatient admissions (adjusted relative odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.95), and higher probabilities of receiving immunizations (adjusted relative OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21) in 2019. Among those with positive payments, VBID was associated with higher mean total allowed amounts for PCP visits in 2019 and 2020 (adjusted relative payments ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.08). There were no significant differences for inpatient and outpatient combined totals in 2019 and 2020.

Conclusions and Relevance

The CalPERS VBID program achieved desired goals for some interventions with no added total costs in its first 2 years of operation. VBID may be used to promote valued services while containing costs for all enrollees.
COVID-19 Policies, Pandemic Disruptions, and Changes in Child Mental Health and Sleep in the United States
Authors: Xiao Yunyu , Brown Timothy T. , Snowden Lonnie R. , Chow Julian Chun-Chung , Mann J. John
Published: March 2023

Importance

The adverse effects of COVID-19 containment policies disrupting child mental health and sleep have been debated. However, few current estimates correct biases of these potential effects.

Objectives

To determine whether financial and school disruptions related to COVID-19 containment policies and unemployment rates were separately associated with perceived stress, sadness, positive affect, COVID-19–related worry, and sleep.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was based on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study COVID-19 Rapid Response Release and used data collected 5 times between May and December 2020. Indexes of state-level COVID-19 policies (restrictive, supportive) and county-level unemployment rates were used to plausibly address confounding biases through 2-stage limited information maximum likelihood instrumental variables analyses. Data from 6030 US children aged 10 to 13 years were included. Data analysis was conducted from May 2021 to January 2023.

Exposures

Policy-induced financial disruptions (lost wages or work due to COVID-19 economic impact); policy-induced school disruptions (switches to online or partial in-person schooling).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Perceived stress scale, National Institutes of Health (NIH)–Toolbox sadness, NIH-Toolbox positive affect, COVID-19–related worry, and sleep (latency, inertia, duration).

Results

In this study, 6030 children were included in the mental health sample (weighted median [IQR] age, 13 [12-13] years; 2947 [48.9%] females, 273 [4.5%] Asian children, 461 [7.6%] Black children, 1167 [19.4%] Hispanic children, 3783 [62.7%] White children, 347 [5.7%] children of other or multiracial ethnicity). After imputing missing data, experiencing financial disruption was associated with a 205.2% [95% CI, 52.9%-509.0%] increase in stress, a 112.1% [95% CI, 22.2%-268.1%] increase in sadness, 32.9% [95% CI, 3.5%-53.4%] decrease in positive affect, and a 73.9 [95% CI, 13.2-134.7] percentage-point increase in moderate-to-extreme COVID-19–related worry. There was no association between school disruption and mental health. Neither school disruption nor financial disruption were associated with sleep.

Conclusions and Relevance

To our knowledge, this study presents the first bias-corrected estimates linking COVID-19 policy-related financial disruptions with child mental health outcomes. School disruptions did not affect indices of children’s mental health. These findings suggest public policy should consider the economic impact on families due to pandemic containment measures, in part to protect child mental health until vaccines and antiviral drugs become available.
Multimodal Neuroimaging of Intimal Flap in a Basilar Artery Dissection
Authors: Zedde Marialuisa , Moratti Claudio , Pascarella Rosario
Published: March 2023

This case report describes a spontaneous dissection of the basilar artery in a 53-year-old man presenting with ischemic stroke.