bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active Listening: Its Impact on Language Learning and Understanding of Education Students
Authors: Ambubuyog Ella Mae I. , Laumoc Glenda Lyn C. , Mantac Francine Hazel A. , Pagulayan Freda Mae C. , Sayson Cris Jan Era C. , Velasco Aliena Claire M. , Biray Ersyl T.
Published: February 2023

In learning a new language, there are four macro skills that a learner must develop and use: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. In academic environments such as schools, these macro skills are taught and improved every day to suit the needs of learners. Language learners are often trained when or how they should talk; however, learners are seldom taught how they should listen. This descriptive quantitative study revolved around the utility of listening, how it affects upon the acquired macro skill, specifically, active listening to education students specializing in English from a state institution in Panay Island, Western Visayas, Philippines, as well as its impact on their language learning and understanding. Findings revealed that active listening is vital in the language learning and acquisition with its effects found on multiple aspects of the learning process. It had an underlying impact on phonology, morphology, and pragmatics. It is implied that active listening as an underrated skill should be attended to by language teachers who take charge in teaching macro skills in communication.
O português como processo de acolhimento intercultural: construção de uma identidade em deslocamento
Authors: Takahashi Neide Tomiko
Published: February 2023

Investiga-se, neste artigo, o processo de construção de identidades multiculturais nos deslocamentos voluntários e forçados no contexto das migrações internacionais das últimas décadas para o Brasil. Com o objetivo de compreender o cenário do ensino da língua portuguesa para estrangeiros como processo que contribui no acolhimento intercultural, são analisadas as inter-relações da problemática do percurso de integração e do direito de apropriação do português sob a perspectiva de que língua e cultura fazem parte da mesma dimensão comunicativa.
Experiências heterotópicas nas trajetórias de imigrantes cubanos: pistas de uma pesquisa de campo
Authors: Hernández Elisa Beatriz Ramírez , Marques Ângela Cristina Salgueiro
Published: February 2023

Este artigo aborda as relações e vínculos transnacionais e diaspóricos da comunidade cubana no Canadá, de modo compreender as articulações entre os processos migratórios de longa data (meio século da Revolução de 1959), que configuram uma “cultura migratória” cubana, e as transformações midiáticas e comunicacionais que possibilitam uma forma de vida transnacional. A partir de uma pesquisa de inspiração etnográfica realizada entre 2019 e 2021, destacamos as assimetrias, diferenças e vulnerabilidades que estruturam a experiência migratória de cubanos, ressaltando a constante elaboração de novos vínculos, e a conformação de subjetividades outras; sobretudo no contexto atual de adensamento de fluxos humanos e digitais. O conceito de heterotopia de Foucault é acionado para definir: a) a elaboração de espaços de refazimento identitário de cubanos que hoje vivem no Canadá (os vínculos que se conformam em um restaurante, a produção de mensagens em redes sociais e as tatuagens encontradas no corpo de um migrante); e b) uma atitude de abertura aos efeitos que as interações do trabalho de campo podem gerar no processo de mapeamento de laços afetivos em fluxos transfronteiriços.
Migrações, comunicação e debates sobre os deslocamentos humanos no século XXI
Authors: Moraes Júnior Enio
Published: February 2023

Apresentação da edição
Integrating Community Health Workers into Community-Based Primary Care Practice Settings to Improve Blood Pressure Control Among South Asian Immigrants in New York City: Results from a Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Islam Nadia S. , Wyatt Laura C. , Ali Shahmir H. , Zanowiak Jennifer M. , Mohaimin Sadia , Goldfeld Keith , Lopez Priscilla , Kumar Rashi , Beane Susan , Thorpe Lorna E. , Trinh-Shevrin Chau
Published: February 2023

Background:

Blood pressure (BP) control is suboptimal in minority communities, including Asian populations. We evaluate the feasibility, adoption, and effectiveness of an integrated CHW-led health coaching and practice-level intervention to improve hypertension control among South Asian patients in New York City, Project IMPACT (Integrating Million Hearts for Provider and Community Transformation). The primary outcome was BP control, and secondary outcomes were systolic BP and diastolic BP at 6-month follow-up.

Methods:

A randomized-controlled trial took place within community-based primary care practices that primarily serve South Asian patients in New York City between 2017 and 2019. A total of 303 South Asian patients aged 18–85 with diagnosed hypertension and uncontrolled BP (systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg) within the previous 6 months at 14 clinic sites consented to participate. After completing 1 education session, individuals were randomized into treatment (n=159) or control (n=144) groups. Treatment participants received 4 additional group education sessions and individualized health coaching over a 6-month period. A mixed effect generalized linear model with a logit link function was used to assess intervention effectiveness for controlled hypertension (Yes/No), adjusting for practice level random effect, age, sex, baseline systolic BP, and days between BP measurements.

Results:

Among the total enrolled population, mean age was 56.8±11.2 years, and 54.1% were women. At 6 months among individuals with follow-up BP data (treatment, n=154; control, n=137), 68.2% of the treatment group and 41.6% of the control group had controlled BP (
P
<0.001). In final adjusted analysis, treatment group participants had 3.7 [95% CI, 2.1–6.5] times the odds of achieving BP control at follow-up compared with the control group.

Conclusions:

A CHW-led health coaching intervention was effective in achieving BP control among South Asian Americans in New York City primary care practices. Findings can guide translation and dissemination of this model across other communities experiencing hypertension disparities.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03159533
Impact of geographic diversity on citation of collaborative research
Authors: Naik Cian , Sugimoto Cassidy R. , Larivière Vincent , Leng Chenlei , Guo Weisi
Published: February 2023

Diversity in human capital is widely seen as critical to creating holistic and high-quality research, especially in areas that engage with diverse cultures, environments, and challenges. Quantification of diverse academic collaborations and their effect on research quality is lacking, especially at international scale and across different domains. Here, we present the first effort to measure the impact of geographic diversity in coauthorships on the citation of their papers across different academic domains. Our results unequivocally show that geographic coauthor diversity improves paper citation, but very long distance collaborations have variable impact. We also discover “well-trodden” collaboration circles that yield much less impact than similar travel distances. These relationships are observed to exist across different subject areas, but with varying strengths. These findings can help academics identify new opportunities from a diversity perspective, as well as inform funders on areas that require additional mobility support.
Clotting Propensity in Trauma Patients According to Marijuana Use: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: LoPolito Andrew , Mourabet Tala , Syed Huda , Brown Catherine T. , Saint-Fort Launick , Horst Michael A. , Perea Lindsey L.
Published: February 2023

Marijuana use has been reported to promote hypercoagulable states among trauma patients, particularly respecting venous thromboembolism (VTE), a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients sustaining traumatic injury. We sought to investigate this further through a retrospective, single institutional study performed from January 2018 through June 2021, utilizing data from patients presenting to a Level 1 Trauma Center as a trauma activation. We observed less frequent VTE development in the marijuana-positive group compared to the marijuana-negative group, with patient thromboelastography revealing a longer mean R-time in the marijuana-positive group. Overall occurrence of VTE was too low for definitive conclusions, but a trend toward reduction in VTE frequency among marijuana users compared to nonusers was noted. More studies with larger populations and more VTE occurrences are needed to confirm a potential correlation between marijuana use and VTE development
“I Like the Vibes It Gives”: Adolescent Perspectives on Cannabis Billboards and Print Advertising in Nevada
Authors: Drake Cara S. , Sloan Kim , Anderson Meghan , Clements-Nolle Kristen D. , Pearson Jennifer L.
Published: February 2023

An influx of laws permitting recreational cannabis sales in the US has allowed for increased advertising. The purpose of this study was to describe how adolescents perceive outdoor and print cannabis advertising and to identify aspects of advertising that are appealing or eye-catching, focusing on five themes: price promotion, sex appeal, wellness, party, and text-only. We recruited adolescents ages 11–17 to participate in seven focus groups (44 participants) from 2019 to 2020. Participants viewed cannabis advertisements and responses were summarized using deductive thematic analysis. The party-themed advertisements were the most salient to participants, who desired to emulate the behaviors shown. Participants favored ads featuring young people and containing multiple colors. Participants disliked advertisements perceived to portray misleading or contradictory messages, such as the promotion of physical activity or use of sex appeal, and ads perceived to lack authenticity. Identification of youth appealing features can help inform cannabis advertising regulations.
Association of Practice Setting and Scholarly Activity With Medicolegal Claims in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Authors: Ziai Kasra , Patel Shivam , Crenshaw Megan , Saadi Robert , Goldenberg David , Lighthall Jessyka G.
Published: February 2023

Objective

To characterize the association between scholarly activity, academic rank, practice setting, and malpractice claims among otolaryngologists over the past decade.

Methods

Data was extracted from the two legal databases, WestLaw and LexisNexis. The records were obtained from January 2010 to January 2020. Scopus and PubMed databases were used to identify bibliometric data.

Results

Of the 102 malpractice cases identified, 77.5% (N = 79) were ruled in favor of the defendant, 13.7% (N = 14) in favor of the plaintiff, and 8.8% (N = 9) were settled outside of the court. A total amount of $46,533,346.82 was rewarded to plaintiffs in 14 cases. Endoscopic sinus surgery was the procedure associated with the most malpractice claims (N = 16). Alleged improper performance (N = 51) was the most common underlying reason for litigation. Of the 102 defendant surgeons, 82 (80.4%) were in community/private settings. Among the 14 cases in that a surgeon was found at fault, 13 (92.8%) were in the community/private setting. Among the surgeons with at least one publication, the mean Hirsch Index ( h-index) was 8.2. There was a statistically significant correlation between the mean h-index and litigation outcome (95% CI: −8.9 to −0.9, P = .017).

Conclusion

Our analysis showed that most malpractice litigations were among otolaryngologists practicing in community/private settings. We also found that higher scholarly activity measured by the h-index was associated with verdicts in favor of the defendant/surgeon. This study was limited by not all-inclusive aspects of the legal databases that were used, the small sample size, and the lack of multivariable analysis.
Psychometric Properties of the Access of Older Adults to Outpatient Primary-Care Health Services Scale
Authors: Santoyo-Sánchez Gerardo , Reyes-Morales Hortensia , Flores-Hernández Sergio , Pelcastre-Villafuerte Blanca Estela , Merino-Soto César
Published: February 2023

This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Access of Older Adults to Outpatient Primary-Care Health Services Scale (AOAOPHSS), in research conducted among 707 Mexican older adults selected by convenience from 14 rural and one urban locations. The AOAOPHSS explores 10 dimensions of two integrated subscales: Accessibility and Personal Abilities. Data analysis was performed in five phases. First, potentially biased responses were identified. Second, the response efficiency of the items and their association with external variables were evaluated. Third, the basic properties of the scores for the subscales’ dimensions of the AOAOPHSS were identified using non-parametric Mokken Scaling Analysis (MSA). Fourth, the Structural Equation Modeling methodology was used to identify the properties of the internal structure of the latent construct. Finally, reliability and internal consistency were evaluated at both score and item levels. The following findings emerged. 13 items with inefficient response options were removed, and 24 were retained using the MSA. The latent structure of the latter was defined based on 21 items of five Accessibility Subscale dimensions. Its internal consistency reliability ranged between 0.67 and 0.81 (omega coefficients) and between 0.61 and 0.78 (alpha coefficients). Accordingly, this paper discusses the overall implications of using the Accessibility Subscale.
Directly-measured smartphone screen time predicts well-being and feelings of social connectedness
Authors: Anderl Christine , Hofer Marlise K. , Chen Frances S.
Published: February 2023

Previous findings on the relationship between smartphone use and well-being have been mixed. This may be partially due to a reliance on cross-sectional study designs and self-reported smartphone usage. In the current study, we collected screen time data by directly tracking participants’ ( N = 325, ages 14−80 years, 58% women) smartphone usage over a period of 6 days. We combined this tracking with ecological momentary assessment, asking participants three times per day about their psychological well-being and feelings of social connectedness. Smartphone screen time was determined for the hour directly before each assessment. Results revealed that at times when participants used their smartphone more in the hour before an assessment, they reported lower psychological well-being and lower social connectedness. A bidirectional relationship emerged between smartphone screen time and social connectedness, suggesting a potential “vicious cycle” whereby smartphone usage leads to reduced social connectedness, which promotes more smartphone usage.
A Trade-off Between the Artistic Aesthetic Value and Market Value of Paintings With Naïve and Childlike Interest Complex
Authors: Ma Can , Dong Xiaowei , Wang Junbin
Published: February 2023

This study investigated whether there are any pathways by combining the five dimensions (i.e., naïve image, imagination, story, interestingness, artistry) of the painting with naïve and childlike interest complex that can unify a high artistic aesthetic value and a high market value of this type of painting. We applied children's ratings to measure the artistic aesthetic value and used auction prices to measure the market value of the paintings. The results are analyzed using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method to identify the relevant pathways. Our findings suggest that no pathway can achieve both high artistic aesthetic value and high market value. In some pathways, the two types of values even conflict and contradict each other. Using the principle of prioritizing artistic aesthetic value and considering market value, we advocate the adoption of pathways that both achieve high artistic aesthetic value and avoid resulting in non-high market value.
Labour Market Engineers: Reconceptualising Labour Market Intermediaries with the Rise of the Gig Economy in the United States
Authors: Baber Ashley
Published: February 2023

Gig work – accessing job opportunities through an app – has brought renewed attention to precarious non-standard labour arrangements. Scholars have begun to consider the intermediary role that platforms such as Uber, Lyft and Doordash play in exploiting and controlling workers. Yet, literature on labour market intermediaries has muddied conceptions of their role, impact and outcomes for workers by lumping a variety of institutions under the same umbrella term. Drawing from previous theoretical and empirical works throughout the temporary help and gig industries, this article proposes a reconceptualisation of labour market intermediaries as labour market engineers highlighting four mutually reinforcing features. This sociological reconceptualisation updates the understanding of for-profit labour market intermediaries by demonstrating the market making behaviours of firms of on-demand labour in the US context. Likewise, this reconceptualisation notes how gig firms have adapted and expanded these features in ways that increase precarity for workers.
Pipeline fault simulation and control of a liquid rocket engine
Authors: Cheng Yuqiang , Hu Runsheng , Wu Jianjun
Published: February 2023

The feedback control system was designed to control the pipeline blockage and leakage fault. Based on the open-loop engine system, different degrees of faults were simulated, and the changes in system parameters when faults occur were analyzed. Then, the faults were injected into the engine system with feedback control, and the effects of the controller to different degrees of faults and the changes of the parameters of the electric pump with the controller were studied. The simulation results showed that under the action of the feedback control system, the deviation of the engine system parameters caused by these faults can recover to the set value within a few seconds. When the fault disappears, the system parameters can be still within the normal operating range.
Unobvious Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Signification in the Course of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Understanding and Future Perspectives
Authors: Garley Marzena
Published: February 2023

Background: The current standards of treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. In recent years, research on the effectiveness of immunotherapy in the treatment of OSCC has also been conducted.Purpose: Studies indicate that nonspecific immune mechanisms involved in the course of the anticancer response also need to be taken into account.Research Design: This review summarizes the results of our research on the active participation of neutrophils, which are previously underestimated, in the antitumor response in the course of OSCC, taking into account the ability of these cells to generate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).Results: We proved that the formation of NETs accompanies not only inflammatory changes but also the neoplastic process and that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interleukin 17 (IL-17) plays a critical role in inducing the formation of NETs during the OSCC. The greatest achievement of our published findings was the demonstration of the formation and release of NETs from neutrophils cocultured with tumor cells, as well as after stimulation with supernatant from the SCC culture with a PI3K-independent Akt kinase activation mechanism. Moreover, the pioneering achievement of our studies was the localization of NET structures in the tumor tissue, as well as the observation of high concentrations of NET markers in the serum of OSCC patients with low concentrations in the saliva, indicating the differences in the course of immune response between the periphery and the local reactions.Conclusions: The data presented here provide surprising but important information on the role of NETs in the course of OSCC, thus pointing to a promising new direction in the development of management strategies for early noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of the disease course, and perhaps immunotherapy. Furthermore, this review raises further questions and elaborates on the process of NETosis in cancer.
Comparing Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Wei-Chieh , Shih Jhih-Yuan , Fang Hsiu-Yu , Wu Po-Jui , Fang Chih-Yuan , Chen Huang-Chung , Fang Yen-Nan , Chang Wei-Ting , Chen Mien-Cheng
Published: February 2023

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most prevalent valvular disease in the elderly population and the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases in the elderly population. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) becomes an important treatment for patients with AS at high surgical risk. This metanalysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with AF undergoing TAVR. We searched the different databases for articles published before January 31, 2022. In total, 7 studies including 25,255 patients were analyzed. Data on demographics, comorbidities, CHA2DS2-VASc score, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score, and incidences of all-cause mortality, major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), stroke, and thromboembolic events were obtained and analyzed. The VKA group had a lower CHA2DS2-VASc score (3.2  ±  1.2 vs 3.3  ±  1.2; P < .001) and a higher STS score (6.6  ±  3.2 vs 6.1  ±  2.9; P < .001) than the DOAC group. The risks of all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-1.16), ischemic stroke (OR: 1.06; 95% CI, 0.90-1.24), and thromboembolism (OR: 1.24; 95% CI, 0.63-2.47) in the DOAC group were comparable to the VKA group. The risks of major bleeding (OR: 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.84) and ICH (OR: 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42-0.90) were lower in the DOAC group compared to the VKA group. DOACs were associated with lower risks of major bleeding and ICH, and comparable risks of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, and thromboembolism in patients with AF undergoing TAVR compared to VKAs.
Of Good Mothers and Violent Fathers: Negotiating Child Protection Interventions in Abusive Relationships
Authors: Kuskoff Ella , Parsell Cameron , Plage Stefanie , Perales Francisco , Ablaza Christine
Published: February 2023

This article examines the efficacy of a supportive housing program aiming to provide mothers in violent relationships with the practical resources to minimize child protection intervention. Drawing on qualitative interviews with program mothers, child safety officers, and program practitioners, we explore the extent to which the program enabled mothers and children to live free from fathers’ violence and disengage from the child protection system. We find that, although valuable, the program did not fully mitigate the risks posed by violent fathers. We therefore argue that responsibility must be shifted onto violent fathers to change their behavior and build their parenting capacities.
“I Felt Like I Was a Puppet—He's the Master, and He's Playing With My Life”: Newcomer Women's Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Giesbrecht Crystal J. , Kikulwe Daniel , Sato Christa L. , Este David C. , Watkinson Ailsa M. , Falihi Anahit
Published: February 2023

This study adds to a small body of Canadian literature investigating the ways that newcomer women experience, and are impacted by, intimate partner violence (IPV). The study involved qualitative interviews with 15 newcomer women who migrated to Saskatchewan, Canada, from 12 different countries. These findings provide insight into participants’ complex lived experiences and illustrate how women’s status as newcomers intersected with their experiences of IPV. As well as abuse related to language ability and immigration status, participants in our study described their experiences of physical; sexual; emotional; psychological; economic; and legal abuse; as well as coercive control; isolation; surveillance, stalking, and harassment while in the relationship and after separation; challenges with shared parenting; and the imposition of patriarchal values. Perpetrators of IPV maintained control by intentionally isolating survivors, and participants were also isolated due to their status as a newcomer and their limited English-language ability and social connections.
Unity or Anarchy? A Historical Search for the Psychological Consequences of Psychotrauma
Authors: Jongedijk Ruud A. , Boelen Paul A. , Knipscheer Jeroen W. , Kleber Rolf J.
Published: February 2023

The field of traumatic stress is often referred to as being in a state of controversy and lack of continuity. Throughout history, disputes repeatedly centered on defining the psychological consequences of severe adverse events and on their causes. Even to this day this is current. To understand these controversies, an extensive historical literature review is presented of how mental consequences of trauma have been described in history, of the circumstances in which this took place, and of the disputes that have influenced the conceptualization of these mental responses. We found psychotrauma always being surrounded by controversy. Significant heterogeneity in symptom expression has been described over the centuries to this day. Some symptoms appeared steadily over many decades, but often each time period showed its own core symptoms. At syndrome level, we found an acute condition, one with longer duration, and a complex condition. Also here, definitions varied over the decades. Finally, causes have always been debated, such as biological, psychological, socio-economic, cultural, political, or legal. To better reflect the described ongoing variation in symptomatology, a more flexible diagnostic approach is proposed with a combination of both staging and subtyping that offers room for a more flexible, symptom-oriented, and personalized perspective.
Contribution of age, gender and occupational group to the higher risk of disability retirement among Finnish public sector employees
Authors: Polvinen Anu , Laaksonen Mikko
Published: February 2023

Background:

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in disability retirement between public and private sector employees and to examine the contribution of age, gender and occupational group to the differences between the sectors.

Methods:

Our Finnish register data consisted of about two million non-retired men and women aged 30–62 years. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios for any, full and partial disability retirement in the public sector compared with the private sector.

Results:

The risk of any disability retirement was higher in the public sector than in the private sector in all occupational groups. The unadjusted hazard ratio ranged from 1.29 (95% CI 1.16–1.44) among teaching professionals to 2.25 (95% CI 1.95–2.58) among skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers. Adjustment for age and gender attenuated the differences between the sectors. After adjusting for age, gender and occupational group, the hazard ratio was 1.29 (95% CI 1.27–1.32) for any disability retirement and 2.02 (95% CI 1.96–2.08) for partial disability retirement, but there was no difference between the public sector and private sector employees for full disability retirement.

Conclusions:

Adjustment of age and gender attenuated the higher risk of disability retirement in the public sector, while adjustment for occupational group widened the sector differences in any and full disability retirement. The risk of partial disability retirement was higher in all occupational groups in the public sector than in the private sector. For full disability retirement, the differences between the sectors were small or non-existent.
Monopolization and competition under platform capitalism: Analyzing transformations in the computing industry
Authors: Narayan Devika
Published: February 2023

Cross-disciplinary scholarship on platform-mediated transformations is growing rapidly. Large-scale data centers that aggregate hardware resources are an important element shaping the expansion of platform economies. The impact of this configuration of hardware on the dynamics of software development is still unclear. Data centers aggregate and centralize computing capacity and in turn enable the growth of globally distributed and organizationally decentralized corporate ecosystems. Scholarship in this area is beginning to examine the relations between dominant technology corporations and their networks of users and third-party companies. I contribute to literature on platform ecosystems by examining changing organizational and market dynamics introduced by cloud computing within the corporate computing sector. Drawing on qualitative interviews with managers of software startups in India, I focus on falling barriers to entry, new organizational forms, and emergent transnational dimensions. Using this case, I theorize monopolization as being embedded in competitive ecosystem dynamics.
The Pacific futures of subsea data centers
Authors: Sutherland Tonia , Bopp Gailyn
Published: February 2023

This article considers current research and development efforts around the creation of subsea data centers. Such experiments (e.g. Microsoft’s Project Natick) aim to identify new techniques for maximizing data center efficiency by harnessing the cooling effects of the surrounding ocean. To date, subsea data center experiments have had more success in Atlantic contexts, but the history of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the sea suggests that subsea data centers will no doubt have Pacific futures. Situating this discussion within the unique cultural and environmental landscapes of the Pacific islands, particularly Hawaiʻi, we anticipate anxieties that stem from historical patterns of project development that lack consideration of cultural impact. We argue that a pre-conversation about subsea data centers is necessary given the extant data infrastructures in Hawaiʻi already corroding or within the margins of risk for obsolescence and decay. Finally, as islands and island nations, especially, are often targets for colonization as vital hubs in underwater information and communication networks, the article examines the tensions in such subsea experiments between impact and impermanence, between global and local, and between corporate and community.
Data sinks, carbon services: Waste, storage and energy cultures on Ireland’s peat bogs
Authors: Bresnihan Patrick , Brodie Patrick
Published: February 2023

This article examines strategies by the Irish state to phase out the extraction and burning of peat as a carbon fuel source in relation to the growing energy demands of data centres. One of the major proposals within the ‘just transition’ for post-extractive peat boglands is to incentivise the construction of data centres and associated energy infrastructures alongside bog reclamation projects to encourage carbon sequestration. These entangled plans for data, energy and carbon ‘storage’, driven by large-scale and transformative relations to boglands, inherit colonial ways of valuing bogs as ‘wastelands’ that must be put to work for industrial capital. We argue that through paired digital and green industrial strategies, the transformative energy cultures and frontiers of capital continue to expand beyond the apparent sites of data and energy infrastructural development, penetrating deeper into the earth and its atmosphere.
Ecological ethics and the smart circular economy
Authors: Hoyng Rolien
Published: February 2023

The corporate discourse on the circular economy holds that the growth of the electronics industry, driven by continuous innovation, does not imperil ecological sustainability. To achieve sustainable growth, its advocates propose optimizing recycling by means of artificial intelligence and sets of interrelated datacentric and algorithmic technologies. Drawing on critical data and algorithm studies, theories of waste, and empirical research, this paper investigates ecological ethics in the context of the datacentric and algorithmically mediated circular economy. It foregrounds the indeterminate and fickle material nature of waste as well as the uncertainties inherent in, and stemming from, datafication and computation. My question is: how do the rationalities, affordances, and dispositions of datacentric and algorithmic technologies perform and displace notions of corporate responsibility and transparency? In order to answer this question, I compare the smart circular economy to the informal recycling practices that it claims to replace, and I analyze relations between waste matter and data as well as distributions of agency. Specifically, I consider transitions and slippages between response-ability and responsibility. Conceptually, I bring process-relation or immanence-based philosophies such as Bergson's and Deleuze's into a debate about relations between waste matter and data and the ambition of algorithmic control over waste. My aim is not to demand heightened corporate responsibility enacted through control but to rethink responsibility in the smart circular economy along the lines of Amoore's cloud ethics to carve out a position of critique beyond either a deontological perspective that reinforces corporate agency or new-materialist denunciation of the concept.
Agglomeration vs amenities? Unraveling the latent engine of growth in metropolitan Greece
Authors: Carlucci Margherita , Polinesi Gloria , Salvati Luca
Published: February 2023

Economic downturns, social change, and migrations shape population expansion and shrinkage, making city life cycles particularly complex over time and intrinsically diversified over space. Identifying local drivers of population change plays a major role when addressing metropolitan cycles of growth and decline and provides insights to any policy and planning strategy aimed at promoting together local development, economic competitiveness, and socio-environmental sustainability at large. Timing of metropolitan cycles is, however, heterogeneous and reflects the individual development path of any city. Assuming economic downturns and the associated social processes at the base of spatially heterogeneous patterns of population growth and decline in Mediterranean Europe, we adopted a spatial econometric approach investigating short-term and long-term demographic dynamics (1960–2010) in metropolitan Athens (Greece), with the aim at identifying contextual drivers of population change. Spatial regressions evaluated the role of economic and non-economic dimensions of metropolitan growth, quantifying the impact of agglomeration, scale, accessibility, and amenities at different phases of the city life cycle. Settlement models grounded on scale and agglomeration processes—with growing population in high- and medium-density municipalities—were observed under economic expansion. Recession consolidated a settlement model with population growth in socially dynamic and accessible (low density) districts with natural/cultural amenities, reflecting the inherent decline of agglomeration economies. Based on such dynamics, the polarized hierarchy of central and peripheral locations resulting from radio-centric population expansion was replaced with a settlement model grounded on population increase in “intermediate-density,” attractive locations.
The eco-munitionary subject: Conservation with and of firearms
Authors: Casellas Connors John P. , Carlino Elizabeth A. , Rea Christopher M.
Published: February 2023

The Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937 was a transformative piece of legislation for wildlife management and conservation in the United States, incentivizing the creation of state wildlife agencies and establishing funding mechanisms for these agencies. The legislation directs an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment to a fund to support wildlife restoration projects by state wildlife agencies. In 2021 alone, this generated more than $1 billion in project funds. Although commonly framed as a user pays model of conservation whereby hunters fund wildlife management, most of the excise taxes collected on firearms and ammunition are now associated with non-hunting uses. Despite this disconnect, many firearms industry groups continue to support and promote their relationship to Pittman-Robertson. Here, we examine the role of Pittman-Robertson in shaping the relationship between firearms and conservation and seek to understand how this relationship is reproduced. We examine this shifting relationship through an analysis of amendments to Pittman-Robertson since its creation and a discourse analysis of contemporary materials from web sites of firearms, hunting, shooting, and conservation organizations. Drawing on the concept of environmentality and diverse ecologies, we argue that Pittman-Robertson has contributed to the production of, and been re-shaped by, a distinct environmental actor: the eco-munitionary subject.
Inhaled anti-TSLP antibody fragment, ecleralimab, blocks responses to allergen in mild asthma
Authors: Gauvreau Gail M. , Hohlfeld Jens M. , FitzGerald J. Mark , Boulet Louis-Philippe , Cockcroft Donald W. , Davis Beth E. , Korn Stephanie , Kornmann Oliver , Leigh Richard , Mayers Irvin , Watz Henrik , Grant Sarah S. , Jain Monish , Cabanski Maciej , Pertel Peter E. , Jones Ieuan , Lecot Jean R. , Cao Hui , O'Byrne Paul M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a key upstream regulator driving allergic inflammatory responses. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of ecleralimab, a potent inhaled neutralising antibody fragment against human TSLP, using allergen inhalation challenge (AIC) in subjects with mild atopic asthma.

Methods

This was a 12-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, multicentre allergen bronchoprovocation study conducted at 10 centres across Canada and Germany. Subjects aged 18–60 years with stable mild atopic asthma were randomised (1:1) to receive 4 mg once-daily inhaled ecleralimab or placebo. Primary end-points were the allergen-induced change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) during the late asthmatic response (LAR) measured by area under the curve (AUC3–7h) and maximum percentage decrease (LAR%) on day 84, and the safety of ecleralimab. Allergen-induced early asthmatic response (EAR), sputum eosinophils and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) were secondary and exploratory end-points.

Results

28 subjects were randomised to ecleralimab (n=15) or placebo (n=13). On day 84, ecleralimab significantly attenuated LAR AUC3–7hby 64% (p=0.008), LAR% by 48% (p=0.029), and allergen-induced sputum eosinophils by 64% at 7 h (p=0.011) and by 52% at 24 h (p=0.047) post-challenge. Ecleralimab also numerically reduced EAR AUC0–2h(p=0.097) and EAR% (p=0.105).FENOlevels were significantly reduced from baseline throughout the study (p<0.05), except at 24 h post-allergen (day 43 and day 85). Overall, ecleralimab was safe and well tolerated.

Conclusion

Ecleralimab significantly attenuated allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation, and was safe in subjects with mild atopic asthma.
Alterations in regional homogeneity and multiple frequency amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation in patients with new daily persistent headache: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Zhang Xueyan , Wang Wei , Bai Xiaoyan , Mei Yanliang , Tang Hefei , Yuan Ziyu , Zhang Xue , Li Zhiye , Zhang Peng , Hu Zhangxuan , Zhang Yaqing , Yu Xueying , Sui Binbin , Wang Yonggang
Published: February 2023

Background

New daily persistent headache (NPDH) is a rare primary headache that is highly disabling. The pathophysiology of NDPH is still unclear, and we aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of NDPH through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, thirty patients with NDPH and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) sequences of all participants were obtained using the GE 3.0 T system. We performed ReHo, ALFF (conventional band: 0.01–0.08 Hz, slow-5: 0.01–0.027 Hz, slow-4: 0.027–0.073 Hz) and seed-based to the whole brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis in the NDPH and HC groups. The sex difference analysis of ReHo, ALFF, and FC values was conducted in the NDPH group. We also conducted Pearson’s correlation analysis between ReHo, ALFF, FC values and clinical characteristics (pain intensity, disease duration, HIT-6, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PSQI scores).

Results

Both increased ReHo (PFWE-corr = 0.012) and ALFF values (0.01–0.08 Hz, PFWE-corr = 0.009; 0.027–0.073 Hz, PFWE-corr =0.044) of the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG_L) were found in the NDPH group compared to the HC group. There was no significant difference in FC maps between the two groups. Compared to the HC group, no difference was found in ReHo (p = 0.284), ALFF (p = 0.246), and FC (p = 0.118) z scores of the MOG_L in the NDPH group. There was also no sex difference in ReHo (p = 0.288), ALFF (p = 0.859), or FC z score (p = 0.118) of the MOG_L in patients with NDPH. There was no correlation between ReHo, ALFF, FC z scores and clinical characteristics after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05/18).

Conclusions

Patients with NDPH may have abnormal activation of the visual system. Abnormal visual activation may occur mainly in higher frequency band of the classical band. No sex differences in brain activity were found in patients with NDPH.
Frequency, outcomes, and need for intervention in stricturing gastrointestinal tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jena Anuraag , Mohindra Ritin , Rana Kirtan , Neelam Pardhu B. , Thakur Dhuni Chand , Singh Harjeet , Gupta Pankaj , Suri Vikas , Sharma Vishal
Published: February 2023

Background

Gastrointestinal strictures impact clinical presentation in abdominal tuberculosis and are associated with significant morbidity.

Aim

To conduct a systematic review of the prevalence of stricturing disease in abdominal and gastrointestinal tuberculosis and response to antitubercular therapy (ATT).

Methods

We searched Pubmed and Embase on 13th January 2022, for papers reporting on the frequency and outcomes of stricturing gastrointestinal tuberculosis. The data were extracted, and pooled prevalence of stricturing disease was estimated in abdominal tuberculosis and gastrointestinal (intestinal) tuberculosis. The pooled clinical response and stricture resolution (endoscopic or radiologic) rates were also estimated. Publication bias was assessed using the Funnel plot and Egger test. The risk of bias assessment was done using a modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale.

Results

Thirty-three studies reporting about 1969 patients were included. The pooled prevalence of intestinal strictures in abdominal tuberculosis and gastrointestinal TB was 0.12 (95%CI 0.07–0.20, I2 = 89%) and 0.27 (95% CI 0.21–0.33, I2 = 85%), respectively. The pooled clinical response of stricturing gastrointestinal tuberculosis to antitubercular therapy was 0.77 (95%CI 0.65–0.86, I2 = 74%). The pooled stricture response rate (endoscopic or radiological) was 0.66 (95%CI 0.40–0.85, I2 = 91%). The pooled rate of need for surgical intervention was 0.21 (95%CI 0.13–0.32, I2 = 70%), while endoscopic dilatation was 0.14 (95%CI 0.09–0.21, I2 = 0%).

Conclusion

Stricturing gastrointestinal tuberculosis occurs in around a quarter of patients with gastrointestinal tuberculosis, and around two-thirds of patients have a clinical response with antitubercular therapy. A subset of patients may need endoscopic or surgical intervention. The estimates for the pooled prevalence of stricturing disease and response to ATT had significant heterogeneity.
Meningitis and spondylodiscitis due to Nocardia nova in an immunocompetent patient
Authors: Lestin-Bernstein F. , Tietke M. , Schmiedel S. , Dreimann M. , Heese O.
Published: February 2023

Background

Disseminated nocardiosis is a very rare disease. By now only few cases of meningitis and spondylodiscitis have been reported. To our knowledge, this is the first case of meningitis caused by Nocardia nova.

Case presentation

We report on a case of bacteraemia, meningitis and spondylodiscitis caused by N. nova in an immunocompetent patient. We describe the long, difficult path to diagnosis, which took two months, including all diagnostic pitfalls. After nocardiosis was diagnosed, intravenous antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, later switched to imipenem/cilastatin and amikacin, led to rapid clinical improvement. Intravenous therapy was followed by oral consolidation with co-trimoxazole for 9 months without any relapse within 4 years.

Conclusions

Establishing a diagnosis of nocardiosis is a precondition for successful antibiotic therapy. This requires close communication between clinicians and laboratory staff about the suspicion of nocardiosis, than leading to prolonged cultures and specific laboratory methods, e.g. identification by 16S rDNA PCR.
Global retrospective analysis of clinician- and patient-reported clinical characteristics and humanistic burden of patients with gastroesophageal cancers on first-line treatment
Authors: Xiao Hong , Bertwistle David , Khela Keerun , Middleton-Dalby Chloe , Hall Jennifer
Published: February 2023

Background

Gastric cancer (GC), gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC), and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), together, are leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and well-being has become increasingly important alongside traditional oncologic outcomes for both patients and clinicians and may aid treatment decisions. We conducted a survey to examine the clinical characteristics, humanistic burden, and the effects of first-line (1L) treatment in patients with GC/GEJC/EAC, across different geographic regions, to address the paucity of real-world data.

Methods

Clinicians treating patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic GC/GEJC/EAC in China, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, during April–October 2019, were invited to provide data on their patients’ demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment, and HRQoL via medical chart reviews, clinician surveys, and patient questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analyses comparing active treatment and best supportive care. Patients were also stratified into subgroups that were identified either as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive, HER2 negative (which has a higher prevalence but for whom there are limited treatment options), or unknown HER2 status.

Results

Survey data were analyzed for 995 patients, 87% of whom were on active treatment, most commonly dual or triple chemotherapy. Demographics and clinical characteristics were similar across countries with most patients having GC and the lowest incidence of GEJC and EAC in China. Overall, most patients had de novo disease with good response to 1L treatment, while their HRQoL and well-being was significantly worse than the general population. In 682 patients on active treatment with HER2 negative or unknown status, HRQoL also appeared to be worse in those with recurrent disease. Regression analysis identified several drivers of treatment decisions and factors impacting patients’ HRQoL, including stage of disease and comorbidities.

Conclusions

In patients with advanced GC/GEJC/EAC, screening and assessment of HER2 status as well as patient-reported HRQoL outcomes are invaluable in aiding treatment decisions. The introduction of appropriate therapy soon after diagnosis has the prospect of achieving improved HRQoL and survival in these patients.