bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence rate of tuberculosis among HIV infected children in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Girma Desalegn , Abita Zinie , Shifera Nigusie , Arage Mulugeta Wodaje , Abate Biruk Beletew , Alie Melsew Setegn , Abebe Gossa Fetene
Published: May 2024

Background

Tuberculosis is one the leading causes of death from a single infectious disease, caused by the bacillus mycobacterium tuberculosis. In Ethiopia, even though several primary studies have been conducted on the incidence of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children, the pooled incidence rate of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children (aged 0–14 years) is unknown. Therefore, the main objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis are to estimate the pooled incidence rate of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children and its predictors in Ethiopia.

Method

International electronic databases such as PubMed, HINARI, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online were searched using different search engines.  Quality of primary studies was checked using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. The heterogeneity of studies was tested using I-square statistics. Publication bias was tested using a funnel plot and Egger’s test. Forest plots and tables were used to present the results. The random effect model was used to estimate the pooled incidence of tuberculosis among children living with HIV.

Result

A total of 13 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled incidence of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children was 3.77 (95% CI: 2.83, 5.02) per 100-person-year observations. Advanced HIV disease (HR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.9; 3.88), didn’t receive complete vaccination (HR: 4.40, 95% CI: 2.16; 8.82), stunting (HR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.64, 3.33), underweight (HR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.61; 3.22), didn’t receive Isoniazid preventive therapy (HR: 3.64, 95% CI: 2.22, 5.96), anemia (HR: 3.04, 95% CI: 2.34; 3.98), fair or poor antiretroviral therapy adherence (HR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.84; 3.40) and didn’t receive cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (HR: 3.20, 95% CI: 2.26; 4.40) were predictors of tuberculosis coinfection among HIV infected children.

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that the overall pooled incidence rate of tuberculosis among HIV-infected children was high in Ethiopia as compared to the END TB strategy targets. Therefore, emphasis has to be given to drug adherence (ART and Isoniazid) and nutritional counseling. Moreover, early diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition and anemia are critical to reduce the risk of TB coinfection.

Registration

Registered in PROSPERO with ID: CRD42023474956.
Emotional intelligence and self-esteem among Saudi Arabian and Indian nursing students: findings from two countries
Authors: Benjamin Lizy Sonia , Pasay an Eddieson , Vijayalakshmi K , Alqarni Aida Sanad , Aseeri Abeer , Alsulami Amal , Gonzales Ferdinand , Mostoles Romeo , Maestrado Richard , Areola Benito , Gonzales Analita , Shanmugam Sumathi Robert
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Understanding the emotional intelligence (EI) and self-esteem of Indian and Saudi nursing students is important because their future nurse–patient relationships may be influenced by factors related to their unique cultural contexts. Hence, this study sought to investigate the EI and self-esteem of nursing students in Saudi Arabia and India.

Methods

A descriptive–comparative research design was used to compare 660 nursing students from Saudi Arabia and India who were enrolled in the study from September 2022 to January 2023. Nursing students were recruited from University A in Riyadh and University B in Abha, Saudi Arabia, and from University C in India.

Results

The study found significant differences in EI scores based on year of study (p < .011), age (p < .024), residence (p < .005), and academic performance (p < .008). Students in later years, over 20 years old, from urban areas, and with good grades, had higher EI scores. Conversely, only age showed a significant difference in the self-esteem scores (p < .002). The year of study (p > .670), residence (p > .430), and academic performance (p > .526) did not significantly affect self-esteem. Finally, urban residence and good academic performance were significant predictors of EI (p < .005), while none of the demographics predicted self-esteem (p > .005).

Conclusion

Higher emotional intelligence among nursing students can be associated with several variables, such as being in the higher years of study, older age, residing in an urban area, and good academic performance, whereas self-esteem appears to be hardly affected by these indicators but probably influenced by other aspects that were not measured. This implies that educators in relation to self-esteem should know the relationship between emotional intelligence and nursing practice besides healthcare establishments; they need to enhance their teaching methods so that learners can have more resilient attitudes towards work, provide quality patient care, and promote a better learning environment for nurses who will become stronger professionally in the future.
PD-1+ T lymphocyte proportions and hospitalized exacerbation of COPD: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Xue Hong , Lan Xiuyan , Xue Ting , Tang Xuwei , Yang Haitao , Hu Zhijian , Xu Nengluan , Xie Baosong
Published: May 2024

Objective

To evaluate the predictive value of PD-1 expression in T lymphocytes for rehospitalization due to acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in discharged patients.

Methods

115 participants hospitalized with COPD (average age 71.8 ± 6.0 years) were recruited at Fujian Provincial Hospital. PD1+T lymphocytes proportions (PD1+T%), baseline demographics and clinical data were recorded at hospital discharge. AECOPD re-admission were collected at 1-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis compared the time to AECOPD readmissions among groups stratified by PD1+T%. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and stratified analysis determined the correlation between PD1+T%, potential confounders, and AECOPD re-admission. ROC and DCA evaluated PD1+T% in enhancing the clinical predictive values of Cox models, BODE and CODEX.

Results

68 participants (59.1%) were AECOPD readmitted, those with AECOPD readmission exhibited significantly elevated baseline PD-1+CD4+T/CD4+T% and PD-1+CD8 + T/CD8 + T% compared to non-readmitted counterparts. PD1+ T lymphocyte levels statistically correlated with BODE and CODEX indices. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that those in Higher PD1+ T lymphocyte proportions had reduced time to AECOPD readmission (logRank p < 0.05). Cox analysis identified high PD1+CD4+T and PD1+CD8+T ratios as risk factors of AECOPD readmission, with hazard ratios of 1.384(95%CI [1.043–1.725]) and 1.401(95%CI [1.013–1.789]), respectively. Notably, in patients aged < 70 years and with fewer than twice AECOPD episodes in the previous year, high PD1+T lymphocyte counts significantly increased risk for AECOPD readmission(p < 0.05). The AECOPD readmission predictive model, incorporating PD1+T% exhibited superior discrimination to the Cox model, BODE index and CODEX index, AUC of ROC were 0.763(95%CI [0.633–0.893]) and 0.734(95%CI [0.570–0.899]) (DeLong’s test p < 0.05).The DCA illustrates that integrating PD1+T% into models significantly enhances the utility in aiding clinical decision-making.

Conclusion

Evaluation of PD1+ lymphocyte proportions offer a novel perspective for identifying high-risk COPD patients, potentially providing insights for COPD management.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR, URL: www.chictr.org.cn/), Registration number: ChiCTR2200055611 Date of Registration: 2022-01-14.
Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment increases the sensitivity of the TRPV1 channel and promotes an anti-inflammatory phenotype of capsaicin-activated macrophages
Authors: Vašek Daniel , Fikarová Natálie , Marková Vendula Nagy , Honc Ondřej , Pacáková Lenka , Porubská Bianka , Somova Veronika , Novotný Jiří , Melkes Barbora , Krulová Magdaléna
Published: May 2024

Background

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is well-established in neuronal function, yet its role in immune reactions remains enigmatic. The conflicting data on its inflammatory role, suggesting both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects upon TRPV1 stimulation in immune cells, adds complexity. To unravel TRPV1 immunomodulatory mechanisms, we investigated how the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin influences lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory macrophage phenotypes.

Results

Changes in the surface molecules, cytokine production, and signaling cascades linked to the phenotype of M1 or M2 macrophages of the J774 macrophage cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages, treated with capsaicin before or after the LPS-induced inflammatory reaction were determined. The functional capacity of macrophages was also assessed by infecting the stimulated macrophages with the intracellular parasite Leishmania mexicana.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that TRPV1 activation yields distinct macrophage responses influenced by the inflammatory context. LPS pre-treatment followed by capsaicin activation prompted increased calcium influx, accompanied by a shift toward an anti-inflammatory M2b-like polarization state.
Comparison of quality of life in patients with mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair in Imam Ali Hospital during 2014 to 2020: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Salehi Nahid , Heydarpour Pouria , Salimi Yahya , Ziapour Arash , Majzoobi Mohammad Reza , Geravand Sahand , Janjani Parisa
Published: May 2024

Objective

Mitral valve failure is one of the most common valvular heart diseases worldwide. Valve replacement and repair have an impact on the quality of life of patients. Therefore, the present study was conducted to compare the quality of life in patients with mitral valve replacement and those who underwent mitral valve repair.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we considered all cardiac patients with ischemic mitral insufficiency who underwent mitral valve repair and patients with a history of valve replacement in Imam Ali Hospital of Kermanshah between 2014 and 2020. Two Minnesota and general quality of life questionnaires along with a checklist for demographic variables were used for data collection. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 software.

Results

The mean quality of life score based on the general quality of life scale in the valve repair group was 32.33 (SD = 2.29) and in the valve replacement group 32.89(SD = 2.60), (p = 0.917). Also, mean quality of life, as measured by the Minnesota MLHFQ was 60.89(SD = 17.67) in the valve repair group and 63.42 (SD = 12.13) in the valve replacement group (p = 0.308). The results showed that the average general quality of life was different in study groups regarding education. Tukey’s post hoc test showed that the average general quality of life in illiterate people is significantly lower than in people with academic degrees (P-value = 0.001).

Conclusion

The quality of life of the patients in both the valve repair and replacement groups was at an average level. There was no significant difference between the general quality of life and the Minnesota scales, suggesting that both tools can be effectively used to measure patients’ quality of life. The study’s findings can be valuable for monitoring patients, screening for conditions, and enhancing communication between doctors and patients.
Association between eHealth literacy and health outcomes in German athletes using the GR-eHEALS questionnaire: a validation and outcome study
Authors: Geiger Sheila , Esser Anna Julia , Marsall Matthias , Muehlbauer Thomas , Skoda Eva-Maria , Teufel Martin , Bäuerle Alexander
Published: May 2024

Background

Athletes face various sports-related stressors, which may increase their risk for physical and mental health symptoms. With the internet as an important source of (health) information, it is important for athletes to have eHealth literacy, i.e. the ability to access, understand and use electronic health information and services. However, it is presently uncertain whether eHealth literacy of athletes is linked to better health outcomes such as reduced injury frequency and behaviours like decreased substance abuse.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted withN = 373 German athletes (229 females) from different types of sport (e.g., ball sports and water sports) who were included in the statistical analyses. The survey included medical, socio-demographic, eHealth- and sports-related data as well as the eHealth Literacy Scale (GR-eHEALS) questionnaire, which measures eHealth literacy. Confirmatory factor analyses and correlational analyses were performed to determine the convergent and discriminant (compared to the 8-item Impulsive Behavior–8 Scale) validity of the GR-eHEALS and to assess the relation between eHealth literacy scores and health outcomes.

Results

The more frequently athletes had sustained minor or moderate injuries in the past, the higher the level of eHealth literacy they reported. Furthermore, consumption frequency of painkillers (r = .18,p = .002), sedatives (r = .12,p = .040), and cannabis (r = .29,p = .000) was significantly correlated with eHealth literacy scores. The confirmatory factor analysis of the GR-eHEALS showed an acceptable model fit with a 2-factor solution (information seeking and information appraisal). The GR-eHEALS showed good discriminant (r = − .09,p = .21) and convergent validity (digital confidence;r = .28,p < .001).

Conclusion

The GR-eHEALS is a valid instrument to assess eHealth literacy within the cohort of German athletes. Potential dangers of dealing with injury and psychological strain without reaching out for professional help should be considered.
Investigation of the effects of an 8-week cross-country skiing exercise program on various reaction time parameters, selective attention and academic achievement in adolescents
Authors: Çağın Musab , Çimen Polat Sezen , Sarol Halil , García Ramos Amador , Çeviker Abdulkerim
Published: May 2024

Exercise slows or helps reverse the shrinkage of key cognitive brain regions such as the hippocampus, which is important for information processing, learning, reasoning and planning. For this reason, it is thought that regular exercise of individuals, especially during adolescence, which is considered one of the most important processes of development, can increase their performance in areas where cognitive activities are at the forefront. Cross-country skiing, one of the leading branches of winter sports, has a much more complex structure, unlike the branches that are widely preferred today (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.) and is a branch where many motor skills are exhibited at the same time For this reason, the effect of cross-country skiing, which is defined as more complex and difficult in terms of biomotor than other branches, on cognitive activities is a matter of curiosity. Therefore, the aim of the research is; to examine the cognitive effects of cross-country skiing exercise. The study involved 54 (26 male, 28 female) adolescents who had no prior experience in any licensed sports. The average age of the participants was determined as 12.61 ± 1.32. The participants were divided in experimental and control groups. Reaction performances were determined using the ÇAĞIN Hand and Foot Reaction Tests, selective attention performances were evaluated using the Flanker Test and academic achievement was determined using the e-Okul system. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant group × time interactions for hand and foot simple, selective, discriminative reaction time, selective attention and academic achievement (p < 0.05) due to improved values at post-test for the experimental group but not for the control groups. No significant group × time interactions were observed for correct reaction rate for all reaction parameters (p > 0.05). The study concludes that the cross-country skiing exercise, which was applied to adolescents for eight weeks, had a positive impact on the parameters of reaction, selective attention and academic achievement. Therefore, parents are suggested to encourage their children to exercise and engage in sports practices like cross-country skiing to improve cognitive and academic performance during adolescence.
Recurrent fever leading to the diagnosis of an angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland: a case report
Authors: Lederer Ann-Kathrin , Zimmer Stefanie , Margies Rabea , Krettek Philipp , Musholt Thomas J.
Published: May 2024

Background

Angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland is a very rare malignant vascular neoplasm. The clinical symptoms are atypical or completely absent. Angiosarcomas of the adrenal gland are therefore often discovered incidentally, and the diagnosis is made histologically after resection.

Case presentation

A 46-year-old white Spanish male who was a previous smoker and nondrinker and was slightly overweight (92 kg, 176 cm, body mass index 29.7 kg/m2) with no relevant medical history presented to the internal medicine emergency department of our hospital with an unclear 12 cm tumor of the right adrenal gland. Prior to the computed tomography scan, he had had persistent evening fevers for 4 months and unintentional weight loss of 5 kg. The laboratory results showed anemia and an elevated C-reactive protein, but no hormone production. We performed an open adrenalectomy of the right adrenal gland. Finally, the histologic findings revealed an angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland.

Conclusion

Even though angiosarcomas of the adrenal gland are rare, the differential diagnosis of an angiosarcoma should be considered if a malignant tumor of the adrenal gland is suspected. Treatment decisions should be made on an interdisciplinary basis and preferably in a specialized center. Owing to the rarity of angiosarcomas of the adrenal gland, it is necessary to continue to share clinical experience to gain a better understanding of this particular tumor entity.
Treatment-resistant hiccups during general anesthesia possibly caused by remimazolam: a case report
Authors: Sakurai Miku , Matsui Yusuke , Takazawa Tomonori , Kabasawa Yoji , Nagumo Wataru , Takada Ryo , Saito Shigeru
Published: May 2024

Background

Previous reports have described hiccups during general anesthesia that were possibly induced by drugs, including benzodiazepines. However, there are few reports of hiccups caused by remimazolam.

Case presentation

A 75-year-old woman underwent corneal transplantation under general anesthesia with remimazolam. She presented with hiccups once the effects of muscle relaxants used during induction wore off, which persisted even after various treatments, such as the administration of antipsychotic drugs. However, when remimazolam administration was terminated after surgery to awaken the patient, the hiccups stopped and did not recur after extubation. Evaluation of predicted blood levels of remimazolam suggests that higher levels of remimazolam might cause hiccups.

Conclusion

Remimazolam might induce hiccups during general anesthesia. Anesthesiologists should consider administering muscle relaxants or changing the anesthetic in cases of refractory hiccups under general anesthesia.
The weekend effect in geriatric traumatic brain injury in tertiary hospital: an observational study
Authors: Alibrahim Hashim , Alnoufali Mahmood , Zaman Anas , Albalushi Yasmine , Almatroushi Sameh , Al-Saadi Tariq
Published: May 2024

Introduction

There were no previous studies discussing the comparison of the complications among traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases during weekdays and weekends. The current study aims to retrospectively compare the TBI outcome of geriatric patients on weekdays versus weekends in the neurosurgery department in a tertiary hospital in Oman.

Methods

This is a retrospective study, from December 2015 to December 2019. Medical records of 670 patients above 65 years and admitted to the neurosurgery ward were reviewed. From that, only 45 patients over 65 years, diagnosed with TBI and managed surgically were included.

Results

The study included 28 patients admitted during weekdays and 17 patients admitted during weekends. Nevertheless, the highest number of admissions was during Friday. The male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1 during weekdays and 3.2:1 during weekends. The average length of stay (LOS) was 12.4 days among patients operated on weekdays compared to 36.5 days on weekends. For average ICU stay, it was 3.9 days during weekdays compared to 32.2 during weekends (p = 0.011). Complications were found to be more common among patients admitted on weekends (p = 0.015).

Conclusion

Significant differences between weekdays and weekends were found. So, more trauma imaging facilities and neurosurgeons need to be available during the weekends.
Pediatric and Adolescent Hodgkin Lymphoma: Paving the Way for Standards of Care and Shared Decision Making
Authors: Kahn Justine M. , Mauz-Korholz Christine , Hernandez Tricia , Milgrom Sarah A. , Castellino Sharon M.
Published: May 2024

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a treatable cancer with an incidence peak in adolescent and young adult years. Treatment strategies have been developed to balance the intensity of therapy needed to maintain disease-free survival while simultaneously preserving overall survival. Risk-based, response-adapted frontline therapy has long used a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). Successive clinical trials over the past three decades have safely reduced cumulative alkylator, anthracycline, and RT exposures for many patients. The advent of checkpoint inhibitors and the CD30-targeted antibody drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin, has provided new options for de-escalation of conventional therapies associated with late effects in survivors treated at a young age. The ability to evaluate novel agents has been accelerated in collaborative trials inclusive of children and adolescents within the US National Clinical Trials Network and between the Children's Oncology Group and the EuroNet Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma Consortium. With numerous treatment options, patients with HL and their clinicians have an opportunity for shared decision making from diagnosis, through cancer treatment, and into survivorship. Given excellent survival outcomes, decisions about treatment in classic HL should be collaborative and attention to long-term survivorship needs should remain a high priority. Patient-reported outcomes remain an important tool to aid clinicians working with survivors to optimize health status and related quality of life for decades after HL therapy.
Woman Is a Cause: Kanafani’s Returning to Haifa as Critique of Patriarchal Nationalism
Authors: Kolers Avery , Omer-Sherman Ranen
Published: May 2024

How should one read Returning to Haifa, Ghassan Kanafani’s tragedy of post–1967 Palestinian-Israeli confrontation, in the twenty-first century? Though the novella ends with the protagonist’s call to arms, recent interpreters read it as an opening for dialogue and cohabitation. However inviting, though, such a “dovish” reading may not take seriously the unresolved conflicts at the novella’s core. We argue that the novella responds to the tectonic shifts in the Palestinian landscape of 1966–67 by reworking the calls to action and speech with which Kanafani concluded Men in the Sun (1962). Borrowing from Hannah Arendt’s theory of action, we propose a reading of Returning to Haifa that comes to grips with the enigmatic but crucial phrase “man is a cause,” arguing that in his representation of women in the novel, Kanafani not only writes against Palestinians resigning themselves to Israeli rule, but also points to how patriarchal nationalism alienates both Palestinians and Jews, and portends only an eternal recurrence of the Nakba.
Incubating Incubators
Authors: Kuharski Allen J.
Published: May 2024

Allen Kuharski provides a critical summary and expanded framing of the first neh Institute on transmitting and archiving devised physical ensemble theater in American higher education. Kuharski delineates the goals, structure, and planning of the twelve-day gathering of fifty academics, teaching artists, editors, and archivists hosted by him and Quinn Bauriedel of Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theater Company. The institute’s goal was to provide a platform for longer-term discussions of the historical, theoretical, and critical teaching of devised physical ensemble theater given the proliferation of the teaching of devising practices around the country. Kuharski also places the concerns of the institute within the larger forces challenging contemporary theater, discussing how on the one hand they seem to threaten the historic legacies of such alternative theater practices while on the other these practices may also provide our best future solutions for a vibrant and reformed American live performance practice. The article concludes with an argument for the central role of higher education in the future incubation of an innovative noncommercial American theater.
The Boundary of Light
Authors: Newman Rachel Grace
Published: May 2024

This meditation on diasporic belonging, the limits of light and vision, and the practices people enact to become one with the earth examines watercolors done by British artist William Berryman while he lived in Jamaica between 1808 and 1816. It focuses on depictions of the provision ground, small plots of land enslaved people and their families used to grow food and, ultimately, forge a connection with the land. The author peels back the layers of Berryman’s scenes, looking beyond what has been rendered visible, countering European representations of landscape that privilege vision and light. She contemplates what we cannot see in these images: buried entities that formed a network of power known to enslaved people, engaging Katherine McKittrick’s theory of Black geographies. Through these entities, people of African descent established blood ties with the earth of Jamaica, thus—to use Sylvia Wynter’s term—“transplanting” their culture to the island.
The Dundus and the Chineyman
Authors: Chin Timothy S.
Published: May 2024

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Charles V. Carnegie’s Postnationalism Prefigured (2002), this essay extends Carnegie’s insights about the inadequacy of using concepts of race as the foundation for nationalism to explore the social exclusions that are enforced in such constructions along lines of not only race but gender and sexuality as well. Taking a cue from a personal anecdote Carnegie relates in the book about the problem he poses as a “dundus” (Jamaican with albinism) for systems of racial classification, the author relies on reminiscence and a similar anecdote about his own misrecognition as “chineyman” (Chinese Jamaican) and possible “battyman” (gay man) to uncover the heterosexual and patriarchal norms that also underwrite the race/nation imaginary.
What Lies Here, Beyond Boundary?
Authors: Goffe Rachel
Published: May 2024

This essay was originally drafted for a twenty-year retrospective on Charles Carnegie’s Postnationalism Prefigured (2002). Reflecting on her own ethnographic research, the author takes up two of the book’s insights. The first unsettles national sovereignty as an essentializing horizon of justice that defangs rebellious ancestors. Instead, Carnegie attends to the unsettled spatiotemporal logic of past struggle, as echoed by contemporary border transgressions of everyday archipelagic life. From this, the author reconsiders the spatiotemporality of land claims based on belonging “here” rather than on property. The second insight holds essentialism to account for the tropes through which Black nation-states are read. From this she asks, might it be that an enforcer who does not enforce is anticolonial, leveraging chinks in the plantation logic of the law?
The Trajectory of a Postnationalist
Authors: Scott David
Published: May 2024

This contribution is an interview with the Jamaican anthropologist Charles “Val” Carnegie. It aims, in a brief span, to engage with Carnegie’s school and university years, his intellectual formation, and the direction of his current work.
Mode of Black Life
Authors: Brock André
Published: May 2024

This discussion essay offers a Black digital perspective on Lewis R. Gordon’s Fear of Black Consciousness (2022). Through a reading of Blackness as an informational and ratchet identity, the author contends that the typographic duality of a lowercase blackness and an uppercase Blackness offers a liminal, fleeting opportunity for Black digital agency between these two states.
The Design of Grading
Authors: Thominet Luke
Published: May 2024

This article examines writing instructors’ processes for creating grading systems through the lens of liberatory design, an offshoot of the popular design thinking framework that focuses on creating equity-focused responses to complex problems. It uses a thematic analysis method to analyze seventeen interviews with writing instructors. The results indicate that instructors already use various design-based practices to create grading systems. However, the analysis also demonstrates opportunities to build stronger connections between these practices, to center student voices, and to approach the design problem more creatively. The article closes by illustrating potential liberatory design practices for creating grading systems.
Minding the Gap
Authors: Chirico Miriam
Published: May 2024

Inquiry-based learning, that is, developing student capacity to frame and answer significant questions, is at the forefront of twenty-first century education. Expecting students to ask and solve genuine research questions creates a challenging teaching proposition that editorial cartooning can help solve. While the educational use of editorial cartooning is not a novel concept, asking our students to locate cartoons based on a topic of their choosing and to analyze the satirical debate across these cartoons serves as an accessible inquiry-driven research project for first-year college classes that introduces them to academic databases. This essay details the three-step process used in the college classroom: first, to “mind the gap,” that is, to apply specific rhetorical tools, like parody and juxtaposition, as a means of identifying and analyzing satire; second, to “mine the gap,” that is, to contextualize the cartoons by researching articles about contemporary culture and politics; and third, to “make the gap known” — to share their information with others through an oral presentation and a written essay. This editorial cartoon project, by educating students in research-encountering behavior, provides a genuine model of inquiry and analysis.
Ink, Blood, Bones
Authors: Hogue Bev
Published: May 2024

Natasha Trethewey's poem “Native Guard” begins and ends with the phrase “Truth be told,” but the poem demonstrates just how difficult it can be to tell the truth — or even a truth — about history. “Native Guard” excavates historical events that many readers will find unfamiliar: the experience of Black Union troops guarding Confederate prisoners on Ship Island in the Mississippi Gulf Coast during the Civil War. This complex history is expressed in a crosshatched poetic form: contemporaneous journal entries arranged in a series of interlinked sonnets that juxtapose the history written in ink on paper with the pain written in blood on people's bodies and the bones buried beneath every historical account. While teaching the poem requires careful attention to historical context, poetic form, and repetition of words, the experience provides an answer to the question students keep asking: Why do we have to keep reading about slavery? This essay describes some pedagogical choices that may help students grasp their responsibility for seeking truths that can't easily be told because they lie buried beneath unexamined historical narratives.
Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira: Um intelectual público nacionalista democrático
Authors: Ianoni Marcus
Published: May 2024

O artigo faz um comentário geral sobre a obra e ação de Bresser-Pereira, tomando-o como um intelectual público nacionalista democrático da sociedade brasileira, de centro-esquerda, que interage tanto com seus pares acadêmicos quanto com diversos outros atores, inclusive membros da chamada classe política, leitores em geral etc. Destaca-se, sobretudo, o engajamento intelectual de Bresser-Pereira no tema da construção da nação, objetivo que, segundo ele, depende da formulação e implementação de um projeto de desenvolvimento capaz de alavancar um casamento frutífero e democrático entre a ordem econômica-social e a ordem política.
Essays in fiscal adjustments
Authors: Χρόνη Ελένη
Published: May 2024

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή εξετάζει τις επιδράσεις της δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής σε διάφορους τομείς της οικονομικής δραστηριότητας. Η δομή της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η εξής: Το πρώτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζει τις επιπτώσεις των προγραμμάτων του ΔΝΤ στις κυβερνητικές δαπάνες όπως η εκπαίδευση, η υγεία και την κοινωνική προστασία. Χρησιμοποιώντας δεδομένα από 118 χώρες για την περίοδο 1980 μέχρι 2015 βρίσκουμε ότι τα προγράμματα του ΔΝΤ έχουν αρνητική επίδραση στις δαπάνες για την υγεία. Αντίθετα, οι δαπάνες για την εκπαίδευση στις οικονομίες της Αφρικής και της Ασίας έχουν θετικό αντίκτυπο κατά τη βραχυπρόθεσμη περίοδο. Ωστόσο, μεσοπρόθεσμα παρατηρείται στατιστικά σημαντική μείωση. Όσον αφορά τις δαπάνες κοινωνικής προστασίας, παρέχονται μικτά αποτελέσματα σχετικά με την επίδραση των προγραμμάτων που υποστηρίζονται από το ΔΝΤ. Το δεύτερο κεφάλαιο διερευνά τον αντίκτυπο των σχεδίων δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής στην εισοδηματική και την καταναλωτική ανισότητα. Στην ανάλυση μας χρησιμοποιούμε ένα δείγμα 16 χωρών του ΟΟΣΑ κατά την περίοδο 1978-2014. Τα δημοσιονομικά μέτρα διαχωρίζονται μεταξύ μη αναμενόμενων, αναμενόμενων και μελλοντικά αναμενόμενων δημοσιονομικών μέτρων έως και τρία έτη μετά την εφαρμογή ή την ανακοίνωσή τους. Τα αποτελέσματα παρέχουν ενδείξεις ότι τα αναμενόμενα και τα μελλοντικά αναμενόμενα (με βάση τη φορολογία ή τις δαπάνες) σχέδια δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής τείνουν να μειώνουν τις ανισότητες σε αντίθεση με τα μη αναμενόμενα δημοσιονομικά μέτρα που οδηγούν σε αύξηση των ανισοτήτων. Τέλος, το τρίτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζει τις επιδράσεις των προγραμμάτων δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής στην χρηματοοικονομικές επιδόσεις της επιχείρησης. Χρησιμοποιώντας ένα δείγμα από εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες επιχειρήσεις από 11 Ευρωπαϊκές χώρες για την περίοδο 1995-2018. Τα κύρια ευρήματα δείχνουν ότι τα μέτρα δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής τείνουν να έχουν αρνητικό αντίκτυπο σε όλα τα μεγέθη επιχειρήσεων μετά από μια τριετή περίοδο εφαρμογής της δημοσιονομικής προσαρμογής.
Μελέτη της επίδρασης της ροσουβαστατίνης στο αθηροσκληρωτικό προφίλ ΑροΕ-/- μυών
Authors: Τσιλιμίγκρας Διαμαντής
Published: May 2024

Εισαγωγή: Tα ποντίκια που στερούνται απολιποπρωτεΐνης Ε (ApoE-/-) αναπτύσσουν αθηροσκληρωτικές πλάκες που μοιάζουν στενά με το μεταβολικό σύνδρομο στους ανθρώπους. Διερευνήσαμε πως η ροσουβαστατίνη αμβλύνει το αθηροσκληρωτικό προφίλ των ApoE-/- ποντικών κατά τη διάρκεια του χρόνου και τις επιδράσεις της σε σχέση με συγκεκριμένες φλεγμονώδεις χημειοκίνες. Μέθοδοι: Δεκαοκτώ ApoE-/- μύες μοιράστηκαν σε τρεις ομάδες των έξι ποντικών η κάθε μία από τις οποίες λάμβαναν: κανονική δίαιτα (SCD; ομάδα ελέγχου), υψηλής περιεκτικότητας σε λίπος δίαιτα (HFD) και HFD με ροσουβαστατίνη σε δοσολογία 5 mg/kg/ημέρα από στόματος για 20 εβδομάδες. Η ανάλυση των αορτικών πλακών και της εναπόθεσης λιπιδίων πραγματοποιήθηκε με χρώσεις Sudan IV και Oil Red O. Οι συγκεντρώσεις χοληστερόλης, χαμηλής πυκνότητας λιποπρωτεΐνης (LDL), υψηλής πυκνότητας λιποπρωτεΐνης (HDL), γλυκόζης και τριγλυκεριδίων στο πλάσμα καθορίστηκαν στην αρχή και μετά από 20 εβδομάδες αγωγής. Οι συγκεντρώσεις της ιντερλευκίνης 6 (IL6), C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) και του παράγοντα νέκρωσης όγκων-α (TNFα) στο πλάσμα μετρήθηκαν με τη μέθοδο ELISA κατά τη διάρκεια της ευθανασίας. Αποτελέσματα: Το λιπιδαιμικό προφίλ των ApoE-/- ποντικών που τρέφονταν με HFD χειροτέρευσε με την πάροδο του χρόνου. Οι ApoE-/- ποντικοί που κατανάλωναν HFD ανέπτυξαν αθηροσκληρωτικές πλάκες με την πάροδο του χρόνου. Με τις χρώσεις Sudan IV και Oil Red O στην αορτή παρατηρήθηκε αυξημένη ανάπτυξη πλακών και εναπόθεση λιπιδίων στις πλάκες στους μύες που τρέφονταν με HFD σε σχέση με αυτούς που τρέφονταν με SCD και μειωμένη ανάπτυξη πλακών στους ποντικούς που τρέφονταν με HFD και υποβλήθηκαν σε αγωγή με ροσουβαστατίνη σε σχέση με τους ποντικούς που δεν λάμβαναν ροσουβαστατίνη. Η ανάλυση του ορού αποκάλυψε μειωμένες μεταβολικές παραμέτρους στους ποντικούς που κατανάλωναν HFD και λάμβαναν ροσουβαστατίνη σε σύγκριση με τους ποντικούς που δεν λάμβαναν στατίνη. Την ώρα της ευθανασίας, οι ποντικοί που τρέφονταν με HFD και υποβλήθηκαν σε αγωγή με ροσουβαστατίνη είχαν σημαντικά χαμηλότερα επίπεδα IL6 και CCL2 σε σύγκριση με τους ποντικούς που τρέφονταν με HFD και δεν λάμβαναν ροσουβαστατίνη. Τα επίπεδα TNFα ήταν συγκρίσιμα μεταξύ όλων των ομάδων των ανεξαρτήτως αγωγής. Τα επίπεδα IL6 και CCL2 συσχετίστηκαν θετικά με την έκταση των αθηροσκληρωτικών πλακών και την εναπόθεση λιπιδίων στις αθηροσκληρωτικές πλάκες. Συμπεράσματα: Η ροσουβαστατίνη μείωσε την πρόοδο των αθηροσκληρωτικών πλακών σε ApoE-/- μύες που κατανάλωναν HFD και μείωσε τα επίπεδα IL6 και CCL2 στον ορό μετά από 20 εβδομάδες αγωγής. Τα επίπεδα IL6 και CCL2 συσχετίστηκαν με την έκταση των αθηροσκληρωτικών πλακών. Τα επίπεδα IL6 και CCL2 στον ορό μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν ως κλινικοί δείκτες προόδου της αθηροσκλήρωσης κατά τη διάρκεια της αγωγής με στατίνες για την υπερχοληστερολαιμία.
Essays in the economics of aging
Authors: Αραπάκης Κάρολος
Published: May 2024

Αυτή η διατριβή αποτελείται από τρία κύρια δοκίμια που στοχεύουν στην ανάπτυξη μιας βαθύτερης κατανόησης των ζητημάτων που σχετίζονται με τα δημόσια προγράμματα ασφάλισης για ηλικιωμένους και τους κινδύνους που αυτά ασφαλίζουν. Στο πρώτο δοκίμιο (Κεφάλαιο 2), χρησιμοποιώντας δεδομένα από το Health and Retirement Study συνδεδεμένο με διοικητικές εγγραφές Medicare και Medicaid, μαζί με το Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, εκτιμούμε τη στοχαστική διαδικασία για τις δαπάνες στον τομέα της υγείας. Επικεντρωνόμαστε στη δυναμική, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη όχι μόνο τον κίνδυνο καταστροφικών δαπανών σε ένα μόνο έτος, αλλά και τον κίνδυνο μέτριων αλλά επίμονων δαπανών που συσσωρεύονται σε μια καταστροφική δαπάνη. Αξιολογούμε επίσης τη μείωση των δαπανών στον τομέα της υγείας που παρέχονται από το Medicare ή το Medicaid. Βρίσκουμε ότι αν και το Medicare και το Medicaid πληρώνουν την πλειονότητα των ιατρικών δαπανών, τα νοικοκυριά στην ηλικία των 65 ετών θα υποστούν μέσο όρο δαπάνών ύψους $59,000, με το 10% των νοικοκυριών να υποστούν περισσότερο από $121,000 σε δαπάνες κατά τη διάρκεια της υπολειπόμενης ζωής τους. Στο δεύτερο δοκίμιο (Κεφάλαιο 3), συγκρίνουμε την εμφάνιση άνοιας και πώς ποικίλλει ανάλογα με το κοινωνικοοικονομικό καθεστώς (SES) στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες και την Αγγλία. Η εμφάνιση της άνοιας είναι υψηλότερη μεταξύ των μειονεκτούντων σε και τις δύο χώρες, με τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες να είναι πιο άνισες σύμφωνα με τέσσερις μετρήσεις του SES. Αφού ληφθούν υπόψη παράγοντες υγείας και εκπαίδευση, οι περισσότερες από τις εσωτερικές ανισότητες εξαφανίζονται εντός της κάθε χώρας. Ωστόσο, η διαφορά μεταξύ των χωρών στην εμφάνιση για αυτούς που βρίσκονται στο χαμηλότερο εισοδηματικό δεκάδιο παραμένει αναλογικά υψηλή. Αυτό δείχνει ότι η μειονεκτία στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες είναι ένας αναλογικά υψηλός παράγοντας κινδύνου για την άνοια. Στο τελικό δοκίμιο (Κεφάλαιο 4), αξιολογούμε την βέλτιστη δομή του συστήματος Social Security των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις υποχρεώσεις του τρέχοντος συστήματος, τις δυναμικές μεταβολές και τους περιορισμούς της πολιτικής εφικτότητας. Βασιζόμαστε σε ένα εκτιμημένο μοντέλο γενικής ισορροπίας επαναλαμβανόμενων γενεών που περιλαμβάνει τόσο συγκεντρωτική όσο και ατομική αβεβαιότητα. Η ποσοτική ανάλυση καθιστά σαφές ότι αν και τα μεταβατικά κόστοι περιορίζουν σημαντικά τη δυνατότητα της κυβέρνησης των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών να απομακρυνθεί από το τρέχον σύστημα Social Security, η αγνόηση των περιορισμών της πολιτικής εφικτότητας επιτρέπει στην κυβέρνηση να αυξήσει την ευημερία με τη μετάβαση σε ένα πιο προοδευτικό και λιγότερο δαπανηρό σύστημα. Ωστόσο, οι περιορισμοί της πολιτικής εφικτότητας ανατρέπουν αυτό το αποτέλεσμα.
Magnitude and determinants of road traffic accidents in North Gondar Zone; Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Molla Abay Semegnew
Published: May 2024

Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients’ experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate patient-perceived facilitators and barriers to home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data was analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1), which aims to quantitatively investigate recovery outcomes after a home-based rehabilitation exercise program. Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and the subtheme ‘general physical activity versus rehabilitation exercise’ were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their habitual conduct of everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises.  Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless. Conclusions: The overall goal for the THA patients was to return to their habitual everyday life. This goal served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise. Being able to perform usual activities paradoxically became a barrier for some participants, as they were more motivated to engage in general physical activity than the rehabilitation exercise.
Effect of physical rehabilitation using oromotor stimulation, manual airway clearance technique, positioning, tactile and kinaesthetic stimulation (PROMPT) protocol on respiratory and neuromuscular function in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS)- a protocol for randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hullumani Sharath , Qureshi Moh’d Irshad , Raghuveer Raghumahanti
Published: May 2024

Background Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NRDS) remains a significant challenge in neonatal care, often leading to respiratory compromise and neuromuscular dysfunction. While advances in medical management have improved outcomes, adjunctive therapies such as physical rehabilitation offer potential benefits yet require further investigation. This protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial aiming to evaluate the effect of Physical Rehabilitation using Oro Motor Stimulation, Manual Airway Clearance Technique, Positioning, Tactile, and Kinesthetic Stimulation (PROMPT) protocol on respiratory and neuromuscular function in neonates with NRDS. Methods The trial will include 38 neonates diagnosed with NRDS, randomly allocated into two groups: the intervention group receiving the PROMPT protocol alongside standard care, and the control group receiving standard care alone. The PROMPT protocol comprises a comprehensive approach targeting oromotor stimulation, manual airway clearance technique, optimal positioning, and tactile/kinesthetic stimulation. Outcome measures Primary outcomes will focus on respiratory parameters such as oxygenation index, ventilatory support requirements, and neuromuscular function assessed through muscle tone and reflexes. Secondary outcomes will encompass length of hospital stay, incidence of complications, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at follow-up. Results Data analysis will employ appropriate statistical methods to compare outcomes between the intervention and control groups, with adjustments for potential confounders. Ethical approval has been obtained, and informed consent will be obtained from parents or legal guardians before enrolment. Conclusion This trial protocol aims to provide valuable insights into the efficacy and safety of the PROMPT protocol as a rehabilitative intervention for NRDS. The findings may inform future clinical practice and contribute to optimizing care strategies for neonates with NRDS, ultimately improving their short- and long-term outcomes. Registration CTRI/2024/03/064911
O conteúdo esportivo nas plataformas de streaming: uma análise audiovisual
Authors: Oliveira Ana Carolina Campos de , Montezano Cristiane Turnes , Reis Susana Azevedo
Published: May 2024

Este artigo objetiva compreender as construções de narrativa em séries documentais do segmento esportivo, mais especificamente no futebol. Acreditamos que essas narrativas se estruturam com base na “jornada do herói” (Campbell, 2007). Para tal, analisamos as séries All or nothing: Arsenal, produzido pelo Amazon Prime Video, e Até o fim: Flamengo campeão da Libertadores 2019, disponível no Globoplay, a partir da metodologia da análise da materialidade audiovisual, proposta por Coutinho (2018). Observamos que, ainda que ocorram adaptações e diferenças, as séries possuem, na composição de suas narrativas, personagens e estágios evidenciados na “jornada do herói”, o que aponta para uma transição desse tipo de narrativa. Na passagem para o ambiente digital, o formato utilizado é outro, mais fragmentado: o documentário seriado. Tal modelo permite que a narrativa ganhe novas nuances, sendo contada por outros prismas, produzindo subnarrativas, mas sempre mantendo uma perspectiva macro da história.
Anatomía de las palabras: monemas, lexemas y morfemas
Authors: González Luis Fernando
Published: May 2024

En anatomía, la mayor parte de los términos que usamos son palabras construidas a partir de raíces griegas y latinas, por lo cual conocer las bases que explican la construcción de dichas palabras se constituye en un apoyo excepcional para entender su significado y aporta una imagen simbólica de la estructura misma. Esta guía lo invita a disecar las palabras, entendiendo su etimología y las imágenes que evocan.
Confidence Intervals for Piecewise Normal Distributions and Stochastic Variational Inequalities
Authors: Lu Shu
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we first show how to obtain easy-to-compute confidence intervals for the center of a piecewise normal distribution given a sample from this distribution (assuming that the center belongs to a known affine set parallel to the common lineality space of all cones defining the piecewise normal distribution) by using certain skewed projectors on that space. We then extend this method to an asymptotic setting. Next, we apply this method to compute confidence intervals for the true solution of a stochastic variational inequality given a solution to a sample average approximation (SAA) problem for the general situation in which the asymptotic distribution of SAA solutions is piecewise normal. For stochastic complementarity problems, we obtain asymptotic normality of certain estimators of the true solution when the asymptotic distribution of the SAA solutions is piecewise normal.

Funding: The research reported in this paper was supported the National Science Foundation [Grant DMS-1814894].