bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the antihypertensive effects of folic acid and resveratrol in spontaneously hypertensive rats combined with hyperhomocysteinemia
Authors: Lu Yi , Zhang Lihua , Wang Chunli , Gong Chunbo
Published: December 2023

Objectives:

Studies have found that both folic acid and resveratrol have potential benefits in reducing complications of hypertension. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of resveratrol and folic acid on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats combined with hyperhomocystinemia, and to explore their potential mechanisms.

Methods:

Twenty-four male specific pathogen free (SPF) SPF grade spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly divided into four groups: the SHR group, the hypertension combined with hyperhomocystinemia group (SHR + HHcy), the folic acid intervention group (SHR + HHcy + FA), and the resveratrol intervention group (SHR + HHcy + Res). The rat model of hypertension combined with hyperhomocystinemia was constructed, and then folic acid or resveratrol were given by gavage. Rat tail artery blood pressure, serum homocysteine concentration, superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde levels, and mRNA transcription and protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and angiotensin II were detected.

Result:

Compared with the SHR group, the SHR + HHcy group significantly increased hyperhomocystinemia and malondialdehyde levels, and inhibited superoxide dismutase activity and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression. Compared with the SHR + HHcy group, the SHR + HHcy + FA group significantly reduced hyperhomocystinemia and malondialdehyde levels, and significantly increased superoxide dismutase activity and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression; the SHR + HHcy + Res group also inhibited malondialdehyde levels and promoted endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, but did not reduce hyperhomocystinemia. When comparing between the SHR + HHcy + FA group and the SHR + HHcy + Res group, folic acid significantly decreased hyperhomocystinemia and increased superoxide dismutase activity, while resveratrol significantly decreased blood pressure and angiotensin II expression.

Conclusions:

Both resveratrol and folic acid reduced the levels of oxidative stress and promoted the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in SHRs combined with hyperhomocystinemia. Moreover, resveratrol exhibited superior antihypertensive efficacy compared to folic acid, potentially attributed to its ability to inhibit angiotensin II expression.
Dynamic Evolution and Trend Analysis of the Coupling Coordination Between Sci-Tech Popularization and Sci-Tech Innovation in China
Authors: Wang Hao , Zhao Xiaoya , Yang Guodang , Liu Xiaoxue
Published: December 2023

Sci-Tech Popularization (STP) and Sci-Tech Innovation (STI) are two significant components to realize China’s innovation development. STI provides direction and content for STP, while STP creates an intense atmosphere for STI. By establishing two evaluation index systems of STP and STI, the STP index and the STI index of China and Chinese 31 provinces from 2010 to 2019 was calculated, and the STP index and the STI index from 2020 to 2024 were predicted. Finally, the relative development degree (RDD), the coupling coordination degree (CCD) and the dynamic degree of STP and STI were figured out. The results showed that: (1) From 2010 to 2024, the STP index and the STI index of China and Chinese 31 provinces showed a growing trend. The growth rate of STI was higher than that of STP, but the STP and the STI were low. (2) The RDD results showed that the development of STP lagged behind that of STI after 2018, and the gap between them showed a growing trend. (3) The CCD of STP and STI in China spanned three grades: moderate imbalance, slight imbalance, and approaching imbalance. The CCD in Chinese each province spanned five grades: severe imbalance, moderate imbalance, slight imbalance, approaching imbalance, reluctant coordination. The CCD was developing in a good direction, China and most Chinese provinces were still in an unbalanced level instead. Finally, suggestions on infrastructure, technical means, personnel, and social responsibility were put forward to promote the coordinated development between STP and STI in China.
The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the Hybrid Learning Paradigm: Revising Strategies for An Evolving Legal Education Environment
Authors: Roy Rumi , Sharma Prakash
Published: December 2023

A strong and resilient education system is vital for the progress and growth of any nation, as it equips individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively address current and forthcoming issues, while also keeping pace with rapid technological breakthroughs. The National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020) plays a significant role in creating a comprehensive framework for the transformation of the education sector. The hybrid approach of teaching and learning has the ability to integrate multiple viewpoints within legal education by combining in-person and online interactions, under the guidance of policy. Nevertheless, it is important to conduct a thorough examination of the pedagogical tactics and technology tools that augment the learning experience in legal education, in order to assess the efficacy of this approach in professional courses like law. Given the aforementioned environment, the primary objective of this study is to comprehensively examine the consequences of incorporating a hybrid method of learning in the field of legal education in India, specifically focusing on its policy implications and relevant issues. This study endeavours to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the paradigm, as well as the ongoing problems and limitations associated with it, in the context of legal education. Moreover, the primary objective of this article is to conduct a rigorous analysis of apparent gaps and inconsistencies that may necessitate additional explanation or refinement in order to effectively accomplish the targeted transformative goals. The paper seeks to provide a valuable contribution to the continuing discourse on educational reform and promote the successful implementation of the hybrid model in accordance with NEP 2020 for the purpose of delivering legal education in India, particularly in the context of the post-pandemic global landscape.
Comparison of Improvement in Patient-Reported Knee Function After Revision and Multiple-Revision ACL Reconstruction Compared With Primary ACL Reconstruction
Authors: Kaarre Janina , Herman Zachary J. , Grassi Alberto , Hamrin Senorski Eric , Musahl Volker , Samuelsson Kristian
Published: December 2023

Background:

Graft failure after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a debilitating complication often requiring revision surgery. It is widely agreed upon that functional knee outcomes after revision ACLR (r-ACLR) are inferior compared with those after primary reconstruction. However, data are scarce on outcomes after multiple-revision ACLR (mr-ACLR).

Purpose:

To compare patient-reported knee function in terms of Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) preoperatively and 1-year postoperatively after primary ACLR, r-ACLR, and mr-ACLR and evaluate the pre- to postoperative improvement in KOOS scores for each procedure.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry who underwent their index ACLR between 2005 and 2020 with a minimum age of 15 years at the time of surgery were included in this study. All patients had pre- and postoperative KOOS data. The 1-year postoperative KOOS and the pre- to postoperative changes in KOOS were assessed between patients who underwent primary ACLR and those who underwent subsequent r-ACLR and mr-ACLR.

Results:

Of 20,542 included patients, 19,769 (96.2%) underwent primary ACLR, 760 (3.7%) underwent r-ACLR, and 13 (0.06%) underwent mr-ACLR. Patients who underwent r-ACLR had significantly smaller pre- to postoperative changes on all KOOS subscales compared with patients undergoing primary ACLR ( P < .0001 for all). Furthermore, patients in the mr-ACLR group had significantly smaller changes in the KOOS-Pain subscale compared with patients in the r-ACLR group (–9 ± 23.3 vs 2.5 ± 18; P = .024).

Conclusion:

The study results indicated that while improvement is seen after primary ACLR, r-ACLR, and mr-ACLR, the greatest improvement in functional outcomes is observed after primary ACLR. Patients who underwent at least 1 r-ACLR, specifically mr-ACLR, had lower postoperative outcome scores, indicating that primary ACLR may provide the best chance for recovery after ACL injury.
Short Note—Revisiting Formality in Contemporary Business Interaction: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Femø Nielsen Mie
Published: December 2023

Formality is better than its reputation. Formality may accomplish and sustain shared attention, execute events in an orderly and fair manner and secure broad and relevant participation. Formality is moreover not rigid and binary. It is relative, dynamic, co-constructed, and locally negotiated. It may provide proactive solutions to complexities in contemporary institutional interactions and may support participants’ orientation toward specific goals. This paper presents a conceptual framework for the concept of formality in social interaction. The paper proposes that formality is analyzed according to six dimensions: structural–episodic; preemptive–remedial; stipulated–taken-for-granted; instructed–questioned; scripted–negotiated; and excessive–granular. It takes a conversation analytic approach to video or audio recordings of real-life contemporary business interaction, both co-located and mediated via information and communication technology. As a wide-ranging and multifaceted set of instruments, formality may be used beyond institutional goal-orientation to include and exclude, to create transparency or lack thereof, and to promote or block (un)just powers. The practical implication is therefore to encourage a reflexive practice that promotes transparency by allowing for the participants to negotiate the formality of a situation. To formulate and explain formality may serve to include lay people in institutional procedures and place the participants on a more equal footing. Being aware of how to increase and decrease formality, episodically as well as structurally, makes it possible to question and redesign layers of formality in institutional processes, procedures, and encounters.
Theorizing as Mode of Engagement in and through Extreme Contexts Research
Authors: Wright April L. , Kent Derin , Hällgren Markus , Rouleau Linda
Published: December 2023

We explore how management and organization scholars theorize when undertaking research on extreme contexts, which are organizational settings where potential adverse events arise from risks, emergencies and disruptions. We propose that different ‘modes of engagement’ arise as researchers connect different aspects of the self to the extreme context; namely, personal self, professional self, moral self and vulnerable self. Each self-context connection plays out in different modes of engagement in the conduct of empirical research and enables different theorizing practices. We present these self-context connections as four ideal-typical modes of engagement. Adventuresome inquiry connects a personal self to the extreme context and theorizes by phenomenon-driven problematization. Instrumental scholarship expresses a professional self in the extreme context and theorizes by theory elaboration. Ideological improvement galvanizes a moral self in the extreme context and theorizes by change-driven abstraction. Reflexive labor exposes a vulnerable self and theorizes by dialectical interrogation. Our comprehensive framework of theorizing as mode of engagement contributes to extreme context research by elucidating how theorizing in and through such contexts is accomplished by researchers with multiple selves and by offering some guidance on how the four modes can be used dynamically to ensure generative theorizing. We also contribute to the broader literature on theorizing in management and organization studies by highlighting the need to consider the interplay between the researcher and the academic contributions they produce and by proposing a reflexive and dynamic framework of theorizing as modes of engagement.
The role of the diaphragm in prediction of respiratory function in the immediate postoperative period in lung cancer patients using a machine learning model
Authors: Vesovic Radomir , Milosavljevic Milan , Punt Marija , Radomirovic Jelica , Bascarevic Slavisa , Savic Milan , Milenkovic Vladimir , Popovic Marko , Ercegovac Maja
Published: December 2023

Background

The prediction of postoperative respiratory function is necessary in identifying patients that are at greater risk of complications. There are not enough studies on the effect of the diaphragm on postoperative respiratory function prediction in lung cancer surgical patients. The objective of this study is to estimate the precision of machine learning methods in the prediction of respiratory function in the immediate postoperative period and how diaphragm function contributes to that prediction.

Materials and methods

Our prospective study included 79 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery. Diaphragm function was estimated by its mobility measured both ultrasonographically and radiographically and by noninvasive muscle strength tests. We present a new machine learning multilayer regression metamodel, which predicts FEV1 for each patient based on preoperative measurements.

Results

The proposed regression models are specifically trained to predict FEV1 in the immediate postoperative period and were proved to be highly accurate (mean absolute error in the range from 8 to 11%). Predictive models based on resected segments give two to three times less precise results. Measured FEV1 was 44.68% ± 14.07%, 50.95% ± 15.80%, and 58.0%1 ± 14.78%, and predicted postoperative (ppo) FEV1 was 43.85% ± 8.80%, 50.62% ± 9.28%, and 57.85% ± 10.58% on the first, fourth, and seventh day, respectively. By interpreting the obtained model, the diaphragm contributes to ppoFEV1 13.62% on the first day, 10.52% on the fourth, and 9.06% on the seventh day.

Conclusion

The machine learning metamodel gives more accurate predictions of postoperative lung function than traditional calculations. The diaphragm plays a notable role in the postoperative FEV1 prediction.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Superficial Parotidectomy and Partial Superficial Parotidectomy for Benign Parotid Tumours: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Hai-Tao , Jiang Wei-Peng , Xia Gang , Liao Jia-Min
Published: December 2023

Objective

To quantify the results of superficial parotidectomy (SP) and partial SP (PSP) for benign parotid tumours using a systematic evaluation method.

Methods

A systematic search of English and Chinese databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China Knowledge Network, Wanfang and Vipshop) was conducted to include studies comparing the treatment outcomes of SP with PSP.

Results

Twenty-three qualified, high-quality studies involving 2844 patients were included in this study. The results of this study showed that compared to the SP surgical approach, the PSP surgical approach reduced the occurrence of temporary facial palsy (OR = 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26–0.41), permanent facial palsy (OR = 0.28; 95% CI 0.16–0.52) and Frey syndrome (OR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.23–0.56) in patients after surgery, and the surgery operative time was reduced by approximately 27.35 min (95% CI − 39.66, − 15.04). However, the effects of PSP versus SP on salivary fistula (OR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.40–1.24), sialocele (OR = 1.48; 95% CI 0.78–2.83), haematoma (OR = 0.34; 95% CI 0.11–1.01) and tumour recurrence rate (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 0.48–4.20) were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Compared with SP, PSP has a lower postoperative complication rate and significantly shorter operative time, suggesting that it could be used as an alternative to SP in the treatment of benign parotid tumours with the right indications.

Graphical abstract
Students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT in a physics class as a virtual tutor
Authors: Ding Lu , Li Tong , Jiang Shiyan , Gapud Albert
Published: December 2023

The latest development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), particularly ChatGPT, has drawn the attention of educational researchers and practitioners. We have witnessed many innovative uses of ChatGPT in STEM classrooms. However, studies regarding students’ perceptions of ChatGPT as a virtual tutoring tool in STEM education are rare. The current study investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT in a physics class as an assistant tool for addressing physics questions. Specifically, the study examined the accuracy of ChatGPT in answering physics questions, the relationship between students’ ChatGPT trust levels and answer accuracy, and the influence of trust on students’ perceptions of ChatGPT. Our finding indicates that despite the inaccuracy of GenAI in question answering, most students trust its ability to provide correct answers. Trust in GenAI is also associated with students’ perceptions of GenAI. In addition, this study sheds light on students’ misconceptions toward GenAI and provides suggestions for future considerations in AI literacy teaching and research.
Social support in low-income women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome from a sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain): a mixed method study
Authors: Martín Pérez Sebastian Eustaquio , Martín Pérez Isidro Miguel , Álvarez Sánchez Ania , Acosta Pérez Paula , Rodríguez Alayón Eliana
Published: December 2023

Background

Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) can benefit form adequate social support to fight the consequences of their illness, but the extent to which this is available to those with low incomes who live in depressed areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore social support in low-incomes women with FMS in sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife.

Methodology

A sequential exploratory mixed method study was carried out from January 20, 2023, to June 10, 2023, at the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Association of Tenerife (AFITEN) using non-probability convenience sampling. Social support was analyzed quantitatively through MOS-SSS survey and Duke-UNC-11 questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews to identify social support providers and analyze their satisfactions levels.

Results

A total of 49 women, with a mean age of 57.80 years-old (SD = 13.25) were finally included in this study. MOSS-SSS and Duke-UNC-11 both indicated lower social support levels at 68.6 (SD =16.3) and 38.0 (SD = 9.74), respectively. The qualitative analysis revealed that partners and friends provided the most significant support with the highest satisfaction scores.

Conclusions

The socioeconomic status of low-income women with FMS living in sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) influences on their social support, with the affective support and confidentiality being the most affected dimensions.
Assessing the influence of personality and health beliefs on variability of COVID-19 fear among Egyptians: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Atwa Samar , Bassiony Medhat M. , Said Mervat , Fouad Eman
Published: December 2023

Background

Patients and their families get stigmatized and socially excluded due to their fear of COVID-19, which exposes them to psychological discomfort, rage, depression, and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to assess the fear the Egyptian population had of COVID-19 and its risk factors during the pandemic.

Methods

In this study, 1002 Egyptian adults joined part via a cross-sectional online survey.

The survey included questions related to sociodemographic and clinical data, the Health Belief Model (HBM), The Arabic Big Five Personality Inventory (ABFPI), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S).

Results

Marriage status, rural residence, non-medical work, lack of satisfaction with personal information about COVID-19, high perceived severity, perceived benefits of social distance, and high scores of neuroticism significantly increased the risk of fear from COVID-19, while low perceived susceptibility and high conscientiousness were protective factors against the fear of covid-19.

Conclusions

Personality traits and health beliefs play an important role in COVID-19-related fear during the pandemic. These findings might help in the planning of prevention programs in the future.
Mutation of p53 increases the competitive ability of pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Perez Montero Salvador , Paul Pranab K. , di Gregorio Aida , Bowling Sarah , Shepherd Solomon , Fernandes Nadia J. , Lima Ana , Pérez-Carrasco Rubén , Rodriguez Tristan A.
Published: December 2023

During development, the rate of tissue growth is determined by the relative balance of cell division and cell death. Cell competition is a fitness quality-control mechanism that contributes to this balance by eliminating viable cells that are less fit than their neighbours. The mutations that confer cells with a competitive advantage and the dynamics of the interactions between winner and loser cells are not well understood. Here, we show that embryonic cells lacking the tumour suppressor p53 are ‘super-competitors’ that eliminate their wild-type neighbours through the direct induction of apoptosis. This elimination is context dependent, as it does not occur when cells are pluripotent and it is triggered by the onset of differentiation. Furthermore, by combining mathematical modelling and cell-based assays we show that the elimination of wild-type cells is not through competition for space or nutrients, but instead is mediated by short-range interactions that are dependent on the local cell neighbourhood. This highlights the importance of the local cell neighbourhood and the competitive interactions within this neighbourhood for the regulation of proliferation during early embryonic development.
Morbimortalidade por zoonoses de acometimento respiratório em Minas Gerais
Authors: Oliveira Reis Nicolas Emanuel , Sousa Leandro Gabriela , Fernandes Coelho Cunha Isabela , Da Silva Torres França Larissa , Alexandra Alves Waneska
Published: December 2023

Objetivo: descrever os registros de óbitos e hospitalizações por zoonoses respiratórias em residentes de Minas Gerais, de 2000 a 2020. Métodos: utilizou-se abordagem quantitativa descritiva com dados secundários não nominais da Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do estado. Os dados referem-se a 2000 a 2020 e foram retirados do SIM e SIH, sendo analisados sob a estatística descritiva. Resultados: registraram-se 46.178 hospitalizações e 13.317 óbitos, sendo os vírus os principais agentes nas taxas de internação e mortalidade, com pico em 2020. Entre 2000 e 2019, as internações foram predominantes em homens, faixa etária 0-17 anos (42,8%) e raça branca (13,6%), com maior mortalidade na faixa 45-59 anos (34,7%) e raça branca (54,0%). Em 2020, ambas predominaram em homens, acima de 60 anos e nas raças branca e parda. Conclusão: os achados contribuem para conhecer a ocorrência das zoonoses na população mineira e subsidiar futuras ações de vigilância e controle dessas doenças.
When Nash Meets Stackelberg
Authors: Carvalho Margarida , Dragotto Gabriele , Feijoo Felipe , Lodi Andrea , Sankaranarayanan Sriram
Published: December 2023

This article introduces a class of Nash games among Stackelberg players (NASPs), namely, a class of simultaneous noncooperative games where the players solve sequential Stackelberg games. Specifically, each player solves a Stackelberg game where a leader optimizes a (parametrized) linear objective function subject to linear constraints, whereas its followers solve convex quadratic problems subject to the standard optimistic assumption. Although we prove that deciding if a NASP instance admits a Nash equilibrium is generally a [Formula: see text]-hard decision problem, we devise two exact and computationally efficient algorithms to compute and select Nash equilibria or certify that no equilibrium exists. We use NASPs to model the hierarchical interactions of international energy markets where climate change aware regulators oversee the operations of profit-driven energy producers. By combining real-world data with our models, we find that Nash equilibria provide informative, and often counterintuitive, managerial insights for market regulators.

This paper was accepted by Chung Piaw Teo, optimization.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03418 .
Zero-One Composite Optimization: Lyapunov Exact Penalty and a Globally Convergent Inexact Augmented Lagrangian Method
Authors: Zhang Penghe , Xiu Naihua , Luo Ziyan
Published: December 2023

We consider the problem of minimizing the sum of a smooth function and a composition of a zero-one loss function with a linear operator, namely the zero-one composite optimization problem (0/1-COP). It has a vast body of applications, including the support vector machine (SVM), calcium dynamics fitting (CDF), one-bit compressive sensing (1-bCS), and so on. However, it remains challenging to design a globally convergent algorithm for the original model of 0/1-COP because of the nonconvex and discontinuous zero-one loss function. This paper aims to develop an inexact augmented Lagrangian method (IALM), in which the generated whole sequence converges to a local minimizer of 0/1-COP under reasonable assumptions. In the iteration process, IALM performs minimization on a Lyapunov function with an adaptively adjusted multiplier. The involved Lyapunov penalty subproblem is shown to admit the exact penalty theorem for 0/1-COP, provided that the multiplier is optimal in the sense of the proximal-type stationarity. An efficient zero-one Bregman alternating linearized minimization algorithm is also designed to achieve an approximate solution of the underlying subproblem in finite steps. Numerical experiments for handling SVM, CDF, and 1-bCS demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the proposed method in terms of solution accuracy and time efficiency.

Funding: This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grant 2022YJS099] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 12131004 and 12271022].
Enhancing the social integration of people with disabilities among Ukrainian refugees in the urban environment of Georgia
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Ihnatenko Kateryna
Published: December 2023

The article reveals the main factors that influence the integration of refugees from Ukraine, including persons with disabilities, into host communities in Georgia. Social integration is a growing concern in global migration studies. The study aimed to analyze what factors influence the social integration of refugees with disabilities into the host community environment in Tbilisi (Georgia). Through field observation and semi-structured interviews with volunteers and members of non-governmental organizations providing services to Ukrainian refugees, including people with disabilities, the study examined how Ukrainians’ participation in Georgian community life contributes to social integration. The results of the study highlight three dominant themes that permeate all three levels of socialization of refugees from Ukraine in a large city (micro, meso, and macro levels): the charitable model of social attitudes that portrays persons with disabilities as victims who deserve compassion; invisibility; and activity and resistance. The article also highlights the peculiarities of the integration process of Ukrainian refugees, which are typical for Georgia.
System of social rehabilitation: modern trends, approaches and principles
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Stepanenko Viktoriia
Published: December 2023

The article defines the essence of social rehabilitation as a social service. The rehabilitation system is presented, which consists of rehabilitation subjects (subjects that carry out the organization of rehabilitation or contribute to it, recipients and providers of rehabilitation assistance), their rights and obligations, relations between them, regulated by legislation, as well as defined by legislation requirements, protocols and regulations for the provision of rehabilitation assistance. The main trends in the development of the rehabilitation system in Ukraine and the world are outlined: prioritization and integration of rehabilitation services, creation of interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary teams; rehabilitation at the institution and community level, considering a person not from the point of view of diagnosis, but from the point of view of his potential for recovery, needs and measures to be taken to help him return to everyday life. The main directions of the development of the rehabilitation system in Ukraine to ensure compliance with international standards for the provision of rehabilitation services are presented. The specifics of the main approaches to the implementation of rehabilitation activities (systemic, ecological, radical, complex, integrated, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, existential) and its main principles (patient-/client-centricity, purposefulness, timeliness, consistency, continuity, functional orientation) are revealed.
Mendelian randomization provides evidence for a causal effect of serum insulin-like growth factor family concentration on risk of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Lin Sha , Tang Jie , Li Xing , Wu Gang , Lin Yi-Fei , Li Yi-Fei
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common persistent arrhythmias among adult cardiovascular diseases. It is important to identify potential risk factors for AF. Members of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family exert a variety of effects on various cell types in the context of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, and previous population-based studies indicate associations between IGF family members and AF. However, the causal effects of IGF family members in AF have not been evaluated.

AIM

In the current study two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) was used to assess genetic relationships between IGF family members and AF.

METHODS

MR was performed based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets, and concentration levels of 14 IGF family members were retrieved. An initial MR analysis was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms potentially associated with IGF serum concentrations. A GWAS meta-analysis including 60620 AF cases and 970216 control participants of European ancestry was then conducted to identify AF causal effects. Two-sample MR packages were used to perform MR analysis in R. MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), and inverse variance weighted (IVW) methods were used.

RESULTS

In two-sample MR assessments there were lower levels of circulating IGF binding protein 3 in both WM [odds ratio (OR) 0.964, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.940–0.960, P = 0.006] and IVW (OR 0.968, 95%CI: 0.947–0.987, P = 0.001) analyses. Higher serum levels of IGF2 receptor were associated with AF (OR 1.045, 95%CI: 1.016–1.076, P = 0.039). In reverse MR analysis conducted to investigate casual effects, elevated levels of circulating CYR61 were associated with AF (OR 1.060, 95%CI: 1.005–1.119, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of AF, and the implications of serum IGF family member concentrations when assessing the risk of AF. The study generated evidence on the potential roles of developmental pathological effects in the pathogenesis of AF. Further observational and experimental studies are critically needed.
Iris metastasis from clear cell renal cell carcinoma: A case report
Authors: Wang Tong-Tong , Chen Xiao-Yue , Min Qiao-Yun , Han Yi-Ze , Zhao Huan-Fen
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common type of tumor that can metastasize to any organs and sites. However, it is extremely rare for ccRCC to metastasize to the iris. Here, we describe a rare case of iris metastasis from ccRCC with a history of left nephrectomy in 2010.

CASE SUMMARY

A 62-year-old male was admitted to the hospital due to blurred vision and red eyes, and a mass was found on the iris in the right eye. B-scan ultrasonography revealed a well-bounded high-density lesion at the corner of the anterior chamber at the 3-4 o’clock position. Phacoemulsification with simultaneous intraocular lens implantation and iridocyclectomy was performed in the right eye. The lesion was confirmed to be metastatic ccRCC by histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The patient was still alive at 9 mo after surgical treatment. Ocular metastasis can be an initial sign with a poor prognosis. Timely detection and treatment may improve survival. Clinicians should pay attention to similar metastatic diseases to prevent misdiagnosis leading to missed treatment opportunities.

CONCLUSION

This report of the characteristics and successful management of a rare case of iris metastasis from ccRCC highlights the importance of a comprehensive medical history, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and clinical manifestation for successful disease diagnosis.
Spinal cord infarction attributed to SARS-CoV-2, with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: A case report
Authors: Oleson Christina V , Olsen Andrew C , Shermon Suzanna
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

While stroke and lower extremity venous thromboemboli have been commonly reported following acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spinal cord infarction or ischemia has been extremely rare. Findings of long coronavirus disease (COVID) in this select population have not been studied.

CASE SUMMARY

We present the case of a 70-year-old female with sudden onset of trunk and lower extremity sensorimotor loss due to spinal cord infarction, attributed to acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Diagnostic work up confirmed a T3 complete (ASIA impairment Scale A) paraplegia resulting from a thrombotic infarct. Her reported myalgias, neuropathic pain, spasticity, bladder spasms, and urinary tract infections exceeded the frequency and severity of many spinal cord injury (SCI) individuals of similar age and degree of neurologic impairment. In her first year after contracting COVID-19, she underwent 2 separate inpatient rehabilitation courses, but also required acute hospitalization 6 additional times for subsequent infections or uncontrolled pain. Yet other complications of complete non-traumatic SCI (NTSCI), including neurogenic bowel and temperature hypersensitivity, were mild, and pressure injuries were absent. She has now transitioned from the acute to chronic phase of spinal cord injury care, with subsequent development of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

CONCLUSION

This individual experienced significant challenges with the combined effects of acute T3 NTSCI and acute COVID-19, with subsequent progression to PASC.
Intraoperative cardiogenic shock induced by refractory coronary artery spasm in a patient with myasthenia gravis: A case report
Authors: Hsu Cheng-Wei , Chang Chuen-Chau , Lin Chao-Shun
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is a rare but critical condition during surgery. Clinical manifestations can vary from only subtle electrocardiography change to sudden death. In this case report, we present the case of a patient with myasthenia gravis (MG) who developed refractory CAS-related cardiogenic shock during thymoma surgery.

CASE SUMMARY

A 61-year-old man had a history of cigarette smoking and coronary artery disease with a bare metal stent placed. Three months ago, he suffered from coronary spasms, with three vessels involved, after surgery for cervical spine injury. He started having progressive dysphagia 4 wk prior and was diagnosed with MG via serologic tests, and computed tomography declared a thymoma in the anterior mediastinum. After the symptoms of MG subsided, he was referred for thymectomy. The operation was uneventful until the closing of the sternal wound. Electrocardiography showed sudden onset ST elevation, followed by ventricular tachycardia and severe hypotension. Cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation was initiated immediately with electrical defibrillation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was performed due to refractory cardiogenic shock, and the patient was transferred to an angiography room. Angiography showed diffuse CAS with three vessels involved. Intracoronary isosorbide dinitrate and adenosine were administered, and then the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

Our case highlights the importance of being prepared for clinical situations such as the one described here and suggests the necessity of developing an appropriate anesthesia plan that includes proactive analgesia and preemptive coronary vasodilators.
Development of Web Content for Music Education Using AR Human Facial Recognition Technology
Authors: Park Eunee
Published: December 2023

As the media market changes rapidly, market demand is increasing for content that can be consumed on web platforms. It’s required to produce differentiated web content that can attract viewers’ interest. In order to increase the productivity and efficiency of content creation, cases of content production using AR engines are increasing. This study has a development environment in which parametrics and muscle-based model techniques are mixed. The faces of famous Western classical musicians, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and List are created as 3D characters and augmented on human’s face based on facial recognition technology in this study. It analyzes and traces the changed of facial expression of each person, then apply to 3D character’s facial expression in real-time. Each person who augmented musicians’ faces can become those who lived in different times, deliver information and communicate with viewers of the present era based on the music educational scripts. This study presents a new direction for video production required in the media market.
Improving Ranking Using Hybrid Custom Embedding Models on Persian Web
Authors: Bostan Shekoofe , Bidoki Ali Mohammad Zareh , Pajoohan Mohammad-Reza
Published: December 2023

Ranking plays a crucial role in information retrieval systems, especially in the context of web search engines. This article presents a new ranking approach that utilizes semantic vectors and embedding models to enhance the accuracy of web document ranking, particularly in languages with complex structures like Persian. The article utilizes two real-world datasets, one obtained through web crawling to collect a large-scale Persian web corpus, and the other consisting of real user queries and web documents labeled with a relevancy score. The datasets are used to train embedding models using a combination of static Word2Vec and dynamic BERT algorithms. The proposed hybrid ranking formula incorporates these semantic vectors and presents a novel approach to document ranking called HybridMaxSim. Experiments conducted indicate that the HybridMaxSim formula is effective in enhancing the precision of web document ranking up to 0.87 according to the nDCG criterion.
Laboratório de Gestão á Luz da Teoria da Aprendizagem Experiencial e Service Learning
Authors: Pedroso Débora , Meyer Montenegro Ludmila
Published: December 2023

Este artigo é fruto de um estudo que buscou propor a criação de um laboratório de gestão à luz da Aprendizagem Experiencial, especificamente aprendizagem em serviço, para alunos do Curso de Administração da Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Tal propositura tem o intuito de criar uma ponte entre universidade a sociedade ao conceber um espaço de aprendizagem focado na experiência com vistas à formação técnica, crítica e cívica do discentes ao conectar estudantes e empreendedores por meio de projetos de intervenção de forma gratuita. Isto posto, depreende-se a existência de diferentes públicos que poderão se beneficiar com essa proposta, o aluno, o empreendedor e a Universidade.
Estágio supervisionado e formação profissional: análise das expectativas e satisfação dos egressos e discentes de cursos de Administração
Authors: Francisco Wenderson Marcelino de Souza  , Varela de Melo Geison Calyo , Mayara Muniz de Oliveira  , Sandra de Souza Paiva Holanda  , Edivaldo Rabelo de Menezes
Published: December 2023

O estágio é um instrumento utilizado para a assimilação do processo de aprendizagem e formação profissional por várias Instituições de Ensino Superior, que tem proporcionado a integração do discente no mercado. Diante disso, o objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em investigar os fatores que influenciam nas expectativas e satisfação dos egressos e discentes dos cursos de Administração com o estágio supervisionado e a formação profissional no período de pandemia. Para tanto, desenvolveu-se um estudo descritivo e quantitativo, por meio de um levantamento, com aplicação de um questionário, respondido por 123 graduandos e graduados do curso de Administração de duas Instituições de Ensino Superior e o tratamento dos dados ocorreu mediante estatística descritiva e análise fatorial exploratória. Os resultados apontam que a satisfação com o estágio e a efetividade do processo de formação profissional é influenciado por variáveis ligadas a oportunidade de aprendizagem, supervisão/orientação, bem como o apoio organizacional e a participação e desafios destas atividades, contribuindo para melhorar a experiência dos estagiários no ambiente de trabalho. De modo geral, infere-se que os aspectos investigados na pesquisa expressam a satisfação dos estudantes com o estágio e a sua relevância para a formação profissional.
What should you tell patients about alternative treatment options?
Authors: Sokol D
Published: December 2023

Why it is in both the surgeons’ and the patients’ best interest to understand all available options for treatment.
Zora Neale Hurston, Anthropometrist
Authors: Nathaniel Steven
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Zora Neale Hurston's academic scholarship began in physical anthropology, measuring Black bodies and relating their statistical data to racial type. While Hurston's critics have understood her subsequent work in fiction and folklore as fleeing this troubling research, this essay reconsiders her work in anthropometry as well as the narratives of embodiment that she curated in Mules and Men . Employing what Frantz Fanon in Black Skin, White Masks theorizes as "a slow composition" (111) of "self as a body," this rereading presents Hurston as an acute critic of eugenic interpretive methods whose writings anticipate the racism built into contemporary facial recognition algorithms.
Al-Qaeda, Salafi Jihadism and American Policy in the Greater Middle East
Authors: Gause F. Gregory
Published: December 2023

Abstract: While al-Qaeda is a product of specific circumstances in the Middle East, the bitter irony of its September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States is that American policy in the region before those attacks unwittingly contributed significantly to its birth and development and that American policy subsequent to the attacks created new opportunities for similar organizations to flourish, even as al-Qaeda itself lost ground to those organizations. Organizationally and ideologically, al-Qaeda was the product of the jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and the successful war against Iraq in 1990-91, the two most prominent success stories in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. This essay will treat Washington's unintentional participation in the development of al-Qaeda and the group's ideological development in an analytical narrative of the founding, growth, success and eventual decline of what for Americans is the prototypical terrorist organization of the 21st century.
The Erignac Affair: Multiple Lasting Repercussions of the 1998 Assassination of the Prefect of Corsica
Authors: Raflik Jenny
Published: December 2023

Abstract: The shocking assassination of Prefect Claude Érignac, gunned down, then finished off at point blank while walking to a concert in Ajaccio in January 1998, set into motion a long series of police investigations, dramatic arrests, trials, bureaucratic imbroglios, and administrative scandals whose repercussions are still being felt today in French society. Tracing the Corsican independentist movements' use of bombings and assassinations back to the 1970s, then following events as they unfolded from Prefect Érignac's assassination to the recent murder of his assassin Yvan Colonna, the present article analyzes the evolution of the Corsican nationalists' logic, strategy, and tactics while at the same time describing key structures and functions of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies that France deployed in response to Corsican terrorism. Numerous flaws, confusions, and unethical actions in several areas have contributed to lasting tensions between the island of Corsica and the French government, and thus created fragmented, dissonant recollections making it difficult to engage in harmonious memorialization.
The Terrorist Attack on the Rue Copernic: French Justice Never Abandoned the Case
Authors: Lévy-Willard Annette
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This article discusses the bombing by Lebanese terrorists of a synagogue on the Rue Copernic in Paris that killed four and wounded dozens more in 1980. The terrorists had place a bomb in the satchel of a motorbike. The bomb was set to go off as services ended, but exploded early, which prevented even greater carnage. The perpetrator, now a Sociology professor in Canada. Was tried in Paris in absentia in spring 2023, more than forty years after the attack occurred. The author, who covered the attack and investigation for Libération testified at the trial, which she discusses here as well.
How Major European Cities Memorialize Mass Terror Attacks: Paris, Madrid and London Facing the Same Memorial Challenge
Authors: Truc Gérôme
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Since the terrorist attacks of January and November 2015, Paris is facing the same memory challenge as other European capital cities before her, consisting in knowing how to create a memorial to publicly mark the memory of mass attacks perpetrated by Islamists. In early 2016, a commemorative tree was planted on Place de la République in Paris. But other projects have since taken shape, including a memorial garden behind Paris City Hall and a memorial museum in the Paris suburb of Suresnes. How and why did this plurality of memorial sites and projects come into being? In order to understand that, this article proposes a comparative detour through Madrid and London following the path of the memorials created in these cities in remembrance of the terrorist attacks of 11 March 2004 and 7 July 2005.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum: Looking Back & Thinking Forward
Authors: Watkins Kari
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This essay offers a brief history of the Oklahoma City Terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on 19 April 1995, when a truck bomb planted by a former American soldier, Timothy McVeigh, exploded near the building, killing 168 people, including 19 children. It then describes the early commemorative ceremonies taking place on the site, and the gradual transformation of these commemorative efforts into an initiative to create a permanent museum and memorial to honor the victims and to inform visitors to the museum about what occurred that terrible day. The museum and memorial is known today as the Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum. The attack that inspired it remains the worst domestic terrorism attack in US history.