bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reactive power control and performance analysis of doubly fed induction generatorin micro grid
Authors: Nawaz Syed Sarfaraz , Kalyani Sandipam Tara
Published: October 2022

For both financial and environmental considerations, the power system includes a large number of solar and wind generating plants. In reality, wind energy has always been used using a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based variable speed wind turbine. This study examines the effectiveness of indirect control of a doubly fed induction generator for closed loop reactive power adjustment. A wind energy conversion system with continuous grid power's design, analysis, and MATLAB simulation are also covered. For DFIG to work reliably and be controlled to ensure stability for the power system, a seamless transition mode change is required. The horizontal axis wind turbine technology provides the necessary reactive power into the grid under all unexpected circumstances. The concept of DFIG mathematical modelling is covered. Various simulated outputs at loading circumstances are shown, along with separate control of active and reactive powers and variations in prime mover speed and excitation. This study examines the performance enhancement of DFIG using its grid-based proportional integral (PI), proportional integral derivative (PID), and fractional order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controllers. Based on the thorough simulation findings, the type of control system that gives the efficient performance of DFIG in grid is ultimately decided. These simulation results demonstrate how the suggested controllers outperform the current controllers in terms of improving system performance.
Simulation and analysis of the distributed photovoltaic generation systems based on DIgSILENT power factory
Authors: Nema Hawas Majli , Hasan Ihsan Jabbar , Jabbar Mnati Mohannad
Published: October 2022

The voltage stability of the system has become an important component for the steady and dependable functioning of the power system as a result of multiple blackouts around the world (particularly in Iraq). Distributed photovoltaic systems are a subset of decentralized power generating systems that generate electricity using renewable energy sources like solar cells, wind turbines, and water power plants. In order to size a solar-grid-connected home system properly and to confirm the impact of photovoltaics on the system, this article will also do a steady-state analysis. The heating and cooling loads were taken into account when evaluating the residential load profile. With the help of predicted energy use, the photovoltaic (PV) system was sized. The solar system's power output was calculated, and the key variables affecting system performance were examined. The DigSilent power factory 15.2 was used to simulate all of the investigations. This article achieves better system stability outcomes.
Development of health monitoring system using smart intelligent device
Authors: Chinnamadha Nagaraj , Zameer Ahmed Roshan , Kalegowda Kumara
Published: October 2022

Electronic technology plays a vital role in healthcare, not only for sensory equipment but also for communication and recording. As a result, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the most recent communication breakthrough in healthcare. In this work, we present a system that tracks patient health using a Blynk application, a micro-controller as a communication gateway, and sensors. When the output of the detector changes, a buzzer is embedded into the controller to alert the nursing staff. The sensor connects to a micro-controller, which is then interfaced with the liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel and wireless local area network (LAN) to provide notifications. An alert will be sent to the doctor through IoT if the system detects a change in the patient’s pulse rate or blood pressure, and the patient’s heartbeat, blood pressure, and body temperature will be displayed in real-time via Cloud. As a result, an IoT-based patient health monitoring system could save lives by efficiently monitoring patients’ health in real- time.
Fractional PID controller based on biggest log modulus tuning method with MOPSO optimization for distillation column
Authors: Nourelhouda Fartas , Abdelmadjid Khelassi
Published: October 2022

The main contribution of this work is to design a fractional order proportional integral derivative (FO-PID) controller by combining the biggest log modulus tuning (BLT) method and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for the control of the challenging multivariable systems. The parameters of the integer proportional integral (PI) controller are designed preliminary using BLT method. The derivation parameter, the fractional integrator and the fractional derivation parameters is formulated as an optimization problem with many objective functions as minimizing the integral square error (ISE), integral time absolute error (ITAE) and objective function which contain the ISE, overshoot and settling time using PSO algorithm. An example of wood and berry distillation column is treated in this paper. A comparison between integer BLT, integer PSO, big bang-big crunch (BB-BC) algorithm, TLBO method and the proposed fractional BLT-PSO method is carried out. The simulation results using MATLAB/Simulink show the efficiency and merits of the proposed method for such systems.
A new approach of extremely randomized trees for attacks detection in software defined network
Authors: Kamel Hasan , Zaki Abdullah Mahmood
Published: October 2022

Software defined networking (SDN) is the networking model which has completely changed the network through attempting to make devices of network programmable. SDN enables network engineers to manage networks more quickly, control networks from a centralized location, detect abnormal traffic, and distinguish link failures in efficient way. Aside from the flexibility introduced by SDN, also it is prone to attacks like distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS), that could bring the entire network to a halt. To reduce this threat, the paper introduces machine learning model to distinguish legitimate traffic from DDoS traffic. After preprocessing phase to dataset, the traffic is classified into one of the classes. We achieved an accuracy score of 99.95% by employing an optimized extremely randomized trees (ERT) classifier, as described in the paper. As a result, the goal of traffic flow classification using machine learning techniques was achieved.
Google pagerank algorithm: using efficient damping factor
Authors: Saber Ali Ali , Kamaran Omer Aso , Kaylan Hamid Noor
Published: October 2022

A vital feature of modern web search engine is the ability to display relevant and reputable pages near the top of the list of query results. A well-used search engine nowadays is Google search engine, it is the world's most popular search engine, rely on PageRank technology to determine a website's ranking. We put our attention on important benefactions to improving the quality of rankings via the value which is called damping factor, commonly the original suggestion d=0.85 by Brin and Page is the most common choice. In this paper, we suggest a new value which plays an important role to rank web sites accurately, our work focuses on damping factor value which improves the efficiency of PageRank value for each website. Our results show that the suggested value can get greater performance. Finally, we will show satisfactory result without link spam and dangling node applying PageRank algorithm on graphs with over 5000 links.
Islamic events reminder system via short message service notifications alert
Authors: Ibrahim Khaleel Maha , Hamza Bresam Anwar
Published: October 2022

For persons working in the field of modern technology, the lack of awareness about Islamic events remains a significant obstacle. One of the numerous reasons why the event gets forgotten on its designated date. This prompted the creation of an automatic reminder system with mobile technology integration. This paper has the purpose of assisting people in remembering their daily Islamic events, as well as serving as a model for informing people of Islamic occasions via short message service (SMS) notifications. As a result, the main goal is to develop an Islamic model that uses SMS to inform people. To develop a free system based on the concept of recalling the most significant events in Muslim history in order to keep people informed. (Microsoft Visual Studio.net and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express) as our main database. The text message reminder system is made up of two parts: an SMS application for automatic text messaging and a web-based application for customer registration and automatic reminder scheduling. The automated method delivered 100% of the SMS messages to the participants throughout the pilot testing. Finally, the system displayed a notice indicating that the text messages were successfully despatched, and the application was confirmed to be functional.
Detection and classification of plant diseases in leaves through machine learning
Authors: Ahmed Hasan , Hossain Md Alomgir , Hossain Ismail , Sultana Akhi Sharmin , Jahan Lima Ifrat
Published: October 2022

Plant diseases cause significant productivity and economic losses, as well as a reduction in agricultural product quality and quantity. One principal impact on low crop yield is sickness due to bacteria, virus and fungus It is possible to avoid it by employing plant disease detection and categorization procedures. We used machine learning to detect and classify diseases in plant leaves because it evaluates data from several perspectives and categorizes it into one of several predefined classifications. In this research we create a model for the classification task which is sequential model. We trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with help of the plant village dataset, which have 55,000 images divided into 39 completely distinct categories of each healthy and effected leaves. We trained data by using Adam optimization technique because it almost constantly plays quicker and higher global minimal convergence in comparison to the alternative optimization techniques. We achieved a validation accuracy of 98.74% using the architecture of CNN containing optimized parameters. CNNs, as can be observed, have a high-stop overall performance, making them surprisingly suitable for computerized identification of plant illnesses using simple plant leaf images. The experiment effects completed are similar with different current strategies in literature.
Topic modelling of legal documents using NLP and bidirectional encoder representations from transformers
Authors: Jeet Rawat Amar , Ghildiyal Sunil , Dixit Anil Kumar
Published: October 2022

Modeling legal text is a difficult task because of its unique features, such as lengthy texts, complex language structures, and technical terms. During the last decade, there has been a big rise in the number of legislative documents, which makes it hard for law professionals to keep up with legislation like analyzing judgements and implementing acts. The relevancy of topics is heavily influenced by the processing and presentation of legal documents in some contexts. The objective of this work is to understand the legal judgement corpus related to cases under the Hindu Marriage Act of India. The study looked into various methods to generate sentence embeddings from the judgement. This paper employs the power of the BERTopic algorithm for generating significant topics.
Empirical evidence of phishing menace among undergraduate smartphone users in selected universities in Nigeria
Authors: Ifeanyi Akazue Maureen , Adimabua Ojugo Arnold , Elizabeth Yoro Rume , Ogheneovo Malasowe Bridget , Nwankwo Obinna
Published: October 2022

In our exploratory quasi-experimental study, 480-student were recruited and exposed to social engineering directives during a university orientation week. The directives phishing attacks were performed for 10 months in 2021. The contents attempted to elicit personal user-data from participants, enticing them to click compromised links. The study aimed to determine cybercrime risks among undergraduates in selected universities in Nigeria, observe responses to socially-engineered attacks, and explore their attitudes to cybercrime risks before/after such attacks. The study generalized that all participants have great deal awareness of cybercrime, and also primed all throughout study to remain vigilant to scams. The study explores various types of scam and its influence on students’ gender and age on perceived safety on susceptibility to phishing scams. Results show that contrary to public beliefs, none of these factors were associated with scam susceptibility and vulnerability rates of the participants.
Two new species of Myrtaceae from the western Caribbean forests of Panama
Authors: FLORES RODOLFO , HOLST BRUCE K. , IBÁÑEZ ALICIA
Published: October 2022

Two previously unrecognized species of Myrtaceae, Myrcia damaniensis and Eugenia tain, from the Western Caribbean coastal and swamp forests of Panama are named and described. Their conservation status is evaluated based on the categories and criteria of the IUCN.
New combinations and names in Heliotropium (Heliotropiaceae) from South America, including a new occurrence for the flora of Ecuador
Authors: MIRANDA DE MELO JOSÉ IRANILDO
Published: October 2022

Nine new combinations including two new names in South American species of Heliotropium (Heliotropiaceae) are proposed in this work: H. antioquianum J.I.M.Melo, replacement name; H. brevilobatum (K.Krause) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. fuliginosum (Kunth) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. gigantifolium (Killip ex J.S.Mill.) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. macrostachyum (Rusby) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. rollotii (Killip) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. romeroi (I.M.Johnst.) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov.; H. scabridum (Kunth) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov., and H. stapfianum J.I.M.Melo, replacement name. Furthermore, Heliotropium romeroi is recorded for the first time in Ecuador and lectotypes are provided for Tournefortia brevilobata K.Krause, T. fuliginosa Kunth, T. macrostachya Rusby, and T. scabrida Kunth.
Eight new Brazilian species of Fonsecaiulus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), new records of species, and key to males of the genus
Authors: FELIX MÁRCIO , MEJDALANI GABRIEL , DOMAHOVSKI ALEXANDRE C. , CAVICHIOLI RODNEY R.
Published: October 2022

Eight new Brazilian species of the South American sharpshooter genus Fonsecaiulus Young, 1977 are described and illustrated. Three new species are from Minas Gerais State (F. youngi sp. nov., F. spinosus sp. nov., and F. unciformis sp. nov.), two from Paraná State (F. chelatus sp. nov. and F. takiyae sp. nov.), one from Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states (F. truncatus sp. nov.), one from Maranhão State (F. longiramus sp. nov.), and one is recorded only from “Brazil” (F. alvarengai sp. nov.). The species descriptions are focused on the male and female terminalia. With the addition of these new taxa, Fonsecaiulus now comprises 17 species; a dichotomic key to males of all these species is provided. New distribution records are given for the following species: F. cognatus (Schmidt, 1928)—Paraná State, F. rectangularis Felix et al., 2015—Bahia State, and F. sanguineovittata (Signoret, 1855)—Paraguay, Canindeyú Department. Notes on the morphology and distribution of the genus are added.
A new species of bush frog (Anura, Rhacophoridae, Raorchestes) from southern Xizang, China
Authors: ZHANG HE , SHU GUO-CHENG , SHU FU , LI KE , LIU QIN , WU YA-YONG , DONG BING-JUN , GUO PENG
Published: October 2022

Based on molecular evidence and morphological data, we describe a new species Raorchestes yadongensis sp. nov. from Yadong County, Xizang Autonomous Region, China. The new species can be distinguished based on a combination of the following characters: (1) small body size, SVL 17.8–24.1 mm in adult males; (2) head wider than long; (3) eye diameter about three times as much as tympanum diameter; (4) tympanum distinct; (5) fingers with rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral dermal fringes; relative finger lengths I < II < IV < III; number of subarticular tubercles in fingers 1, 1, 2, 1; (6) toes with rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral dermal fringes; relative toe lengths I < II < III < V < IV; number of subarticular tubercles in toes 1, 1, 2, 3, 2; inner metatarsal tubercle distinct, outer metatarsal tubercle absent; (7) tips of fingers and toes present discs, and discs pale brown or yellow in life; (8) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the tip of snout when adpressed; (9) milky nuptial pad present on the dorsal surface of first finger; (10) dorsal surface light brown with white warts, ventral surface with irregular white patches. The new species is currently known in Yadong County, Xizang, China, but may also occur in neighboring Bhutan and India. A key to Chinese species of the genus Raorchestes is also provided.
Dasyproctus helenae, a new species of solitary hunting wasp from India and a checklist of Dasyproctus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and Brullé, 1835 from the Indian subcontinent (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabronini)
Authors: SAINI VARUN , DEY DEBJANI
Published: October 2022

A new species of genus Dasyproctus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and Brullé, 1835 is described from India: Dasyproctus helenae Saini and Dey n. sp. A checklist is provided for all Dasyproctus species reported from the Indian subcontinent.
Quantification of Effects of Errors in the Cloud Properties on the Representation of the Surface Downward Shortwave Flux Based on MERRA-2 in Japan
Authors: Watanabe Takeshi , Oka Kazutaka , Hijioka Yasuaki
Published: October 2022

The evaluation of the representation of the surface downward shortwave flux (DSF) from atmospheric reanalysis data products is required to obtain reliable information for the resource assessment of surface solar energy. The representation of the DSF from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), reanalysis data product was evaluated using surface solar radiation from ground-based observations in Japan. The cloud fraction (CFR) and cloud optical thickness (COT) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were also used as references. The CFR from MERRA-2 tends to be smaller than that from MODIS, and the correlation between the difference in the CFR and that in the DSF is negative. The correlation between the difference in the COT and that in the DSF is weakly negative. To quantify the effects of the difference in the CFR and COT to that of the DSF, a regression model based on an artificial neural network architecture that emulates the process of the DSF in MERRA-2 was constructed. Numerical experiments using the emulator quantify contributions of each of the differences in the CFR and COT and joint contributions of the two variables. In addition, a cluster analysis was performed to clarify the differences in the seasonal changes in the monthly mean bias error (MBE) in the DSF among ground observation stations, and three clusters were identified. Contributions of the differences in the CFR and COT to the seasonal change in the monthly MBE were also clarified using the results of the numerical experiments.
Molecular characterization of a novel homozygous deletion in β-globin cluster causing (δβ)0-Thalassemia among Tunisian family
Authors: Kalai Miniar , Moumni Imen , Ouragini Houyem , Ben Fraj Ilhem , Mellouli Fethi , Ouederni Monia , Chaouachi Dorra , Boudriga Imen , Menif Samia
Published: October 2022

Background

Deletions in the β-globin cluster are uncommon and cause thalassemia (thal) with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. They constitute a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by absent or reduced synthesis of adult hemoglobin (Hb A) and increased synthesis of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F). Although the clinical severity of these disorders are asymptomatic owing to the increased Hb F levels, the molecular basis is very heterogenous due to the large deletions in the β-globin cluster spanning both HBD and HBB genes. Here, we describe a Tunisian family carrying a novel deletion mutation causing (δβ)°-thalassemia.

Methods

The amounts of hemoglobin fractions were measured by capillary electrophoresis of hemoglobin. Amplification and sequencing of different regions on the β-gene cluster were performed by Sanger method.

Results

Family study and genetic analysis revealed a large deletion mutation in the β-globin cluster of 14.5 kb (NG_000,007.3:g. 58,253 to g.72837del14584) at the homozygous state in the patient and at heterozygous state at the other members of the family. This deletion removes the HBD and HBB genes.

Conclusions

In our knowledge, this new large deletion is described for the first time in the Tunisian population and in the world, designed Tunisian(δβ)0 in Ithanet database (IthaID: 3971). Therefore, it is important to identify the deletion leading to δβ-thalassemia carriers at the molecular level, to highlight the importance of recognizing the clinical features and implementing appropriate testing to clarify the diagnosis and manage the condition.
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of Adding an Evidence-Based Parent/Caregiver Program for Bereaved Families to Usual Community-Based Services
Authors: Sandler Irwin , Wolchik Sharlene , Sandler Jen , Tein Jenn-Yun , Gaffney Donna , Zhang Na , Porter Michele
Published: October 2022

This paper briefly describes the development of the Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Families program (RPBF) and presents an evaluation of adding the RPBF to usual care (UC) provided by community agencies supporting families of bereaved children. The RPBF was adapted from the caregiver component of a family program that demonstrated significant benefits for parentally children and their parents in a randomized controlled trial. The current study found that the implementation of the RPBF program was feasible for implementation by community providers and was highly acceptable to caregivers. Subgroups of caregivers ( n = 44) who received the RPBF in addition to UC (i.e., child groups and caregiver support groups) reported greater improvement in quality of parenting and complicated grief and reductions in children’s behavior problems as compared with caregivers ( n = 30) who received UC only. Improvement in parenting mediated the RPBF program’s effect to reduce children’s behavior problems.
Strategic Rhythms: Insights and Research Directions
Authors: Zhang Pengxiang , Priem Richard , Wang Donghan , Li Sali
Published: October 2022

Strategic rhythms concern how managers intentionally organize strategic activities by mapping them to the time continuum in hopes of improving a firm's long-term prospects. We develop a clear conceptual scope for strategic rhythms research. We take stock of the research on: rhythms of repeated strategic activity (e.g., serial acquisitions); rhythms of multiple strategic activities (e.g., sequencing activities for innovation); and comparison of strategic rhythms (e.g., for the firm, its rivals, the environment). We synthesize this literature in an integrative framework explaining the antecedents, content, and outcomes of strategic rhythms. We identify firm-level and environmental constraints that limit managers’ discretion in enacting strategic rhythms, and we demonstrate two pathways through which managers may loosen those constraints. Finally, we identify promising opportunities for future research and suggest empirical techniques that will likely be useful for studying strategic rhythms.
Comparisons of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Between Community Versus Hospital-Based Settings: A Multi-Site Study
Authors: Zubatsky Max , Khoo Yit Mui , Lundy Janice , Blessing Debra , Berg-Weger Marla , Hayden Deborah , Morley John E.
Published: October 2022

Background

Non-pharmacological interventions such as Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) have been shown to help persons living with dementia in improving cognitive function and recall. While previous CST interventions have been conducted largely with community populations, none have explored the outcomes of CST in larger healthcare settings. Our study explored differences of cognitive function, mood, and quality-of-life from CST groups both community and residential-based groups.

Method

Participants ( N = 258) from academic and rural, hospital-based settings in Missouri engaged in 14-session psychosocial groups to aid reminiscence for enhanced cognitive function and recall.

Results

Post-intervention cognitive function improvements occurred for community (t = −7.48, p < .001) and residential samples (t = −2.46, p < .05). Community groups showed significant improvement in overall mood related to their dementia (t = 6.37, p < .001).

Conclusion

Healthcare providers should consider CST as a supplemental intervention for older patients receiving usual care for dementia-related symptoms.
A comparative study on heat dispersion in cylindrical slip flow of composite nanofluids
Authors: Jeevankumar  , Sandeep N
Published: October 2022

A numerical examination is accomplished to explore the thermal transmission in the cylindrical film flow of Casson–Williamson hybrid nano liquids. This work incorporates water as a base fluid embedded with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and copper oxide (CuO), two forms of solid nanoparticles. A consistent magnetic field is applied along a radial path in the presence of Ohmic heating, thermal radiation and Catteneo–Christov thermal flux to examine Williamson and Casson hybrid nano liquids’ flow and heat transmission characteristics. The flow model is developed and resolved numerically using the bvp5c Matlab software. A relative outcome for Casson and Williamson cross nano liquids is obtained and discussed. The current study is on solar energy application to parabolic trough solar collectors. It is found that the heat spread rate of Casson cross nano liquid is more advanced than Williamson hybrid nano liquid. The flow and heat regions can be controlled by the drag force produced by the external magnetic field.
Adolescents’ Victim-Blaming Responses to Narratives About Sex Trafficking: Strategies for Curriculum Development
Authors: Hedrick McKenzie Ashley , Friedman Barbara , Johnston Anne
Published: October 2022

In the United States, sex-trafficking awareness and prevention has increasingly become part of government-mandated health education. This exploratory study surveyed 250 U.S. adolescents to learn more about the use of media narratives in curricula about sex trafficking in light of research findings about victim-blaming responses to survivor narratives, as well as adolescents’ still-developing emotion-regulation skills. Victim blaming is counterproductive to the goals of trafficking awareness and prevention curricula. Participants viewed one of four narrative messages about a sex-trafficking victim/survivor. Over half of participants reported victim-blaming responses after viewing the message. Participants reported low perceived efficacy regarding the ability to recognize the signs of trafficking, and some participants experienced intense fear responses to the messages. Victim blaming was not associated with fear or perceived efficacy, contradicting predictions from the Extended Parallel Process Model. This study concludes with recommendations for educators and others tasked with communicating with adolescents about sex trafficking.
Digital transformations in a platform society: A comparative analysis of European football leagues as YouTube complementors
Authors: Petersen-Wagner Renan , Lee Ludvigsen Jan Andre
Published: October 2022

The prevalence of digital technologies and emerging social media platforms in the 21st century has altered the ways in which individuals and groups produce and consume elite football (soccer). Elite football is no longer consumed merely through ‘traditional’ media as television or radio. By comparing the ‘big five’ football leagues (the first divisions in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), this article examines how these leagues have adapted to an algorithm logic (monetization strategies/content strategies) on YouTube. Drawing from data collected (64,247 YouTube videos) using YouTube Data Tools, we argue that the ‘big five’s’ content creation on YouTube work in a complementary manner to ‘traditional’ platforms, allowing for the testing and adaption of their content practices based on instant consumer feedback. This article makes a contribution to the literature on the symbiotic media/sport relationship with its analysis and insights into the digital transformations occurring in a ‘platform society’.
Chinese tourists’ changing behavior in package tours: The suppliers’ account
Authors: Ren Lianping
Published: October 2022

This study adopted an interpretive approach in understanding the development of the package tour industry in China and the Chinese tourists’ behavioral changes in consuming package tours, via two data sources—in-depth interviews with senior tour guides and tour operators, and content analysis of OP task sheets collected over a span of 30 years’ time. The findings revealed that substantive changes had taken place in all aspects including group structure, destination selection, itinerary, core tourist activities, supporting arrangement, personnel, and peripheral items of the package tours. The result has also shed light on the future trends and the challenges ahead, especially in the post-COVID era. Implications to tour operators and tourism marketers are discussed.
A Call to Action to Review the USPSTF’s Recommendation for Testicular Self-Examination
Authors: Rovito Michael J. , Allen Keri , Nangia Ajay , Craycraft Mike , Cary Clint , Lutz Michael , Lyon Timothy , Fadich Ana , Baird Bryce , Welch Morgan Garrett , Alcantara Alexie
Published: October 2022

We urge the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to call for a formal review of the evidence regarding testicular self-examination (TSE). Twelve years have since passed since the evidence was last formally analyzed where normally re-reviews occur in 5-year cycles. If they would decide to move forward with this action, we ask for the USPSTF to review their methods for establishing recommendations to optimize their rating system operationalization process. Finally, emerging evidence demonstrates a net positive effect of TSE. This stands in contrast to the assertions of TSE’s supposed harm that is prevalent in the literature as well as the rationale behind the USPSTF’s “D” rating of TSE.
Assessing the seriousness of cybercrime: The case of computer misuse crime in the United Kingdom and the victims’ perspective
Authors: Button Mark , Shepherd David , Blackbourn Dean , Sugiura Lisa , Kapend Richard , Wang Victoria
Published: October 2022

The reform of the Crime Survey of England and Wales (a national victim survey) has exposed a very high number of individuals who fall victim to computer misuse cybercrimes such as hacking, computer viruses and ransomware. These crimes receive very little attention from the criminal justice system and very few are brought to justice, partly because of the nature of them (global crimes), but also because of a lack of capability among the police. This paper draws on official statistics, an empirical survey and interview research with computer misuse victims. The paper juxtaposes the low priority and lack of resources given to this crime by political and police leaders against many victims’ perceptions and experiences of the crime as equivalent if not more serious than physical counterparts such as burglary, where there is greater interest. The increasing prominence of the virtual world in human life and the impacts of these crimes call for a reappraisal of the official assessment of seriousness in order to raise the priority and increase the capacity of criminal justice towards such offences.
Elucidating the Real‐World Burden of Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps in Patients in the USA
Authors: Benson Victoria S. , Germain Guillaume , Chan Robert H. , Sousa Ana R. , Yang Shibing , Silver Jared , Duh Mei Sheng , Laliberté François , Chang Rose , Han Joseph K.
Published: October 2022

Objective

To characterize healthcare burden, treatment patterns, and clinical characteristics associated with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Real‐world study using US health insurance claims database.

Methods

Adults with ≥1 CRSwNP diagnosis (index date: first claim for nasal polyps [NPs] between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2019) and continuous health insurance coverage for ≥180 days preindex (baseline) and postindex were included. Follow‐up spanned from index to the earliest of disenrollment, death, or data end. Assessments included patient demographics, comorbidities, and blood eosinophil count at baseline, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs during follow‐up in the overall population and stratified by number of surgeries.

Results

Of the 119,357 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 33,748 (28%) had ≥1 surgery during follow‐up, among whom 3262 (9.7%) had ≥2 surgeries. At baseline, patients with ≥1 vs no NP surgeries had a greater comorbidity burden; a higher proportion of patients had comorbid asthma (37.8% vs 21.8%) and blood eosinophil count ≥300 cells/µL (42.6% vs 38.1%). During follow‐up, patients with NP surgeries had higher all‐cause and CRSwNP‐related HCRU and costs than patients without NP surgery. All‐cause healthcare costs per person per year increased with the number of surgeries during follow‐up (no surgery, $10,628; ≥1 surgery, $20,747; ≥2 surgeries, $26,969).

Conclusion

Patients with CRSwNP and surgery had a greater disease burden than those without surgery, with higher HCRU and costs, and were more likely to have comorbid conditions (most commonly asthma) and elevated blood eosinophil count, indicating a subset of patients with recalcitrant CRSwNP.
Impact of an educational program and decision tool on choice of maternity hospital: the delivery decisions randomized clinical trial
Authors: Mehrotra Ateev , Wolfberg Adam , Shah Neel T. , Plough Avery , Weiseth Amber , Blaine Arianna I. , Noddin Katie , Nakamoto Carter H. , Richard Jessica V. , Bradley Dani
Published: October 2022

Background

Reducing cesarean rates is a public health priority. To help pregnant people select hospitals with lower cesarean rates, numerous organizations publish publically hospital cesarean rate data. Few pregnant people use these data when deciding where to deliver. We sought to determine whether making cesarean rate data more accessible and understandable increases the likelihood of pregnant people selecting low-cesarean rate hospitals.

Methods

We conducted a 1:1 randomized controlled trial in 2019–2021 among users of a fertility and pregnancy mobile application. Eligible participants were trying to conceive for fewer than five months or were 28–104 days into their pregnancies. Of 189,456 participants approached and enrolled, 120,621 participants met entry criteria and were included in analyses. The intervention group was offered an educational program explaining the importance of hospital cesarean rates and an interactive tool presenting hospital cesarean rates as 1-to-5-star ratings. Control group users were offered an educational program about hospital choice and a hospital choice tool without cesarean rate data. The primary outcome was the star rating of the hospital selected by each patient during pregnancy. Secondary outcomes were the importance of cesarean rates in choosing a hospital and delivery method (post-hoc secondary outcome).

Results

Of 120,621 participants (mean [SD] age, 27.8 [7.9]), 12,284 (10.2%) reported their choice of hospital during pregnancy, with similar reporting rates in the intervention and control groups. Intervention group participants selected hospitals with higher star ratings (2.52 vs 2.16; difference, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.43] p < 0.001) and were more likely to believe that the hospitals they chose would impact their chances of having cesarean deliveries (38.5% vs 33.1%, p < 0.001) but did not assign higher priority to cesarean delivery rates when choosing their hospitals (76.2% vs 74.3%, p = 0.05). There was no difference in self-reported cesarean rates between the intervention and control groups (31.4% vs 31.4%, p = 0.98).

Conclusion

People offered an educational program and interactive tool to compare hospital cesarean rates were more likely to use cesarean data in selecting a hospital and selected hospitals with lower cesarean rates but were not less likely to have a cesarean.

Clinical Trial Registration

Registered December 9, 2016 at clinicaltrials.gov, First enrollment November 2019. ID NCT02987803, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02987803
Parental perspectives on the grief and support needs of children and young people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative findings from a national survey
Authors: Harrop Emily , Goss Silvia , Longo Mirella , Seddon Kathy , Torrens-Burton Anna , Sutton Eileen , Farnell Damian JJ , Penny Alison , Nelson Annmarie , Byrne Anthony , Selman Lucy E.
Published: October 2022

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children and young people have experienced the death of close family members, whilst also facing unprecedented disruption to their lives. This study aimed to investigate the experiences and support needs of bereaved children and young people from the perspective of their parents and guardians.

Methods

We analysed cross-sectional qualitative free-text data from a survey of adults bereaved in the UK during the pandemic. Participants were recruited via media, social media, national associations and community/charitable organisations. Thematic analysis was conducted on free text data collected from parent/guardian participants in response to a survey question on the bereavement experiences and support needs of their children.

Results

Free-text data from 104 parent/guardian participants was included. Three main themes were identified: the pandemic-related challenges and struggles experienced by children and young people; family support and coping; and support from schools and services. Pandemic-challenges include the impacts of being separated from the relative prior to their death, isolation from peers and other family members, and disruption to daily routines and wider support networks. Examples were given of effective family coping and communication, but also of difficulties relating to parental grief and children’s existing mental health problems. Schools and bereavement organisations’ provision of specialist support was valued, but there was evidence of unmet need, with some participants reporting a lack of access to specialist grief or mental health support.

Conclusion

Children and young people have faced additional strains and challenges associated with pandemic bereavement. We recommend resources and initiatives that facilitate supportive communication within family and school settings, adequate resourcing of school and community-based specialist bereavement/mental health services, and increased information and signposting to the support that is available.
Reversal flow in the left anterior descending artery after internal thoracic artery grafting
Authors: Nakajima Hiroyuki , Takazawa Akitoshi , Nakamura Yoshitsugu , Ishibashi-Ueda Hatsue , Yoshitake Akihiro , Iguchi Atsushi
Published: October 2022

Background

The flow capacity of the in situ internal thoracic artery (ITA) is not necessarily sufficient and can be a cause of hypoperfusion syndrome. We present a catastrophic case of in situ ITA grafting for an isolated left main trunk obstruction 13 years after the modified Bentall operation.

Case presentation

A 33-years-old woman had undergone the modified Bentall operation. Coronary angiography showed a critical stenosis in the left coronary artery. The patient underwent emergency off-pump coronary artery bypass graft with the left ITA to the left anterior descending artery (LAD). On the 7th day, the patient had severe dyspnoea and hypotension. Catheter angiography showed that the ITA was patent; however, blood flow from the in situ ITA was delayed, and reversal flow from the apex to the proximal LAD was found. The patient underwent implantation of a left ventricular assist device.

Conclusions

Concomitant aortocoronary bypass to the circumflex branch will minimise the risk of hypoperfusion, especially for young patients without atherosclerotic disease.
Alterations of the expression levels of glucose, inflammation, and iron metabolism related miRNAs and their target genes in the hypothalamus of STZ-induced rat diabetes model
Authors: Pandur Edina , Szabó István , Hormay Edina , Pap Ramóna , Almási Attila , Sipos Katalin , Farkas Viktória , Karádi Zoltán
Published: October 2022

Background

The hypothalamus of the central nervous system is implicated in the development of diabetes due to its glucose-sensing function. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic glucose-sensing neurons leads to abnormal glucose metabolism. It has been described that fractalkine (FKN) is involved in the development of hypothalamic inflammation, which may be one of the underlying causes of a diabetic condition. Moreover, iron may play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes via the regulation of hepcidin, the iron regulatory hormone synthesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding molecules working as key regulators of gene expression, usually by inhibiting translation. Hypothalamic miRNAs are supposed to have a role in the control of energy balance by acting as regulators of hypothalamic glucose metabolism via influencing translation.

Methods

Using a miRNA array, we analysed the expression of diabetes, inflammation, and iron metabolism related miRNAs in the hypothalamus of a streptozotocin-induced rat type 1 diabetes model. Determination of the effect of miRNAs altered by STZ treatment on the target genes was carried out at protein level.

Results

We found 18 miRNAs with altered expression levels in the hypothalamus of the STZ-treated animals, which act as the regulators of mRNAs involved in glucose metabolism, pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis, and iron homeostasis suggesting a link between these processes in diabetes. The alterations in the expression level of these miRNAs could modify hypothalamic glucose sensing, tolerance, uptake, and phosphorylation by affecting the stability of hexokinase-2, insulin receptor, leptin receptor, glucokinase, GLUT4, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA molecules. Additional miRNAs were found to be altered resulting in the elevation of FKN protein. The miRNA, mRNA, and protein analyses of the diabetic hypothalamus revealed that the iron import, export, and iron storage were all influenced by miRNAs suggesting the disturbance of hypothalamic iron homeostasis.

Conclusion

It can be supposed that glucose metabolism, inflammation, and iron homeostasis of the hypothalamus are linked via the altered expression of common miRNAs as well as the increased expression of FKN, which contribute to the imbalance of energy homeostasis, the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the iron accumulation of the hypothalamus. The results raise the possibility that FKN could be a potential target of new therapies targeting both inflammation and iron disturbances in diabetic conditions.

Graphical Abstract
Serum phosphorylated tau protein 181 and neurofilament light chain in cognitively impaired heart failure patients
Authors: Traub Jan , Otto Markus , Sell Roxane , Göpfert Dennis , Homola György , Steinacker Petra , Oeckl Patrick , Morbach Caroline , Frantz Stefan , Pham Mirko , Störk Stefan , Stoll Guido , Frey Anna
Published: October 2022

Background

Chronic heart failure (HF) is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia significantly. Thus, detecting and preventing mild cognitive impairment, which is common in patients with HF, is of great importance. Serum biomarkers are increasingly used in neurological disorders for diagnostics, monitoring, and prognostication of disease course. It remains unclear if neuronal biomarkers may help detect cognitive impairment in this high-risk population. Also, the influence of chronic HF and concomitant renal dysfunction on these biomarkers is not well understood.

Methods

Within the monocentric Cognition.Matters-HF study, we quantified the serum levels of phosphorylated tau protein 181 (pTau) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) of 146 extensively phenotyped chronic heart failure patients (aged 32 to 85 years; 15.1% women) using ultrasensitive bead-based single-molecule immunoassays. The clinical work-up included advanced cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Serum concentrations of NfL ranged from 5.4 to 215.0 pg/ml (median 26.4 pg/ml) and of pTau from 0.51 to 9.22 pg/ml (median 1.57 pg/ml). We detected mild cognitive impairment (i.e., T-score < 40 in at least one cognitive domain) in 60% of heart failure patients. pTau (p = 0.014), but not NfL, was elevated in this group. Both NfL (ρ = − 0.21; p = 0.013) and pTau (ρ = − 0.25; p = 0.002) related to the cognitive domain visual/verbal memory, as well as white matter hyperintensity volume and cerebral and hippocampal atrophy. In multivariable analysis, both biomarkers were independently influenced by age (T = 4.6 for pTau; T = 5.9 for NfL) and glomerular filtration rate (T = − 2.4 for pTau; T = − 3.4 for NfL). Markers of chronic heart failure, left atrial volume index (T = 4.6) and NT-proBNP (T = 2.8), were further cardiological determinants of pTau and NfL, respectively. In addition, pTau was also strongly affected by serum creatine kinase levels (T = 6.5) and ferritin (T = − 3.1).

Conclusions

pTau and NfL serum levels are strongly influenced by age-dependent renal and cardiac dysfunction. These findings point towards the need for longitudinal examinations and consideration of frequent comorbidities when using neuronal serum biomarkers.
Biomarkers of interstitial lung disease associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Weng Lin , Chen Yaqiong , Liang Tao , Lin Yihua , Liu Dehao , Yu Ciyong , Hu Yudi , Lui Wei , Liu Yongliang , Chen Xiangfang , Li Qiyuan , Ge Shengxiang , Ascherman Dana P. , Chen Juan
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate serum biomarkers linked to primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods

69 pSS patients were consecutively enrolled and evaluated via quantitative ILD scoring based on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Biomarkers of interest were assessed by multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

Results

Among consecutively enrolled patients with pSS, the presence of pSS–ILD was 50% based on the presence of radiographically defined interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) meeting specified criteria for mild/moderate (ILA 2) or severe (ILA 3) disease. Age, immunoglobulin M (IgM), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum levels of eotaxin/CCL11, Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), TNFα, and TGFα were significantly higher in the combined pSS–ILD group (ILA 2 + ILA 3) than in the pSS–no-ILD and pSS–indeterminate ILD groups (ILA 0 and ILA 1, respectively) in unadjusted analyses (p < 0.05 for all variables). A binary logistic regression model revealed that disease duration and KL-6 levels were associated with the presence of pSS–ILD (p < 0.05). Complementary least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) modeling showed that age, KL-6, and TNF-α effectively differentiated pSS–ILD (ILA 2 + ILA3) from pSS without ILD (ILA 0 + ILA 1), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.883 (p value < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Patient age, disease duration, and serum levels of both KL-6 and TNFα were the most discriminating factors associated with the presence of ILD in our pSS patients. Higher levels of CRP, IgM, eotaxin, TGFα, and TNFα should also prompt the search for occult as well as clinically evident lung involvement based on statistically significant univariate associations with pSS–ILD.

Clinical trial registration

None.