bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical breast examination: A screening tool for lower‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Khanna Divya , Sharma Priyanka , Budukh Atul , Khanna Ajay Kumar
Published: September 2024

Breast cancer (BC) remains a global health challenge, devastatingly impacting women's lives. Low‐and‐middle‐income countries (LMIC), such as India, experience a concerning upward trend in BC incidence, necessitating the implementation of cost‐effective screening methods. While mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are preferred screening modalities in resource‐rich settings, limited resources in LMICs make clinical breast examination (CBE) the method of choice. This review explores the merits of CBE, its coverage, barriers, and facilitators in the Indian context for developing strategies in resource‐constrained settings. CBE has shown significant down‐staging and cost‐effectiveness. Performed by trained health workers in minutes, CBE offers an opportunity for education about BC. Various individual and health system barriers, such as stigma, financial constraints, and the absence of opportunistic screening hinder CBE coverage. Promising facilitators include awareness programs, capacity building, and integrating CBE through universal health care. No healthcare provider must miss any screening opportunity through CBE.
Features of culturally and linguistically relevant speech‐language assessments for Indigenous children: A scoping review
Authors: Higgins Zoe E. , Lefebvre Pascal
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Indigenous children may be at higher risk of being misdiagnosed with speech‐language difficulties due to Eurocentric practices in health care and education. The use of conventional speech pathology assessment practices contributes to inappropriate disorder identification, further stigmatising a vulnerable population. Few resources are available for speech pathologists, which examine the cultural and linguistic relevance of assessments for this population.

Objective

To provide important features for speech pathologists to account for when building assessment plans for Indigenous children.

Design

This comprehensive scoping literature review was completed using the Arksey and O'Malley 6‐step methodological framework, including the optional consultation exercise, and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR) guidelines. To be included, studies needed to have been published since 2000, discuss speech‐language assessments and involve a significant proportion of Indigenous participants under 7 years old.

Findings

Three features were extracted from 32 studies that discussed First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Native American, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: using a battery of resources including alternative approaches, ensuring authenticity and cultural relevance, and considering a child's linguistic characteristics.

Conclusion

While there remains a need to adapt according to a specific child's reality, this study provides a guideline for all allied health clinicians when they are building their culturally and linguistically relevant assessment plans.
Gridlock: Infrastructure and Jurisdiction in Eastern Navajo Agency
Authors: Grant Silas
Published: October 2024

This article examines how settler legal orders in Eastern Navajo Agency produce conditions of impasse that defer investments in life sustaining infrastructures, like roads. Focusing on the conjuncture of infrastructural decay and jurisdictional friction amid an oil and gas boom, I elaborate a concept of “gridlock” as a deadly effect of settler governance. Unfolding stories about road maintenance, school access, and emergency medical transport, the article describes gridlock as a space of both impasse and improvisation that Diné residents inhabit in moving through a region engineered for their immobility.
Assessment of the influence of body fat indices on antihypertensive drug responses
Authors: Altıntaş Aykan Duygun , Aykan Ahmet Çağrı , Çelik Enes , Öztürk Bayram
Published: October 2024

Aims

Less than 50% of patients treated for hypertension reach a target office systolic blood pressure (SBP). We aimed to evaluate the role of adiposity on antihypertensive drug responses in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Methods

Estimated glomerular filtration rates, body mass index (BMI), skinfold thickness (SFT), body surface areas and waist circumferences of 150 hypertensive patients naïve to treatment were measured. Treatment protocols were started as combination of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE‐I) plus calcium channel blocker (CCB), angiotensin receptor blocker plus CCB or ACE‐I plus diuretic. Pre‐treatment and change in blood pressure (ΔBP) after 4 weeks treatment were determined. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to find independent predictors of Δblood pressure changes, and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis to find independent predictors of target SBP < 140 mmHg at 4 weeks.

Results

A total of 104 patients reached the target systolic pressure of <140 mmHg at 4 weeks. Triceps, mid‐abdomen and subscapular SFT were significantly thicker in the uncontrolled blood pressure group (P = .011, P = .006 and P = .016, respectively). Pretreatment SBP (r = 0.644), pretreatment diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.188), subscapular SFT (r = −0.318), suprailiac SFT (r = −0.211) and ΔDBP (r = 0.433) were correlated with ΔSBP in correlation analysis. Pretreatment SBP (β = 0.644, 95% CI = 0.697–0.993, P < .001), subscapular SFT (β = −0.253, 95% CI = −0.886–−0.329, P < .001), pretreatment DBP (β = −0.380, 95% CI = −0.1001– −0.453, P = .001) and ΔDBP (β = 0.401, 95% CI = 0.377–0.796, P < .001) were independent predictors of ΔSBP in multivariable linear regression analysis. Subscapular SFT was an independent predictor of target SBP < 140 mmHg in multivariable logistic regression analysis (OR = 0.895, 95% CI = 0.832–0.963, P = .003).

Conclusions

Subscapular SFT may be a valuable marker for prediction of response to antihypertensive drugs.
Cost Effectiveness of Definitive Treatment Strategies for Autonomously Functioning Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Carlisle Kendyl M. , Talaie Tara , Khalid Sualeha , Turner Douglas J. , Terhune Julia H. , Kuo Jennifer H. , Malek Rana , Hu Yinin
Published: October 2024

Objective

Autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN) can be treated with antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (RAI), thyroid lobectomy or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Although surgery is most definitive, some patients require lifelong hormone supplementation. RFA avoids this sequela, but its efficacy depends on nodule size. This study aims to compare the relative cost‐effectiveness of RAI, RFA and lobectomy for treatment of AFTNs.

Study Design

A Markov analysis model was created to simulate clinical outcomes, costs and utilities for three AFTN treatments: (1) thyroid lobectomy, (2) RAI, and (3) RFA.

Patients

This mathematical model was created using published literature and modeling.

Measurements

Transition probabilities, utilities and costs were extracted from published literature, Medicare, and RedBook. The willingness to pay threshold was set to $100,000 per quality‐adjusted life year. The model simulated 2‐year outcomes, reflecting RFA literature. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to account for uncertainty in model variables.

Results

In the base model, RAI dominated both lobectomy and RFA, with lower estimated cost ($2000 vs. $9452 and $10,087) and higher cumulative utility (1.89 vs. 1.82 and 1.78 quality‐adjusted life years). One‐way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that relative cost‐effectiveness between surgery and RFA was driven by the probability of euthyroidism after RFA and hypothyroidism after lobectomy. RFA becomes more cost‐effective than surgery if the rate of euthyroidism after ablation is higher than 69% (baseline 54%).

Conclusion

Based on published data, RAI is most cost‐effective in treating most AFTN. Surgery is more cost‐effective than RFA in most scenarios, but RFA may be more resource‐efficient for smaller nodules with a high likelihood of complete treatment.
The impact of collagen membrane fixation protocols on volume stability in horizontal ridge augmentation in the aesthetic area: A retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Wang Yanying , Wang Qingfu , Li Jinmeng , Wang Feifan , Li Zhaoyang , Cui Jianlin , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different collagen membran fixation protocols on the volume stability in horizontal ridge augmentation in the aesthetic area.

Methods

A total of 48 patients with 65 augmented sites were included in this study. Implants were placed in the aesthetic region, and simultaneous guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgery was performed for horizontal ridge augmentation. Participants were divided into four groups, each comprising 12 patients, based on different absorbable collagen membrane fixation protocols. Group 1: without fixation; Group 2: fixation with absorbable sutures; Group 3: fixation with titanium pins; Group 4: fixation with titanium pins and absorbable sutures. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed immediately after surgery and at 6 months post‐surgery, respectively. The horizontal thickness of the augmented region was analyzed for volume stability at the implant shoulder (H0) and 1–5 mm apical to the implant shoulder (H1–H5). Changes in labial thickness during bone healing were calculated as absolute values (mm) and relative values (%).

Results

After 6 months of bone healing, horizontal thickness was significantly reduced at all levels (H0–H5) in all groups compared to immediate post‐surgery results (p < 0.05). At H1–H5, horizontal bone loss in group 1 was significantly higher than in the other three groups (p < 0.05). Group 4 exhibited significantly less horizontal bone loss compared to group 2 at H0–H2 (p < 0.05) and group 4 compared to group 3 at H0–H1 (p < 0.05). No significant difference in horizontal bone loss between groups 2 and 3 was detected at H0–H5 (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Guided bone regeneration in the aesthetic area with additional membrane fixation demonstrated superior volume stability of the augmented region compared to cases without fixation. There was no significant difference in bone volume stability between membrane fixation with titanium pins and fixation with absorbable sutures. However, the combined use of pins and absorbable sutures yielded superior volume stability.
Assessment of the Relationship Between Music Students' Self‐Efficacy, Academic Performance and Their Artificial Intelligence Readiness
Authors: Wang Xinzheng , Li Peiwen
Published: September 2024

In recent years, the intersection of self‐efficacy and technological readiness has become increasingly relevant in educational research, particularly within specialised fields like music education. Understanding how these factors interplay can offer valuable insights into enhancing educational practices and fostering academic achievement among music students. This study investigates the relationship between music students' self‐efficacy, academic performance and artificial intelligence (AI) readiness within the context of Chinese Music education. Adopting a random sampling method, the researchers distributed questionnaires to 1082 Chinese music students to assess their self‐efficacy, academic performance and AI readiness. Utilising SPSS (version 27) and AMOS (version 24) for data analysis, the researchers explored the statistical relationships among these variables. The findings indicate that a significant 63% of variations in students' academic performance can be explained by the combined influence of self‐efficacy and AI readiness. This highlights a strong relationship between these factors and students' overall success in their professional pursuits. Specifically, students' self‐efficacy uniquely predicts 52% of changes in academic performance, emphasising the importance of self‐belief in academic achievement, whereas their AI readiness uniquely predicts 60% of changes in academic performance, showcasing the critical role of technological fluency in driving academic success. These results provide valuable insights into the interconnected dynamics of self‐efficacy, academic performance and AI readiness among Chinese music students. The study underscores the significance of confidence, technological proficiency and their impact on students' educational trajectories, offering implications for enhancing educational practices and fostering student success in the context of music education.
Modelling Generative AI Acceptance, Perceived Teachers' Enthusiasm and Self‐Efficacy to English as a Foreign Language Learners' Well‐Being in the Digital Era
Authors: Huang Fangwei , Wang Yongliang , Zhang Haijing
Published: September 2024

As artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into foreign language (FL) education, learners' well‐being is influenced by various factors, including technological, personal and contextual elements. However, few studies explored how external and internal factors jointly shape FL learners' well‐being in the era of generative AI. To fill this gap, this study explores the effects of generative AI acceptance, perceived teachers' enthusiasm and self‐efficacy on FL learners' well‐being by investigating 613 university learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The structural equation modelling results reveal that (1) generative AI acceptance positively predicts EFL learners' well‐being and self‐efficacy; (2) perceived teachers' enthusiasm does not predict learners' well‐being and positively predicts EFL learners' self‐efficacy; and (3) the self‐efficacy for receptive skills mediates the relationship between generative AI acceptance/perceived teachers' enthusiasm and EFL learners' well‐being, whereas self‐efficacy for productive skills does not play the mediation role. This research broadens the understanding of the antecedents of EFL learners' well‐being and extends the application of self‐efficacy theory in the AI‐driven educational environment, providing significant pedagogical implications.
Differences in the Piano Performances of Modern Composers of Different Countries: Are the Specifics of Piano Pedagogy Different in Different Countries (For Example, China and Italy)?
Authors: Lei Kun , Luparenko Svitlana
Published: September 2024

The relevance of the research topic is due to the enrichment of the musical language and methods of performing works of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as a significant update in the means of their transmission to the listener. The study aimed to reveal the tendencies of modern pianism in the context of Western (Italy) and Eastern (China) traditions, which contribute to the realisation of its uniqueness in the process of formation of high‐level professionals. This study is based on theoretical and practical methods. Theoretical methods include analysis, comparison and synthesis. Practical methods are online monitoring with systematisation and questioning. In China, the reliance on folklore is manifested in 85%, the philosophical interpretation of the content of musical works and their interpretation in 80%, the perfection of the mastery of performance technique in 95% and the synthesis of the achievements of Chinese and world performance practice in 80%. The spiritual and semantic aspect of piano performance in the framework of both countries is meaningful in 85%, the material and technical basis in 80% and ethnic self‐identification in 82%. The present findings can be used both in pedagogical and performance practices of different countries, traditions and cultures.
Remote sensing of cover crop legacies on main crop N‐uptake dynamics
Authors: Vavlas Nikolaos‐Christos , Seubring Thijs , Elhakeem Ali , Kooistra Lammert , De Deyn Gerlinde B.
Published: October 2024

Growing cover crops promotes soil health as they retain nutrients during autumn/winter and provide organic matter to the soil biota, which in turn supplies nutrients to the main crop upon mineralisation in spring. Different cover crops have varying impacts on soil biology and nutrient dynamics due to the quantity and quality of plant material returned to the soil. To understand these effects, high‐resolution data on crop responses is required. In this study, remote sensing was used to provide such data. The temporal dynamics of soil nitrogen (N) availability and N uptake in barley were studied in response to different cover crop monocultures and mixtures. This was achieved using high‐resolution multispectral images of the main crop acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle. Alongside this, in‐situ collected plant and soil parameters were used in this 5‐year cover crop field experiment. The results showed that cover crop legacies significantly affected barley N uptake, biomass, and canopy N content. In early June, at peak canopy N, the highest values were observed in barley grown after vetch‐radish or oat‐radish mixtures (84 kg N/ha) and the lowest in barley grown after fallow (63 kg N) or oat (53 kg N/ha on 23rd of June). At the start of the barley growing season, soil microbial biomass was not significantly affected by the cover crop legacies. However, differential N mineralisation between cover crop legacies can be attributed to differences in microbial activity associated with cover crop quantity and quality. This research demonstrates the potential of remote sensing to monitor and understand temporal and spatial variation of crop canopy N in response to cover crop N mineralisation by the soil biota which is an important component of soil health. This approach can contribute to more efficient N use by enabling fine‐tuning of the type, quantity, timing, and location of fertilisation.
Tracking the Helicobacter pylori Epidemic in Adults and Children in China
Authors: Wang Zixing , Hu Yaoda , Fei Ran , Han Wei , Wang Xiaoxiao , Chen Dongbo , She Shaoping
Published: September 2024

Background

The Helicobacter pylori epidemic in China accounts for up to a third of gastric cancers worldwide. We aim to monitor the temporal and spatial dynamics of H. pylori infection in both adults and children across China.

Materials and Methods

We developed a surveillance system consisting of a data collection component that harnessed survey reports in natural populations and an analysis component that accounted for the differences in survey time and location, population age structure, and H. pylori detection method. System outputs were estimates of the prevalence of H. pylori in adults and children (aged ≤ 14 years) presented at three hierarchical levels (regional, provincial, and prefectural).

Results

The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection declined sharply in adults (63.3%, 52.5%, 43.4%, and 38.7%) and less sharply in children (23.1%, 26.1%, 16.0%, and 15.7%) in 1983–1999, 2000–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2019, respectively. The changes were asynchronous across regions, with the most marked declines in the Northwest, the Hong Kong‐Macao‐Taiwan region, and the East. We estimated that 457.6 million adults and 44.5 million children have been infected with H. pylori, with cross‐province disparities in prevalence ranging from 24.3% to 69.3% among adults and 2.9% to 46.3% among children. In general, the risk level of gastric cancer increased as the prevalence of H. pylori increased. The correlation was statistically significant for both adult men (Spearman coefficient of correlation: 0.393, p = 0.0146) and women (0.470, p = 0.0029).

Conclusions

The tracking system would be important for the continuous and stratified tracking of the Helicobacter pylori epidemic across China and can be used to furnish an evidence base for the formulation of tailored prevention strategies.
A non‐invasive genetic approach for estimating the apparent survival rate of a long‐lived territorial raptor: a case study on the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
Authors: Waterlot Sébastien , Itty Christian , Hemery Arzhela , Bunz Yoann , Kaerle Cécile , Queney Guillaume , Besnard Aurélien
Published: October 2024

For long‐lived species, adult survival is the parameter that theoretically has the strongest impact on population dynamics; this makes its estimate crucial for conservation management. The use of non‐invasive genetic approaches coupled with capture–recapture methods is being used increasingly to estimate adult survival. Despite being regularly employed in mammals, it has been little‐used in birds and notably in long‐lived territorial species. This study aimed to determine if feathers obtained from eagle nests could be used to estimate the adult apparent survival rate and the costs associated with such an approach. Feather samples (n = 180) were collected in nests (n = 78) and directly from individual Golden Eagles (n = 36) Aquila chrysaetos in France and were genotyped using 17 microsatellite markers. The genotyping error rates obtained were low, with 3% amplification failures, 3.1% dropouts and 1.7% false alleles. The genetic variability of the markers was high, with a probability of identity between siblings of 6.8 × 10−6, allowing reliable individual identification. Of the feathers collected in nests, 90% were from breeding females; this allowed apparent survival to be estimated for adult females at a reasonable cost. The genotyping of three feathers collected from a nest ensured individual identification of the breeding female with near certainty. Our simulations showed that monitoring of at least 20 pairs over 5 years, or 10 pairs over 10 years is necessary to detect a 10% absolute decrease in adult apparent survival. Estimating the adult survival rate of long‐lived birds using feathers collected in nests is possible. A substantial budget, albeit one that is likely to be lower than that for a common capture–recapture survey, would be needed to obtain precise survival estimates.
Does Lack of Commitment Undermine the Hypocrite's Standing to Blame?
Authors: Lippert‐Rasmussen Kasper
Published: October 2024

According to an influential account of standing, hypocritical blamers lack standing to blame in virtue of their lack of commitment to the norm etc. which they invoke. Nevertheless, the commitment account has the wrong shape for it to explain why hypocrites lack standing to blame. Building on the lessons of that critique I propose a novel account of what undermines standing to blame – the comparative fairness account. This differs from the commitment account and the other prominent account of why hypocrites lack standing to blame offered in the literature: the moral equality account. Finally, I observe that, intuitively, lack of commitment undermines standing to blame and that many hypocrites might lack standing for that reason also. Moreover, typically the hypocrite's failure to address their own faults is a feature in virtue of which, other things being equal, the hypocrite is less committed to the norm in question. These two observations provide the basis for an error theory of the commitment account's appeal, despite its inability to explain why, qua hypocritical blamer, one lacks standing to blame.
Incidence of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease and advanced fibrosis and impact of overweight/obesity in elderly population: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Kim Kunhee , Lee Yaeji , Lee Jae Seung , Kim Mi Na , Kim Beom Kyung , Kim Seung Up , Park Jun Yong , Kim Do Young , Ahn Sang Hoon , Jung Inkyung , Lee Hye Won
Published: September 2024

Background and Aim

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing worldwide, coinciding with aging population. However, limited studies have evaluated its incidence and progression to advanced fibrosis in the elderly population. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the incidence of MASLD and advanced fibrosis in this age group.

Methods

We included 878 686 individuals aged ≥60 years from the Korea National Health Insurance Service‐Senior cohort. After excluding participants with preexisting MASLD, 329 388 individuals were finally analyzed. Participants were categorized into four groups based on the presence of overweight/obesity and additional risk factors (aRF) included in the cardiometabolic diagnostic criteria of MASLD.

Results

The overall incidence of MASLD was 1.94 per 100 person‐years, and the incidence of advanced fibrosis in MASLD patients was 1.78 per 100 person‐years. MASLD development was significantly higher in overweight/obese patients (2.65 per 100 person‐years) compared to lean patients (1.09 per 100 person‐years), and this trend persisted after stratification by the presence of aRF. Similarly, the incidence of advanced fibrosis among MASLD patients was higher in overweight/obese individuals (2.06 per 100 person‐years) compared to lean counterparts (0.87 per 100 person‐years), irrespective of aRF.

Conclusions

The lower incidence of MASLD in the elderly population compared to the general population underscores the importance of identifying age‐specific risk factors. Overweight/obesity emerged as a robust predictor of MASLD development and advanced fibrosis. Additionally, the presence of additional cardiometabolic risk factors further increased the risk of incident MASLD and advanced fibrosis among the elderly.
Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the perceived barriers of mammography scale
Authors: Aker Menekşe Nazlı , Yılmaz Sezer Neslihan , Öner Cengiz Hatice
Published: October 2024

Aim

Early diagnosis and screening of breast cancer are of vital importance in the fight against the disease. It is crucial to identify the underlying barriers that prevent women from undergoing mammography and to develop necessary strategies to overcome these obstacles. The purpose of this study was to adapt “The Perceived Barriers of Mammography Scale (PBMS‐23)” into Turkish and to conduct a validity and reliability study.

Methods

This study used a methodological approach. The study was conducted with 233 women admitted to the Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of a university hospital. Data were collected by using the Introductory Information Form, PBMS‐23, Champion's Health Belief Model Scale for Mammography Screening (CHBMS‐MS). Psychometric properties of the scale were tested with content validity, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and test–retest reliability coefficient.

Results

Content validity confirmatory factor analysis resulted in 𝜒2/SD = 1.67; CFI = 0.97, NFI = 0.92, GFI = 0.86, RMSEA = 0.054. The scale had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87, while the subscales had Cronbach's alpha values of 0.34 to 0.80. The intraclass correlation coefficient values calculated for the test–retest reliability were between 0.83 and 0.96 for the subscales and 0.96 for the overall scale. There is a positive and statistically significant relationship (p < 0.01) between the CHBMS‐MS barriers dimension and prejudices dimension scores and all subdimensions and the total of the PBMS‐23.

Conclusion

The PBMS‐23 was accepted as a valid and reliable tool with 23 items and eight‐factor structure that can be useful in measuring Turkish women's barriers to mammography.
Effect of hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet score on prognosis in intermediate‐risk endometrial cancer according to molecular‐based classification
Authors: Ozdemir Cem Yagmur , Cicekli Nayif , Ahat Betül , Marangoz Bahar , Konus Suleyman , Dur Rıza , Arioz Dagistan Tolga
Published: October 2024

Objective

The aim of this study is to compare the relationship between molecular classification and HALP score in endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods

Patients who were operated with the diagnosis of EC 2014 and 2024 were included in our study. 150 patients were included in the study. We divided the patients into three groups in terms of molecular classification; group 1 was the patients with POLE mutation, group 2 was the patients with MMRd and NSMP (intermediate prognosis), and group 3 was the patients with p53 mutation. Group 2 participants were divided into two groups, a low HALP score group and a high HALP score group, according to the HALP score cut‐off value.

Results

Using the value with the highest Youden's index (0.306) as a basis, it was demonstrated that the HALP score with a cut‐off value of 33.735 has a sensitivity of 61.86% and a specificity of 68.75% in intermediate‐risk EC. The 5‐year overall survival (OS) was found to be 75.4% in intermediate‐risk EC patients with low HALP scores and 91.5% in intermediate‐risk EC patients with high HALP scores (p = 0.008). The 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) was found to be 86% in intermediate‐risk EC patients with low HALP scores and 94.4% in intermediate‐risk EC patients with high HALP scores (p = 0.089). MMR deficiency and NSMP have been considered intermediate‐risk groups for endometrial cancer and are a heterogeneous group. Although the use of the HALP score to reduce this heterogeneity is successful in predicting OS, it is not sufficient for PFS.
Delirium and frailty in older adults: Clinical overlap and biological underpinnings
Authors: Bellelli Giuseppe , Triolo Federico , Ferrara Maria Cristina , Deiner Stacie G. , Morandi Alessandro , Cesari Matteo , Davis Daniel , Marengoni Alessandra , Inzitari Marco , Watne Leiv Otto , Rockwood Kenneth , Vetrano Davide Liborio
Published: October 2024

Frailty and delirium are two common geriatric syndromes sharing several clinical characteristics, risk factors, and negative outcomes. Understanding their interdependency is crucial to identify shared mechanisms and implement initiatives to reduce the associated burden. This literature review summarizes scientific evidence on the complex interplay between frailty and delirium; clinical, epidemiological, and pathophysiological commonalities; and current knowledge gaps. We conducted a PubMed systematic search in June 2023, which yielded 118 eligible articles out of 991. The synthesis of the results—carried out by content experts—highlights overlapping risk factors, clinical phenotypes, and outcomes and explores the influence of one syndrome on the onset of the other. Common pathophysiological mechanisms identified include inflammation, neurodegeneration, metabolic insufficiency, and vascular burden. The review suggests that frailty is a risk factor for delirium, with some support for delirium associated with accelerated frailty. The proposed unifying framework supports the integration and measurement of both constructs in research and clinical practice, identifying the geroscience approach as a potential avenue to develop strategies for both conditions. In conclusion, we suggest that frailty and delirium might be alternative—sometimes coexisting—manifestations of accelerated biological aging. Clinically, the concepts addressed in this review can help approach older adults with either frailty or delirium from a different perspective. From a research standpoint, longitudinal studies are needed to explore the hypothesis that specific pathways within the biology of aging may underlie the clinical manifestations of frailty and delirium. Such research will pave the way for future understanding of other geriatric syndromes as well.
Prediction of approaching trains based on H‐ranks of track vibration signals
Authors: Orinaite Ugne , Burdzik Rafal , Ranjan Vinayak , Ragulskis Minvydas
Published: October 2024

This paper introduces a method for forecasting the arrival of trains by analyzing track vibration signals. The proposed algorithms, based on H‐ranks of track vibration signals, can generate early alerts for approaching trains. These algorithms are robust to additive noise and environmental conditions. The theoretical foundation of the method involves the application of matrix operations to detect significant changes in vibration patterns, indicating an approaching train.
Cortical oscillations and event‐related brain potentials during the preparation and execution of deceptive behavior
Authors: Schnuerch Robert , Schmuck Jonas , Gibbons Henning
Published: September 2024

Deception often occurs in response to a preceding cue (e.g., a precarious question) alerting us about the need to subsequently lie. Here, we simulate this process by adapting a previously established paradigm of intentionally false responding, now instructing participants about the need for deception (vs. truthful responses) by means of a simple cue occurring before each response‐relevant target. We analyzed event‐related brain potentials (ERPs) as well as cortical oscillations recorded from the scalp. In an experimental study (N = 44), we show that a cue signaling the need for deception involves increased attentional selection (P2, P3a, P3b). Moreover, in the period following the cue and leading up to the target, ERP and oscillatory signatures of anticipation and preparation (Contingent Negative Variation, alpha suppression) were found to be increased during trials requiring a deceptive as compared to a truthful response. Additionally, we replicated earlier findings that target processing involves enhanced motivated attention toward words requiring a deceptive response (LPC). Moreover, a signature of integration effort and semantic inhibition (N400) was observed to be larger for words to which responses have to be intentionally false as compared to those to which responses must be truthful. Our findings support the view of the involvement of a series of basic cognitive processes (especially attention and cognitive control) when responses are deliberately wrong instead of right. Moreover, preceding cues signaling the subsequent need for lying already elicit attentional and preparatory mechanisms facilitating the cognitive operations necessary for later successful lying.
Understanding Poverty Alleviation in Rural China: The Role of Policy Brokers
Authors: Li Mianguan , Yang Zaiping , Walker Robert
Published: September 2024

China eradicated rural extreme poverty in 2020 after an 8‐year campaign that combined endogenous economic development involving local people with social assistance. Ethnographic research in a village in southwest China reports township officials, under‐resourced and pressed by higher tiers of government to meet the poverty‐eradication target, commissioning an entrepreneur as a policy‐broker. The latter established enterprises nominally to provide local employment, while seeking profitability from their investment. Prioritising poverty eradication over sustainability, government subsidies were employed to engineer income transfers lifting villagers out of poverty by the target date. Thereafter, transfers of income from the enterprises to impoverished people were at best irregular. The experience highlights the distorting effect of policy targets and the limits to endogenous development undertaken under time–pressure with villagers neither consulted nor benefiting from new employment.
Detection of the HLA‐B*40:78 allele in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Yang Kuo‐Liang , Lin Py‐Yu
Published: October 2024

One nucleotide substitution in codon 136 of HLA‐B*40:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐B*40:78.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Education and Training Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: September 2024

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 12, Number 4 Ashraf Elsafty, Eslsca University, EgyptCarlos Sanz, Cardiff University, UKEhab Gouda Tolba, Mansoura University, EgyptJacinthe Rihan, Ain Shams University, EgyptJoel Maligaya Cuadra, NU Laguna, PhilippinesJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKJulio Cesar André, Center for Studies and Development of Health Education-CEDES, BrazilKendall Hartley, University of Nevada, USAKun Yu, Universiti Putra Malaysia, ChinaLisa Marie Portugal, American College of Education, USANiveen M. Zayed, MENA College of Management, JordanRichard Penny, University of Washington Bothell, USAShanita L. Pettaway, University of South Alabama, USA Robert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of, The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAE-mail: jets@redfame.comURL: http://jets.redfame.com
Birational geometry of Beauville–Mukai systems III: Asymptotic behavior
Authors: Qin Xuqiang , Sawon Justin
Published: September 2024

Suppose that a Hilbert scheme of points on a K3 surface of Picard rank one admits a rational Lagrangian fibration. We show that if the degree of the surface is sufficiently large compared to the number of points, then the Hilbert scheme is the unique hyperkähler manifold in its birational class. In particular, the Hilbert scheme is a Lagrangian fibration itself, which we realize as coming from a (twisted) Beauville–Mukai system on a Fourier–Mukai partner of . We also show that when the degree of the surface is small our method can be used to find all birational models of the Hilbert scheme.
Paradigmatic perspectives of research on the self-regulated learning of non-Western learners in health professions education: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Yoosoof Farah , Ihsan Fathima Rizka , Agius Steven , Coulson Neil , Freeman Kate , Cooper Nicola
Published: October 2024

Objective:

The objective of this review will be to explore the paradigmatic perspectives of research on self-regulated learning in non-Western learners in health professions education.

Introduction:

Studies show that there are significant cultural differences in self-regulated learning. However, a predominantly positivistic research paradigm, attempting to fit cross-cultural populations into pre-defined Western conceptualizations of self-regulated learning, has led to the disregard of these differences. Viewed from a critical realist paradigm, emerging evidence suggests the need for generalizable, yet culturally sensitive models. Given the relevance of self-regulated learning to success in an increasingly diverse health professions setting, the first step toward achieving this is to gain a systematic understanding of the paradigms of research on self-regulated learning in non-Western learners in this context.

Inclusion criteria:

Primary research on the self-regulated learning of non-Western learners in health professions education will be included. Participants will include learners in the Global South, including learners from Japan and South Korea, based on study setting. Studies on self-regulation and self-directed learning will not be included.

Methods:

This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), ASSIA (ProQuest), PsycINFO (Ovid), ERIC (EBSCOhost), Web of Science Core Collection, CKNI, Epistemonikos, and LILACS. Gray literature will be searched for in Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and DART-Europe. There will be no date or language restrictions. Following independent title and abstract screening by 2 reviewers, data will be extracted into a piloted data extraction tool, which will be iteratively revised as needed. Analyzed data will be presented in graphs and tables, accompanied by a narrative summary.

Review registration:

Open Science Framework https://osf.io/gf2ez
Investigating the Impact of System Parameters on Flow-Induced Vibration Hard Galloping Based on Deep Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Dahai , Li Weijie , Zhang Shuai , Bai Zhang
Published: October 2024

In this article, a classification model is established for the flow-induced vibration response based on the numerical and experimental data, using a deep neural network-based machine learning approach. The model effectively distinguishes between hard galloping and soft galloping in flow-induced vibrations by identifying the corresponding range of system parameters. Moreover, a regression model is established to determine the relationship between the critical reduced velocity of hard galloping and system parameters, and then, an exploratory function strategy is utilized to establish the functional relationship between the critical reduced velocity of the hard galloping and the system parameters. The results reveal that the system parameter range with the occurrence of hard galloping is fn < 0.85∪ζ > −0.1fn + 0.19. Additionally, the functional relationship between the critical reduced velocity and system parameters facilitates the adjustment of vibration states in flow-induced vibrations and enables deeper investigation into the phenomenon of hard galloping.
Low-loss and low-temperature Al2O3 thin films for integrated photonics and optical coatings
Authors: Torab Ahmadi Pooya , Chesaux Michael , Wojcik Jacek , Deligiannis Dino , Mascher Peter , Bradley Jonathan D. B.
Published: October 2024

Amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is a key material in optical coatings due to its notable properties, including a broad transparency window (ultraviolet to mid-infrared) and excellent durability. Moreover, its higher refractive index contrast relative to silica cladding layers and high solubility of rare-earth ions make it well suited for optical waveguides and the development of various functionalities in integrated photonics. In many coatings and integrated photonics applications, the substrates are temperature and stress sensitive, while relatively thick (∼1 μm) alumina layers are required; thus, it is crucial to fabricate low optical loss alumina thin films at low deposition temperatures, while maintaining high deposition rates. In this study, plasma-assisted reactive magnetron sputtering, operated in an alternating current mode, is investigated as a reliable, straightforward, and wafer-scale compatible technique for the deposition of high optical quality and uniform Al2O3 thin films at low temperature. One-micrometer-thick amorphous Al2O3 planar waveguides, deposited at 150 °C and a rate of 23.3 nm/min, exhibit optical losses below 1 dB/cm at 638 nm and as low as 0.1 dB/cm in the conventional optical communication band.
Microstructure and performance of joint of Al/Cu welded by resistance element welding with an auxiliary gasket
Authors: Cui Dongsheng , Wang Jing , Hu Yanling , Qiu Ranfeng , Shi Hongxin , Zhao Peifeng
Published: October 2024

A 1060 commercial-purity aluminum and T2 pure copper plates with a thickness of 2 mm were welded by using resistance element welding with an aluminum rivet and auxiliary gasket. The interfacial microstructure was analyzed, and the tensile shear load of the joint was tested. In the joint welded, a layer of Al2Cu adjacent to the copper and the eutectic structure of Al2Cu + (Al) near the nugget region were formed at the interface of Al/Cu. The tensile shear load of the joint increased first and then decreased with the increase of welding current, and it reached the maximum of 2.24 kN when the welding current was 26 kA. The results reveal that the application of the auxiliary gasket not only promote the thickening of the nugget, but also achieve the joining between the rivet leg and the upper plate when resistance element welding of Al/Cu is performed.
Comparative genomic analysis of
Acanthamoeba
from different sources and horizontal transfer events of antimicrobial resistance genes
Authors: Ling Xinyi , Gu Xiaobin , Shen Yue , Fu Chunyan , Zhou Yumei , Yin Yiling , Gao Yanqiu , Zhu Yiwei , Lou Yongliang , Zheng Meiqin
Published: October 2024

Acanthamoeba
species are among the most common free-living amoeba and ubiquitous protozoa, mainly distributed in water and soil, and cause
Acanthamoeba
keratitis (AK) and severe visual impairment in patients. Although several studies have reported genomic characteristics of
Acanthamoeba
, limited sample sizes and sources have resulted in an incomplete understanding of the genetic diversity of
Acanthamoeba
from different sources. While endosymbionts exert a significant influence on the phenotypes of
Acanthamoeba
, including pathogenicity, virulence, and drug resistance, the species diversity and functional characterization remain largely unexplored. Herein, our study sequenced and analyzed the whole genomes of 19
Acanthamoeba
pathogenic strains that cause AK, and by integrating publicly available genomes, we sampled 29
Acanthamoeba
strains from ocular, environmental, and other sources. Combined pan-genomic and comparative functional analyses revealed genetic differences and evolutionary relationships among the different sources of
Acanthamoeba
, as well as classification into multiple functional groups, with ocular isolates in particular showing significant differences that may account for differences in pathogenicity. Phylogenetic and rhizome gene mosaic analyses of ocular
Acanthamoeba
strains suggested that genomic exchanges between
Acanthamoeba
and endosymbionts, particularly potential antimicrobial resistance genes trafficking including the
adeF
,
amrA
, and
amrB
genes exchange events, potentially contribute to
Acanthamoeba
drug resistance. In conclusion, this study elucidated the adaptation of
Acanthamoeba
to different ecological niches and the influence of gene exchange on the evolution of ocular
Acanthamoeba
genome, guiding the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AK and laying a theoretical groundwork for developing novel therapeutic approaches.

IMPORTANCE

Acanthamoeba
causes a serious blinding keratopathy,
Acanthamoeba
keratitis, which is currently under-recognized by clinicians. In this study, we analyzed 48 strains of
Acanthamoeba
using a whole-genome approach, revealing differences in pathogenicity and function between strains of different origins. Horizontal transfer events of antimicrobial resistance genes can help provide guidance as potential biomarkers for the treatment of specific
Acanthamoeba
keratitis cases.
Unresectable squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with spina bifida
Authors: Pinto Christopher Jude , Muresan Doris , Muresan Joel , Neiman-Hart Holli
Published: September 2024

Spina bifida is a congenital malformation of foetal neural structures which may present as a skin fold or sac containing cerebrospinal fluid and neural structures with a variety of neurological deficits. Surgical repairs of spina bifida may not ensure complete functions, neural improvement or recovery. We present this palliative report of an adult male in his early 40s with a medical history of meningocele repair in his infancy, with long-standing Marjolin ulcers, fractures, contractures, diverting ileostomy and urostomy and a fungating mass externally measuring 33×25 cm. The mass involved the buttocks, perineum and scrotum with a tumour overlying the meningocele and extending into the thigh through an internally draining tract. Factors such as immobility, pressure injuries and poor social support in the setting of chronic disability led to a conservative approach in the management of this unresectable carcinoma.