bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Development of an Intelligent System for Predicting 5-Year Survival in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Afrash Mohammad Reza , Shanbehzadeh Mostafa , Kazemi-Arpanahi Hadi
Published: August 2022

Background:

Gastric cancer remains one of the leading causes of worldwide cancer-specific deaths. Accurately predicting the survival likelihood of gastric cancer patients can inform caregivers to boost patient prognostication and choose the best possible treatment path. This study intends to develop an intelligent system based on machine learning (ML) algorithms for predicting the 5-year survival status in gastric cancer patients.

Methods:

A data set that includes the records of 974 gastric cancer patients retrospectively was used. First, the most important predictors were recognized using the Boruta feature selection algorithm. Five classifiers, including J48 decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM) with radial basic function (RBF) kernel, bootstrap aggregating (Bagging), hist gradient boosting (HGB), and adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), were trained for predicting gastric cancer survival. The performance of the used techniques was evaluated with specificity, sensitivity, likelihood ratio, and total accuracy. Finally, the system was developed according to the best model.

Results:

The stage, position, and size of tumor were selected as the 3 top predictors for gastric cancer survival. Among the 6 selected ML algorithms, the HGB classifier with the mean accuracy, mean specificity, mean sensitivity, mean area under the curve, and mean F1-score of 88.37%, 86.24%, 89.72%, 88.11%, and 89.91%, respectively, gained the best performance.

Conclusions:

The ML models can accurately predict the 5-year survival and potentially act as a customized recommender for decision-making in gastric cancer patients. The developed system in our study can improve the quality of treatment, patient safety, and survival rates; it may guide prescribing more personalized medicine.
The Social and Psychological Impact of Acne Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study of Blood Donors
Authors: Andersen Rune Kjærsgaard , Bouazzi Dorra , Erikstrup Christian , Nielsen Kaspar René , Burgdorf Kristoffer Sølvsten , Bruun Mie Topholm , Hjalgrim Henrik , Mikkelsen Susan , Ullum Henrik , Pedersen Ole Birger , Ernst Jemec Gregor Borut
Published: August 2022

Background

Acne in adolescence and adulthood is believed to have a long-term impact on socioeconomic status (SES) and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in adults.

Objective

To estimate the cross-sectional prevalence of medically treated (MedTreAc) and untreated acne (UnTreAc) and to characterize its long-term impact in adults.

Methods

A nationwide cross-sectional study on 17 428 blood donors aged 18-35 was performed. Associations among acne and HRQoL, depressive symptoms, total income, and SES were investigated via linear/logistic/multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for relevant covariables. HRQoL was measured by the Short Form-12, and depressive symptoms by the Major Depression Inventory. The data were self-reported.

Results

Of the participants, 3591 (20.6%) and 1354 (7.8%) identified as the MedTreAc and UnTreAc phenotype, respectively. Neither phenotype was associated with a long-term impact on total income, but the MedTreAc group was associated with being an apprentice/student (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.42; P = 1.3×10-4) or high skill-level employee (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.07; 1.39, P = .0023), while self-employment was more common for those with UnTreAc (OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.06, P = .0061). Additionally, the UnTreAc group was associated with a lower mental HRQoL (SF-12 mental component summary score −1.05, 95% CI: −1.56, −0.54; P = 1.4×10-9) and increased odds ratio of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.02, P = .046).

Conclusion

In this population of blood donors, the cumulative prevalence of MedTreAc and UnTreAc were 20.6% and 7.8%, respectively. Untreated acne had a long-term impact on psychosocial well-being in adulthood. It was associated with lower mental HRQoL and higher occurrence of depressive symptoms. Acne was not associated with a lower salary or SES.
Sensuous intoxication: Learning from bodies in organisational ethnography
Authors: McConn-Palfreyman Will , Mangan Anita , McInnes Peter
Published: August 2022

An increasing number of management articles have focused on embodied ethnography in terms of either understanding other bodies at work or how our own bodies as researchers inform knowledge. In advancing this latter approach, we argue for an embodiment that sensually intoxicates our bodies, enabling new forms of learning to emerge. To grow this understanding, we draw on Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s concept ‘le schéma corporel’, a shared physiognomy of the senses. This concept informs a corporeal methodology which details three organisational depictions that emerge from a season long immersion in a professional rugby team. We illustrate how the Will was corporeally apprenticed in this setting through an understanding of the body as situated, emotional and physical. The article concludes by suggesting it is the researcher’s own body that is the site of learning, providing a sense to the reader of the pain, touch and sound of professional rugby.
Deteriorating Australia-China relations and prospects for the Australian tourism industry: A dynamic demand analysis
Authors: Selvanathan Saroja , Jayasinghe Maneka , A. Selvanathan Eliyathamby
Published: August 2022

Inbound tourism from China contributes to around 15% of Australian tourist arrivals. However, the political and trade relations between the two countries began to deteriorate since 2018. Considering this environment, using annual data from 1991 to 2019, this study enables the identification of alternative tourism markets for Australia. The results suggest that maintaining price competitiveness and consumer satisfaction should be high priorities of the Australian tourism policy to attract more tourists. The findings of this study provide insights to formulate new strategies to attract tourists from the other top markets in the event of a decline in Chinese tourist arrivals to Australia.
Pandora’s box: The two sides of the public sphere
Authors: Eder Klaus
Published: August 2022

The public sphere is the site where the collective will of the people is formed. The thesis is that to the extent that the people are constructed as entities that pre-exist their collective will, the public sphere contributes to fostering the evil among a people and between the people. This is discussed using the cases of nationalism, sovereigntism and populism. The narrative of Pandora’s box provides the analytical leverage for retelling the theory of the public sphere. The story is that after the evils escaped Pandora’s box, hope remained. This leads to two propositions: hope as preventing the closing off of the future of a people and hope as fostering collective learning processes that rectify the evils. These propositions provide the ground for a critical theory of the public sphere in which the force of the better argument is insufficient to explain the capability of a people to rectify the bad. It is a theory in which social relations matter that turn individuals into a people beyond national, statist or populist containers, making a people that is open to define and redefine itself in collective learning processes.
Your social ties, your personal public sphere, your responsibility: How users construe a sense of personal responsibility for intervention against uncivil comments on Facebook
Authors: Gagrčin Emilija
Published: August 2022

User intervention against incivility is a significant element of democratic norm enforcement on social media, and feeling personally responsible for acting is a vital prerequisite for intervention. However, our insight into how users construe their sense of personal responsibility and expectations of other users remains limited. By theoretically foregrounding user perspective, this study investigates the boundaries and nuances of user responsibility to intervene against incivility. Empirically, it draws on 20 qualitative vignette interviews with young people in Germany. The findings show that as contexts collapse in users’ newsfeeds, the imagined boundaries of personal public spheres and own social relationships with uncivil users serve as heuristics for hierarchizing and delimiting personal responsibility to intervene. Beyond abstract individual responsibility for the public discourse, practical responsibility is distributed among personal public spheres.
Lurking as literacy practice: A uses and gratifications study in neighborhood Facebook groups
Authors: Sipley Gina
Published: August 2022

This study explores lurking as a literacy practice and poses two questions: In what ways do so-called Facebook lurkers use neighborhood groups to engage in literacy practices? What gratifications are sought when individuals choose to lurk and engage in these literacy practices in Facebook neighborhood groups? A community mapping of the literacy practices of NYC suburban neighborhood Facebook groups was conducted by 203 participants, and 18 of those participants were interviewed. Through lurking, participants sought to gratify desires to (1) understand a divergent point of view, (2) verify information, (3) suppress the spread of information, (4) pivot to offline social action, (5) advance professionally, and (6) maintain quality of community life. The study also introduces the concepts of receptive reading, participatory restraint, and protective curation as ways of reading that individuals engage in while gratifying these desires.
The European Green Deal and technological determinism
Authors: Čavoški Aleksandra
Published: August 2022

In 2019, the Von der Leyen Commission made a grand entrance announcing an ambitious political agenda, the European Green Deal (EGD), combining its sustainability agenda and meeting environmental challenges with the pursuit of economic growth. In this paper, the author discusses the role of technology in the EGD through the lens of technological determinism. It is argued that, in many ways, the EGD overestimates the importance of technology, especially new technology. Unlike typical technological determinist views, the EGD recognises the importance of human agency. However, the success of human and social agency as drivers change in this project depends on preferences of actors involved in this green transition, including technological preferences. The author argues that the source of these biases lies with the economic policy foundations of the EGD which lead to prioritising economic interest over environmental needs. The article suggests that greater reliance on environmental regulation may restore the appropriate balance between economy and environment, and between the belief in the power of new technology and people's responsibility for the environmental and other consequences of technology production and use, and thus improve the prospects of the EGD in its environmental and sustainability aspirations.
In the middle of a standardized test: The emerging relations of young children in research
Authors: Bodén Linnea
Published: August 2022

The performance of standardized tests is an ongoing matter of concern for childhood researchers. Standardized tests are often described as neglecting the ethical complexities of doing research with young children. However, this critique is primarily presented in general terms, and does not attend to the locality and specificity of particular test situations. With this as a starting point, the aim of this article is to challenge a narrow understanding of standardized tests as activities done ‘on’ children and examine the complexities of emerging relations in test situations performed in Swedish preschools. Through analysing video recordings made as part of an intervention project, the article focuses on the practices that surface in test situations with four- to six-year-olds. Inspired by Haraway and Strathern, the article puts to work a relational approach to analysing the test situations. This approach contributes with an understanding in which the contextual details are taken into account, which in turn highlights how the atypical and the moving are often the standard in standardized testing. The insights from a relational analysis point to important aspects to consider in the performance of standardized tests: it matters to attune to and problematize a narrow understanding of standardized tests; it matters to consider the local specificities; and it matters to scrutinize in new ways the relations between children and researchers.
Which child to which school? How local politicians shape catchment areas, school choice and diversity
Authors: Dabisch Vito
Published: August 2022

Growing global debates surrounding parental school choice underscore the relevance of school place allocation. While there is much research on school choice, the enactment of such allocation policy is rarely analysed. Responding to this research gap, this article investigates how local politicians in Berlin put public primary school place allocation into practice. Building on approaches of policy enactment and policy field analysis, this article examines the ‘doing’ of Berlin primary school place allocation with the concurrency of catchment areas and parental school choice. Methodologically, this article draws on semi-structured interviews with three inner-city district school department heads in Berlin. Using qualitative content analysis, their political objectives, scope and strategies are analysed. The findings demonstrate that local politicians can interpret the allocation process in line with their political objectives. Consequently, there is surprising variation between the districts’ enactment of primary school place allocation policy. Policymakers’ political preferences for either school choice or social diversity are influential, as is the local context (e.g. school place shortages). The study highlights the importance of local actors and identifies three political strategies used to influence school place allocation, which might inform local politicians’ strategies elsewhere.
Attitudes towards the death penalty: An assessment of individual and country-level differences
Authors: McCarthy Daniel , Brunton-Smith Ian
Published: August 2022

Research on public attitudes to the death penalty has been predominantly understood through single nation-states, especially within the USA. Examinations of international differences in citizens’ support for the death penalty have been scarce, particularly among continents with a high volume of retentionist nations (e.g. Asia). In this paper, we draw on a dataset of 135,000 people from across 81 nations to examine differences in death penalty support. We find that residents of retentionist nations are generally more supportive of the death penalty than those from abolitionist nations. But this general difference masks important differences both within and between countries. At the country-level, residents of abolitionist nations with autocratic political systems and those with higher homicide levels were more likely to support the death penalty than residents of other abolitionist nations. At the individual level, greater support for a strong dictatorial-type leader and perceptions of political corruption are associated with increased support for the death penalty, but only in abolitionist nations. By contrast, more frequent religious worship, perceived egalitarianism in a nation, and support for the political performance of government reduced death penalty support in abolitionist nations but increased support in retentionist nations, while belief in individual responsibility and critical views towards ethnic minorities increased support for the death penalty across both abolitionist and retentionist nations.
Profiles of Undergraduate Completers: Deconstructing the Heterogeneity
Authors: Skidmore Susan Troncoso , Zientek Linda Reichwein , Lane Forrest C.
Published: August 2022

A person-centered approach identified five empirically unobserved student profiles of first-time full-time university students who shared similar academic patterns, performance measures, and demographic characteristics. Honors and Flourishing classes tended to graduate within 6 years of attempting their first-college mathematics course, earned a high grade in that course, and made continued degree progress. The Flourishing class had lower semester and first-college mathematics GPAs than the Honors class but higher GPAs than the Tenacious class. Placement in remedial mathematics alone did not determine class membership. The Honors class had an overrepresentation of White women, and an underrepresentation of Black men. Hispanic students were most prevalent in the Flourishing group while Black men were more prevalent in the Tenacious group. As a whole, men fared worse on outcomes than women.
Pathways to Registered Nursing: Influences of Health-Related Work Experience and Education Financing
Authors: Skillman Susan M. , Johnson Hannah M. , Frogner Bianca K.
Published: August 2022

A larger and more diverse registered nurse (RN) workforce in the U.S. is needed to meet growing demand and address social determinants of health and improve health equity. To improve understanding of pathways and barriers to becoming an RN, this study examined prior health care employment and financial assistance factors associated with completion of pre-licensure RN education programs, by initial entry degree (associate degree or bachelor of science in nursing) and across racial and ethnic groups, using the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. The study found higher percentages of associate degree-entry RNs held a health-related job prior to completing their initial RN program than did bachelor’s degree entrants. Employer support for education financing as well as reliance on loans and scholarships increased among RNs graduating in 2000 and later, and reliance on self-financing was reported less frequently. Hispanic associate degree-entry RNs reported education financing from only federal loans more frequently compared with White RNs, and higher percentages of Black, multiracial, and “some other race” baccalaureate degree entry RNs accessed federal loans compared with White baccalaureate degree-entry RNs. These findings indicate diversifying the RN workforce should remain a priority to increase representation by underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Equitable pathways into the RN profession will be facilitated and expedited through policies that overcome financial and social barriers that enable individuals from population groups underrepresented in the nursing workforce to identify with the RN role and route to the profession.
Anterior Tibial to Dorsalis Pedis Bypass to Manage Acute Ischemia Attributed to Pilon Fracture
Authors: Georgakarakos Efstratios , Papatheodorou Nikolaos , Keskinis Anthimos , Karaolanis Georgios I , Georgoulas Paraskevas
Published: August 2022

Pilon fractures of the distal tibia are usually the result of a high-energy trauma and can affect seriously the arterial vasculature carrying an increased risk of amputation at the malleolar level or higher. Such cases represent a challenge for the orthopedic surgeons and a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory in order to salvage the threatened limb. We present an unusual case of a closed pilon fracture with injury of all tibial vessels leading to acute limb threatening ischemia. The patient was treated successfully with external fixation and a short tibial-pedal bypass with use of an autologous reversed saphenous vein graft. This example dictates how a distal leg fracture can be dramatic and that awareness of vascular examination coupled with high suspicion of vascular damage can be limb-saving. Multidisciplinary approach is warranted since the topology and complexity of the ankle lesions necessitate staged orthopedic reconstructions with tibio-distal bypass and appropriate skin coverage of the distal anastomosis.
Reimagining Language Proficiency Assessment for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Authors: Shenoy Sunaina , de Valenzuela J. S. , Pacheco Rosalía
Published: August 2022

Language proficiency assessment (LPA) serves as a gatekeeper to accessing language services for English learners (ELs) with and without disabilities. Moreover, research suggests that EL services are often deemphasized compared with special education services for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCDs). We highlight the intersectional nature of educational inequities faced by ELs with SCDs by briefly examining the implications of current legal requirements and offering a critique of LPAs, particularly those designed for students with SCDs. The difficulty of identifying the relative contributions of both limited English proficiency and disability to perceived deficits in English language proficiency is especially salient for students with SCDs, as their communication challenges may be misunderstood as primarily stemming from their underlying disability. This issue raises concerns about how English language proficiency should be understood for ELs with SCDs. A failure to understand this in turn may lead to inaccurate results in diagnostic testing, in addition to inequitable access to appropriate EL services. Finally, a case is made for alternative processes that could increase access to appropriate educational programs and foster increased educational equity.
Computed Dosimeter Dose Index on a 16-Slice Computed Tomography Scanner
Authors: Mekonin Tadelech S. , Deressu Tilahun T.
Published: August 2022

A computed tomography dose index can be used to quantify the radiation dose received during a CT scan and it is an indicator of the radiation dose to the polymetaylenmetaAcrylate (PMMA) standardized phantom. The objective of this study was 2-fold. The first was to measure the computed tomography (CT) radiation dose for the head and body polymetaylelenmetaAcrylate (PMMA) phantoms and to determine the accuracy of the CT radiation dose parameter displayed on the CT scanner console; these were measured in this investigation and compared with the dose displayed on the CT scanner console. The dose was calculated using the formalism described in the American Association of Physics in Medicine (AAPM) Report 96. The second was to compare the dosimetric results of the head and body polymetaylelenmetaAcrylate (PMMA) phantoms with dose reference levels published in international journals, as well as to measure the central cumulative dose (DL′ (0)), as recommended by the American Association of Physics in Medicine (AAPM) report 111. This is a new, cutting-edge methodology for estimating the CT radiation dosage provided by the abdomen, thorax, and head of a PMMA phantom. We used a Philips Big Bore CT scanner with 16 slices. A CT dosimeter head phantom with a diameter of 16 cm, a CT dosimeter body phantom with a diameter of 32 cm, a 100 mm pencil chamber (PC), and a 20 mm short chamber (SC) were employed. These were coupled to an electrometer and a dosimetric readout device. The measured volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) values were in good agreement with the CT radiation dose displayed on the corresponding CT scanner console. The percentage disagreement was less than 10%, with a maximal difference of 1.7% and 5.5% for the body and head phantom, respectively. The central cumulative dose (DL (0)) measurements (for L′ = 100 mm) also matched nominal or the corresponding computed tomography dose index (CT) scanner console volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) values. In this case, the agreement is always below 3% for abdomen scans and 1.0% for head examinations. This result implies that the radiation dose supplied by the 16-slice computed tomography (CT) system was in good agreement with the international dose reference level and we observed something different.
A 4-year Retrospective Study on the Impact of the Dietary Program on Anthropometric and Metabolic Parameters among Overweight and Obese Subjects in Primary Health Care Centers in Qatar
Authors: Alam Muhammad T. , Veettil Shajitha T. , Abdulmajeed Jazeel , Sait Neelufur S. , Krishnan Jeyaram I.
Published: August 2022

Aim. Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and one of the risk factors for many diseases including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and cancer. The aim of this study was to review the impact of the local dietary program on anthropometric and metabolic parameters among overweight and obese subjects attending Primary Health Care Centers in Qatar from 2016 to 2019. Methods. A 4-year retrospective cohort study. Results. Among 10451 patients, the overall success rate of BMI reduction was 10% while 22.22% of population had ≥5% reduction in BMI from baseline. The median time for weight reduction was 3.2 years, with women showing earlier significant weight loss than men. The patients with 3–5 number of visits had earlier significant weight reduction than those with ≤3 visits and >5 number of visits. Greater weight reduction was seen in those with chronic diseases and who had constant follow up visits in the dietetic clinic during the study period. Conclusion. Our results are encouraging, showing improvement in the management of adult obesity with medical nutrition therapy through involvement and guidance in the community dietetic clinics. The dietetic clinic services could be an operative strategy to prevent expensive diabetic and cardiovascular events, mainly in high-risk patients.
PMSM sliding mode control based on novel reaching law and extended state observer
Authors: Li Shuai , Wang Hai , Li Henian , Yang Chunlai
Published: August 2022

To improve the dynamic quality and control performance of the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed control system, a novel sliding mode control method with improved reaching law for PMSM was proposed, which has a shorter reaching time and small system chattering. An extended state observer (ESO) based on the hyperbolic tangent function for the sliding mode controller is designed to realize the real-time tracking of the mechanical angular velocity and load disturbance of the motor, which can weaken the influence of the internal parameter perturbation and external load disturbance. The performance of the novel sliding mode controller for PMSM was simulated based on MATLAB/Simulink. An experimental platform based on dSPACE is built. The simulation and experimental results show that this novel PMSM controller can effectively suppress the system chattering and improve the dynamic performance and robustness of the system.
Innovative self-adaptive gripper design, functional simulation, and testing prototype
Authors: Frincu Cezar Ioan , Stroe Ioan , Staretu Ionel
Published: August 2022

This article presents the design, functional simulation, and prototype of an innovative adaptive jaw gripper. First, based on the comparative analysis of several types of anthropomorphic finger grippers and adaptive jaw grippers, to avoid their disadvantages, the structural scheme of a gripper module based on a polycontour mechanism, comprising a guided parallelogram contour, was established to obtain a parallel translational movement of the elements of the jaw holders and therefore of the jaws. Then the structural analysis is briefly made to verify the correct operation of the mechanism of the gripping module, and details of the kinematic analysis and of the design of the components in the CATIA software are given. After obtaining the 3D version of the gripping module, its functional simulation and ADAMS analysis is performed. The sensory system used at the level of the jaws is also described and then the gripper assembly is obtained including a base plate and five gripper modules and as a result an adaptive gripper with five jaw holder elements is created. Next is the functional simulation of the adaptive gripper for gripping several types of parts. The prototype made and the test are presented for gripping five types of parts and we show the prospects of continuing this research with practical applicability by mounting on a robot and implementing in a robotic line for gripping and handling a series of parts of various shapes and sizes.
Lung ultrasound description of a newborn with bronchial atresia: A case report
Authors: Rebollo-Simarro Marta , Alonso-Ojembarrena Almudena
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

Congenital pulmonary malformations are a heterogeneous group of embryological alterations at different stages of lung development, the most frequent being the congenital malformation of the airway. Lung ultrasound is a very useful tool in neonatal intensive care units, providing great value for differential diagnosis, as well as therapeutic response or early detection of complications.

Case Report:

The case is a newborn of 38weeks’ gestation who was followed by prenatal ultrasound control for suspected adenomatous cystic malformation type III in the left lung from week 22. She did not present complications during pregnancy. The study of Genetics and serological test were negative. She was born by urgent caesarean section due to breech presentation without requiring resuscitation, weighing 2.915 g. She was admitted to the Unit for study, remaining stable throughout her stay, with a normal physical examination. Atelectasis of the left upper lobe was appreciated by chest X-ray. Pulmonary ultrasound on the second day of life showed signs of consolidation in the left posterosuperior field with air bronchogram, without other alterations. In subsequent ultrasound controls, an interstitial infiltrate was observed in the left posterosuperior region, compatible with progressive aeration of the area, which was maintained until 1 month of life. The computed tomographic scan performed at 6months of age shows hyperlucency and increased volume in the left upper lobe with slight hypovascularization, accompanied by paramediastinal subsegmental atelectasis. There was a hypodense image at the hilar level. These findings were compatible with bronchial atresia, later confirmed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. At 18months of age, surgical intervention was performed.

Discussion and Conclusion:

We present the first case of bronchial atresia diagnosed by LUS, thus adding new images to the very scarce literature currently available.
It’s Not You, It’s Me: A Review of Individual Differences in Visuospatial Perspective Taking
Authors: Samuel Steven , Cole Geoff G. , Eacott Madeline J.
Published: August 2022

Visuospatial perspective taking (VSPT) concerns the ability to understand something about the visual relationship between an agent or observation point on the one hand and a target or scene on the other. Despite its importance to a wide variety of other abilities, from communication to navigation, and decades of research, there is as yet no theory of VSPT. Indeed, the heterogeneity of results from different (and sometimes the same) VSPT tasks point to a complex picture suggestive of multiple VSPT strategies, individual differences in performance, and context-specific factors that together have a bearing on both the efficiency and accuracy of outcomes. In this article, we review the evidence in search of patterns in the data. We found a number of predictors of VSPT performance but also a number of gaps in understanding that suggest useful pathways for future research and, possibly, a theory (or theories) of VSPT. Overall, this review makes the case for understanding VSPT by better understanding the perspective taker rather than the target agents or their perception.
On the Role of Interoception in Body and Object Perception: A Multisensory-Integration Account
Authors: Kirsch Wladimir , Kunde Wilfried
Published: August 2022

Various “embodied perception” phenomena suggest that what people sense of their body shapes what they perceive of the environment and that what they perceive of the environment shapes what they perceive of their bodies. For example, an observer’s own hand can be felt where a fake hand is seen, events produced by own body movements seem to occur earlier than they did, and feeling a heavy weight at an observer’s back may prompt hills to look steeper. Here we argue that such and various other phenomena are instances of multisensory integration of interoceptive signals from the body and exteroceptive signals from the environment. This overarching view provides a mechanistic description of what embodiment in perception means and how it works. It suggests new research questions while questioning a special role of the body itself and various phenomenon-specific explanations in terms of ownership, agency, or action-related scaling of visual information.
RESCUE BT 2, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy trial of intravenous tirofiban in acute ischemic stroke: Study rationale and design
Authors: Zi Wenjie , Song Jiaxing , Qiu Zhongming , Kong Weilin , Huang Jiacheng , Luo Weidong , Liu Shuai , Sang Hongfei , Yang Jie , Li Linyu , Tian Yan , Hu Jinrong , Saver Jeffrey L , Nogueira Raul G , Li Fengli , Yang Qingwu
Published: August 2022

Background:

Tirofiban is a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes. However, it remains unknown whether it improves outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Objective:

This trial investigates the efficacy and safety of tirofiban compared with aspirin for acute ischemic stroke within 24 h after symptom onset.

Methods and design:

The Efficacy and Safety of Tirofiban Compared with Aspirin in the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke (RESCUE BT 2) Trial is an investigator-initiated, prospective, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter clinical trial. Up to 1158 eligible patients will be consecutively randomized to receive antiplatelet therapy with tirofiban or aspirin in 1:1 ratio across approximately 100 stroke centers in China.

Outcomes:

The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with excellent functional outcomes defined as a modified Rankin scale score of 0 to 1 at 90 days after randomization. Lead safety endpoints include mortality at 90 days and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage within 48 h after treatment.

Trial registry number:

ChiCTR2000029502 ( www.chictr.org.cn ).
Comparison of laboratory characteristics of gastrointestinal symptoms and nongastrointestinal symptoms in patients infected with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Rui , Shi Jie , Song Yichuan , Zhang Rui
Published: August 2022

Background:

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a massive crisis to global public health. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are increasingly reported in COVID-19. The characteristics of laboratory findings of COVID-19 are critical for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objectives:

The study aimed to summarize laboratory features in COVID-19 with GI symptoms and non-GI symptoms.

Design:

This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic literature searches were conducted for studies that included patients infected COVID-19 with GI symptoms and non-GI symptoms. GI symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and anorexia. This study used a random-effects model to assess pooled data.

Data sources and methods:

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science for studies through 31 October 2021, with no language restrictions. We used the following search terms: ‘COVID-19’ OR ‘2019-nCoV’ OR ‘SARS-CoV-2’ OR ‘coronavirus 2019’ OR ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2’ OR ‘coronavirus’ OR ‘novel coronavirus’ OR ‘nCoV’ AND ‘gastrointestinal symptoms’ OR ‘digestive symptoms’ AND ‘clinical feature’ OR ‘clinical characteristics.’ Data mostly originated from Chinese and American studies.

Results:

Of 796 identified studies, 14 were eligible and were included in our analysis ( N = 8396 participants). Meta-analysis showed that GI symptoms group had an elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) [pooled mean difference (MD), 4.5 U/L; 95% confidence interval, [0.45, 8.55]; p = 0.03; I2 = 87%]. No publication bias was detected by Begg’s and Egger’s regression test ( p = 0.130). COVID-19 with the GI symptoms also showed a trend toward decreased white blood cell count, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia and elevated total bilirubin.

Conclusion:

GI symptoms are common in COVID-19. No significant differences were found in most laboratory indicators except elevated ALT.

Registration:

CRD42020209039 (PROSPERO).
Intraoperative Technical Tips to Improve Fusion Between the First and Second Metatarsals in the Original Lapidus Procedure
Authors: Nishikawa Danilo Ryuko Cândido , Duarte Fernando Aires , Saito Guilherme Honda , Pontin Pedro Augusto , Mendes Alberto Abussamra Moreira , Prado Marcelo Pires
Published: August 2022

The modified Lapidus procedure (MLP), which consists of fusion between the first metatarsal (M1) and medial cuneiform, has been widely performed with satisfactory clinical outcomes, but it has a variable nonunion rate ranging between 4% and 10% and loss of correction in up to 5.8% of the cases. Excessive motion around the site of tarsometatarsal arthrodesis, specially at the intercuneiform joint, is probably the reason. The original Lapidus procedure (OLP), which includes fusion of the M1 to second metatarsal (M2), may be beneficial in preventing nonunion and recurrence. The objective of this study was to describe intraoperative technical tips in the OLP to improve M1 to M2 fusion, which may prevent complications. Since the Lapidus procedure continues to gain popularity, it is the authors opinion that the OLP requires special attention because it is a more technically demanding surgery compared to the MLP.

Level of Evidence: Level V: Expert opinion
A Novels Spiritual Discipline: Literature and the Renewal of the Mind
Authors: Franklin Christopher E
Published: August 2022

We know from experience that a stable feature of the human predicament is internal alienation: our various psychic states (knowledge, choices, desires, emotions) are often in conflict with one another. We are divided selves. In this paper, I delineate the nature and argue for the importance of a spiritual discipline of reading literature as a way of addressing this division. My argument comes in two stages. First, I offer a diagnosis of why we fail to be wholehearted that develops Aristotle’s idea that a fundamental source of internal division within the soul is between what we know and how we see or construe our present situation. Second, I show how a spiritual discipline of reading literature is the right prescription for retraining our habits of construal so as to bring them into harmony with our knowledge. I conclude with a few remarks about how to put this discipline into practice.
The question of ‘sustainable’ technology: From socio-ecological fixes to transformations
Authors: Rudolph David
Published: August 2022

This short contention discusses the role of sustainable technology within the energy transition to address climate change. It argues that the current modes of expanding sustainable or renewable energy technologies and associated infrastructures by profit-driven developers in the Global North provide limited socio-ecological fixes to environmental crisis, while largely reproducing the political-economic status quo of fossil capitalism. The fetish of technological fixes to address socio-ecological and socio-economic problems is illustrated with the author's reflections about personal experiences in a techno-scientific research environment. The article points to the necessity to rethink the ontology of technology in order to overcome techno-managerial shortcomings of socio-ecological fixes that hamper both transdisciplinary research and thorough socio-ecological transformations. For that purpose, Ernst Bloch's concept of alliance technology is briefly introduced.
Longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis due to tuberculosis: A case report
Authors: Salari Mehri , Zaker Harofte Bahareh , Etemadifar Masoud
Published: August 2022

Neurotuberculosis is a potentially fatal disease that can present with upper or lower motor neuron symptoms. Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is characterized by contiguous inflammatory lesions of the spinal cord extending to three or more vertebral segments. The causes of LETM include infections, neoplasm, and autoimmune diseases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a rare cause of transverse myelitis. Here, we report a 21-year-old Afghan female who was referred with chronic progressive quadriparesis and showed LETM on cervical MRI. This report indicates that tuberculosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis of LETM, especially in endemic areas.
Effect of varying processing temperatures on the mechanical and microstructural properties of kenaf fibre-ABS composites for moderate temperature applications
Authors: Owen M. M , Achukwu E. O , Arukalam I. O. , Romli A. Z
Published: August 2022

Epoxy-coated Kenaf fibre-ABS (EKF-ABS) and uncoated kenaf fibre-ABS (KF-ABS) composites have been developed with the main objective to appraise the effect of varying processing temperatures on the mechanical and microstructural properties of the composites. FTIR spectroscopy was used to analyse the physico-chemical composition of the fibres, while SEM was used to examine the surface performance of the fibre before and after epoxy-coating. Thermal, mechanical and microstructural properties of the composites were characterized. The obtained results showed that the EKF-ABS composite exhibited better tensile, flexural and fatigue strengths and interfacial bonding than the KF-ABS composite. It was also observed that the processing temperatures (200, 220 and 240°C) did not cause significant change in the tensile and flexural strengths of EKF-ABS composite, but influenced markedly the fatigue behaviours of the composites. The impact strength, absorbed energy and fatigue strength of EKF-ABS composite were observed to be better than those of the KF-ABS composite, and are maximum at 200°C.
Remote patient monitoring for chronic heart failure in France: When an innovative funding program (ETAPES) meets an innovative solution (Satelia® Cardio)
Authors: Pages N , Picard F , Barritault F , Amara W , Lafitte S , Maribas P , Abassade P , Labarre J Ph , Boulestreau R , Chaouky H , Abdennadher M , Lemieux H , Lasserre R , Bedel C , Betito L , Nisse-Durgeat S , Diebold B
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a telehealth activity to collect and analyze patient health or medical data. Its use has expanded in the past decade and has improved medical outcomes and care management of non-communicable chronic diseases. However, implementation of RPM into routine clinical activities has been limited. The objective of this study was to describe the French funding program for RPM (known as ETAPES) and one of the RPM solution providers (Satelia®) dedicated to chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

A descriptive assessment of both the ETAPES funding program and Satelia® RPM solution was conducted. Data were collected from official legal documents and information that was publicly available online from the French Ministry of Health.

Results and Discussion

ETAPES was formally created in 2016 based on previous legislation pertaining to the national health insurance funding strategy. However, it only started to operate in 2018. Patients with CHF were only eligible if they were at medium or high risk of re-hospitalization with a New York Heart Association (NYHA) score superior or equal to two and a BNP>100 pg/ml or NT pro BNP>1000 pg/ml. Medical monitoring was supported through the therapeutic education of a patient on the RPM model of care with a minimum of three training sessions during the first six months. The use of Satelia® Cardio is noteworthy since it relies only on symptomatic monitoring through which the patient manually reports their information by answering a simple questionnaire on a regular basis and does not rely on any connected devices.

Conclusion

Innovative funding programs and solutions for RPM need real-world evaluation in the future.
Opportunities and Challenges for Private Education in China: A Review of the Latest Policy Revisions
Authors: Liu (刘莉莉) Lili
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study reviews the latest revisions to “Implementation Regulations of the Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China.” In doing so, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the policy and its history, as well as the future outlook of private education in China.

Design/Approach/Methods

Data were collected from the official website of the Ministry of Education of China as well as the media.

Findings

This study identifies the background, rationale, major breakthroughs, and impacts of the revised policy.

Originality/Value

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the latest revisions to “Implementation Regulations of the Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China.” In addition to an academic interpretation of these policy changes, it suggests how private education in China may develop.
Posterior Approach With Osteotomized Debridement Versus Combined Anterior and Posterior Approach in Treating Thoracolumbar Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ma Shengbiao , Zhou Zhenhai , Yu Honggui , Zhong Junlong , Xiong Jiachao , Xu Jiang , Deng Wenqiang , Cao Kai
Published: August 2022

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Objectives

To compare outcomes of posterior osteotomized debridement (OD) with combined anterior and posterior approach (AP) in treating thoracolumbar tuberculosis (TB).

Methods

This study reviewed 178 patients who were diagnosed as active thoracolumbar TB and surgically treated in our center. One hundred and two patients underwent posterior OD, interbody fusion with titanium mesh cage (TMC), and instrumentation (group A). Seventy-six patients underwent one-stage posterior instrumentation, anterior debridement, and interbody fusion with TMC (group B). Patients’ clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.

Results

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein in all patients returned to normal levels within 3 months after surgery, and no recurrence occurred during the follow-up. Compared with AP approach, OD surgery was less invasive and with a lower cost (¥ 70 581 ± 17 645 vs ¥ 87 600 ± 27 328; P < .05). Patients treated by OD showed more significant improvements in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) than those treated by AP approach 3 months postoperatively (VAS: 3.0 ± .7 vs 3.7 ± .9; ODI: 14.7 ± 4.4 vs 20.6 ± 4.6). Two groups showed similar postoperative kyphosis correction and final follow-up correction loss ( P = .361 and P = .162, respectively). The OD method had a lower complication rate than AP approach (9.8% [10/102] vs 35.5% [27/76]; P < .05).

Conclusions

Posterior OD is effective in treating active thoracolumbar TB. Compared with traditional AP approach, OD surgery has less surgical invasiveness, lower complication rate, and shorter fusion time.