bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Person-centred study on higher-order interactions between students’ motivational beliefs and metacognitive self-regulation: Links with school language achievement
Authors: Katsantonis Ioannis , McLellan Ros
Published: October 2023

Variable-centred studies assume that the links between motivation and metacognition with academic achievement are uniform across all students. However, this assumption may not hold and multiple interactions between motivational beliefs and metacognitive self-regulation may occur. To this end, the present study sought to explore these higher-order interactions and their links with school language achievement in a low-performance context. A large sample (N = 1046, 53.14% girls) of Greek secondary school students (M = 13.97, SD = .80) was drawn. Latent profile analyses were deployed to mimic higher-order interactions. Unexpectedly, the results indicated only three distinct well-defined profiles of students’ motivated metacognitive self-regulation, namely exceptional motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (23.3%), adequate motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (48.2%), and minimal motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (28.5%). Incompatible profiles of motivation and metacognitive self-regulation did not emerge, contrary to previous findings suggesting negative higher-order interactions. The BCH method revealed large mean differences in school language achievement between the profiles, adjusting for covariates. Latent multinomial logistic regression indicated that gender and age predicted greater odds of membership to the minimal motivation and metacognitive self-regulation profile. Socio-economic status and spoken language at home predicted less chances of membership to the minimal profile only. Educational interventions are needed to target both motivational beliefs and metacognition to prevent underachievement.
Benthic diatom communities and a comparative seasonal-based ecological quality assessment of a transboundary river in Bangladesh
Authors: Hasan Md Mehedi , Gani Md Ataul , Alfasane Md Almujaddade , Ayesha Mst , Nahar Khurshid
Published: October 2023

Seasonality can play a crucial role in altering water quality in tropical rivers, and as a benthic community, diatom can show seasonal variation and changes in ecological status. During the present study, the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) and Water Quality Index (WQI) were used to determine the ecological status of a transboundary river, the Sari-Goyain River in Bangladesh. Samplings were carried out from upstream to downstream river sites in wet and dry seasons to observe the seasonal dynamics. The benthic diatom composition and physicochemical parameters showed seasonal variation in ecological water quality assessment. In the River, 42 different diatom species from 19 genera were recorded. The mean TDI values indicated an oligotrophic condition of the river in both seasons. But, the WQI values showed excellent and good water quality in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. So, the WQI was helpful in assessing seasonal variation of ecological water quality status in the Sari-Goyain River. For the long-term monitoring of the ecological status of the river, seasonal variation and WQI-based assessment should be considered.
A systematic review of the prevalence of lifetime experience with ‘conversion’ practices among sexual and gender minority populations
Authors: Salway Travis , Kinitz David J. , Kia Hannah , Ashley Florence , Giustini Dean , Tiwana Amrit , Archibald Reilla , Mallakzadeh Amirali , Dromer Elisabeth , Ferlatte Olivier , Goodyear Trevor , Abramovich Alex
Published: October 2023

Rationale

Conversion practices (CPs) refer to organized attempts to deter people from adopting or expressing non-heterosexual identities or gender identities that differ from their gender/sex assigned at birth. Numerous jurisdictions have contemplated or enacted legislative CP bans in recent years. Syntheses of CP prevalence are needed to inform further public health policy and action.

Objectives

To conduct a systematic review describing CP prevalence estimates internationally and exploring heterogeneity across country and socially relevant subgroups.

Methods

We performed literature searches in eight databases (Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Social Work Abstracts, CINAHL, Web of Science, LGBTQ+ Source, and Proquest Dissertations) and included studies from all jurisdictions, globally, conducted after 2000 with a sampling frame of sexual and gender minority (SGM) people, as well as studies of practitioners seeing SGM patients. We used the Hoy et al. risk of bias tool for prevalence studies and summarized distribution of estimates using median and range.

Results

We identified fourteen articles that reported prevalence estimates among SGM populations, and two articles that reported prevalence estimates from studies of mental health practitioners. Prevalence estimates among SGM samples ranged 2%-34% (median: 8.5). Prevalence estimates were greater in studies conducted in the US (median: 13%), compared to Canada (median: 7%), and greater among transgender (median: 12%), compared to cisgender (median: 4%) subsamples. Prevalence estimates were greatest among people assigned male at birth, whether transgender (median: 10%) or cisgender (median: 8%), as compared to people assigned female at birth (medians: 5% among transgender participants, 3% among cisgender participants). Further differences were observed by race (medians: 8% among Indigenous and other racial minorities, 5% among white groups) but not by sexual orientation.

Conclusions

CPs remain prevalent, despite denouncements from professional bodies. Social inequities in CP prevalence signal the need for targeted efforts to protect transgender, Indigenous and racial minority, and assigned-male-at-birth subgroups.
Assessment of glycemic variability and lifestyle behaviors in healthy nondiabetic individuals according to the categories of body mass index
Authors: Kashiwagi Kazuhiro , Inaishi Jun , Kinoshita Shotaro , Wada Yasuyo , Hanashiro Sayaka , Shiga Kiko , Kitazawa Momoko , Tsutsumi Shiori , Yamakawa Hiroyuki , Irie Junichiro , Kishimoto Taishiro
Published: October 2023

Background

There are limited data about the association between body mass index (BMI), glycemic variability (GV), and life-related factors in healthy nondiabetic adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out within our ethics committee-approved study called “Exploring the impact of nutrition advice on blood sugar and psychological status using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and wearable devices”. Prediabetes was defined by the HbA1c level of 5.7–6.4% and /or fasting glucose level of 100–125 mg/dL. Glucose levels and daily steps were measured for 40 participants using Free Style Libre and Fitbit Inspire 2 under normal conditions for 14 days. Dietary intakes and eating behaviors were assessed using a brief-type self-administered dietary history questionnaire and a modified questionnaire from the Obesity Guidelines.

Results

All indices of GV were higher in the prediabetes group than in the healthy group, but a significant difference was observed only in mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE). In the multivariate analysis, only the presence of prediabetes showed a significant association with the risk of higher than median MAGE (Odds, 6.786; 95% CI, 1.596–28.858; P = 0.010). Additionally, the underweight (BMI < 18.5) group had significantly higher value in standard deviation (23.7 ± 3.5 vs 19.8 ± 3.7 mg/dL, P = 0.038) and coefficient variability (22.6 ± 4.6 vs 18.4 ± 3.2%, P = 0.015), compared to the normal group. This GV can be partially attributed to irregularity of eating habits. On the contrary, the overweight (BMI ≥ 25) group had the longest time above the 140 or 180 mg/dL range, which may be due to eating style and taking fewer steps (6394 ± 2337 vs 9749 ± 2408 steps, P = 0.013).

Conclusions

Concurrent CGM with diet and activity monitoring could reduce postprandial hyperglycemia through assessment of diet and daily activity, especially in non- normal weight individuals.
Cystine/Glutamate antiporter system xc- deficiency impairs macrophage glutathione metabolism and cytokine production
Authors: de Baat Axel , Meier Daniel T. , Fontana Adriano , Böni-Schnetzler Marianne , Donath Marc Y.
Published: October 2023

System xc-, encoded by Slc7a11, is an antiporter responsible for exporting glutamate while importing cystine, which is essential for protein synthesis and the formation of thiol peptides, such as glutathione. Glutathione acts as a co-factor for enzymes responsible for scavenging reactive oxygen species. Upon exposure to bacterial products, macrophages exhibit a rapid upregulation of system xc-. This study investigates the impact of Slc7a11 deficiency on the functionality of peritoneal and bone marrow-derived macrophages. Our findings reveal that the absence of Slc7a11 results in significantly reduced glutathione levels, compromised mitochondrial flexibility, and hindered cytokine production in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Conversely, system xc- has a lesser impact on peritoneal macrophages in vivo. These results indicate that system xc- is essential for maintaining glutathione levels, mitochondrial functionality, and cytokine production, with a heightened importance under atmospheric oxygen tension.
The impact of intermediate product imports on industrial pollution emissions: Evidence from 30 industries in China
Authors: Wan Lu , Mao Yuling , Fu Yizhong , Wan Xiya
Published: October 2023

Open and sustainable development is the theme that underpins a country’s high-quality economic development. This study uses GMM regression, mediation effect test to conduct empirical tests based on the panel data of China’s industrial sectors from 2003 to 2015 to analyze the internal mechanism of the impact of intermediate product imports on China’s industrial pollution emissions. The results show that (1) Intermediate product imports can significantly promote the emission reduction of industrial wastes, including wastewater, waste gas and solid waste. (2) Considering the differences in the level of pollution intensity, this paper classified the sample and found the impact is heterogeneous that for the heavily, moderately, lightly polluted industries, intermediate product imports have different negative impacts on their pollution emissions. (3) Intermediate products imports reduce industrial pollution emissions through import competition effect, variety effect and technology spillover effect, and all of them play a partial mediating role.
The Running Injury Continuum: A qualitative examination of recreational runners’ description and management of injury
Authors: Lacey Aisling , Whyte Enda , O’Keeffe Sinéad , O’Connor Siobhán , Burke Aoife , Moran Kieran
Published: October 2023

Introduction

A critical step in understanding and preventing running-related injuries (RRIs) is appropriately defining RRIs. Current definitions of RRIs may not represent the full process of injury development, failing to capture lower levels of injury that many athletes continue to train through. Understanding runners’ description and management of the injury development process may allow for a more appropriate examination of all levels of injury. This study aimed to examine recreational runners’ description and management of the injury development process.

Methods

A qualitative focus group study was undertaken. Seven semi-structured focus groups with male (n = 13) and female (n = 18) recreational runners took place. Focus groups were audio and video recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were reflexively thematically analysed. A critical friend approach was taken to data coding. Multiple methods of trustworthiness were executed.

Results

Runners describe injury on a nine-level continuum, ranging from injury-free to career-ending injury. There are lower and higher levels of injury. Each level of injury is described across four categories of descriptors; physical description, outcome (effect on running and daily life), psychological description, and management.

Conclusion

The Running Injury Continuum is a tool that can be used for injury surveillance (for healthcare professionals and researchers) and for research investigating RRI risk factors. Healthcare professionals, researchers and coaches must ensure they monitor the development of all levels of RRIs, across all categories of descriptors. Runners need to be educated regarding appropriate self-management strategies for lower level injuries, with access to evidence-based information being a critical management tool.
Ocular trauma among patients attending a tertiary teaching hospital in Zimbabwe
Authors: Kyei Samuel , Kwarteng Michael Agyemang , Asare Frederick Afum , Jemitara Moses , Mtuwa Claudio Ngoni
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To investigate the trends, prevalence and distribution of ocular trauma in a Zimbabwean Tertiary Teaching Hospital (Parirenyatwa).

Method

A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Department in Harare, Zimbabwe, to review medical records of patients with ocular trauma visiting for treatment at the outpatient department between January 2017 and December 2021. Information on patients’ demographics, presenting visual acuity, type of ocular trauma, and the number of eyes affected were collected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

A total of 863 patients (1007 eyes) were identified to have experienced ocular trauma of one kind or another, with the youth (18–35 years) reporting with most cases (331, 38.4%). About 71.2% of patients were classified as having open-globe injuries and of that number, 90% were caused by blunt trauma, while the rest were caused by penetrating, intraocular, and perforating injuries. Patients with open-globe injuries were about 10 times more likely to develop blindness than those with closed-globe injuries after adjusting for age and gender, and this was statistically significant (ARR = 9.65, 95% CI: 5.53–16.84, p < 0.001). The prevalence of distance vision impairment due to ocular trauma was 60.1% (95% CI: 56.8%-63.4%), with majority resulting in blindness (22.0%, 95% CI: 19.4%-24.9%).

Conclusion

There is a high prevalence of open-globe injuries in Zimbabwe with blunt trauma being the most significant cause. This suggests the need to promote and intensify public eye health awareness and sensitisation on safety strategies for the prevention of ocular trauma throughout the country.
Timing of initiation of anti-retroviral therapy predicts post-treatment control of SIV replication
Authors: Pinkevych Mykola , Docken Steffen S. , Okoye Afam A. , Fennessey Christine M. , Del Prete Gregory Q. , Pino Maria , Harper Justin L. , Betts Michael R. , Paiardini Mirko , Keele Brandon F. , Davenport Miles P.
Published: October 2023

One approach to ‘functional cure’ of HIV infection is to induce durable control of HIV replication after the interruption of antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the major factors that determine the viral ‘setpoint’ level after treatment interruption are not well understood. Here we combine data on ART interruption following SIV infection for 124 total animals from 10 independent studies across 3 institutional cohorts to understand the dynamics and predictors of post-treatment viral control. We find that the timing of treatment initiation is an important determinant of both the peak and early setpoint viral levels after treatment interruption. During the first 3 weeks of infection, every day of delay in treatment initiation is associated with a 0.22 log10 copies/ml decrease in post-rebound peak and setpoint viral levels. However, delay in initiation of ART beyond 3 weeks of infection is associated with higher post-rebound setpoint viral levels. For animals treated beyond 3 weeks post-infection, viral load at ART initiation was the primary predictor of post-rebound setpoint viral levels. Potential alternative predictors of post-rebound setpoint viral loads including cell-associated DNA or RNA, time from treatment interruption to rebound, and pre-interruption CD8+ T cell responses were also examined in the studies where these data were available. This analysis suggests that optimal timing of treatment initiation may be an important determinant of post-treatment control of HIV.
Broad antagonism of coronaviruses nsp5 to evade the host antiviral responses by cleaving POLDIP3
Authors: Wu Yang , Li Mingwei , Tian Jin , Yan Haoxin , Pan Yudi , Shi Hongyan , Shi Da , Chen Jianfei , Guo Longjun , Feng Li
Published: October 2023

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a family of the largest RNA viruses that typically cause respiratory, enteric, and hepatic diseases in animals and humans, imposing great threats to the public safety and animal health. Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), a newly emerging enteropathogenic coronavirus, causes severe diarrhea in suckling piglets all over the world and poses potential risks of cross-species transmission. Here, we use PDCoV as a model of CoVs to illustrate the reciprocal regulation between CoVs infection and host antiviral responses. In this study, downregulation of DNA polymerase delta interacting protein 3 (POLDIP3) was confirmed in PDCoV infected IPEC-J2 cells by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) and Western blotting analysis. Overexpression of POLDIP3 inhibits PDCoV infection, whereas POLDIP3 knockout (POLDIP3-/-) by CRISPR-Cas9 editing significantly promotes PDCoV infection, indicating POLDIP3 as a novel antiviral regulator against PDCoV infection. Surprisingly, an antagonistic strategy was revealed that PDCoV encoded nonstructural protein 5 (nsp5) was responsible for POLDIP3 reduction via its 3C-like protease cleavage of POLDIP3 at the glutamine acid 176 (Q176), facilitating PDCoV infection due to the loss of antiviral effects of the cleaved fragments. Consistent with the obtained data in IPEC-J2 cell model in vitro, POLDIP3 reduction by cleavage was also corroborated in PDCoV infected-SPF piglets in vivo. Collectively, we unveiled a new antagonistic strategy evolved by PDCoV to counteract antiviral innate immunity by nsp5-mediated POLDIP3 cleavage, eventually ensuring productive virus replication. Importantly, we further demonstrated that nsp5s from PEDV and TGEV harbor the conserved function to cleave porcine POLDIP3 at the Q176 to despair POLDIP3-mediated antiviral effects. In addition, nsp5 from SARS-CoV-2 also cleaves human POLDIP3. Therefore, we speculate that coronaviruses employ similar POLDIP3 cleavage mechanisms mediated by nsp5 to antagonize the host antiviral responses to sustain efficient virus infection.
Machine learning-based phenotypic imaging to characterise the targetable biology of Plasmodium falciparum male gametocytes for the development of transmission-blocking antimalarials
Authors: Tsebriy Oleksiy , Khomiak Andrii , Miguel-Blanco Celia , Sparkes Penny C. , Gioli Maurizio , Santelli Marco , Whitley Edgar , Gamo Francisco-Javier , Delves Michael J.
Published: October 2023

Preventing parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes is recognised to be critical for achieving elimination and eradication of malaria. Consequently developing new antimalarial drugs with transmission-blocking properties is a priority. Large screening campaigns have identified many new transmission-blocking molecules, however little is known about how they target the mosquito-transmissible Plasmodium falciparum stage V gametocytes, or how they affect their underlying cell biology. To respond to this knowledge gap, we have developed a machine learning image analysis pipeline to characterise and compare the cellular phenotypes generated by transmission-blocking molecules during male gametogenesis. Using this approach, we studied 40 molecules, categorising their activity based upon timing of action and visual effects on the organisation of tubulin and DNA within the cell. Our data both proposes new modes of action and corroborates existing modes of action of identified transmission-blocking molecules. Furthermore, the characterised molecules provide a new armoury of tool compounds to probe gametocyte cell biology and the generated imaging dataset provides a new reference for researchers to correlate molecular target or gene deletion to specific cellular phenotype. Our analysis pipeline is not optimised for a specific organism and could be applied to any fluorescence microscopy dataset containing cells delineated by bounding boxes, and so is potentially extendible to any disease model.
The audience impact of an ethnodrama based on the lived experiences of family caregivers of loved ones with a mental illness
Authors: Snow Stephen , Segalowitz Norman , D’Amico Miranda , Mongerson Eric ,   Research Team, Centre for the Arts in Human Development, Concordia University
Published: October 2023

There is paucity of research on the issues concerning family caregivers of loved ones with mental illness despite an increasing awareness of the importance of caregiving as an essential component of care. In this study, we examine the impact of an ethnodrama to (1) authentically reflect the experience of caregivers for people diagnosed with a mental illness and (2) impact audience beliefs and feelings about mental health and caregiver realities. Two focus group sessions were held with 21 family caregivers from a community support group from which an ethnodrama was developed and then presented across four performances to a total of 110 audience members. Audience members completed pre- and post-performance questionnaires containing items related to stigma, respect, caregiving attitudes and self-evaluation. Results indicated that audience members reported the play to realistically reflect the reality of caregiving for a loved one with mental illness, and statistical analyses revealed significant pre-post changes in the four categories of beliefs and feelings examined. The results indicate that witnessing the performance was a valuable educational experience and that ethnodrama has a place in mental health and mental illness education.
Drama-based therapies for spiritual well-being: Three cases in an oncological palliative care setting
Authors: Sharoni Danna , Keisari Shoshi
Published: October 2023

Over the last ten years, a growing body of literature has centred on the contributions of arts therapies to patients in palliative care. However, there is scant literature on the role of psychodrama and drama therapy in palliative care. This article presents three cases illustrating psychodrama and drama therapy techniques with oncological palliative patients. The three cases suggest how somatic experiences, dramatic projection, role reversal and imagination-based techniques can enable a restorative process to emerge in which the patients may reconnect to the personal, communal and environmental domains of spirituality. The creative and spontaneous space of the therapeutic process helps maintain a sense of self-continuity, generates a path to greater awareness of fear of death, reinforces coping strategies and promotes the resolution of unfinished business with significant others. Future studies could provide a broader perspective on drama-based therapies in palliative care through larger more diverse samples.
The First International Drama Therapy Practicum intensive in Mendoza, Argentina
Authors: Pendzik Susana , Guerrero Giménez Maria Sol , Alvarez Padilla Robert Daney , García Rodríguez Idalmis , Jorzyk Elke , Mendez Kiara , Contreras Patricia , Ortiz Silvana Paola , Sánchez Astrada Facundo , Scheibler Eliane , Toci Martin
Published: October 2023

The Argentinian Dramatherapy Association held its First International Drama Therapy Practicum in Mendoza, Argentina, in July 2022. The event provided six students and new practitioners supervised practice and advanced training in drama therapy. Two clinical seminars were led by experienced professionals for an intensive three-week period that included actual client-contact, group supervision and master classes. In addition, they were acquainted with local practices of applied theatre, playback theatre, community theatre and theatre in education. This report briefly summarizes the project and incorporates reflections gathered from an open-ended questionnaire by the students and supervisors who participated in the project.
A history of arts and health in South Australia: Policy and practice
Authors: Barnett Tully , Cothren Alex , Arciuli Joanne
Published: October 2023

This article traces the history of arts and health in South Australia, using an interview-based methodology to detail how grassroots practice developed into formal arts and health policy. The project interviewed 47 arts and health stakeholders, including former state government ministers, artists and health professionals. South Australia has a long history of arts and health work. However, interviewees describe a lack of momentum for the field since the endorsement of the 2013 National Arts and Health Framework, largely because it did not contain binding commitments which left the field vulnerable to changes associated with political leadership. South Australia thus represents both a case study of how grassroots support can maximize political interest in arts and health to create formal policy as well as a warning on the challenges that occur when this interest wanes.
Work Finishing Time and Subjective Time Pressure among Korean Dual-Earner Parents with Young Children
Authors:   Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Praxis, Lee Yoonjoo
Published: October 2023

As demands for work-life balance have steadily increased in South Korea, the time workers leave work on a workday has become a central issue. This study examines whether work finishing time is associated with subjective time pressure among Korean dual-earner parents with young children, focusing on variations according to gender. Using the 2019 Korean Time Use Survey, we selected the weekday workday time diaries of married dual-earner parents under age 60 living with spouses and young children (542 diaries from 363 mothers, 766 diaries from 520 fathers) and conducted ordinal logistic regression models. Our results show that dual-earner parents’ work finishing time is significantly associated with their subjective time pressure. Moreover, there were significant gender differences in the association. For mothers, leaving work earlier (5-6pm) than the standard time (6-7pm) is likely to reduce their time pressure. For fathers, leaving work late (after 7pm) is significantly associated with feeling greater time pressure. We conclude that the implications of dual-earner parents’ work finishing time differ by gender.
O uso de drones na agricultura 4.0
Authors: Alarcão Júnior José Carlos de , Nuñez Daniel Noe Coaguila
Published: October 2023

A agricultura de precisão está ganhando cada vez mais espaço na produção rural, e os drones têm sido uma tecnologia amplamente utilizada nesse contexto. Estudos destacam que o uso de drones na agricultura traz diversos benefícios, como a melhoria na eficiência sobre o uso de insumos, redução de custos, aumento da produtividade e lucratividade. Os drones são capazes de coletar dados em tempo real e fornecer informações precisas sobre a saúde das plantas, permitindo aos produtores tomarem decisões com base em dados concretos. Além disso, os drones são capazes de cobrir grandes áreas de terreno com alta resolução de forma rápida e eficiente, permitindo que os produtores possam monitorar suas lavouras em tempo real e identificar áreas problemáticas que precisam de atenção imediata. No Brasil, a legislação atual exige autorização para o uso de drones em áreas rurais, mas iniciativas estão em andamento para aprimorar a regulamentação e tornar mais fácil o uso de drones na agricultura. A pulverização com drones é uma técnica promissora, mas requer cuidados específicos em relação ao preparo da calda, escolha dos equipamentos e definição dos planos de voo.
Continuing Medical Education Questions: October 2023
Authors: Smukalla Scott M.
Published: October 2023

Article Title: Performing High Quality, Safe, Cost-Effective and Efficient Basic Colonoscopy in 2023: Advice From Two Experts
Continuing Medical Education Questions: October 2023
Authors: Shuja Asim
Published: October 2023

Article Title: Update on Endoscopic Dysplasia Surveillance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Pandemic-Related Changes in Incidence and Mortality Rates of Gastrointestinal Cancers During 2020
Authors: Murphy Caitlin C. , Tavakkoli Anna , Wani Sachin , Singal Amit G.
Published: October 2023

INTRODUCTION:

Coronavirus Disease 2019 disrupted cancer-related care in early 2020.

METHODS:

We used population-based cancer registry data to estimate incidence and mortality rates of gastrointestinal cancers between 2016 and 2020.

RESULTS:

Incidence rates were unchanged from 2016 to 2019 but decreased in 2020, with the largest declines for colorectal cancer (rate ratio [RR] 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–0.90) and hepatocellular carcinoma (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.82–0.88). Mortality rates of colorectal cancer (RR 1.06; 95% CI 1.04–1.08) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (RR 1.06; 95% CI 1.00–1.13) increased in 2020.

DISCUSSION:

Incidence and mortality rates of gastrointestinal cancers may increase in the future given pandemic-related delays in 2020.
Satisfaction With Life in IBS Is Associated With Psychological Burden Rather than Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity
Authors: Snijkers Johanna T.W. , Winkens Bjorn , Weerts Zsa Zsa R.M. , Vork Lisa , Mujagic Zlatan , Hesselink Martine A.M. , Leue Carsten , Kruimel Joanna W. , Muris Jean W.M. , Jonkers Daisy M.A.E. , Masclee Ad A.M. , Keszthelyi Daniel
Published: October 2023

INTRODUCTION:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a major impact on emotional, social, and professional life. This study aimed to evaluate general life satisfaction, a subjective measure of well-being, in IBS patients, and to determine which factors are associated with higher life satisfaction.

METHODS:

IBS patients (n = 195, mean age 51.4 ± 16.5 years, 73.8% female) recruited from primary and secondary/tertiary care completed questionnaires regarding gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, psychological factors, and life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale, 5 items, range 5–35). A finite mixture model analysis was performed to identify latent classes. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify variables associated with life satisfaction.

RESULTS:

Overall, 71.3% of the patients were satisfied about their life (Satisfaction With Life Scale-score ≥21). Three latent subgroups could be identified with significantly higher life satisfaction in the subgroup with higher mental quality of life, fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, lower gastrointestinal specific anxiety, and lower gastrointestinal symptom severity, compared with the other 2 groups. Multivariable linear regression showed that higher physical quality of life (B0.168, P < 0.001) and higher mental quality of life (B0.199, P < 0.001) were associated with higher life satisfaction. Using multivariable regression, no significant association was found between gastrointestinal symptom severity and life satisfaction.

DISCUSSION:

Higher physical and mental quality of life, but not gastrointestinal symptom severity, were independently associated with higher general life satisfaction in IBS. These findings reinforce the clinical need in IBS treatment to focus on the full extent of the disorder and not merely on gastrointestinal symptom improvement. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00775060.
Convergence Patterns of Regional Income Inequality Levels in Russia
Authors:   Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering SB RAS, Gluschenko Konstantin ,   Novosibirsk State University
Published: October 2023

A recent paper found that during 1995–2012 the dispersion of income inequality between Russian regions was decreasing, i.e. convergence of regional inequalities took place. This result is of no use for analyzing the impact of socio-economic policy, as it may aim at reducing income inequality of the entire country’s population and regional populations, but in no way at equalizing inequalities between regions. Moreover, the found phenomenon itself can be either positive, if regional inequalities converge to low values, or negative, when they converge to high values. In order to clarify this issue, a more detailed study of the convergence process is needed. The aim of this study is to reveal the ‘anatomy’ of regional inequality convergence in 1995–2012, and the divergence that followed it in 2013–2022, i.e. the internal pattern of these processes. To this end, the paper explores the evolution of the regional Gini indices distribution, namely, that of main distribution statistics and the distribution itself (represented by a histogram). The results obtained suggest that convergence of regional income inequalities in Russia in 1995–2012 is almost exclusively due to ‘catching-up’ of low-inequality regions with high-inequality regions. Therefore, this process cannot be considered positive. Divergence of regional inequalities in 2013–2022, on the contrary, was accompanied by a decrease in income inequalities in the regions, improving the situation with spatial inequality in Russia
Interregional Integration and Business Cycles Synchronization in the Russian Economic Space
Authors:   Economic Research Institute FEB RAS, Isaev Artyom
Published: October 2023

The article examines the relationship between the degree of interregional integration of Russian regions and the corresponding national-regional business cycles synchronization based on quarterly statistics on the unemployment rate for 2010–2020. The unemployment rate is used as an indicator of the business cycle. To identify lags and leads between both types of cycles for each region, the Brechling econometric model of the regional unemployment rate is used. Regional integration indices, which are proxy indicators of the strength of interregional interactions, are assessed based on a method using regional annual consumer price indices for 25 groups of goods and services. It is shown that the distribution of integration indices across Russian regions from maximum to minimum has the shape of a plateau with a slight slope, ending with a rather sharp decline on the tail of this distribution. The distribution shows that the lowest degree of interregional integration is observed for the regions of the North Caucasian and Far Eastern federal districts. These federal districts are dominated by regions in which business cycles are poorly synchronized with national ones (which have lags or leads in relation to the latter), while for the business cycles of other Russian regions the absence of such lags and leads is more typical. It is also found that the sensitivity of regional unemployment levels to changes in unemployment at the national level is significantly lower for low-integrated regions compared to relatively highly integrated regions
An automated analysis of topic distributions and features approach to promoting group performance, collaborative knowledge building and socially shared regulation in online collaborative learning
Authors: Zheng Lanqin , Zhong Lu , Fan Yunchao
Published: October 2023

Online collaborative learning has been widely used in the field of education. However, unrelated or off-topic information is often included in online collaborative learning. Furthermore, the content of online discussion is often too shallow or narrow. To achieve productive collaborative learning, this study proposed and validated an automated analysis of topic distributions and features (AATDF) approach. In total, 189 college students in China participated in this study and were assigned to one of two experimental groups or a control group. Experimental Group 1 participated in online collaborative learning with the AATDF approach. Experimental Group 2 participated in online collaborative learning with the automated analysis of topic distributions (AATD) approach. The control group participated in traditional online collaborative learning without any specified approach. The results indicate that the AATDF approach can significantly promote group performance, collaborative knowledge building and socially shared regulation compared with the AATD and traditional online collaborative learning approaches. The results and implications are also discussed in depth. The main contribution of this study is that the AATDF approach can improve learning performance and bring online collaborative learning onto new ground.
Implications for practice:

The AATDF approach is very useful and effective for promoting group performance, collaborative knowledge building and socially shared regulation.
Teachers and practitioners can provide personalised interventions and optimise collaborative learning design based on the analysis results of topic distributions and features.
Developers can adopt deep neural network models to develop intelligent online
Introduction to “The visage as text”
Authors: Gramigna Remo , Leone Massimo
Published: October 2023

This brief text introduces the main themes and topics of this collection of articles on “The visage as text: physiognomy, semiotics, and face reading from antiquity to artificial intelligence,” emphasizing the historical continuity of interest in the face as a surface to be scrutinized, investigated, and studied in order to know the individual’s intimacy or future. It points out the intertwining of semeiotic knowledge, which aims at capturing clues in the face to determine a patient’s state of health, and semiotics, which systematizes these inferences within the framework of the circumstantial paradigm. The introduction concludes by pointing out how the new digital technologies of the face are reviving and problematizing anew the semiotic interest in physiognomy understood not as a scientific discipline but as a field of sign attention directed at the face.
PPP_Mansoura: an open-source software for multi-constellation GNSS processing
Authors: Kandil Islam A. , Awad Ahmed A. , El-Mewafi Mahmoud
Published: October 2023

PPP_Mansoura is a new software that can process multi-GNSS data work on MATLAB environment and linked with C# in the preprocessing stage. It gives highly accurate results and provides a results file for each epoch, and the users can choose the GNSS system they want to run with the primary systems (GPS or GLONASS) and all this with simple MATLAB Code. For testing the software, we processed the raw data (RINEX 3) from 17 MGEX stations for 24 h data during 1-week with a 30-s interval time and submitted it to the new software and PPPH software. The averaged positioning errors obtained from PPP_Mansoura and PPPH were 5.14 mm and 6.9 mm respectively, for the East direction, 11.6 mm and 14 mm for the North direction, and 14.56 mm and 20.4 mm respectively for the Up direction, the averaged convergence time obtained from PPP_Mansoura and PPPH were 35.3 min and 54.47 min, so the results show that PPP_Mansoura give results with high accuracy can be comparable with PPP standards results and PPP software results.
Analysis of differential code biases for GPS receivers over the Indian region
Authors: Sivakrishna Kondaveeti , Venkata Ratnam Devanaboyina
Published: October 2023

The GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system provides the navigational services for single-frequency GNSS user via broadcasting the differential corrections with GEO stationary satellites. The significant differential correction contribution comes from ionospheric time delays and is necessary to be determined precisely. Dual-frequency GPS receivers measure the ionospheric time delays using GPS code and carrier phase measurements. The determination of absolute ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) requires the calibration of GPS satellites and receiver hardware biases due to different frequency-dependent signals (L1 and L2) due to environmental changes (Temperature and Humidity). In this paper, A receiver-based Differential Code Biases (DCB) algorithm is implemented to derive a joint estimation of TEC and RDCB parameters using the weighted Least Square (WLS) method. The daily averaged DCBs data for 26 GPS receivers are obtained for 3 years (2014–2016) from 26 GPS reeivers over Indian region. The receiver DCB algorithmis validated with the Fitted Receiver Biases (FRB) method. The correlation (R) between VTEC and RDCB is conducted to investigate the RDCB stability. The results would be useful for the accurate determination of ionospheric differential corrections to GAGAN users.
Language-History-Culture of Mongolia and Korea on the Issue of Affiliation
Authors: Davaajav Gundsambuu , Оtgon Tseveendorj
Published: October 2023

Nowadays, Mongolia cooperates with the Republic of Korea in all spheres of social life. Due to the intensive cooperation between the two sides, the influence of Korean culture in Mongolia is relatively large. This is due to the important role played by the “Cultural Wave” in Mongolia, i.e. television series, K-pop music, and Korean language education. A positive understanding of Korea, formed through language and cultural relations, is of great importance for deepening mutual understanding between citizens and developing friendly relations between the two countries. However, research on things related to Mongolian cultural heritage in Korea is rare. In the future, things related to Mongolian cultural heritage in Korea should be studied more. It can affect the process of relations between the two countries and determine the future direction. Therefore, we considered the relationship between language, culture and history of Mongolians and Koreans.
Disassembling Descola: Phenomenological Intersections in Onto-Typological Anthropology
Authors: García-Labrador Julián , Vinolo Stéphane
Published: October 2023

One of the effects of the so-called ontological turn has been to take the other so seriously that radical difference has been conceptualized ontologically. This stance has given rise, in some authors, as Descola, to a typological classification. However, we would suggest the possibility of a non-onto-typological anthropology based on Marion’s phenomenology of givenness. With the phenomenology of givenness, from which phenomena are given to a gifted – and therefore secondary – subject, this new understanding of subject allows us to think of phenomena as significations much more than as representations and to replace the discontinuity of ontological categories with the continuity of hermeneutics.
Luxus – Ein Streifzug
Authors: Dederich Markus
Published: October 2023

Der Beitrag nähert sich dem Phänomen des Luxus und seiner sehr unterschiedlichen, in Teilen auch unvereinbaren Deutungen. Ziel ist es nicht, eine bestimmte Konzeption als die überlegene oder letztendlich richtige herauszustellen, sondern die Vielfalt der Zugänge aufzufächern. Diese umfassen dezidiert kulturkritische bis kulturpessimistische Deutungen, scharfe Kontrastierungen von Luxus und Askese oder kapitalismuskritische Einsätze. Näher betrachtet werden Peter Sloterdijks historisch-anthropologische Hypothese, der zufolge der auf eine sehr spezifische Weise verstandene Luxus eine zentrale Bedingung für die Menschwerdung des homo sapiens ist; das u.a. von Thorstein Veblen vertretene soziologische Standardmodell, das Luxus funktional als Mittel zum Zweck fasst; Werner Sombarts Versuch, Luxus als Motor der Entwicklung kapitalistischer Gesellschaften zu rekonstruieren; schließlich Lambert Wiesings Phänomenologie des Luxus, die ihrerseits ganz eigene Wege beschreitet.
An Anatomy of a Crisis in Ecclesiastical Leadership: Isidore and Eusebius in Pelusium
Authors: de Bruyn Theodore
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates a crisis in leadership in the Christian church after changes in imperial policy made it more acceptable socially and more advantageous financially to occupy clerical positions. For several decades in the early 5th century, Isidore of Pelusium and his network of friends reproached and lamented the venal conduct of Eusebius, bishop of Pelusium, and several clerics he had appointed. But their efforts to alter the situation had little effect. To understand why this was so, the paper considers the types of people who wrote letters lamenting the situation in order to understand the nature of their response in relation to their social or political position, and it explores reasons why Eusebius and the other clerics were not dislodged by the censure and even derision of their critics. The conflict, it is argued, exposes the limitations of παρρησία as a means of altering the actions of the powerful and qualifies the role of ascetic authority in the de facto exercise of episcopal office in Late Antiquity.
Social Sciences in the USSR/Russia: History and Current State
Authors: Lebedeva Marina M.
Published: October 2023

Social sciences largely reflect how one’s own society and the world are perceived. The article discusses the development of social sciences in the USSR, and then in Russia, focusing on four disciplines: political science, sociology, international relations, and psychology. The article shows that in the USSR, the theory of activity was developed in the field of psychology on the basis of Marxism and has gained recognition around the world. In the field of international relations in the USSR, the thesis was put forward about the peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems; today, with proper development, this thesis could be productive for understanding the coexistence in the modern world of various civilizations. The article also shows that after 1991, a significant breakthrough was made in terms of the institutionalization of the social sciences. From the subject point of view, social sciences now are not much different from those in other countries. In political science, international relations, and, partly, in sociology, there is an intensive discussion about whether Russia should integrate into global science or build its own social sciences.
ATAD1 inhibits hepatitis C virus infection by removing the viral TA‐protein NS5B from mitochondria
Authors: Zhou Qing , Yang Yuhao , Xu Zhanxue , Deng Kai , Zhang Zhenzhen , Hao Jiawei , Li Ni , Wang Yanling , Wang Ziwen , Chen Haihang , Yang Yang , Xiao Fei , Zhang Xiaohong , Gao Song , Li Yi‐Ping
Published: October 2023

ATPase family AAA domain‐containing protein 1 (ATAD1) maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by removing mislocalized tail‐anchored (TA) proteins from the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces mitochondrial fragmentation, and viral NS5B protein is a TA protein. Here, we investigate whether ATAD1 plays a role in regulating HCV infection. We find that HCV infection has no effect on ATAD1 expression, but knockout of ATAD1 significantly enhances HCV infection; this enhancement is suppressed by ATAD1 complementation. NS5B partially localizes to mitochondria, dependent on its transmembrane domain (TMD), and induces mitochondrial fragmentation, which is further enhanced by ATAD1 knockout. ATAD1 interacts with NS5B, dependent on its three internal domains (TMD, pore‐loop 1, and pore‐loop 2), and induces the proteasomal degradation of NS5B. In addition, we provide evidence that ATAD1 augments the antiviral function of MAVS upon HCV infection. Taken together, we show that the mitochondrial quality control exerted by ATAD1 can be extended to a novel antiviral function through the extraction of the viral TA‐protein NS5B from the mitochondrial outer membrane.