bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with sepsis: Secondary analysis of a cluster‐randomized controlled trial
Authors: Luo Xiang , Li Xiaoling , Lai Xiaoyan , Ke Lu , Zhou Jing , Liu Man , Cao Longxiang , Fu Lingyan ,   For the Chinese Critical Care Nutrition Trials Group (CCCNTG)
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Sepsis is life‐threatening organ dysfunction caused by infection‐related inflammatory response. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can remove inflammatory mediators and benefit patients in different disease settings. However, no solid evidence showed the efficacy and safety of TPE in sepsis.

Methods

This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Critically ill patients with sepsis were divided into two groups according to whether treated with TPE. The primary outcome was the delta Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score from days 1 to 7. Secondary outcomes included new‐onset organ failure, intensive care unit (ICU)‐free and alive days to day 28, and 28‐day mortality. Propensity score‐matched (PSM) analysis was applied to control confounders. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and logistic regression were used to assess the association between TPE and selected outcomes.

Results

Among the 2772 critically ill patients enrolled in the trial, 742 patients with sepsis were selected and 22 patients received TPE were matched with 22 control patients. No significant difference was found in the delta SOFA score and 28‐day mortality between TPE group and control group. The ICU‐free and alive days in the TPE group were significantly shorter than the control group.

Conclusions

TPE may be not associated with improvement of organ failure and mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis and may be associated with a prolonged ICU stay.
Investigations of interaction mechanism and conformational variation of serum albumin affected by artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin
Authors: Zhu Rukui , Liang Yu , Luo Huajian , Cao Huishan , Liu Yi , Huang Shan , Xiao Qi
Published: October 2022

In this work, binding interactions of artemisinin (ART) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) with human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated thoroughly to illustrate the conformational variation of serum albumin. Experimental results indicated that ART and DHA bound strongly with the site I of serum albumins via hydrogen bond (H‐bond) and van der Waals force and subsequently statically quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of serum albumins through concentration‐dependent manner. The quenching abilities of two drugs on the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA were much higher than the quenching abilities of two drugs on the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. Both ART and DHA, especially DHA, caused the conformational variation of serum albumins and reduced the α‐helix structure content of serum albumins. DHA with hydrophilic hydroxyl group bound with HSA more strongly, suggesting the important roles of the chemical polarity and the hydrophilicity during the binding interactions of two drugs with serum albumins. These results reveal the molecular understanding of binding interactions between ART derivatives and serum albumins, providing vital information for the future application of ART derivatives in biological and clinical areas.
Ventricular arrhythmia events in heart failure patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy with or without a defibrillator for primary prevention
Authors: Nakamura Toshihiro , Fukuzawa Koji , Kiuchi Kunihiko , Takami Mitsuru , Sonoda Yusuke , Takahara Hiroyuki , Nakasone Kazutaka , Yamamoto Kyoko , Suzuki Yuya , Tani Ken‐ichi , Iwai Hidehiro , Nakanishi Yusuke , Shoda Mitsuhiko , Murakami Atsushi , Yonehara Shogo , Hirata Ken‐ichi
Published: October 2022

Background

It is uncertain whether cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT‐D) provides better survival benefits than a CRT‐pacemaker (CRT‐P) in heart failure patients with a reduced ejection fraction (≦35%, HFrEF) treated with contemporary HF therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the ventricular arrhythmia (VAs; sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation) events in HFrEF patients who underwent CRT without a prior history of VAs or aborted sudden cardiac death before the CRT implantation. Between January/2010 and December/2020, a CRT device was implanted in 79 HFrEF patients (mean age: 69 ± 12 years, male: 57, ischemic cardiomyopathy: 16). CRT‐D and CRT‐P devices were implanted in 50 and 29 patients, respectively, at each physician's discretion. CRT‐Ds were indicated in younger patients than were CRT‐Ps (66 ± 12 vs. 73 ± 12 years, p = 0.03), but the gender distribution did not differ (female, 24% [12 of 50] vs. 35% [10 of 29], p = 0.44). The VA events during a median follow‐up of 3.5‐years (interquartile range [IQR]:1.6–5.5) and their predictors were analyzed.

Results

VA events occurred in 9 patients with CRT‐Ds (18%) and one with a CRT‐P (3%, p = 0.08). The VA event rate was significantly lower in patients without a prior non‐sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT: ≥3 beats; rate, ≥120 bpm; lasting <30 s, HR 0.05; 95% CI 0.01–0.30; p < 0.01) and females (HR 0.11; 95% CI 0.01–0.93; p = 0.04). Of note, no female patients without a prior history of NSVT experienced VA events.

Conclusion

HFrEF CRT candidates without a prior history of NSVT and females may obtain less benefit from a primary preventive defibrillator indication.
An Endoscopic Cap Electrode for Posterior Cricoarythenoid Muscle Stimulation in a Porcine Model
Authors: Leonhard Matthias , Plasenzotti Roberto , Vogel Wolfgang , Denny William , Schneider‐Stickler Berit
Published: October 2022

Objective

Laryngeal pacing (LP) is a highly anticipated therapeutic option for patients suffering from bilateral vocal fold paralysis with synkinesis. Identification of candidate patients requires confirmation of a stimulable posterior cricoidarythenoid muscle (PCA) by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). A silicone endoscopic cap electrode (ECE50) was designed to be operated as an endoscopic extension tip for selective PCA stimulation and confirmation of a glottic opening movement in a setting comparable to a gastroscopy procedure.

Methods

A porcine animal model (n = 6) was applied to develop and test endoscopic cap prototypes in general anesthesia and sedation at a biomedical research center. Two ENT endoscopy experts evaluated and refined the cap design and performance in regard to procedure safety, endoscope handling, accessibility of the PCA by the transoral approach and selective muscle stimulation.

Results

Vocal fold opening movements could be evoked by the investigators in 9 of 12 PCA muscles to stimulate with similar electric parameters. The endoscopic approach using the ECE50 proved to be atraumatic and sufficiently controlled under sedation to locate the required hotspot for NMES of the PCA.

Conclusion

The functionality of the novel endoscopic cap concept has been proven in a porcine model. It can be expected to be transferable to human application and to be of diagnostic importance in the screening and identification of LP candidate patients in future.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 133:2279–2284, 2023
“Alexa, lock my front door”: An empirical study on factors affecting consumer's satisfaction with VCA‐controlled security devices
Authors: Moriuchi Emi
Published: October 2022

Voice conversation agents (VCAs) have moved beyond simple tasks such as information gathering. The integration of VCAs in smart technologies for security has grown in the consumer market. This paper investigates consumers' motivation to use smart technologies controlled by voice conversational agents and how that impacts their perceived hedonic and utilitarian value, which eventually leads to their satisfaction with smart technologies usage. Two cross‐sectional studies and a netnography were conducted. The findings showed that the variables measuring technology acceptance mediate the relationship between consumers' motivation and the perceived value of the VCA‐controlled smart technologies. Study 1 results show that ease of use and usefulness of the VCA‐controlled smart technologies have a more substantial mediating effect between motivation and hedonic value than utilitarian value. For study 2, results show that the mediators had a stronger influence on hedonic and utilitarian values for outdoor voice conversational agent‐controlled smart technologies than indoor smart technologies. Study 3 showed that smart technologies have both risks and benefits and depend on whether they are being used for themselves or others. The results suggest that marketers need to consider consumer's emphasis on the products' features including its ease of use and usefulness, and strategically complement it with consumers' prevention and promotion focus for each product.
Pharma: Oral gegen Corona
Authors: Ehrensberger Christian
Published: October 2022

Eine Schluckimpfung gegen Covid‐19 wäre eine Alternative zur Spritze. Sie könnte die Impfbereitschaft in Industrieländern steigern und in Entwicklungsländern eine Durchimpfung überhaupt erst ermöglichen.
Einfach Moleküle verknüpfen – egal wie komplex
Authors: Gerling‐Driessen Ulla , Hackenberger Christian
Published: October 2022

Der diesjährige Chemienobelpreis geht zu gleichen Teilen an Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten P. Meldal und K. Barry Sharpless für „die Entwicklung der Klick‐Chemie und der bioorthogonalen Chemie“.
Jüdische Chemikerinnen zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus
Authors: Boeck Gisela , Herrmann‐Dresel Eva
Published: October 2022

Weder Alter noch Geschlecht spielten eine Rolle – wer keinen „Arier‐Nachweis“ erbringen konnte, musste damit rechnen, dem Nazisystem zum Opfer zu fallen. Als Rechtfertigung nutzten die Nazis häufig das Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums vom 7. April 1933. Dies betraf auch die Chemikerinnen Wera Krilitschewsky, Anna Hamburger und Gertrud Kornfeld.
Endlich selbst experimentieren
Authors: Schilling Monja
Published: October 2022

Um Schüler:innen für die Chemie zu begeistern, hat das JCF‐Team Science & Education den Chemie‐Escape‐Room ChemEscape entwickelt. Nun steht das Experimentier‐Spiel im deutschsprachigen Raum zur Verfügung.
On Bhattacharyya relative entropy in a homogenization of composite materials
Authors: Kamiński Marcin
Published: October 2022

The main idea of this work is an application of relative entropy in the numerical analysis of probabilistic divergence between original material tensors of the composite constituents and its effective tensor in the presence of material uncertainties. The homogenization method is based upon the deformation energy of the representative volume elements for the fiber‐reinforced and particulate composites and uncertainty propagation begins with elastic moduli of the fibers, particles, and composite matrices. Relative entropy follows a mathematical model originating from Bhattacharyya probabilistic divergence and has been applied here for Gaussian distributions. The semi‐analytical probabilistic method based on analytical integration of polynomial bases obtained via the least squares method fittings enables for determination of the basic probabilistic characteristics of the effective tensor and the relative entropies. The methodology invented in this work may be extended toward other probability distributions and relative entropies, for homogenization of nonlinear composites and also accounting for some structural interface defects.
Multiscale modeling and analysis for some special additive noises driven stochastic partial differential equations
Authors: Zhang Shan , Li Mengnan , Guan Xiaofei
Published: October 2022

This paper is concerned with some special additive noises driven stochastic partial differential equations with multiscale parameters. Then, the constraint energy minimizing generalized multiscale finite element method with a novel multiscale spectral representation of the noise is constructed to solve the multiscale models. The corresponding convergence analysis and error estimates are derived, and the effects of noises on the accuracy of the multiscale computation are demonstrated. Some numerical examples are provided to validate our theoretic analysis, and numerical results show the highly efficient computational performance of our method, which is a beneficial attempt to deal with the noises in the complex multiscale stochastic physical system.
Safe adaptive learning algorithm with neural network implementation for H∞ control of nonlinear safety‐critical system
Authors: Qin Chunbin , Wang Jinguang , Zhu Heyang , Xiao Qiyang , Zhang Dehua
Published: October 2022

In this article, the safe control problem of continuous‐time affine nonlinear safety‐critical systems is studied based on the barrier function (BF) and adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). We show that the safety constraints in this article occur under the condition that the system initial state is unsafe and have not been adequately addressed in the existing work. First, the control problem is transformed into a zero‐sum game problem, and a new safe Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equation is proposed by combining with the BF, which makes the unsafe behavior be punished in the learning process. In addition, a damping coefficient is introduced into the BF to punish the unsafe behavior more flexibly. Aiming at the requirement that the initial system state must be strictly constrained in the safe set, a new weight updating method based on ADP is proposed, which can reasonably avoid the influence of the BF on neural network (NN) parameters when the initial system state is unsafe. Furthermore, based on the Lyapunov stability theory, it is proved that the system states of safety‐critical systems and the NN parameters are uniformly ultimately bounded under the safety constraints and disturbances effect. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by two simulation examples.
Innovation and profitability following antitrust intervention against a dominant platform: The wild, wild west?
Authors: Thatchenkery Sruthi , Katila Riitta
Published: October 2022

Research Summary

This study examines whether “unblocking” competition through antitrust intervention against a dominant platform can spur complementor innovation in platform ecosystems. Using a novel dataset on enterprise infrastructure software and a difference‐in‐differences design, we examine the relation between the U.S. antitrust intervention against Microsoft (dominant enterprise platform) and subsequent innovation and profitability of infrastructure applications firms (complementors). The data show that innovation among complementors—particularly ones with low market share—soared when the competitive pressure on the dominant platform amplified. However, the profitability of these complementors dropped. Our results contribute to understanding links between competition and innovation in platform ecosystems, as well as the opportunities and threats related to dominant platforms in those ecosystems.

Managerial Summary

Complementors (apps, services) that are owned by their platforms often have an unfair advantage. Antitrust action challenges the power of such dual platform‐complementors, reasoning that unfair advantage blocks fair competition, and, in turn, reduces firms' incentives to innovate and thus limits consumer choice. We examine whether reducing anticompetitive barriers and platform‐complementors' power revitalizes the platform ecosystem. Using a landmark antitrust case, we find mixed results: while complementors do innovate more, their profits go down. In particular, the low‐share complementors that bring in the most innovation are also the ones that lose the most financially, suggesting that they may have over‐relied on the platform for key assets. To develop a healthy ecosystem in the long run, platform owners may want to resist the temptation to keep complementors weak and instead help support their development to stand on their own.
Superaerophobic Resin‐Grafted rGO Aerogel with Boosted Product Removal Delivering High‐Performance Hydrogen Release at Ultrahigh Storage Density
Authors: Zhang Qian , Jiang Bo , Wang Bingsen , He Nan , Liu Kun , Tang Dawei , Li Lin
Published: October 2022

Liquid hydrogen carriers featuring high hydrogen content, safety, and hydrogen release on demand have motivated great endeavors for sustainable hydrogen supply. Nonetheless, direct hydrogen release is limited by the ultralow hydrogen evolution rate, while the conventional manner of extra additive and solvent addition for promoting rates greatly deteriorates its hydrogen storage density. Thus, it is still challenging to simultaneously satisfy high‐performance hydrogen release and high storage density. Herein, an aerophobicity surface‐based gas–liquid interface reaction strategy is proposed, which renders rapid product removal to promote dehydrogenation, fundamentally circumventing the employment of additives and solvents. Accordingly, a hierarchically porous resin‐grafted reduced graphene oxide aerogel is designed. It imparts superaerophobic surface to facilitate product detachment from reactive sites, and the structure‐oriented interface reaction design provides product diffusion channels and reduced diffusion resistance. As a result, the aerogel harvests a record hydrogen evolution rate (347 mmol g−1 h−1) in an ultrahigh‐density formic acid of 19.8 g L−1, around two times the rate promotion and ten times the density improvement compared to the state‐of‐the‐art materials and systems. The strategy presents an approach for the dehydrogenation of liquid hydrogen carriers, e.g., formic acid, formaldehyde, and hydrazine hydrate, concurrently ensuring high‐performance hydrogen release and high hydrogen storage density.
High‐Performance Directional Water Transport Using a Two‐Dimensional Periodic Janus Gradient Structure
Authors: Xie Dongdong , Zhang Bao Yue , Wang Guilian , Sun Yunna , Wu Chaofeng , Ding Guifu
Published: October 2022

Numerous materials in micro‐ or nanoscale hierarchical structures with surface gradients serve as the enablers in directional liquid transportation. However, concurrent high‐speed and long‐range liquid transport is yet to be fully realized so far. Here, an overall‐improved approach is achieved in both water transport distance and velocity aspects using a 2D periodic Janus gradient structure, which is inspired by the Janus‐wettable desert beetle back, tapered asymmetric cacti spine, and periodic Nepenthes alata microcavity. This 2D channel can efficiently regulate the kinetics of liquid transport within its confined structure, in which the terminal potential well and periodic Janus topological structure enable sustaining water propelling through a long distance. In addition, the rapidly formed aqueous film facilitates a high initial momentum and fast transport of liquid droplets along the channel, achieving an averaged velocity of over 400 mm s−1 and a maximum normalized transport distance of 23.4 for a 3 µL droplet, as well as an ultralow liquid volume loss of 6.02% upon high‐flux water transport. This scalable, controllable, and easy‐fabricable 2D water transport system provides an insightful pathway in realizing high‐performance water manipulation and possibly facilitates substantial innovative applications in multidisciplinary fields.
Evidence of a sudden increase in α‐chloralose poisoning in dogs and cats in the Netherlands between 2018 and 2021
Authors: Dijkman Marieke A. , Robben Joris H. , van Riel Antoinette J. H. P. , de Lange Dylan W.
Published: October 2022

Background

After changes in European Union biocide legislation, the Dutch Poisons Information Center observed a strong increase in information requests concerning dogs and cats exposed to α‐chloralose. To investigate whether α‐chloralose‐based rodenticides are safe for non‐professional use, additional information regarding poisoning scenarios and clinical course was collected.

Methods

Veterinarians reporting α‐chloralose exposure over a 2.5‐year period were contacted by mail for follow‐up information concerning exposure scenario, product formulation, clinical course and treatment, and outcome. In total, information was collected for 96 dogs and 41 cats.

Results

Fifty‐three of 96 dogs and 17 of 19 cats known to have been exposed to α‐chloralose‐based rodenticides developed signs of central nervous system (CNS) depression or sensory‐induced CNS excitation. Mortality in dogs and cats following exposure was 1% and 18%, respectively. An additional 22 cats presented with clinical signs suggestive of α‐chloralose poisoning, with a mortality of 5%.

Limitations

Exposure to α‐chloralose was not confirmed by biochemical analyses.

Conclusion

Dogs and especially cats were at risk of poisoning from α‐chloralose. If criteria such as acute toxicity and risk of (secondary) poisoning are applied during the approval of α‐chloralose‐based rodenticides, similar to anticoagulant‐based rodenticides, it can be concluded that α‐chloralose is also not safe for non‐professional use.
Social determinants of incidence, outcomes, and interventions of cardiovascular disease risk factors in American Indians and Alaska Natives
Authors: Leung Eric , Parker Tassy , Kelley Allyson , Blankenship James C.
Published: October 2022

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs). Despite copious research on CVD incidence and outcome discrepancies, a social determinants of health (SDOH) focused framework on CVD risk factors and health outcomes in AIAN populations has not been undertaken. This paper presents the following: (1) a review of the literature on SDOH and CVD in AIAN populations, (2) a summary on intersectionality as it relates to SDOH and CVD, (3) a framework for conceptualizing CVD risks, interventions, structural determinants, and health equity, (4) a summary of potential interventions to address CVD in AIANs, and (5) a discussion about future work. Common SDOH themes across the CVD risk factors in AIANs are income‐related obstacles, healthcare access, structural racism, discrimination, and failed colonial policies. Colonization of AIAN populations has resulted in social, political, and economic disadvantages, manifesting as systemic socioeconomic disadvantage and unequal access through elevated poverty rates, lower educational attainment, mental health challenges, and decreased healthcare access. These extensive social factors have a multifactorial effect across several CVD risk factors; all ultimately result in elevated CVD morbidity and mortality. Addressing SDOH and diminishing disparities is essential to facilitating improved CVD outcomes for AIANs.
Thermo‐mechanical interactions in a rotating nonlocal functionally graded transversely isotropic elastic half‐space
Authors: Barak M.S. , Dhankhar Priti
Published: October 2022

The current research work deals with the analysis of disturbances induced in a rotating, nonlocal, functionally graded (nonhomogeneous), transversely isotropic thermoelastic half‐space due to the application of a mechanical load in the context of Lord–Shulman theory. Material properties are assumed to be graded along z‐direction and the normal mode analysis is used to obtain the exact expressions of the normal displacement, stress components, and temperature field. The profiles of field variables are computed numerically and limned graphically. The graphical results indicate that the nonlocal parameter, material's anisotropy, nonhomogeneity parameter, rotation parameter, and time have significant effects on all the physical fields. Certain particular cases of interest have also been deduced from the current investigation.
Introduction to the Bayes Factor and Decision Analysis
Authors: Bozza Silvia , Taroni Franco , Biedermann Alex
Published: October 2022

This chapter presents an overview of statistics in forensic science, with an emphasis on the Bayesian perspective and the role of the Bayes factor in logical inference and decision. The chapter introduces the reader to three key topics that forensic scientists commonly encounter and that are treated in this book: model choice, evaluation and investigation. For each of these themes, Bayes factors will be developed in later chapters and discussed using practical examples. Particular attention will be given to the distinction between feature- and score-based Bayes factors, representing different approaches to deal with input information (i.e., measurements). This introductory chapter also provides theoretical background that analysts might need during data analysis, including elements of forensic interpretation, computational methods, decision theory, prior elicitation and sensitivity analysis.
Efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Liu Jia , Mi Ruihua , Chen Lin , Guo Xiaoli , Liang Taotao , Yin Qingsong
Published: October 2022

As an immunomodulatory agent with antitumor activity, lenalidomide has been evaluated for its value in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We performed a meta-analysis to gain a better understanding of the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in DLBCL. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched up to March 2022 for potential studies. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by the fixed/random effects model. Overall, 6 randomized controlled trials including 1938 patients were included. The complete response rate (CRR) of the group containing lenalidomide was 47.7% (95%CI 28.5–67.2%), which was higher than the 37.8% (95%CI 16.7–61.5%) of the control group without lenalidomide (RR = 1.11, 95%CI 1.03–1.20,P = 0.008). The overall estimation of survival showed a benefit for progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.77, 95%CI 0.66–0.90,P = 0.001) but not overall survival (OS) or event-free survival (EFS). The lenalidomide group had a significant incidence of grade ≥ 3 hematological adverse events (AEs) involving neutropenia (RR = 1.56, 95%CI 1.15–2.11,P = 0.004) and febrile neutropenia (RR = 1.81, 95%CI 1.31–2.49,P < 0.001), with the incidence of neutropenia (48.3%, 95%CI 37.5–59.1%) being highest. In conclusion, addition of lenalidomide results in a higher CRR and better PFS but a higher incidence of grade ≥ 3 hematological AEs involving neutropenia and febrile neutropenia.
The old, the new, or the old made new? Everyday counter-narratives of the so-called fourth agricultural revolution
Authors: Rose David Christian , Barkemeyer Anna , de Boon Auvikki , Price Catherine , Roche Dannielle
Published: October 2022

Prevalent narratives of agricultural innovation predict that we are once again on the cusp of a global agricultural revolution. According to these narratives, this so-called fourth agricultural revolution, or agriculture 4.0, is set to transform current agricultural practices around the world at a quick pace, making use of new sophisticated precision technologies. Often used as a rhetorical device, this narrative has a material effect on the trajectories of an inherently political and normative agricultural transition; with funding, other policy instruments, and research attention focusing on the design and development of new precision technologies. A growing critical social science literature interrogates the promises of revolution. Engagement with new technology is likely to be uneven, with benefits potentially favouring the already powerful and the costs falling hardest on the least powerful. If grand narratives of change remain unchallenged, we risk pursuing innovation trajectories that are exclusionary, failing to achieve responsible innovation. This study utilises a range of methodologies to explore everyday encounters between farmers and technology, with the aim of inspiring further work to compile the microhistories that can help to challenge robust grand narratives of change. We explore how farmers are engaging with technology in practice and show how these interactions problematise a simple, linear notion of innovation adoption and use. In doing so, we reflect upon the contribution that the study of everyday encounters can make in setting more inclusionary, responsible pathways towards sustainable agriculture.
Routine and interval detection of locoregional breast cancer recurrences and risk of subsequent distant metastasis
Authors: Eijkelboom Anouk H. , de Munck Linda , de Vries Maaike , Francken Anne Brecht , Hendriks Mathijs P. , Strobbe Luc , Witteveen Annemieke , van Maaren Marissa C. , Siesling Sabine
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Follow-up for breast cancer survivors consists of after care and surveillance. The benefits of routine surveillance visits remain debatable. In this study we compared the severity of locoregional recurrences (LRRs) and the subsequent risk of a distant metastasis (DM) between LRRs detected at routine and interval visits.

Methods

Women diagnosed with early breast cancer between 2003 and 2008 in one of the 15 participating hospitals, and who developed a LRR as first event after primary treatment, were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (Cohort A). Chi-squared tests were used to compare the severity of routine- and interval-detected local recurrences (LRs) and regional recurrences (RRs), using tumor size, tumor grade, and number of positive lymph nodes. Data on the development of a subsequent DM after a LRR were available for a subset of patients (Cohort B). Cohort B was used to estimate the association between way of LRR-detection and risk of a DM.

Results

Cohort A consisted of 109 routine- and 113 interval-LRR patients. The severity of routine-detected LRs or RRs and interval-detected LRs or RRs did not significantly differ. Cohort B consisted of 66 routine- and 61 interval-LRR patients. Sixteen routine- (24%) and 17 (28%) interval-LRR patients developed a DM. After adjustment, way of LRR-detection was not significantly associated with the risk of a DM (hazard ratio: 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 0.49–3.06).

Conclusion

The current study showed that routine visits did not lead to less severe LRRs and did not decrease the risk of a subsequent DM.
When the Private and the Public Self Don’t Align: The Role of Discrepant Moral Identity Dimensions in Processing Inconsistent CSR Information
Authors: Demasi Ramona , Voegtlin Christian
Published: October 2022

Inconsistent information between an organization’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and perceived CSR (in-)action is a big challenge for organizations because this is typically associated with perceptions of corporate hypocrisy and related negative stakeholder reactions. However, in contrast to the prevailing corporate hypocrisy literature we argue that inconsistent CSR information does not always correspond to perceptions of corporate hypocrisy; rather, responses depend on individual predispositions in processing CSR-related information. In this study, we investigate how an individual’s moral identity shapes reactions to inconsistent CSR information. The results of our three studies show that individuals who symbolize—i.e., display—their moral identity to the public more than they internalize moral values react less negatively to inconsistent CSR information. We also show that this weakens their anger and willingness to change company behavior. Furthermore, we find that this effect is amplified for extraverted but weakened for neurotic individuals. Our findings underline the importance of individual predispositions in processing CSR information.
Students as the source of demotivation for teachers: A case study of Vietnamese university EFL teachers
Authors: Tran Linh H. , Moskovsky Christo
Published: October 2022

The importance of having highly motivated teaching staffs is widely recognised and most teaching institutions implement various policies and incentives designed to stimulate their teachers’ motivation. It is equally important to recognise forces which have the potential to demotivate teachers. Among these forces, previous research has shown student-related factors to be the most detrimental to teacher motivation. Our aims were to examine Vietnamese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of student-related demotivating factors, and the ways these factors influence teachers and their teaching. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 30 participating EFL teachers from 14 universities in Vietnam. The results of the study revealed that students’ limited English proficiency, negative attitudes towards English and English language learning, poor classroom performance, and low academic achievement as the most potent student-related demotivating factors for Vietnamese EFL teachers; these factors were found to have a range of negative consequences for teachers’ emotions, behaviours, and attitudes. The relative impact of these factors on participating teachers was subject to individual variation. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
In-situ Investigation of the Onset of Cavitation Damage from Single Bubbles on Technical Alloys
Authors: Kühlmann Jonas , Lopez de Arcaute y Lozano Christina , Hanke Stefanie , Kaiser Sebastian A.
Published: October 2022

Cavitation erosion is typically studied with ultrasonic sonotrodes. Only a few attempts have been made to study cavitation erosion of technical alloys on the level of repeated single bubbles. Such single cavitation bubbles can be induced by a focused laser pulse with high spatio-temporal repeatability. In this work, the surface damage caused by series of laser-induced single bubbles in water is observed with a light microscope in-situ between two successive bubbles. Polished samples from pure aluminum, an austenitic steel (316L, X2CrNiMo18-15-3), and a nickel aluminum bronze (CuAl10Ni5Fe5) were subjected to series of bubbles that typically had a maximum diameter of d = 2.5 mm and a non-dimensional stand-off distance γ = 1.4. Via in-situ microscopy, the appearance of individual pits can be assigned to a specific, single bubble collapse event without removing the sample. Consistent with literature, for the chosen parameters the damaged region after many bubbles is circular, with individual pits that are deeper for aluminum than for the bronze and the steel. Additionally, our findings suggest that even high-strength materials can be damaged by the impact of just one single bubble, while not every single bubble causes a pit on the soft aluminum. From series of images after each bubble, the rate of pit accumulation was determined to be 2.6 pits/bubble for aluminum and around 0.3–0.5 pits/bubble for the two technical alloys.
Adolescent Mental Health Priorities During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Stewart Tracy M. , Fry Debi , Wilson Jenny , McAra Lesley , Hamilton Sarah , King Albert , Laurie Margaret , McCluskey Gillean
Published: October 2022

Increasing evidence has shown that the Covid-19 outbreak has impacted adolescents’ mental health. Utilising a mixed-method design, the current study examined a total of 518 adolescent perspectives (60% female), in Scotland, on whathasandcouldhelp their mental health in the context of Covid-19. A reflexive thematic analysis revealed three themes in relation to whathashelped adolescents’ mental health since the Covid-19 outbreak. These related to findings about the value of: (1) engaging in recreational activities, (2) engaging with friends, and (3) the disruption to schooling. The remaining four themes related to what could have helped adolescents mental health and wellbeing since the Covid-19 outbreak. These focussed on (1) better support: in relation to mental health; school work; and communication, (2) contact with friends, and (3) more opportunities for recreational activities. Males were more likely to report recreational activitieshadhelped and less likely to report better supportcouldhave helped. Adolescents who reached clinical threshold for depression and anxiety and those with elevated PTSD-like symptoms about Covid-19 were more likely to state more supportcouldhave helped, and adolescents who reached clinical threshold for depression werelesslikely to report that friends could have helped their mental health. The findings may inform mental health policy and interventions in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Workplace Bullying in Early Childhood Education Settings: Prevalence and Protective Factors
Authors: McFarland Laura , Bull Rebecca , Cumming Tamara , Wong Sandie
Published: October 2022

Workplace bullying in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is a pervasive and significant issue in Australia and globally. Workplace bullying can negatively impact early childhood professionals’ mental health, contributing to staff turnover and attrition. Given the current, and predicted, future shortages of ECEC staff, it is critical that strategies be implemented to support staff well-being and maintain healthy and safe workplaces. The aims of this study were to examine the current prevalence of workplace bullying in the ECEC sector in Australia and to identify protective workplace factors associated with lower prevalence of workplace bullying. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, findings are drawn from qualitative and quantitative survey questions within a large study on ECEC educators’ well-being conducted in Australia. Participants were 591 early childhood professionals working in ECEC a variety of ECEC settings. Findings indicated that 24.6% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying and that most bullying was perpetrated by co-workers. Some workplace factors were related to lower rates of bullying, including positive teamwork, better supervisor relations, lower work-related stressors and having greater influence on workplace decisions. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to informing policy and practices to address workplace bullying in the ECEC sector by identifying aspects of the workplace that serve as protective factors.
The Use of Organic Waste in Sustainable Water Management Under the Conditions of Dry Areas: Field and Modeling Study
Authors: Alkhuzai Khalid A. H.
Published: October 2022

Organic waste poses a threat to the environment in the event of its repeated use; however, in this study, we converted it into a useful and environmentally safe source of fertilization. In addition to its fertilization ability, it exhibited a good ability to reduce water stress in cultivated plants in area in which irrigation is lacking and are suffering the impact of climate change. Two field experiments were conducted during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons to study the effect of the regulated deficit irrigation strategy and organic N-fertilization ratio during wheat cultivation. The majority of the studied characteristics were slightly higher when irrigation was 75% FI as compared to 100% FI. When using organic nitrogen fertilization in addition to mineral nitrogen fertilization, at 50% organic to 50% mineral, it was possible to irrigate at 75% FI. In this scenario, productivity increased by 28.5% in 2019/2020, and 56% in 2020/2021. The model simulated the studied characteristics of the two seasons relatively well. In summary, the field and modeling results indicate that the use of organic waste in sustainable water management in dry areas has various benefits, including a higher yield and reduced use of chemical fertilizers by up to 50%. This was replaced with 50% organic nitrogen fertilizer produced from the compost from agricultural waste, which is abundant on all farms. These additional benefits increase the income for farmers, and reduce environmental pollution.
Does Religion Foster Prejudice among Adherents of all World Religions? A Comparison across Religions
Authors: Kollar Rachel , Fleischmann Fenella
Published: October 2022

Background

The relation between religiousness and prejudice has been the topic of a large research literature, yet this was so far mostly limited to Western societies with a Christian heritage.

Purpose

This study sought to compare the religiousness–prejudice relationship between adherents of monotheistic and non-monotheistic religions. Focusing on inter-religious prejudice we examined whether theological exclusivism moderated this relationship.

Methods

Multi-group structural equation modeling was applied using global data from the 6th wave of the World Values Survey.

Results

No support was found for the expected divide between religious groups. Religious identity, belief, and practice each related differentially to prejudice across the religions. Exclusivism was more consistently negatively related to prejudice and moderated the relation with religious identity for Orthodox Christians and Buddhists.

Conclusions and implications

We conclude that religious attitudes or orientations (i.e., how people believe) are more important to understand prejudice towards religious others than religious traditions or multiple dimensions of religiosity (i.e., what and how strongly they believe).
The formation of a taste judgement: how Benjamin R. Haydon came to value, observe and evaluate the Elgin Marbles
Authors: Gjikola Ardeta
Published: October 2022

What are taste judgements? Do they have a claim to knowledge? This article addresses these questions by revisiting the long-eighteenth-century debate on taste judgements and examining the case of a judgement that was unusually explicit about its formation. The painter Benjamin R. Haydon (1786–1846) encountered the Parthenon sculptures in 1808, studied them for several years, and recorded how he came to pronounce them ‘the finest things on earth’. I describe the maturation of Haydon's judgement, presenting the process as revealing of the nature of taste judgements. I argue that taste judgements are a distinct form of knowledge that involve expertise in three experiential aspects: valuation (prizing an artwork), observation (discriminating referential features in an artwork), and evaluation (assigning a specific worth to an artwork). From a methodological standpoint, Haydon's judgement draws attention to individual resources for the stabilization of knowledge and invites reflection on the status of the case as a unit of analysis in the history of science.
Alternate day fasting on subjective feelings of appetite and body weight for adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review
Authors: Kucuk Bahar , Berg Rigmor C.
Published: October 2022

Alternate day fasting (ADF) with consumption of calories up to 25 % of the daily energy intake on fast days is one of the most used intermittent fasting regimens and promoted as a promising, alternative approach for treating obesity. Feelings of appetite are critical for adherence to dietary approaches, and therefore the success of dietary interventions. This systematic review aimed to assess the effects of a minimum of 8 weeks of ADF on subjective feelings of appetite and body weight for adults with overweight and obesity. We conducted the review in accordance with the Cochrane guidelines, including systematic searches in four databases. Because of the high level of clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a narrative approach was used to synthesise the results. Eight studies with a total of 456 participants met the eligibility criteria: three randomised controlled trials and five uncontrolled before-after studies. Seven of the studies had high risk of bias. Feelings of appetite were assessed by hunger in eight studies, fullness in seven studies, satisfaction in four studies and desire to eat in one study. All the studies assessed weight loss. The certainty of the evidence was rated low or very low for all outcomes, thus no firm conclusions can be drawn about the potential benefits of ADF on subjective feelings of appetite and body weight. Despite the high interest in ADF, good quality evidence is still needed to determine its effectiveness and if offered in clinical practice, ADF should be offered cautiously while concomitantly evaluated.
Islamic philosophy and the globalization of science: Ahmed Cevdet's translation of the sixth chapter of Ibn Khaldun'sMuqaddimah
Authors: Tekin Kenan
Published: October 2022

This article contributes to the study of the globalization of science through an analysis of Ahmed Cevdet's nineteenth-century translation of the sixth chapter of Ibn Khaldun's (d. 1406)Muqaddimah, which deals with the nature and history of science. Cevdet's translation and Ottomanization of that text demonstrate that science did not simply originate in Europe to be subsequently distributed to the rest of the world. Instead, knowledge transmitted from Europe was actively engaged with and appropriated by scholars, who sought to put that material within their own cultural context in a manner that could serve their own intellectual and practical needs. Cevdet's case is particularly interesting because it demonstrates that (1) Islamic conceptions of human nature, the soul and the nature of knowledge provided particularly fertile soil in which empiricist and positivist traditions could take root, and (2) aspects of modern science – specifically its ostensive separation from metaphysical debates – made it more attractive to Islamic theologians than was, for example, the work of Aristotelian philosophers. Through an exploration of Cevdet's career and a close analysis of his historiographical treatment of Ibn Khaldun's account of sciences, this article foregrounds the agency of non-Europeans in the late nineteenth-century circulation of scientific knowledge.
Differentiating hands in square chant notation
Authors: GIRAUD ELEANOR J.
Published: October 2022

This article proposes a methodology for differentiating between scribal hands in square chant notation. Drawing on several Dominican chant books copied in thirteenth-century Paris, the methodology outlined here may also prove a useful starting point for approaching square chant notations from various other origins. Specifically, this approach highlights eight parameters that may be useful for identifying and distinguishing scribal hands in square chant notation, namely, by examining the forms of F-clefs, custodes, liquescent neume shapes, general neume shapes and/or note groupings, C-clefs, accidentals, hairline extensions and the general appearance of the notation. This methodology is used to identify the notators working within the chant books of the Dominican exemplar manuscript Rome, Santa Sabina, XIV L 1, demonstrating the presence of one main notator, an ‘overseer’ or corrector intervening across several parts of the manuscript to supply missing material, and a second corrector or user of the manuscript adding missing material on one folio only. Through such palaeographical study, it was possible to reveal the different roles of the scribes notating this manuscript, to hypothesise about the process by which the liturgical material within the manuscript was compiled and to identify a potential network of notators working in Dominican manuscripts in Paris in the third quarter of the thirteenth century.
Intracontinental Fault Reactivation in High Heat Production Areas of Central Australia: Insights From Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology
Authors: Nixon A. L. , Glorie S. , Fernie N. , Hand M. , De Vries Van Leeuwen A. T. , Collins A. S. , Hasterok D. , Fraser G.
Published: October 2022

Pervasive intracontinental orogenesis during the Paleozoic has been widely recognized in the metamorphic and structural records of the Aileron Province and Amadeus Basin in central Australia, commonly attributed to the Ordovician–Carboniferous Alice Springs Orogeny. Comparatively less clear, however, is the magnitude and geographic expression of this event elsewhere in the North Australian Craton. This study presents new apatite fission track thermochronology data from central Australia which demonstrate considerable Paleozoic reactivation across the continental interior. Both the Tennant region and Murphy Province exhibit low‐temperature cooling coeval with the Alice Springs Orogeny (ca. 450–320 Ma), although Triassic reactivation in the Aileron Province correlates with the timing of the Hunter‐Bowen Orogeny (ca. 265–230 Ma) in eastern Australia. High heat production and metasomatism within the Aileron Province has made the region highly susceptible to reactivation, rendering it more vulnerable to subsequent reactivation in response to far‐field stresses during the progressive Tasmanides development.