bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Zero-Energy Buildings Based on Multicriteria Optimization Method
Authors: Chen Jianda , Dai Xingwei , Cai Xingwen
Published: October 2022

This paper uses SketchUp and OpenStudio to design and optimize the multiperformance parameters of the near-zero energy consumption residential building scheme stage. By establishing a basic model, the performance parameters such as insulation thickness, typical outer window, window-to-wall ratio, and their contribution rates within the threshold range are optimized for energy conservation; simulate the energy consumption of the determined multiperformance parameter combination scheme, select the most energy-saving scheme, and calculate its energy-saving contribution rate; calculate the life cycle cost of the above schemes, select the scheme with the lowest cost, and analyze its economic benefits; select energy-saving cost and economic benefit, and calculate energy-saving contribution rate and economic benefit. Finally, through the comparative analysis of the design and test data, this paper concludes that EnergyPlus will optimize the multiperformance parameters of the near-zero energy consumption residential building scheme stage. At the same time, the multiobjective optimization method and process of the passive energy-saving technology of the near-zero energy consumption building proposed in this paper, as well as the technology combination template under different needs, provide a reference for the selection of the technology path.
Dynamical Analysis of Posttreatment HIV‐1 Infection Model
Authors: Pradeesh M. , Manivannan A. , Lakshmanan S. , Rihan F. A. , Mani Prakash
Published: October 2022

This paper aims to explore the dynamic characteristics of the post treatment human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type‐1 model by proposing the theoretical frameworks. Distinct from the previous works, this study explores the effect of effector cells, loss of functional effector cells, and two types of anti‐retroviral therapies such as reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) and also the effect of intracellular time delay. Based on the Routh—Hurwitz criterion and eigenvalue analysis, the stability of the proposed HIV‐1 model is analyzed. To reveal the significance of time delay, the Hopf‐type bifurcation analysis is performed. The optimal control algorithm is designed by choosing the antiviral therapies such as RTI and PI as control parameters. Numerical simulations are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical frameworks.
The Role of The Need For Uniqueness In Choosing Between Conventional / Unconventional Customization: The Case Of Gen Z
Authors: DURAN Cem , KILIÇ Anıl
Published: October 2022

Social sciences such as economics and marketing has growing interest on consumer behavior and the underlying psychological factors. In particular, Consumer Need for Uniqueness (CNfU) receives notable attention from scholars. However, the literature lacks focus on how customization is related with CNfU. Moreover, Gen Z, the highest population of consumers are neglected in previous studies. The main objective of this study is to understand the impact of CNfU on Gen Z consumers’ choice between conventional and unconventional customization options for technology products. The paper uses survey-based data and uses a combination of statistical techniques, such as EFA, CFA, and structural equation modeling (SEM). It is revealed that CNfU has no influence on choosing between conventional and unconventional customization options. The results have significant implications for researchers and practitioners.
Regional evolution of psychosocial services in Australia before and after the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Authors: Salvador-Carulla Luis , Furst Mary Anne , Gillespie James , Rosenberg Sebastian , Aryani Amir , Anthes Lauren , Ferdousi Shahana , Salinas-Perez Jose A
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

This paper compares the evolution of the psychosocial sector in two Australian regions pre and post introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme – a major reform to the financing, planning and provision of disability services in Australia, intended to create greater competition and efficiency in the market, and more choice for service users.

Methods:

We used a standardised service classification instrument based on a health ecosystems approach to assess service availability and diversity of psychosocial services provided by non-government organisations in two Primary Health Network regions.

Results:

We identified very different evolutionary pathways in the two regions. Service availability increased in Western Sydney but decreased in the Australian Capital Territory. The diversity of services available did not increase in either Primary Health Network 4 years after the reform. Many services were experiencing ongoing funding uncertainty.

Conclusion:

Assumptions of increased efficiency through organisational scaling up, and a greater diversity in range of service availability were not borne out.

Implications:

This study shows the urgent need for evaluation of the effects of the NDIS on the provision of psychosocial care in Australia. Four years after the implementation of the NDIS at vast expense key objectives not been met for consumers or for the system as a whole, and an environment of uncertainty has been created for providers. It demonstrates the importance of standardised service mapping to monitor the effects of major reforms on mental health care as well as the need for a focus at the local level.
‘The Hand that Gives and the Hand that Takes’: The Taming of Zimbabwe Medical Doctors Industrial Job Action
Authors: Mwonzora Gift
Published: October 2022

The literature on repression and path dependence provides a solid theoretical tradition for understanding how regimes contain and repress protests and strikes. Less well-understood is how and why regimes react in the manner they do in containing industrial job action from critical and essential service sectors such as public doctors. Answering these questions is pertinent not only for advancing scholarly insights on repression literature but also for understanding the state’s power, character and worker resistance in Africa. Utilizing the Zimbabwean case study, the article examines public hospital doctors’ labour protests during 2018 and 2019. The article contends that how repressive regimes respond to collective job action is shaped by path dependence.
Multifunctional design, feasibility and requirements for structural power composites in future electric air taxis
Authors: Ishfaq Aneesa , Nguyen Sang N , Greenhalgh Emile S , Shaffer Milo SP , Kucernak Anthony RJ , Asp Leif E , Zenkert Dan , Linde Peter
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the viability of implementing multifunctional structural power composites in a four-seater air taxi, the CityAirbus. For a given specific energy of the power source, the cruise endurance can be approximately doubled by using structural power composites as opposed to conventional batteries. Replacing all the eligible composite mass and batteries with structural power composites can reduce the CityAirbus weight by 25%. To achieve the current design performance, the minimum required elastic modulus, strength, specific energy and power for the structural power composite are 54 GPa, 203 MPa, 74 Wh/kg and 376 W/kg, respectively: current state-of-the-art structural power composites are now approaching this level of performance. Hence, structural power composites are considered feasible for adoption in the urban air mobility sector and have the potential to improve endurance and facilitate commercialization. This paper also discusses several key challenges that must be addressed to realize the adoption of structural power composites in future electric air taxis.
Modelling of creep behaviour of timber dowelled beams
Authors: Bouhala Lyazid , Makradi Ahmed , Oudjene Marc
Published: October 2022

Extensive researches have been dedicated to study creep in wooden structures where good insight was gained on the phenomenological behaviour. However, long-term creep laws and practical methods to investigate the creep’s influence on safety and serviceability of wood structures during their life-cycle are still very few or don’t exist. This paper investigates the creep of wooden structures using a combined numerical and experimental study. Uni-axial tests (i.e. compression/tensile tests in different directions) were used to calibrate the constitutive law of spruce species and to identify the elastic parameters of the constitutive law. For creep parameters identification, three point bending tests were performed for compressed and uncompressed spruce wood. Subsequently, the results of the three point bending tests were used in conjunction with the numerical model in an inverse problem to obtain the viscous parameters. This technique was adopted for both compressed and uncompressed wood samples. Furthermore, a parametric study was conducted on laminated beams of uncompressed spruce boards assembled by compressed spruce dowels. The behaviour of the whole hybrid structure was studied and several interesting findings were highlighted.
Varieties of Happiness: Mapping Lay Conceptualizations of Happiness in a Spanish Sample
Authors: Cabanas Edgar , González-Lamas Jara
Published: October 2022

Research on lay conceptions of happiness is essential to determine what is investigated in happiness studies. Whereas psychological investigation has traditionally emphasized the importance of studying people’s everyday conceptions and their relation to cultural and social factors to advance psychological theory, this line of research is still largely overlooked in the field. The Spanish context has also received very limited attention in the area. To fill these gaps, this paper examined 547 lay definitions of happiness in a sample of Spanish participants. The aims of the study were threefold. First, to map and classify the definitions elicited through an open-ended question using a bottom-up approach. Second, to analyze the relationship of happiness definitions with different sociodemographic factors. Third, to explore the relationship between happiness conceptualizations and two different happiness measures. The final classification yielded 39 codes, 15 categories, and 3 overarching types of definitions. Three main findings resulted from the study. First, happiness emerged as a highly heterogeneous concept characterized by diverse social, psychological, and theoretical descriptions. Social types of definitions stood out in the sample. Second, most definitions varied significantly with sociodemographic factors. Third, happiness scores tended to show no significant association with happiness definitions. Implications derived from these results were discussed. Altogether, the paper highlights the value of exploring lay conceptions of happiness to advance toward a more comprehensive and fine-grained understanding of what happiness means for —and, to a certain extent, of how it is experienced by— people of different cultural backgrounds and social settings.
Ethical Practices of the Family Child
Authors: Henze-Pedersen Sofie
Published: October 2022

Following the introduction of the influential ‘doing’ family perspective, an active understanding of parents has taken centre stage in sociological thinking on how families are constructed. However, this has not extended to children, and their roles as co-constructors of families have not received the same amount of attention. This article examines the practices children use to construct themselves as child of someone in relation to a parent. By locating children’s practices within the ‘doing’ family perspective, the article identifies three levels of childhood in families – being child, doing child and reflecting child. The article shows how the three levels must be understood in relation to discourses on what it means to be a ‘good’ child of someone, as these moral questions influence what children come to do. The article draws on interviews with 39 children (aged 5–17 years) from two studies that explored children’s family relationships in challenging family circumstances.
Dialectical Family Imaginaries: Navigating Relational Selfhood and Becoming a Parent through Assisted Reproduction in China
Authors: Lo Iris Po Yee
Published: October 2022

This article examines underexplored aspects of family imaginaries by examining lesbians’ ways of thinking and feeling about having children. Drawing on in-depth interviews with lesbians in Beijing, China, I illustrate their agency and difficulties in pursuing parenthood through assisted reproductive technology or other unconventional means and redrawing the boundaries of the family. Building on the concept of family imaginaries and insights into relational selfhood, I identify three types of ‘dialectical family imaginaries’ in lesbians’ accounts of reproductive decision making: imaginaries of bridging, bonding and self-fashioning. These imaginaries are dialectical in the sense that they reproduce cultural ideals of what it means to be related and simultaneously generate new ways of pursuing parenthood while lesbians juggle filial affection and personal, pragmatic goals. This article highlights the sociological utility of ‘dialectical family imaginaries’ for exploring different forms and meanings of relatedness negotiated between the self, family and intergenerational relations, and wider society.
The Return of the Repressed: Subject, Truth and Critique in Times of Post-Truth
Authors: Söderberg Johan , Bjurö Olle
Published: October 2022

The surge of post-truth calls for a reassessment of psychoanalytic and ideology critique-approaches in the social sciences. Both traditions are dismissed by the principal antagonists in the post-truth debate, the “positivist” defenders of science and the “post-modern” critics of science. The antagonists share a predisposition towards anti-humanism, refusal to distinguish between the latent and the manifest, and adherence to descriptive methods. In order to substantiate these claims, the article investigates commonalities between B.F. Skinner and Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. The article concludes that the allegedly “pseudo-scientific” or “metaphysical” concepts of Subject and Truth, pivotal to both psychoanalysis and ideology critique-approaches, need to be rehabilitated in response to the challenge of post-truth.
Distributed robust formation tracking control for multi-UAV systems
Authors: Wang Weizhen , Chen Xin , Jia Jiangbo , Xing Shunxiang , Gao Yunwan , Xie Mingyang
Published: October 2022

In this study, the problem of distributed robust formation tracking control is investigated for multi–unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system with external disturbance. The UAV is demanded to converge and follow a desired geometric moving path while satisfying the tracking error. First, the desired path is designed by moving path following (MPF), and a finite-time disturbance observer is utilized to compensate external disturbance. Then, a distributed robust control strategy by using MPF is proposed to drive the multi-UAV to circumnavigate around the moving target. By using Lyapunov stability method, the boundedness of the position tracking error is analyzed. Finally, simulation results are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed approach.
Income Interdependence in the UK Multi-Regional Economy: A Meso-Level Analysis
Authors: Carrascal-Incera André , Hewings Geoffrey J. D.
Published: October 2022

Consumer expenditures in the United Kingdom account for over 50% of Gross Domestic Product on the expenditure side, yet their impact on economic activity is often overshadowed by attention to technological change, value chain analysis and especially international trade. In this paper, a recently developed interregional model of the UK economy, SEIM (Socio-Economic Impact Model) will be used to provide some parallel perspectives to the role of interregional trade in goods and services by focusing on the interregional structure and impact of income and expenditures by households. Drawing on the original contributions of Miyazawa (1976) to highlight the contribution and structure of income interdependence complemented by interpretations offered by average propagation length, field of influence, and feedback loop analyses. The findings reveal the nature and strength of asymmetries in the structure of income formation and their impacts across the multiregional system. While there is only modest variation in aggregate income propagation by region, the accumulation of income is dominated by regions in the London area and secondarily by other metropolitan areas providing a source of explanation for the sustained income inequalities that have characterized the UK economy for almost a century.
Preface to Special Issue on Ethiopia: Beyond Ethnic Federalism and the Statehood Solution
Authors: Zegeye Abebe , Ganta Brightman Gebremichael
Published: October 2022

This preface provides a brief introduction to this special issue on contemporary Ethiopia. It highlights the role played by land, ethnicity, federalism, and political ideology in the constitutional development and politics of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian state with its ethnic federation of different ethno-linguistic regions is contextualized. The preface concludes by proposing the thesis that the current constitution of Ethiopia does not contribute to the continuation of Ethiopia as an integrated nation-state; rather it contributes to a loose collection of semi-autonomous warring ethnic regions.
Pathways to academic success: specific strength-based teaching and support strategies for twice exceptional high school students with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Reis Sally , Gelbar Nicholas , Madaus Joseph
Published: October 2022

The number of students with ASD also identified as academically talented has been increasing over the last few decades. Unfortunately, little empirical research exists about this population of students. In this qualitative study, 40 college and university students with ASD who were identified as academically advanced and talented and enrolled in competitive colleges and universities were interviewed about academic experiences and teaching strategies that contributed to their success. Several findings related to specific strength-based teaching and support strategies perceived by participants as contributing to their academic success. These included identifying their academic talents; interest-based extracurricular activities based; specific challenge based honors and advanced classes in areas of interest and strength; opportunities for advanced, interest-based academic experiences; participation in residential programs during high school; strong and positive relationships with teachers and counselors; developing compensation strategies that can be applied to all of these areas; and overcoming anxiety while building social connections.
The impact of Covid-19 on management decision-making: The case within Australian organizations
Authors: Almazrouei Hanan Saber , Zacca Robert
Published: October 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered the way leaders in organizations manage their employees, requiring them to adopt a more supportive stance to facilitate employee wellbeing and at the same time maintain productivity. The pandemic has precipitated changes to how organizations manage and communicate with their staff. Because the situation has changed due to the infectious disease of COVID-19, managerial decisions are expected to change, commensurate with the situation. It is within this context that this study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australian managers’ decision-making approaches. A qualitative method utilizing structured interviews consisting of 11 open ended questions was used to gauge the effect of the pandemic on 55 Australian public service managers. The study reveals that, because of the pandemic, new management approaches were employed and reveals insights into employees’ attitudes toward these new approaches. The research highlights how the use of multiple technological platforms have facilitated organizational communication, despite technical difficulties, to maintain at least a reasonable level of connectivity and helped to facilitate the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.
Compositional capability as a mean to improve performance in an uncertain environment
Authors: Waseem Ansar , Rashid Yasir , Kausar Abdul Rashid
Published: October 2022

Dynamic capabilities are widely regarded to be critical to ensure the growth and survival of firms in an uncertain environment. Recently, the concept of compositional capability has been proposed which is described as the ability to skillfully integrate disparate resources to develop unique value propositions for the target market. Scholars regard compositional capability as a form of dynamic capability. The present study investigates the impact of compositional capability on a firm’s performance. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that this effect is likely to improve in an uncertain environment. To test the conceptual model, data was collected from a cross-section of 185 retail stores located in Lahore, Pakistan through the survey. The collected data was later analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling. Results of the study reveal that compositional capability is positively associated with a firm’s performance. Also, compositional capability leads to superior firm performance under a highly uncertain environment. The paper discusses these findings and concludes with implications for future research.
The impacts of LGBT inclusion on business processes: The case of Bulgaria
Authors: Zlateva Nina , Ivanov Stanislav , Popshterev Boris
Published: October 2022

This study surveyed 178 managers and employees of public and private organisations in Bulgaria to evaluate their perceptions towards the effects of LGBT inclusion on the business processes in their organisations, namely, human resource management, operations management and marketing. Non-parametric tests, factor and regression analyses were used to evaluate the role of various demographic and company characteristics on managers’ perceptions. The general attitudes of managers towards the LGBT community are positive. Managers seem to embrace the inclusion of LGBT employees in the workplace, but they are still ignorant of the potential of LGBT consumers and are reluctant to target this niche market.
Effect of lead nanoparticles on the radiation shielding characteristics of carbon fiber/epoxy composites
Authors: Abu Saleem Rabie , Abdelal Nisrin , Alsabbagh Ahmad , Al-Jarrah Maram , Al-Jawarneh Fatima
Published: October 2022

Materials with shielding capabilities against gamma radiation are important for nowadays applications in order to alleviate radiation damage. This study investigates the shielding characteristics of carbon fiber/epoxy composites incorporating lead nanoparticles (Pb-NP) of variable weight fractions. The composites in this experimental study are prepared using the hand-layup vacuum bagging process at room temperature. Mass attenuation coefficients are calculated for composites with variable Pb-NP weight fractions based on radiation intensity measurements taken using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. The results show that adding small fractions of lead nanoparticles to the matrix phase of the composite material leads to improving its shielding properties, including their linear attenuation coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient and the Half-Value Layer (HVL). The results also show that mass attenuation coefficients of composite material with added Pb-NPs are higher than those of pure lead. For validation purposes, the experimental results are compared to computational results obtained using MCNP5 code for the same weight fractions of Pb-NPs. The two sets of results were found to be in good agreement with a maximum relative error of ∼16%.
A Qualitative Study of Home Health Aides’ Perspectives towards COVID-19 Vaccination
Authors: Russell David , Onorato Nicole , Stern Alexis , Vergez Sasha , Oberlink Mia , Luebke Matthew , Feldman Penny H. , McDonald Margaret V. , Sterling Madeline R.
Published: October 2022

Home health aides provide care to homebound older adults and those with chronic conditions. Aides were less likely to receive COVID-19 vaccines when they became available. We examined aides’ perspectives towards COVID-19 vaccination. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 56 home health aides at a large not-for-profit home care agency in New York City. Results suggested that aides’ vaccination decisions were shaped by (1) information sources, beliefs, their health, and experiences providing care during COVID-19; (2) perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19; (3) perceived benefits of vaccination including protection from COVID-19, respect from colleagues and patients, and fulfillment of work-related requirements; (4) perceived barriers to vaccination including concerns about safety, efficacy, and side effects; and (5) cues to action including access to vaccination sites/appointments, vaccination mandates, question and answer sessions from trusted sources, and testimonials. Providing tailored information with support to address vaccination barriers could lead to improved vaccine uptake.
Induction motors fault diagnosis using a stacked sparse auto-encoder deep neural network
Authors: Jorkesh Saeid , Gholaminejad Azadeh , Poshtan Javad
Published: October 2022

In this article, deep neural network and stacked sparse auto-encoder deep neural network performances in fault diagnosis are compared. Methods are employed experimentally for the detection and isolation of an induction motor’s condition (healthy, bearing outer race fault, stator winding short circuit, and rotor broken bar) in the presence of unbalanced power supply and pump dry running disturbances. Pre-processing and de-noising is performed on three-phase electrical current signals using fast Fourier transform and independence component analysis algorithm, respectively. Experimental results show that sparse auto-encoder deep neural network method has outperformed and diagnosed the aforementioned faults in the presence of disturbances with a highly reliable accuracy rate of 90.65%.
Compassion, emotions and cognition: Implications for nursing education
Authors: Raustøl Anne , Tveit Bodil
Published: October 2022

Compassion is often understood as central to nursing and as important to ensure quality nursing and healthcare. In recent years, there has been a focus on strategies in nursing education to ensure compassionate nurses. However, it is not always clear how the concept of compassion is understood. Theoretical conceptualisations that lie behind various understandings of compassion have consequences for how we approach compassion in nursing education. We present some ways in which compassion is often understood, their philosophical underpinnings and the consequences these understandings can have for nursing education. We argue that it is useful for nursing education to understand compassion as a cognitive emotion and discuss how such an understanding can inform educational approaches to compassion.
Value-Based Healthcare and Radiology: How can Value be Measured?
Authors: Nuno Filipe Manuel Teixeira Ferreira , Gradim Adriana Coutinho , da Costa Dias Ana Alexandra , Polónia Daniel Ferreira
Published: October 2022

The concept of value-based healthcare (VBH) emerges as a response to traditional models of healthcare system management. More specifically, in radiology, the transition from volume to value has been discussed by its main associations, having as the main concern regarding the role of the specialty in a more integrated healthcare context.

Through a qualitative study, this work aims to analyse and evaluate how this new concept can be implemented in radiology by identifying obstacles and mapping the technical and procedural improvements necessary for its correct implementation in the national context of healthcare provision. Through interviews with different elements of the healthcare sector (from doctors to industry partners and researchers), it was possible to draw a set of metrics for measuring the value of radiology, alongside the implementation of a VBH strategy.

As the main conclusion, the implementation of a strategic agenda for the creation of value in radiology at the national level should be based on the reduction of variability and the identification of best practices in terms of adequacy, quality, safety and efficiency, aiming to satisfy the needs of requesting doctors and patients.
Evaluation of Individuals’ Perception of Health News in the Period of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Yesilaydin Gozde , Donar Gamze Bayin
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of individuals related to health news published in COVID-19 pandemic period in Turkey. It was also aimed to determine the factors that may affect this perception. The research population consisted of individuals in the 18–74 age range living in Turkey. Google survey method was used to collect data. A total of 1,073 people were reached from Turkey’s seven regions. ‘Health News Perception Scale’ developed by Cinar et al. (2018) was used to evaluate the perception of individuals about health news. Gender, generations, education level, marital status, the region where the city is located, number of children, time spent and trust in health news on internet, having chronic diseases, COVID-19 positive diagnosis of relatives, working status and frequency of following the health news during pandemic were variables that make a statistically significant difference in individuals’ perception of health news. As a result, it is thought that health news can make a significant difference on the health behaviour of individuals. It is important to pay attention to the quality of the news in this period, where the number of news reports on health and the interest of individuals in health news has increased.
Role of Marketing Mix Perception and Participation on Repurchase Intention of Health Consumers
Authors: Gümüş Rojan
Published: October 2022

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of product, price, promotion and place perception and participation of health care consumers on brand trust, brand loyalty and repurchase intention. The sample of the study consisted of 681 healthcare consumers living in Diyarbakır, Turkey. A hypothesized model was drawn from previous literature and a questionnaire with 41 items was developed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted to the model. According to the findings of the study while consumers mostly consider price strategies and quality of goods and services; place of hospital is not a major concern of themselves. Brand trust enhances brand loyalty and those two creates repurchase intention. Women and more educated groups are likely to consider products and promotion activities more. High income groups are affected by place of services. Women and users of private hospitals are more loyal, trust more and have repurchase intention. Additionally, promotion activities and participation of respondents were the most important factors to create brand trust and brand loyalty for healthcare institutions. Thus, hospitals can create their own brand values and enhance their success by the help of successful marketing strategies and satisfaction of customer and employee.
Immersion in Water Between 20-30oC Mediated Inflammations Marker to Reduced Pain Among Indonesian With Gout Arthritis: A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kurniasari Maria Dyah , Karwur Ferry Fredy , Rayanti Rosiana Eva , Shih Ya Wen , Yuliana Sri , Miao Nae Fang , Chou Kuei Ru , Shen Chia Jung , Tsai Hsiu Ting
Published: October 2022

Background

Gout is triggered by high urate levels and causes inflammation, pain, and an impaired quality of life. Immersion in water at 20–30°C reduces inflammation and pain in arthritis. Yet, relationships of immersion in water at 20–30°C with urate levels and the nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome have never been clarified.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the effects of immersion in water at 20–30°C on urate levels, the NLRP1 inflammasome, pain, and quality of life among acute gout patients.

Methods

A community-based randomized control trial design was used with 2 parallel-intervention groups: immersion in water at 20–30°C (20 min/day for 4 weeks) group and a control group. In total, 76 eligible participants in Tomohon City, Indonesia, were assigned using block randomization. We analyze the results (coef. β) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a generalized estimating equation model. We analyzed mediating effects using a path analysis.

Results

Significant pain alleviation ( β = −2.06 [95% CI = −2.67∼-1.45]; β = −2.42 [95% CI = −2.97∼-1.87]) and improved quality of life ( β = 5.34 [95% CI = 3.12–7.57]; β = 9.93 [95% CI = 7.02–12.83]) were detected at 2 and 4 weeks of follow-up compared to the pre-test and control group. Urate levels ( β = −0.34 [95% CI = −0.52∼-0.16]) were reduced at the 2-week follow-up, but there was no significant change in the NLRP1 inflammasome compared to the pre-test and control group after immersion in water at 20–30°C. Both the NLRP1 inflammasome ( β = −0.48 [95% CI = −0.63∼-0.34]); water 0.01) and urate levels ( β = −0.11 [95% CI = −0.24∼-0.03]; p < 0.01) had partial indirect (mediating) effects on the link between immersion in water at 20–30°C and pain at the 4-week follow-up.

Conclusions

Immersion in water at 20–30°C significantly decreased pain and increased the quality of life. Immersion in water at 20–30°C mediated NLRP1 and urate levels to decrease pain, although it had no significant effect on the NLRP1 inflammasome concentration after 4 weeks of follow-up and reduced urate levels only at 2 weeks after immersion in water at 20–30°C.
News literacy, fake news recognition, and authentication behaviors after exposure to fake news on social media
Authors: Chan Michael
Published: October 2022

The global problem of online disinformation has led scholars, educators, and other stakeholders in societies to emphasize the utility of news literacy to engender more critical news audiences. Using a survey among a representative online sample of citizens in Hong Kong ( N = 1485), this study examined how dispositional news literacy was related to individuals’ ability to discern real and fake COVID-related news on social media and their news authentication behaviors. Results showed that higher news literacy was related to greater ability to discern the veracity of real and fake news headlines; greater likelihood of certain internal acts of authentication when exposed to fake news (e.g. assessing content characteristics of the message); and greater likelihood to search online to verify fake news. The findings demonstrated the normative benefits of high dispositional news literacy among the general populace that can attenuate the effects of online disinformation.
Cognitive load at encoding hurts memory selectivity
Authors: Dubravac Mirela , Meier Beat
Published: October 2022

People remember more task-relevant information than task-irrelevant information, and this difference can be conceptualised as memory selectivity. Selectively attending and remembering relevant information is a key ability for goal-directed behaviour and is thus critical for leading an autonomous life. In the present study, we tested the influence of cognitive load on memory selectivity. Specifically, we investigated the effects of task switching, stimulus presentation duration, and preparation time during incidental learning in five experiments ( N = 351). For the study phase, we used two established task switching paradigms (cued and alternating runs). Participants were presented with picture–word pairs on which they performed one of two classification tasks. Depending on the task, participants had to attend to the picture or to the word. In a subsequent surprise recognition test, we assessed how well they remembered the targets and distractors. After 1 day or 1 week, a second recognition test assessed the longevity of the effects. Results showed that task switches (vs task repetitions), short (vs until response) stimulus duration, and short (vs long) preparation time reduced memory selectivity. The effect of preparation time was significant only in cued task switching but not in the alternating runs paradigm, highlighting the importance of advance cues for preparation effects on memory. With longer retention intervals, the effects washed out. In conclusion, higher cognitive load leads to lower selective attention and, consequently, to lower memory selectivity. The present study provides links between theories of attention, cognitive control, and memory.
Development of a medication review tool for residents in Korean long-term care facilities
Authors: Jun Kwanghee , Lee Soojin , Lee Ah young , Ah Young-Mi , Lee Ju-Yeun
Published: October 2022

Introduction:

Residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are likely to suffer from drug-related problems, such as inappropriate polypharmacy and potential prescribing omissions due to multimorbidity and high-level frailty. Medication reviews are thus necessary to identify and resolve drug-related problems in LTCF residents. In this study, we aimed to develop a medication review tool for older adults in LTCFs in Korea.

Methods:

We did a systematic review to identify previously developed explicit criteria and devised preliminary potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) list for the LTCF elderly from previous tools. Each item on this list was categorized into 23 underlying diseases/conditions, and the interventions necessary for each PIM were included. A two-round modified Delphi survey was performed sequentially for consensus evaluation of clinical appropriateness and feasibility of the list items by 12 experts (seven physicians in different specialties and five pharmacists specialized in geriatrics) and seven pharmacists, respectively.

Results:

We identified 22 existing tools and devised a preliminary PIM list including 100 items. Ninety-one items were derived from the two-round Delphi survey for clinical appropriateness. In the feasibility test, 77 items were integrated into the final medication review tool for the LTCF elderly. The final list was composed of items relating to PIMs in general (18), potential drug interactions (14), PIMs under specific diseases/conditions (26), a need for dose adjustment (2), and potential omissions (17).

Conclusions:

We developed a disease-category-based explicit medication review tool for detecting PIM use for LTCF residents. This tool may be helpful in implementing medication review practices to assist pharmacists or physicians for the elderly in LTCFs. Further research is required to validate the effectiveness of our tool in clinical practice.
Histopathological evaluation of the adrenal glands in a cat with primary hypoadrenocorticism and multiple endocrine disease
Authors: Roberts Emma , Dobromylskyj Melanie J
Published: October 2022

Case summary

A 6-year-old male neutered domestic longhair cat was referred for investigation of weight loss, hyporexia, vomiting and diarrhoea. The cat was diagnosed with primary hypoadrenocorticism, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, cobalamin deficiency and a chronic enteropathy, and started on therapeutic treatment. Diabetes mellitus developed 4.5 months later, and the cat was started on insulin therapy. The cat was euthanased 10 months following the diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism due to the development of status epilepticus, which was not associated with glucose or electrolyte abnormalities. Histopathological assessment of the adrenal glands at post-mortem examination documented lymphoplasmacytic adrenalitis, with the lymphocytic population being predominant. Immunohistochemical staining classified the lymphocytic infiltrate as T-cell rich, supportive of the cat’s hypoadrenocorticism being due to autoimmune disease.

Relevance and novel information

This case documents the novel use of immunohistochemical staining in combination with histopathology to further assess the adrenal glands in non-neoplastic-associated primary hypoadrenocorticism in a cat. This identified similar pathological changes to those previously described in dogs with autoimmune primary hypoadrenocorticism. Additionally, this is the first report of a cat with multiple endocrine disease that included primary hypoadrenocorticism and highlights that monitoring for the development of additional endocrine disease should be advised in these cases.
Myxomas and myxoid liposarcomas of the extremities: Our preliminary findings in conventional, perfusion, and diffusion magnetic resonance
Authors: Morán Luz M , Vega Jesús , Gómez-León Nieves , Royuela Ana
Published: October 2022

Background

The differentiation between myxomas and myxoid liposarcomas (MLPS) often is a serious challenge for the radiologists. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most useful imaging technique in characterization of the soft tissue tumors (STT).

Purpose

To evaluate in a sample of myxomas and MLPS of the extremities, what morphological findings in conventional MRI allow us to differentiate these two types of myxoid tumors, in addition to analyzing the validity of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI).

Material and Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging studies in myxomas and MLPS of extremities searched in our PACS between 2015 and 2019. All studies had conventional MRI with T1, T2, and PD SPAIR sequences, while DW-MRI with ADC mapping and perfusion MRI with a T1 sequence repeated for 4 minutes after contrast injection were additional sequences only in some explorations. Two radiologists evaluated independently the MRI studies by examining the qualitative parameters. Apparent diffusion coefficient values were calculated using two methods—ADC global and ADC solid, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were applied for analysis.

Results

The features were consistent with MLPS: size greater than 10 cm, heterogeneous signal on T1, and nodular enhancement, while the common findings for myxomas were a homogenously hypointense signal on T1 and diffuse peritumoral enhancement. The solid and global ADC values were higher in myxomas. We observed that the solid ADC value less than 2.06 x 10−3mm2 x s would support the diagnosis of MLPS against myxoma.

Conclusion

Overall, MRI with its different modalities improved the diagnostic accuracy when differentiating myxomas from MLPS of extremities.
Dentists’ Perceptions of Personal Infection Control Measurements in Response to COVID-19
Authors: Beltrán E.O. , Newton J.T. , Avila V. , Pitts N.B. , Castellanos J.E. , Tenuta L.M.A. , Martignon S.
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To explore through focus groups (FGs) the perceptions of dental practitioners (DPs) from different countries of the challenges of implementing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related biosafety measures, especially personal protection equipment (PPE), during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Methods:

DPs from Colombia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States were invited to participate in country-based FGs. These were facilitated by an experienced moderator who explored the factors that guided the implementation of COVID-19 related biosafety measures and PPE use. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis on the basis of categories defined by the researchers deductively and inductively.

Results:

A total of 25 DPs participated in 3 FGs (Colombia: n = 8; United Kingdom: n = 7; United States: n = 9) and 1 in an in-depth interview (Germany). DPs described using several processes to judge which guidance document to adopt and which aspects of the guidance were important in their practice. These included making judgments concerning the views of any indemnity organization to which the DPs were responsible, the staff’s views in the practice, and the views of patients. In the absence of a single overarching guidance document, DPs filtered the available information through several considerations to find a level of PPE that they deemed “implementable” in local practice.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that the implementation of evidence-based practice is subject to modification through a lens of what is “feasible” in practice.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

Clinicians, educators, and policy makers can use the results of this study to understand the process through which guidance is transformed into implementable patient care pathways in the dental practice.
Book review: Sekhar Bandyopadhyay & Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, Caste and Partition in Bengal: The Story of Dalit Refugees, 1946–1961
Authors: Saha Dhananjay
Published: October 2022

Sekhar Bandyopadhyay & Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, Caste and Partition in Bengal: The Story of Dalit Refugees, 1946–1961 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2022), 272 pp. ₹1,495, ISBN 978-0-19-285972-3 (Hardcover).
Therapeutic overexpression of miR-92a-2-5p ameliorated cardiomyocyte oxidative stress injury in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Yu Manli , Sun Yangyong , Shan Xinghua , Yang Fan , Chu Guojun , Chen Qian , Han Lin , Guo Zhifu , Wang Guokun
Published: October 2022

Background

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) results from pathological changes in cardiac structure and function caused by diabetes. Excessive oxidative stress is an important feature of DCM pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system. In the present study, we screened for the expression of oxidative stress-responsive miRNAs in the development of DCM. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the mechanism and therapeutic potential of miR-92a-2-5p in preventing diabetes-induced myocardial damage.

Methods

An experimental type 2 diabetic (T2DM) rat model was induced using a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (30 mg/kg). Oxidative stress injury in cardiomyocytes was induced by high glucose (33 mmol/L). Oxidative stress-responsive miRNAs were screened by quantitative real-time PCR. Intervention with miR-92a-2-5p was accomplished by tail vein injection of agomiR in vivo or adenovirus transfection in vitro.

Results

The expression of miR-92a-2-5p in the heart tissues was significantly decreased in the T2DM group. Decreased miR-92a-2-5p expression was also detected in high glucose-stimulated cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of miR-92a-2-5p attenuated cardiomyocyte oxidative stress injury, as demonstrated by increased glutathione level, and reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation, malondialdehyde and apoptosis levels. MAPK interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (MKNK2) was verified as a novel target of miR-92a-2-5p. Overexpression of miR-92a-2-5p in cardiomyocytes significantly inhibited MKNK2 expression, leading to decreased phosphorylation of p38-MAPK signaling, which, in turn, ameliorated cardiomyocyte oxidative stress injury. Additionally, diabetes-induced myocardial damage was significantly alleviated by the injection of miR-92a-2-5p agomiR, which manifested as a significant improvement in myocardial remodeling and function.

Conclusions

miR-92a-2-5p plays an important role in cardiac oxidative stress, and may serve as a therapeutic target in DCM.

Graphical Abstract