bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Wireless Sensor Network Access Control and Load Balancing in the Industrial Digital Twin Scenario
Authors: Zhou Wei
Published: January 2022

Wireless sensor networks which are based on distributed information processing technology are taking an increasingly key role in industrial digital twin scenarios. There are many important issues in the access of networks. One of the most important issues is how to improve network access control and the effectiveness of load balancing. Based on the industrial digital twin technology, this article first introduces several typical network access and network loads and performs tree-structured processing on the outliers generated during the chain formation process to reduce the length of the data transmission path, optimize the main chain head and subchain chain head selection strategy and chaining rules, and perform nonchain operations on common nodes and chain heads near sink to reduce data inverse transfer. The experimental results show that this paper uses the digital twin calculation formula to accurately and objectively determine the remaining cluster head and the distance head and the base station, so that when the node distance is limited, the network energy consumption can be balanced as much as possible, and the network load is promoted.
A New Hierarchical Temporal Memory Algorithm Based on Activation Intensity
Authors: Niu Dejiao , Yang Le , Cai Tao , Li Lei , Wu Xudong , Wang Zhidong
Published: January 2022

As a human-cortex-inspired computing model, hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) has shown great promise in sequence learning and has been applied to various time-series applications. HTM uses the combination of columns and neurons to learn the temporal patterns within the sequence. However, the conventional HTM model compacts the input into two naive column states—active and nonactive, and uses a fixed learning strategy. This simplicity limits the representation capability of HTM and ignores the impacts of active columns on learning the temporal context. To address these issues, we propose a new HTM algorithm based on activation intensity. By introducing the column activation intensity, more useful and fine-grained information from the input is retained for sequence learning. Furthermore, a self-adaptive nonlinear learning strategy is proposed where the synaptic connections are dynamically adjusted according to the activation intensity of columns. Extensive experiments are carried out on two real-world time-series datasets. Compared to the conventional HTM and LSTM model, our method achieved higher accuracy and less time overhead.
Fixed-Route vs. Demand-Responsive Transport Feeder Services: An Exploratory Study Using an Agent-Based Model
Authors: Calabrò Giovanni , Le Pira Michela , Giuffrida Nadia , Inturri Giuseppe , Ignaccolo Matteo , Correia Gonçalo H. de A.
Published: January 2022

Feeder transport services are fundamental as first and last-mile connectors of mass rapid transit (MRT). They are especially beneficial in low-demand areas where private transport is usually the main transport mode. Besides, the rapid spread of new technologies such as vehicle automation and the shared mobility paradigm gave rise to new mobility-on-demand modes that can dynamically match demand with service supply. In this context, the new generation of real-time demand-responsive transport services can act as on-demand feeders of MRT, but their performance needs to be compared with conventional fixed-route fixed-schedule feeders. This article aims at presenting an agent-based model able to simulate different feeder services and explore the conditions that make a demand-responsive feeder (DRF) service more or less attractive than a fixed-route fixed-schedule feeder (FRF). The parametric simulation environment creates realistic constraints and parameters that are usually not included in analytical models because of high computational complexity. First, we identified the critical demand density representing a switching point between the two services. Once the demand density is fixed, exploratory scenarios are tested by changing the demand spatial distribution and patterns, service area, and service configurations. Main results suggest that the DRF is to be preferred when the demand is spatially concentrated close to the MRT station (e.g., in a TOD-like land-use area) or when station spacing is quite high (e.g., a regional railway service), whereas the FRF performs better when the demand is mainly originated at the MRT station to any other destinations in the service area (e.g., during peak hours). Besides, automated vehicles could play a role in reducing the operator cost if the service is performed with many small vehicles rather than higher-capacity vehicles, even if this would not imply a major benefit gain for the users.
A Rare Case of Simultaneous Pheochromocytoma Accompanied with an Ileocecal Neuroendocrine Tumor
Authors: Eltawil Karim M. , Whalen Carly , Leal Julie N. , MacDonald John Kelly , Prowse Owen
Published: January 2022

The detection rates of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rising, which has led to a better understanding of their histopathologic characteristics. We present a case of adrenal pheochromocytoma with an incidental finding of a concurrent ileocecal NET detected on early post-adrenalectomy imaging. A 59-year-old male was noted to have microscopic hematuria on a routine workup. Further imaging identified a right adrenal lesion suggestive of pheochromocytoma. He was reporting intermittent headaches, and his urinary normetanephrine and norepinephrine levels were elevated. He underwent a right retroperitoneal adrenalectomy, and pathology confirmed a pheochromocytoma with no malignancy. Postoperatively, he developed a hematoma at the surgical bed that was identified on CT scan. An incidental lesion at the level of the ileocecal valve was noted on the CT scan as well. This was further investigated by colonoscopy and biopsy that confirmed a carcinoid tumor. He had no gastrointestinal symptoms, chromogranin A was normal, and 24-h urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid levels were slightly elevated. He subsequently underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy 3 months from his initial adrenalectomy. Final pathology confirmed a grade 2 NET with metastatic involvement of 4 regional lymph nodes. We report an extremely rare case of simultaneous pheochromocytoma accompanied with an ileocecal NET. Genetic testing for multiple endocrine neoplasia was undertaken and was found negative for 9 tested genes.
Urine Proteomics for Noninvasive Monitoring of Biomarkers in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Ahmed Saima , Odumade Oludare A. , van Zalm Patrick , Smolen Kinga K. , Fujimura Kimino , Muntel Jan , Rotunno Melissa S. , Winston Abigail B. , Steen Judith A. , Parad Richard B. , Van Marter Linda J. , Kourembanas Stella , Steen Hanno
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Current techniques to diagnose and/or monitor critically ill neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) require invasive sampling of body fluids, which is suboptimal in these frail neonates. We tested our hypothesis that it is feasible to use noninvasively collected urine samples for proteomics from extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs) at risk for BPD to confirm previously identified proteins and biomarkers associated with BPD. Methods: We developed a robust high-throughput urine proteomics methodology that requires only 50 μL of urine. We utilized the methodology with a proof-of-concept study validating proteins previously identified in invasively collected sample types such as blood and/or tracheal aspirates on urine collected within 72 h of birth from ELGANs (gestational age [26 ± 1.2] weeks) who were admitted to a single Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), half of whom eventually developed BPD (n = 21), while the other half served as controls (n = 21). Results: Our high-throughput urine proteomics approach clearly identified several BPD-associated changes in the urine proteome recapitulating expected blood proteome changes, and several urinary proteins predicted BPD risk. Interestingly, 16 of the identified urinary proteins are known targets of drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Conclusion: In addition to validating numerous proteins, previously found in invasively collected blood, tracheal aspirate, and bronchoalveolar lavage, that have been implicated in BPD pathophysiology, urine proteomics also suggested novel potential therapeutic targets. Ease of access to urine could allow for sequential proteomic evaluations for longitudinal monitoring of disease progression and impact of therapeutic intervention in future studies.
MicroRNA Expression Profiles as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers of Perinatal Asphyxia and Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy
Authors: Winkler Ira , Heisinger Tatjana , Hammerl Marlene , Huber Eva , Urbanek Martina , Kiechl-Kohlendorfer Ursula , Griesmaier Elke , Posod Anna
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Perinatal asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal death. Up to one-third of asphyxiated neonates suffer from hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) with substantial long-term morbidity. Currently available diagnostic and prognostic tools bear limitations, and additional reliable biomarkers are needed for all stages of clinical management. A novel tool in neuroscientific research is micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) profiling. The aim of the present study was to determine miRNA expression profiles of healthy and asphyxiated neonates with and without HIE and to assess their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 49 neonates with a gestational age of ≥36 weeks, 15 of which fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of perinatal asphyxia and 34 served as healthy controls. Dried blood spots were collected from umbilical cord blood (UCB) and from venous blood upon admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at 48 h of life. Samples were analysed by means of FirePlex™ technology (Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA). Results: In the UCB, miRNA expression levels of hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-1285-5p, and hsa-mir-331-5p were significantly lower in asphyxiated neonates compared to healthy controls. Asphyxiated neonates requiring therapeutic hypothermia had significantly increased expression of hsa-miR-30e-5p and significantly decreased expression of hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-338-3p, hsa-miR-34b-3p, hsa-miR-497-5p, and hsa-miR-98-5p at the time of admission to the NICU. At 48 h, infants suffering from moderate/severe HIE with a poor long-term neurodevelopmental outcome showed a significant increase in hsa-mir-145-5p. Discussion/Conclusion: MiRNA profiling shows promise as a biomarker for perinatal asphyxia, hypothermia-requiring HIE, and poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Confirmatory studies are called for.
Jaw-Opening Force as a Useful Index for Dysphagia: A Cross-Sectional and Multi-Institutional Study
Authors: Yanagida Ryosuke , Hara Koji , Iida Takatoshi , Tohara Takashi , Tamada Yasushi , Minakuchi Shunsuke , Namiki Chizuru , Okumura Takuma , Tohara Haruka
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Jaw-opening force (JOF) can be a potential screening tool for dysphagia. However, confounding variables such as comorbidities or physical and oral functions that are associated with the physiology of swallowing have not previously been examined. Adjusting for these variables could reveal the relationship between JOF and dysphagia and indicate whether JOF is an independent factor associated with dysphagia. We therefore aimed to assess the efficacy of using JOF for dysphagia screening in this multi-institutional study. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults over the age of 65 years (N = 403) who visited the university dental hospitals and participated in health surveys (mean age ± standard deviation, 77.1 ± 7.0 years; range, 65–96 years) between November 2018 and January 2020 were included in this study. The JOFs of all participants were measured. The measured JOF was compared with the presence of dysphagia, which was defined using the Functional Oral Intake Scale and the Eating Assessment Tool-10. Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of dysphagia was independently associated with JOF, calf circumference, and dependence after adjusting for age and sex. Discussion/Conclusion: Decreased JOF can be a risk factor for dysphagia in older adults.
Controlled Subretinal Injection Pressure Prevents Damage in Pigs
Authors: Olufsen Madeline Evers , Spindler Liva , Sørensen Nina Buus , Christiansen Anders Tolstrup , Alberti Mark , Heegaard Steffen , Kiilgaard Jens Folke
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Administration of retinal gene and stem cell therapy in patients with retinal degenerative diseases is in many cases dependent on a subretinal approach. It has been indicated that manual subretinal injection is associated with outer retinal damage, which may be explained by a high flow rate in the injection cannula. In the present porcine study, we evaluated flow-related retinal damage after controlled subretinal injection at different flow rates. Methods: The flow rate through a 41G cannula was estimated at different injection pressures (6–48 pounds per square inch [PSI]) in an in vitro setup. A linear correlation between the flow rate and injection pressure was found from 6 to 32 PSI. In full anesthesia, 12 pigs were vitrectomized and received a controlled subretinal injection of 300 μL balanced saline solution at injection pressures of 14, 24, and 32 PSI (four in each group). Prior to surgery and 2 and 4 weeks after surgery, the eyes were examined by multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) and fundus photographs. At the end of follow-up, the eyes were enucleated for histology. Results: The in vitro flow study determined that the flow in a 41G cannula shifts from laminar to turbulent at 32 PSI and that the manual injection flow is turbulent. In the porcine study, we showed a significant difference in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) damage between the three pressure groups (p = 0.0096). There was no significant difference in damage to the outer retina (p = 0.1526), but the high-pressure group (32 PSI) had the most outer retinal damage. The middle-pressure group (24 PSI) showed minimum retinal damage. There was no significant change in the mfERG ratios during follow-up. Discussion/Conclusion: This study indicates that an injection pressure at approximately 24 PSI might be safe for subretinal delivery. Retinal damage at low injection pressures may be explained by mechanical damage to the RPE due to prolonged needle time in the subretinal space, while retinal damage at high pressures can be related to high flow in the injection cannula. Controlled subretinal injection pressure of 24 PSI showed minimum mechanical- and flow-related damage to the porcine retina.
Systematic Review of Sex Differences in Ischemic Strokes Among Young Adults: Are Young Women Disproportionately at Risk?
Authors: Leppert Michelle H. , Burke James F. , Lisabeth Lynda D. , Madsen Tracy E. , Kleindorfer Dawn O. , Sillau Stefan , Schwamm Lee H. , Daugherty Stacie L. , Bradley Cathy J. , Ho P. Michael , Poisson Sharon N.
Published: January 2022

Background and Purpose:

Recent evidence suggests that young women (18–45 years) may be at higher risk of ischemic strokes than men of the same age. The goal of this systematic review is to reconcile and synthesize existing evidence of sex differences among young adults with ischemic strokes.

Methods:

We searched PubMed from January 2008 to July 2021 for relevant articles and reviews and consulted their references. We included original studies that (1) were population based and (2) reported stroke incidence by sex or sex-specific incidence rate ratios of young adults ≤45 years. We excluded studies that (1) omitted measurements of error for incidence rates or incidence rate ratios, (2) omitted age adjustment, and (3) were not in English. Statistical synthesis was performed to estimate sex difference by age group (≤35, 35–45, and ≤45) and stroke type.

Results:

We found 19 studies that reported on sex-specific stroke incidence among young adults, including 3 that reported on overlapping data. Nine studies did not find a statistically significant sex difference among young adults ≤45 years. Three studies found higher rates of ischemic stroke among men among young adults ≥30 to 35 years. Four studies found more women with ischemic strokes among young adults ≤35 years. Overall, in young adults ≤35 years, the estimated effect size favored more ischemic strokes in women (incidence rate ratio, 1.44 [1.18–1.76],
I
2
=82%) and a nonsignificant sex difference in young adults 35 to 45 years (incidence rate ratio, 1.08 [0.85–1.38],
I
2
=95%).

Conclusions:

Overall, there were 44% more women ≤35 years with ischemic strokes than men. This gap narrows in young adults, 35 to 45 years, and there is conflicting evidence whether more men or women have ischemic strokes in the 35 to 45 age group.
Truth and Semiotic Phenomenology
Authors: Zhao Yiheng , Liu Na
Published: January 2022

Truth is the core issue of any theory of meaning, and the pursuit of truth is the fundamental driving force of human consciousness. Is the appearance of truth true? In what sense is it truth? How do we obtain truth? Can a final truth be obtained? These are among the most difficult questions to answer in the theory of meaning and the best divergence points in various meaning theories. Peirce’s semiotic phenomenology puts forward a view of truth that can be grasped clearly but is nevertheless complex and different from pragmatism. First, meaning activity is the pursuit of truth. Second, no semiotic representation can be totally untrue or completely true. Third, to access truth there must be an accumulation of semiotic activities until the consensus of a community is reached, called a ‘communitarian truth’. Fourth, since the community has no boundaries, the infinite derivative of symbolic text can gradually approach the ideal truth.
Euconnus Thomson of Japan: redescriptions of species established by Reitter, Sharp and Franz, new synonyms, and summary of current state of knowledge (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: January 2022

To date, twenty-seven valid species names in the Stenichnini genus Euconnus Thomson have been recognized in the fauna of Japan. The present paper summarizes the current knowledge of Japanese Euconnus, and for the first time properly illustrated redescriptions of E. debilis (Sharp), E. dulcis Sharp, E. fustiger (Sharp), E. impar Sharp, E. japonicus (Sharp), E. oscillans Sharp, and E. raucus Sharp are given, based on type specimens. Lectotypes are designated for Euconnus dulcis Sharp Euconnus lewisii Sharp, Euconnus impar Sharp, Euconnus schoenfeldti Reitter, Scydmaenus japonicus Sharp, and Scydmaenus debilis Sharp. Euconnus schoenfeldti Reitter syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of E. fustiger (Sharp); E. ohnoensis Hoshina syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of E. japonicus (Sharp); E. kusunokii Hoshina syn. n. and E. itsuki Hoshina syn. n. are placed as junior synonyms of E. takachihoi Hoshina; and E. hosakae Hoshina, Fukutomi & Watanabe syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of E. tsugaruensis Hoshina & Arai. Placement of E. lewisii Sharp and E. miyawakianus Franz as junior synonyms of E. fustiger is confirmed. Euconnus iouzensis Hoshina & Nakata, E. kojiroi Hoshina, E. kumejimensis Hoshina, E. miyatai Hoshina, E. sayaka Hoshina, E. sayo Hoshina, E. takachihoi Hoshina, E. touko Hoshina, E. unpini Hoshina, and E. yoshidai Hoshina have been inadequately or inaccurately described and require redescriptions to become identifiable. Status of some of these names (i.e., valid vs. possibly junior synonyms) may be difficult to clarify because the aedeagi of unique holotype males have been improperly prepared and strongly deformed. The current state of knowledge of Japanese Euconnus is discussed and it is concluded that status of many recently described species remains unclear and further work will be difficult because of inadequate descriptions and preparation methods.
A taxonomic revision of the Bothynus villiersi Endrödi, 1968 species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)
Authors: DUARTE PAULO R. M. , GROSSI PASCHOAL C. , DUPUIS FABIEN
Published: January 2022

The Bothynus villiersi species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini) is revised and is composed of five South American species: Bothynus villiersi Endrödi, 1968; Bothynus horridus Endrödi, 1968; Bothynus alvarengai Martínez, 1983; Bothynus spinophallicus (Ratcliffe & Cave, 2021) new combination; and Bothynus belemensis new species. Redescriptions, illustrations, new diagnostic characters, identification key, and a first known geographical distribution map for the group are presented.
Impact of traumatic life events on clinical variables of individuals with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls
Authors: Butjosa Anna , Usall Judith , Vila-Badia Regina , Mezquida Gisela , Cuesta Manuel J , Rodríguez-Toscano Elisa , Amoretti Silvia , Lobo Antonio , González-Pinto Ana , Espliego Ana , Corripio Iluminada , Vieta Eduard , Baeza Inmaculada , Bergé Dani , Bernardo Miguel , Bioque Miquel , García-Rizo Clemente , Mayoral María , Merchan Jessica , Alonso-Solís Anna , Rabella Mireia , López Purificación , Zorrilla Iñaki , De-la-Cámara Concepción , Barcones Fe , Sanjuan Julio , Dolores Moltó Mª , Morro Laura , Monserrat Clara , Verdolini Norma , Salagre Estela , la Serna Elena de , Castro-Fornieles Josefina , Contreras Fernández Fernando , Saiz Masvidal Cristina , Paz Garcia-Portilla Maria , Bousoño Manuel , Gutiérrez Fraile Miguel , Zabala Rabadán Arantzazu , Dompablo Mónica , Rodriguez-Jimenez Roberto , Rubio-Abadal Elena , Pardo Marta , Sarró Salvador , Pomarol-Clotet Edith , Ibanez Angela , Sánchez-Torres Ana M. , Selva-Vera Gabriel
Published: January 2022

Background:

Traumatic life events (TLEs) are one of the most robust environmental risk factors for the onset of first-episode psychosis (FEP).

Aims:

To explore TLEs in FEP patients and healthy controls (HC), to analyze gender differences and to examine whether TLEs were associated with sociodemographic, clinical and psychofunctional variables in all FEP sample and split by age.

Methods:

Descriptive and cross-sectional study. Three hundred and thirty-five FEP and 253 HC were recruited at 16 Spanish mental health research centers. The Traumatic Experiences in Psychiatric Outpatients Questionnaire was administered.

Results:

We found a higher number of TLEs in FEP than in HC, and the proportion of individuals with three or more TLEs was significantly higher in the FEP group. No differences were found in terms of gender and age. There was no relationship between total number of TLEs and psychotic symptomatology and functional outcomes.

Conclusions:

The number and cumulative TLEs should be taken into account in the detection, epidemiology and process of recovery in FEP.
High-density grazing in southern Africa: Inspiration by nature leads to conservation?
Authors: Franke A C , Kotzé E
Published: January 2022

High-density grazing is a form of rangeland management aiming to strategically mimic the ways grasslands are utilized by grazers in natural situations. It aims to regenerate grasslands by improving soil and vegetation productivity and diversity. More recently, high-density grazing systems have been promoted as a key approach to mitigating climate change by increasing the amount of carbon sequestered in grassland soils. In this article, we describe the historical background of grazing and rangeland degradation in southern Africa, the principles of high-density grazing, and the problems it aims to address. We briefly discuss evidence of the potential benefits of high-density grazing, though we do not aim to provide an exhaustive review on this. We explore to what extent high-density grazing can be regarded as representative of grazing in natural ecosystems and whether the assumed link between nature and high-density grazing has been helpful in capitalizing on the potential merits of high-density grazing. While high-density grazing may represent a form of sustainable rangeland management, the main attractiveness to farmers likely relates to potential increases in livestock densities and associated productivity per unit area, as well as to potential management and social benefits. Learning from nature and inspiration by nature can play an important role in the development and communication of sustainable grazing management systems. However, it is questionable to what extent high-density grazing systems can be seen as more representative of natural ecosystems than other grazing management systems. The claimed ecological superiority of high-density grazing because of its association with nature has polarised and blurred the discussion on the potential merits of high-density grazing. Moreover, the supposed relationship between nature and high-density grazing may have led to an overselling of high-density grazing principles and an embracement of them by policy makers and development agencies without sufficient empirical basis.
Interpersonal Synchronization Protects Against the Antisocial Outcomes of Frustration
Authors: Dybowski Karol , Raczka Barbara , Postarnak Svetlana , Castro São Luís , Silva Susana
Published: January 2022

Prosociality improves with interpersonal synchronization—the temporal coordination of movement across individuals. We tested whether the benefits of interpersonal synchronization extend to temporary circumstances of induced frustration, where negative changes in prosociality are expected as a result. Participants performed two joint tasks—synchronization versus non-synchronization. Each task was performed twice, with high versus low induced frustration. After each joint task, prosociality was measured both with explicit tests, in which participants were aware of the test goal, and implicit ones, where they were less aware. Frustration levels per task were also reported. Results showed that increase in frustration led to decrease in implicit prosociality after the non-synchronization task, but not after synchronization, suggesting that interpersonal synchronization attenuates the antisocial outcomes of frustration. In addition, our study highlights the advantages of implicit measures of prosociality, among which the test we created (Interpersonal Trust Test) may stand as a useful resource in future experimental research.
Embodiment in activist images: addressing the role of the body in digital activism
Authors: Gonzalez Dr. Victoria
Published: January 2022

When studying digital protest, researchers generally focus on the linguistic content produced by activists and supporters. The images associated with this content, however, are not given equal attention. This study will attempt to assess the role that images play in the narratives of activists who are not addressing issues explicitly tied to the physical body. I analyze the digital content of two social movements: ‘The Occupy Wall Street Movement’ and ‘The Swan Queen Movement’. Discourse analysis, both linguistic and visual, of the social media content (Tumblr specifically) from the movements reveals that these images serve the purposes of embodiment. This contradicts much of the literature on the Internet and embodiment, which posits that the Internet better serves the purposes of disembodiment and disconnection from consistent identity practices. I argue that this work sheds light on how activists are re-defining what it means to be embodied.
The Playground of Big Tobacco? Discourse Network Analysis of the Cigarette Advertising Debate and Policy in Indonesia
Authors: Murti Desideria C. W. , Nur Ratriyana Ina
Published: January 2022

This study contributes to an understanding of the discourses of cigarette advertising which intersect within policy debate, media exposure, and the interests of a debate’s primary actors. The policy refers to the existing legislation that has been evolved for ten years. Meanwhile, the debate refers to the nuance of banning the cigarette advertisement in fully or partially form of regulation. It identifies and maps discourse coalitions that emerged as part of Indonesia’s cigarette advertising debate (2010–2020) through an analysis of the main actors’ use of arguments during media coverage of the policy. The findings highlight the contested ground—as well as nature—of the cigarette advertising debate and policy in Indonesia. The current research was able to map the actors, arguments, target audience, as well as channels and impacts of the debate over the evolution of policy in the nation. As implied, the current research engages in the critical use of Lasswell’s model in communication and the process of constructing policy with the strong ties of interest from organizations behind the discourse.
Traduire l’inégale distribution des revenus et des diplômes : Une évaluation de l’efficacité stratificationniste de la nomenclature des PCS, de l’ESeG et de la grille en classes d’emploi
Authors: Descamps David , Foudi Agathe
Published: January 2022

Les nomenclatures professionnelles comptent parmi les principaux outils d’objectivation de la structure d’une société et sont parfois mobilisées pour appréhender les inégalités en son sein. L’enjeu de cet article est de proposer une série d’instruments visant à apprécier leur capacité à rendre compte de l’inégale distribution des ressources entre groupes sociaux. Pour cela, nous nous focalisons sur l’étude de trois nomenclatures : la PCS-2003 (Professions et Catégories Socioprofessionnelles) ainsi que la grille en classes d’emploi de l’INSEE, et la classification européenne ESeG. Après avoir rappelé leurs principes et objectifs, nous présentons les méthodes par lesquelles s’opère habituellement l’évaluation de la qualité des nomenclatures professionnelles et montrons qu’elles ne visent pas à saisir leur pouvoir d’objectivation de la stratification sociale. En nous basant sur les instruments traditionnels d’analyse des inégalités que sont les fractiles, nous proposons alors deux séries d’outils destinés à mesurer l’efficacité des classifications professionnelles à refléter la pente, la forme et l’ étendue des inégalités qui traversent une population. Munis de ces outils et des données de l’enquête Emploi 2017, nous montrons qu’au niveau agrégé des nomenclatures étudiées, c’est la grille en 4 classes d’emploi qui parvient le mieux à restituer l’inégale distribution des revenus et des diplômes entre groupes de populations tandis qu’au niveau détaillé, c’est plutôt la PCS. Nous terminons en avançant quelques propositions de recomposition de certaines catégories de la PCS et de la grille en classes d’emploi afin d’améliorer leur efficacité stratificationniste au niveau détaillé.
Investigating gender in a world of gender consciousness
Authors: Jaunait Alexandre
Published: January 2022

For better or worse, it has become difficult to conduct research in the social sciences without encountering gender, even well beyond fields that specifically focus on it. Since the advent of gender studies as a discipline, the concept has gained momentum both as a social fact and structure of social action, and as the analytic category through which these are conceptualised. This special issue of the BMS is embedded in the idea that the analysis of gender itself is indissociable from the history of the concept, and that the increasing spread of this notion throughout society has an impact on the way(s) gender is investigated. In the space of just a few decades the world has evolved from one in which researchers were working to give consistency to a nameless force, to one which is now gender conscious, where gender is mobilised, criticised, claimed, resisted, and debated. In a gender conscious world, the rules of research are changing. The notion of gender consciousness that is proposed here borrows carefully from research in the sociology of law developed under the name legal consciousness studies (LCS). The fact that there are different definitions of gender that compete with each other does not prevent us from considering that there is gender, and we may even consider that the proliferation of definitions participates in the stability of the social phenomenon we are studying, just as, for the theorists of LCS, the multiple representations of the law contribute to its hegemony. One of the central issues here is the problematization of the dialectic between categories of practice and categories of analysis, with a focus on the methodological and epistemological questions of these studies. This ‘return to the field’ will provide answers to these questions, beginning with a personal summary overview of what feminist epistemologies (I) and feminist methodologies (II) have contributed to social sciences, before moving on to contemporary research questions that emerge through the prism of gender consciousness (III).
Dermatomyositis Related Paraneoplastic Encephalitis Presenting as Terminal Delirium in the Palliative Care Unit – A Case Report
Authors: Lou Kelvin , Minhas Shikha , Nayar Shalini
Published: January 2022

Advanced cancers can have many complications including paraneoplastic processes such as dermatomyositis, hypercalcemia and encephalitis. Due to the wide-ranging nature of symptoms, the diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and often requires a clinical diagnosis while awaiting for laboratory confirmation. Managing paraneoplastic phenomenon at the end of life requires robust goals of care conversations to determine what the patient is willing to go through to achieve specific goals. We present the case of a 50-year-old male with a history of squamous cell carcinoma presenting as unresolving delirium secondary to paraneoplastic encephalitis.
Pilot Social Network Weight Loss Intervention With Two Immigrant Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Wieland Mark L. , Njeru Jane W. , Asiedu Gladys B. , Zeratsky Katherine A. , Clark Matthew M. , Goetze Rachel , Patten Christi A. , Kelpin Sydney S. , Novotny Paul , Lantz Kiley , Ahmed Yahye , Molina Luz , Porraz Capetillo Graciela , Osman Ahmed , Goodson Miriam , Sia Irene
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a social network weight loss intervention delivered by lay health promoters (HPs) to immigrant populations.

Design

Single-arm, non-randomized, pilot study of a social network weight loss intervention developed by a community-based participatory research partnership and delivered by HPs.

Setting

Community-based setting in Southeastern Minnesota, United States.

Sample

Somali and Hispanic immigrants to the United States: 4 social networks of adults (2 Hispanic and 2 Somali) with 39 network participants.

Intervention

Twelve-week behavioral weight loss intervention delivered by HPs (4 weeks in-person and then 8 weeks virtual).

Measures

Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and retention rates. Acceptability was assessed by surveys and focus groups with HPs and participants. Behavioral measures included servings of fruits and vegetables, drinking soda, and physical activity. Physiologic measures included weight, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Analysis

Paired t-tests of pre- to post-intervention changes at the end of 12 weeks of treatment.

Results

Recruitment was feasible and post-intervention was 100%. Participants highly rated the intervention on satisfaction, motivation, and confidence to eat a healthy diet, be physically active, and lose weight. Participants were motivated by group social support and cohesion of their social networks. On average, participants lost weight (91.6 ± 15.9 to 89.7 ± 16.6 kg, P < .0001), lowered their systolic blood pressure (133.9±16.9 to 127.2 ± 15.8 mm Hg; P < .001), lowered their diastolic blood pressure (81 ± 9.5 to 75.8 ± 9.6 mm Hg; P < .0001), had more servings of vegetables per day (1.9 ± 1.2 to 2.6 ± 1.4; P < .001), and increased their physical activity (2690 ± 3231 to 6595 ± 7322 MET-minutes per week; P = .02).

Conclusion

This pilot study of 2 immigrant communities who participated in a peer-led weight loss social network intervention delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated high feasibility and acceptability. Participants lost weight, improved their health status, and improved their health behaviors.
Current costs of dialysis modalities: A comprehensive analysis within the United Kingdom
Authors: Roberts Gareth , Holmes Jennifer , Williams Gail , Chess James , Hartfiel Ned , Charles Joanna M , McLauglin Leah , Noyes Jane , Edwards Rhiannon Tudor
Published: January 2022

Background:

Previous evidence suggests home-based dialysis to be more cost-effective than unit-based or hospital-based dialysis. However, previous analyses to quantify the costs of different dialysis modalities have used varied perspectives, different methods, and required assumptions due to lack of available data. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence reports uncertainty about the differences in costs between home-based and unit-based dialysis. This uncertainty limits the ability of policy makers to make recommendations based on cost effectiveness, which also impacts on the ability of budget holders to model the impact of any service redesign and to understand which therapies deliver better value. The aim of our study was to use a combination of top-down and bottom-up costing methods to determine the direct medical costs of different dialysis modalities in one UK nation (Wales) from the perspective of the National Health Service (NHS).

Methods:

Detailed hybrid top-down and bottom-up micro-costing methods were applied to estimate the direct medical costs of dialysis modalities across Wales. Micro-costing data was obtained from commissioners of the service and from interviews with renal consultants, nurses, accountants, managers and allied health professionals. Top-down costing information was obtained from the Welsh Renal Clinical Network (who commission renal services across Wales) and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust.

Results:

The annual direct cost per patient for home-based modalities was £16,395 for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), £20,295 for automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and £23,403 for home-based haemodialysis (HHD). The annual cost per patient for unit-based modalities depended on whether or not patients required ambulance transport. Excluding transport, the cost of dialysis was £19,990 for satellite units run in partnership with independent sector providers and £23,737 for hospital units managed and staffed by the NHS. When ambulance transport was included, the respective costs were £28,931 and £32,678, respectively.

Conclusion:

Our study is the most comprehensive analysis of the costs of dialysis undertaken thus far in the United Kingdom and clearly demonstrate that CAPD is less costly than other dialysis modalities. When ambulance transport costs are included, other home therapies (APD and HHD) are also less costly than unit-based dialysis. This detailed analysis of the components that contribute to dialysis costs will help inform future cost-effectiveness studies, inform healthcare policy and drive service redesign.
The association between lupus serology and disease outcomes: A systematic literature review to inform the treat-to-target approach in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kostopoulou Myrto , Ugarte-Gil Manuel F , Pons-Estel Bernardo , van Vollenhoven Ronald F , Bertsias George
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Serological markers such as anti-double stranded (ds)DNA antibodies and complement fractions C3/C4, are integral components of disease activity assessment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it remains uncertain whether treatment should aim at restoration of serological abnormalities.

Objectives

To analyze and critically appraise the literature on the prognostic impact of active lupus serology despite clinical disease quiescence.

Methods

A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed and EMBASE using the PICOT(S) (population, index, comparator, outcome(s), timing, setting) system to identify studies evaluating the association of serum anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4 levels assessed at the time of clinical remission or during the disease course, against the risk for impending flares and organ damage. Risk of bias was determined by the Quality in Prognosis Studies and ROB2 tools for observational and randomized controlled studies, respectively.

Results

Fifty-three studies were eligible, the majority having moderate (70.6%) or high (11.8%) risk of bias and not adequately controlling for possible confounders. C3 hypocomplementemia during stable/inactive disease was associated with increased risk (2.0 to 3.8-fold) for subsequent flare in three out of seven relevant studies. Three out of four studies reported a significant effect of C4 hypocomplementemia on flare risk, including one study in lupus nephritis (likelihood ratio-positive 12.0). An increased incidence of flares (2.0 to 2.8-fold) was reported in 11 out of 16 studies assessing the prognostic effect of high anti-dsDNA, and similarly, the majority of studies yielded significant relationships with renal flares. Six studies examined the effect of combined (rather than individual) serological activity, confirming the increased risk (2.0 to 2.7-fold) for relapses. No consistent association was found with organ damage.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding the heterogeneity and risk of bias, existing evidence indicates a modest association between abnormal serology and risk for flare in patients with stable/inactive SLE. These findings provide limited support for inclusion of serology in the treat-to-target approach but rationalize to further investigate their prognostic implications especially in lupus nephritis.
Targets of Tripterygium glycosides in systemic lupus erythematosus treatment: A network-pharmacology study
Authors: Xiao Lu , Xiao Wei , Zhan Feng
Published: January 2022

Objective

We aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of Tripterygium glycosides (TGs) in treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through network-pharmacology approach.

Methods

The protein targets of TGs’ three active ingredients (triptolide, tripterine, and wilforlide) and SLE were identified by database search. Then, the intersection of the two groups was studied. The drug–target network between the active ingredients of TGs and the overlapping genes was constructed, visualized, and analyzed with Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment were performed to analyze these genes. Finally, we validated our predictions of the potential targets through docking study.

Results

A total of 55 overlapping genes were discovered. Results suggested that the TGs’ mechanism in SLE treatment was associated with heat shock protein family A member 5, heat shock protein family A member 8, eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1, and so forth with their related 4042 gene network, which regulated ribosome, spliceosome, viral carcinogenesis, Epstein–Barr virus infection signaling, and so forth. Molecular-docking analysis proved that hydrogen bonding was the main form of interaction.

Conclusions

Our research provided the protein targets affected by TGs in SLE treatment. The key targets (CASP3, MAPK1, HIF1A, and so forth) involving 4042 proteins became the multitarget mechanism of TGs in SLE treatment.
Performance, Well-Being, Motivation, and Identity in an Age of Abundant Data: Introduction to the “Well-Measured Life” Special Issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science
Authors: Goldstone Robert L.
Published: January 2022

Our lives are being measured in rapidly increasing ways and frequency. These measurements have beneficial and deleterious effects at both individual and social levels. Behavioral measurement technologies offer the promise of helping us to know ourselves better and to improve our well-being by using personalized feedback and gamification. At the same time, they present threats to our privacy, self-esteem, and motivation. At the societal level, the potential benefits of reducing bias and decision variability by using objective and transparent assessments are offset by threats of systematic, algorithmic bias from invalid or flawed measurements. Considerable technological progress, careful foresight, and continuous scrutiny will be needed so that the positive impacts of behavioral measurement technologies far outweigh the negative ones.
Digital Life Data in the Clinical Whitespace
Authors: Coppersmith Glen
Published: January 2022

In our increasingly digital world, aspects of our lives are encoded in the routine interactions we have with technology. Over the past few years, psychologists and technologists have been exploring what possibilities these digital life data might hold for improving mental health and well-being. Here I examine some of the recent advances in this field, particularly in the use of language data; consider the ethical and pragmatic implications of this technology; and examine a few areas where I believe these advances could significantly alter the way in which mental health and well-being are approached. This technology holds special promise for providing information about a patient’s life in between clinical encounters, in the clinical whitespace.
Queer Conflicts, Concept Capture and Category Co-Option: The Importance of Context in the State Collection and Recording of Sex/Gender Data
Authors: Collier Ben , Cowan Sharon
Published: January 2022

Queer, trans and non-binary lives, bodies, relationships, and communities often complicate the taken-for-granted processes through which the state manages those under its power. In this article, we explore the forms of power and harm at play in attempts to quantify people through administrative processes of state data collection about sex and gender, and in the current UK and Scottish context, examine some of the sites for wider conflicts over constructions of sex and gender in public life. We emphasise the need to collect sex/gender data in ways that reflect the intersectional lives of data ‘subjects.’ We also suggest that governments and public bodies should not adopt a unitary definition of sex or gender in data collection exercises such as the census, or other administrative categories such as criminal justice records, and argue those who lobby to record ‘sex not gender’ in data collection are engaging in a strategy of concept capture (reducing sex to a binary, biological model that excludes trans and non-binary people) through the co-option of a number of administrative and legal categories across a wide range of social and political fora. We conclude by recommending that public bodies asking about sex and gender should: co-produce questions with the community that is being surveyed; ensure that the wording of each question, and its rubric, is sensitive to the context in which it is asked and the purpose for which it is intended; and avoid attempting to offer any overarching standard definition of sex or gender that would be applicable in all circumstances. To engage in meaningful sex/gender data collection and recording that does not cause harm, governments and public bodies should avoid relying on reductive, over-simplistic and generalistic categories that are designed to fit the standardised norm. In being attentive to individual contexts, needs and interests when formulating categories and records, they can make space for more intersectional experiences to be made visible.