bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semantic Parameters, Cognitive Models, and Mental Units
Authors: Morras Javier
Published: July 2022

The paper explores the relationship between the linguistic and the conceptual system. The author argues for two main types of information that are vital for linguistically mediated communication. These are cognitive models and frames, and semantic parameters. Cognitive models and frames are rich coherent non-linguistic bodies of knowledge that are generally associated with open-class items. On the other hand, semantic parameters are bundles of schematic information that constitute part of the semantic pole of a symbolic unit and might be divided into conceptual and linguistic. The paper illustrates the two main types of information and seeks a unified account of their conceptual relations.
Two Ways to Blend: The Hidden Complexities of Simplex Networks
Authors: Papišta Žolt
Published: July 2022

The notion of simplex networks refers to a type of conceptual blending, by means of which empty roles of a frame (such as the frame of human kinship) are combined with values from the other semantic field (such as individuals who may be conceived of as kin). The current paper argues that there are two main ways in which simplex networks can be constructed: top-down and bottom-up. The construction of top-down simplex networks is prompted by linguistic cues, and in line with those, structure from the roles is projected onto the values in the blended space. The construction of bottom-up simplex networks, on the other hand, is not prompted by linguistic cues but by pattern recognition, and the perceived structure of the values determines which frames and roles may be chosen for the purposes of blending.
Witty Shrews and Shrewish Wits
Authors: Bredar Hannah
Published: July 2022

This essay analyzes the devices and methods of satirical discourse as they are presented by Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice and The Taming of the Shrew’s Katherine. By exploring shared points of contact in the “flyting” scenes between Katherine, Beatrice, and their respective suitors, I discuss how ironic, critical speech comes to be elevated as satirical wit in one play, even as it is reduced to shrewish complaint in the other. Both readings complicate conventional understandings of these plays as comedy, especially insofar as they undercut the institution associated with the genre’s successful resolution: marriage. Ado’s and Shrew’s engagement in discourses of satire, complaint, and invective offers an opportunity to recognize how these plays figure women and marriage as vehicles for a satirical critique of the period’s comedic and romantic conventions.
Envisioning Multi-Cultural and Multi-Disciplinary Engagement: Lessons from the Twelve Wolf Encounter Pictures
Authors: Kopf Gereon
Published: July 2022

The past decades have seen an increase in theories envisioning multi-cultural encounters and analyzing the hidden and obvious power dynamics that govern them. This essay suggests an innovative approach to assess and negotiate these theories. It introduces a metapsychology, illustrated by original pictures and poems, to examine multi- cultural engagement, to negotiate the major representatives among the leading theoretical responses to diversity and globalism, to develop a heuristic model that interprets each theory in their own right, and to envision innovative strategies that enable co-existence across boundaries, imagined and historically sedimented. Finally, it proposes a brand new theoretical approach to the study of both cultures and theories.
A Defense of the Concept of Nature
Authors: Frølund Sune
Published: July 2022

The concept of nature is under attack from a number of contemporary researchers on ecology. This seems alarming in light of the current struggle to establish the anthropogenic, i.e., non-natural origin of climate change and mass extinction. This paper selects three examples of ‘nature denial’ by influential writers—Steven Vogel, Timothy Morton, and Bruno Latour—and tries to show that without a concept of nature, their theories are incoherent. Finally, the paper turns to Gernot Böhme for a philosophy of body and nature that can evade the aporias in which the three other writers are entangled.
Supreme Supervisors? Building the People’s Procuracy, 1949–1961
Authors: Thompson-Brusstar Michael
Published: July 2022

This article interrogates the main events in procuratorial development from 1949 to 1961. Its aim is to better understand the procuracy during the Maoist era by reframing debates about its development along a spectrum: from primarily internal debates that challenged the development of the institution to external debates that challenged the role of the institution. These two dimensions also clarify how the procuracy reflected the politics of the time, especially issues of state construction and building legal knowledge, both within the state and among the “people.” The article shows that “internal” debates stemmed from the largely elite-centered and technocratic concerns of internal organization; “external” debates connected, instead, to broader concerns about the socialist legal project and the procuracy’s place in it. Reframing the institution’s history in this way enables us to understand the concepts and issues shaping the procuracy that crossed “period” boundaries and how responses to those challenges changed over time. Internal limitations (due to lack of resources) and external challenges (to develop flexible methods for accomplishing institutional goals while appearing to serve national objectives) are entwined, making the procuracy from 1949 to 1961 a site of tension between law and policy as well as a locus of contestation about the role of law in Maoist China.
Rescuing History from Srivijaya: The Fall of Angkor in the Ming Shilu (Part 1)
Authors: Kelley Liam C.
Published: July 2022

Srivijaya, a supposed thalassocracy based on the island of Sumatra, is believed by scholars to have played a central role in the trade and politics of Southeast Asia from roughly the seventh to fourteenth centuries. Much of the evidence for Srivijaya’s history comes from Chinese sources, and in this two-part article we demonstrate that some of the Chinese sources that have been employed for writing the history of “Srivijaya” are about Cambodia, that is, Angkor. More specifically, scholars have argued that a kingdom referred to in Chinese sources as “Sanfoqi” was “Srivijaya,” and in this paper we examine the information about Sanfoqi in the fourteenth century in the Ming shilu against information in the Cambodian and Siamese chronicles to demonstrate that Sanfoqi was Angkor. In the process, we develop an entirely new history of the final days of that once powerful polity.
Global Brands, Cosmopolitan Socialization, and Consumption: the Case of ikea and the ‘Stuff’ of Ordinary Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Bookman Sonia , Hall Tiffany
Published: July 2022

In this paper we consider how the global brand ikea works as an agent of cosmopolitan socialization and shapes everyday practices of cosmopolitan consumption. Drawing on material from case study research, we consider ikea’s support of cosmopolitan consumption through its emphasis on corporate social responsibility and framing of a cosmopolitan brandscape. We argue that ikea actively works to socialize individuals toward a moral cosmopolitan view, with the aim of enlisting consumers in the co-performance of global socio-environmental responsibility. Based on our interview data, we discuss how ikea does not so much cultivate cosmopolitan outlooks as affirm existing moral and aesthetic orientations, while easing ethical consumption concerns with a socially responsible image. Further, we show how ikea conducts a subtler, practical form of socialization: shaping ordinary cosmopolitan practices – ways of doing cosmopolitanism – with sustainable ‘stuff’ and in-store activity. In this way, ikea supports the co-production of a very ordinary, if not, convenient cosmopolitanism.
An Ethically Relevant Concept of Democracy
Authors: Komu Philbert Joseph
Published: July 2022

The meaning of democracy has traditionally been linked to the institutionalisation of public use of reason as jointly exercised by individuals who act in accordance with moral duty rather than one’s desires. For this reason, the meaning and value of democracy are always closely linked. Popular theories of democracy, however, have only treated democracy as instrumentally valuable – merely some disposable means towards achieving and solving problems of justice, freedom, equality, etc. This has called into question the usefulness of having democracy in the first place. My aim is to show that deliberation should be taken into account in ethical analyses of democracy. Thus, I demonstrate that the concept of deliberative democracy is ethically relevant – i.e., deserves moral consideration, enables us to treat democracy as inherently valuable (or something close to it), and subsequently preserves the value of democracy both in our political and moral theorising and in our ordinary dealings.
Avoiding Global Pandemic Injustice
Authors: Chilundika Natasha , Pogge Thomas
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 has highlighted the failure of the current monopoly market system of pharmaceutical industries to efficiently and equitably distribute lifesaving health commodities in a pandemic. The pre-purchasing of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 by high income countries (outside of the global coordinated effort called the COVAX facility) has led to inequitable access to vaccines globally. This may have contributed to the development of new COVID-19 variants of concern such as ‘Omicron’. Further, vaccine inequity has resulted in the poor suffering the worst health and economic outcomes of the pandemic. COVID-19 has deepened inequalities and increased global poverty. While high income countries are on a path to recovery with pre-pandemic growth rates forecast for 2022, low and middle income countries are still in economic recession, with growth rates forecast to remain at 5.5 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels by 2024. The Health Impact Fund approach offers an alternative, whereby pharmaceutical firms profit in proportion to their contribution to reducing the disease burden rather than through monopoly rents from product sales.
Vowel Perception and Production in Native ki-Swahili Speaking Children Acquiring English as a Foreign Language
Authors: Upor Rose Acen , Olomy Joseph Joachim
Published: July 2022

This study investigated the perception and production of English unrounded vowel minimal pairs /ɑ/ – /ɜ/; /æ/ – /ɑ/ and /i/ – /ɪ/, by a group of twenty native ki-Swahili speaking children averaging 9.9 years of age, who learned English through classroom instruction. The study was conducted in a typical foreign language acquisition (FLA) context. All the children participated in vowel perception and production tests. The findings revealed that the participants relied on their first language (L1) phonetic contrast knowledge when encoding vowel contrast. Moreover, factors that contributed to this problem of vowel contrast encoding included the size of the speakers’ vowel inventory, their limited exposure to spheres for interacting with the language outside the classroom environment and their social setting. Although the participants in this study demonstrated better ability in their vowel production than in their vowel perception, the results confirm those challenges that have been associated with FLA perceptual studies and how a young speaker’s first language significantly influences the child’s acquisition of English.
Safeguarding Intangible Heritage among the Wajita in Northern Tanzania
Authors: Bigambo Richard Nandiga
Published: July 2022

The waJita are among the communities in Tanzania that have their own ways of safeguarding their diverse forms of ancestrally inherited culture, which include strict observance of oral traditions, informal training and apprenticeships. Yet these community practices have been neglected in favour of more recently developed measures (e.g. digital and written documentation, revitalization and creating living museums) which are proposed by experts and foreign organizations including UNESCO. But these more modern safeguarding initiatives often fail; they also have caused conflicts between communities and the authorities overseeing such endeavours. It is instructive therefore to revisit in some detail the waJita community’s indigenous customs and practices that ensure the survival of their own traditional ceremonies. Illumination of such strategies inspires the question of how these community-based practices can be incorporated in the centrally organized formal arrangements and structures designed to preserve intangible heritages of Tanzania.
Analysis of Kenya’s Atmospheric Moisture Sources and Sinks
Authors: Keys Patrick W. , Warrier Rekha , van der Ent Ruud J. , Galvin Kathleen A. , Boone Randall B.
Published: July 2022

Achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is contingent on understanding the potential interactions among human and natural systems. In Kenya, the goal of conserving and expanding forest cover to achieve SDG 15 “Life on Land” may be related to other SDGs because it plays a role in regulating some aspects of Kenyan precipitation. We present a 40-yr analysis of the sources of precipitation in Kenya and the fate of the evaporation that arises from within Kenya. Using MERRA-2 climate reanalysis and the Water Accounting Model 2 layers, we examine the annual and seasonal changes in moisture sources and sinks. We find that most of Kenya’s precipitation originates as oceanic evaporation but that 10% of its precipitation originates as evaporation within Kenya. This internal recycling is concentrated in the mountainous and forested Kenyan highlands, with some locations recycling more than 15% of evaporation to Kenyan precipitation. We also find that 75% of Kenyan evaporation falls as precipitation elsewhere over land, including 10% in Kenya, 25% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and around 5% falling in Tanzania and Uganda. Further, we find a positive relationship between increasing rates of moisture recycling and fractional forest cover within Kenya. By beginning to understand both the seasonal and biophysical interactions taking place, we may begin to understand the types of leverage points that exist for integrated atmospheric water cycle management. These findings have broader implications for disentangling environmental management and conservation and have relevance for large-scale discussions about sustainable development.
Mental distress and substance use among rural Black South African youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEET)
Authors: Mngoma Nomusa F. , Ayonrinde Oyedeji A.
Published: July 2022

Background:

South Africa (SA) has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment and youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), even higher among Black South Africans. SA’s NEET rates are 3 times those of UK; 5.4 times of Germany; 1.3 times of Brazil; and 2.5 times of Malaysia. Given that youths between 15 and 24 years of age make up 24% of the total population, these are significant challenges for the economy and further fuel the cyclical, pervasive and enduring nature of poverty. We hypothesised that rural youth who are NEET would have a greater prevalence of mental disorders and higher rates of substance use compared to their non-NEET counterparts. The objective of the study is to determine the differences in rates of psychological distress and substance use between NEET and non-NEET rural African 14- to 24-year-old young men.

Methods:

The study took place in a remote and rural district municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We divided the district’s five sub-municipalities into two clusters (large and small) and randomly selected one from each cluster for inclusion in the study. We further randomly selected wards from each sub-municipality and then rural settlements from each ward, for inclusion in the study. We recruited young men as part of a larger study to explore sociocultural factors important in gender-based violence in rural SA. We compared 15- to 19-year old and 20- to 24-year old youth NEET and non-NEET on rates of psychological distress symptoms (depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, hopelessness and worthlessness) and substance misuse (including alcohol, cannabis, other recreational drugs) using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) statistics at p < .005 level of significance level.

Results:

About 23% of the 355 male participants were NEET. There were no statistically significant differences in psychological distress or substance use between youth NEET and non-NEET, controlling for age.

Conclusion:

The study highlights difficult transitions to post-secondary education and work for Black youth in rural SA where opportunities for employment are limited. Education, training and employment appear to offer limited benefit.
Airlines: Standardize Your International Advertising!
Authors: Décaudin Jean-Marc , Lacoste Denis
Published: July 2022

The aim of this article is to determine whether it is appropriate to standardize airline communication at the international level. Most previous research on international services advertising has carried out content analyses only, without measuring effectiveness. The contribution of this article lies in measuring the effectiveness of advertising strategies in an international service sector. The reaction of consumers to specific advertisements in France and the United Kingdom (UK) was measured. A sample of 200 consumers from these two countries were exposed to various airline advertising campaigns representing the five main advertising strategies presented in the literature. The effectiveness of each advertising strategy was measured. The results show that there are no major differences in the effectiveness of the different advertising strategies in France and the UK. These findings seem to indicate that when airlines are present in the two countries, they should standardize their advertising communication.
Processing gender agreement in an additional language: The more languages the better?
Authors: Długosz Kamil
Published: July 2022

Although previous research has observed a facilitative influence of the first language (L1) on the acquisition and processing of gender agreement in a second language (L2), particularly in language pairs with similar gender agreement marking, the question of whether knowledge of two languages with gender can confer an additional advantage for L3/Ln (third or additional language) learners has not yet been addressed. The present study aimed to fill this research gap by examining the processing of gender agreement in intermediate and advanced L3/Ln Swedish among two groups of Polish native speakers: 30 L2 English / L3 Swedish learners, and 30 L2 English / L3 German / L4 Swedish learners. Participants were tested by means of a speeded grammaticality judgment task, in which they judged the correctness of indefinite noun phrases that either agreed or did not agree in gender. They also completed an untimed gender assignment task to control for their lexical knowledge of gender. Accuracy and response time data were submitted to Generalized Linear Models. The analysis shows that L4 Swedish learners process noun phrases faster than L3 Swedish learners, but only at the intermediate proficiency level; however, the groups do not differ in their judgment accuracy. This advantage is interpreted in terms of a surface transfer of similar gender agreement marking, which helps the learners automatize gender agreement processes earlier, but does not increase their sensitivity to gender-agreement violations. Moreover, the results accord with previous L2 studies in showing that learners of Swedish as L3/Ln develop sensitivity to ungrammaticality with advancing proficiency and benefit substantially from their gender assignment knowledge in processing gender agreement. Crucially, the present study provides preliminary evidence of a multilingual advantage in processing morphosyntactic features in L3/Ln.
Mandatory Versus Voluntary Implementation of Salt Iodization Program for the Last Two Decades in Ethiopia: A Comparative Review of Existing Literatures
Authors: Asfaw Agize , Tamiru Dessalegn , Belachew Tefera
Published: July 2022

Background:

Ethiopian government was implementing mandatory salt iodization program for the last decade to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders, but several recent studies reported mixed findings.

Objective:

This review aimed to assess the difference in implementation of iodized salt program 10 years before and after mandatory salt iodization being implemented in Ethiopia since 2011.

Methods:

In Ethiopia, legislation that enforces salt producers to iodize all salts used for human consumption started in February 2011. All studies about iodine deficiency and iodized salt conducted in Ethiopia in the last 2 decades were searched. Searches were performed in PubMed database. Google Scholar, Iodine Global Network, and Ethiopian Public Health Institute websites were also searched.

Results:

A total of 235 titles and abstracts were identified. After scanning the abstracts and full papers, 43 articles were remained for final data synthesis. In this review, all studies conducted before 2011 reported a urinary iodine concentration (UIC) value of < 100 μg/L and 66.7% of them reported a goiter prevalence of > 30%. On the other hand, among studies conducted after 2011, 88.9% reported UIC value < 100 μg/L and 73.7% reported goiter prevalence of > 30%. Household availability of adequately iodized salt increased from nearly 20% in pre 2011 to more than 50% in post 2011 period.

Conclusion:

Despite the efforts made by the Ethiopian government on mandatory salt iodization for the last decade, iodine deficiency is sustained in the country. Moreover, the goal of universal salt iodization program is offtrack and needs urgent revision.

Registration:

Registered on PROSPERO register with reg. no CRD42021251124.
Notes towards the critical theory of post-industrialism capitalism
Authors: Dorahy J.F.
Published: July 2022

This essay aims to continue to develop the thesis that the welter of political-economic, social, technological, and subjective transformations that characterized the final decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st necessitate a re-thinking of the relationship between social criticism and the critique of political economy. Herein the focus is directed towards the critique of reification and industrial rationalization as developed in the works of Georg Lukács and Cornelius Castoriadis. Drawing on recent phenomenological and psychological analyses of work within contemporary capitalism, I argue for both the historical obsolescence of the critique of reification as it has been traditionally understood and, consequently, the need for novel conceptual responses to the pressing needs of our time.
Diametral deviation and tool wear analysis in EDM of Fe-based shape memory alloy: An experimental study with microstructural analysis and advanced optimization
Authors: Singh Ranjit , Singh Ravi Pratap , Trehan Rajeev
Published: July 2022

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are an excellent choice for industrial applications such as orthopedic implacers, actuators, micro-tools, fitting and screening elements, aircraft components, military instruments, fabricating elements, and bio-medical devices, among others. Despite their remarkable characteristics, effective production of these alloys continues to be a problem for researchers worldwide. This paper has been aimed to examine the considered machining responses that is, tool wear rate (TWR) and diametral deviation (DD) in electrical discharge machining (EDM) of Fe-based shape memory alloy (SMA) using a Cu-electrode under the varying settings of input factors namely as; pulse on time (Ton), pulse off time (Toff), peak current (Ip), and gap voltage (GV). The central composite design matrix has been employed for planning the main runs. The experimental results reflect the lowest and highest for TWR as; 0.0694 and 0.1357 g/min; and for DD as; 0.02 and 0.19 mm, respectively. The microstructure analysis of the EDMed work samples and electrode surfaces have also been conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The micrographs exposed the development of debris, craters, micro-cracks, and recast layer creation on the workpiece surface and electrode tool as well. The creation of debris develops as a result of large spark energy at the work piece-tool contact as a result of a high peak current and long pulse on time. Furthermore, single and multi-objective optimization of investigated responses (i.e. TWR and DD) were tried using the desirability approach, Genetic Algorithm (GA), and teacher learning based optimization (TLBO), techniques. The obtained multi-response optimized values for TWR and DD by using desirability approach, Genetic algorithm (GA), and Teacher Learning Based Optimization (TLBO) are as; 0.0815 g/min and 0.0527 mm; 0.1529 g/min and 0.2547 mm; 0.1675 g/min and 0.2533 mm., correspondingly.
Global Investing Sentiment and Social Interaction During COVID Outbreak
Authors:   and, Keshari Aditya , Gautam Amit
Published: July 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 was an extreme event that created panic among the people, disrupted normal functioning and adversely affected the economy. The stock market fell due to the uncertainty that ensued, and it continues to do so as new variants are being discovered. The study explores the impact of the outbreak of a new variant of COVID-19 on the stock market and analyses investor sentiment towards investing and global investing through sentiment analysis using QSR NVivo software. The results contribute to the extant literature that the investors’ sentiment is positive towards global investing despite the adverse conditions. Investors need to choose those stocks that are internationally diversified with sound fundamentals. The study reveals that markets bounce after a significant cooling period, and investment managers should encourage the investors to hold their portfolios. The study also identifies the important themes and social networking of investors from India with the world through the NodeXL. The study identified major themes such as alerts, timing, investors and investing, which shows that the people mainly focus on stocks, its alert and timing for making investment decisions.
Sex Positivity of Satyajit Ray’s Women: Their Cinematic Journey Towards the Ancient Indian Heritage
Authors: Mukherjee Abhik
Published: July 2022

The article shows how Satyajit Ray’s women resist the sexism that comes from colonialism and reach back into a more sex-positive Indian heritage, particularly Chakras and Tantric philosophy of life. This is particularly important in correcting the way imperialist ideology misrepresented gender relations in India to justify British rule and how the misrepresentation has continued in the name of nationalist movements in post-independent India. The article focuses on a selection of Ray’s films. It stresses the themes (and their deviation from their original sources) used by Ray to make his point obvious and, at the same time, not very shocking to the traditional Bengali audience of his time. This article also focuses on how the sex positivity of ancient India is manipulated by the colonial hangover and the confusing nationalist ideas that have developed of late into limiting the sexual and social rights of women and how Ray’s cinema resists it in a delicate yet bold manner by visualising the markedly conflicts in both of his female and male characters by awakening their sexuality to the ancient Hindu vision of life.
Do Intrafamily Class Differences Make a Difference to Public School Choice-Making Processes? A Case of Chinese–Japanese Intermarried Middle-Class Mothers in Japan
Authors: Li Yan
Published: July 2022

This paper explores how middle-class mothers’ involvement in and how the meanings of a public school choice are shaped by the class differences in cultural capital and economic capital between the mother and father within one family. It examines the practices of choosing a public school that shapes a middle-class mother, rather than the school choices of middle-class parents as an educational practice that shapes a middle-class child. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 12 women from Chinese–Japanese interethnic middle-class families in urban Japan, this study also provides some preliminary insights into the interrelationships between class, gender, and ethnicity in the process of choosing a public school within a family.
Clot Stiffness Measured By Seer Sonorheometry As a Marker Of Poor Prognosis In Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: López-Jaime Francisco José , Fernández-Bello Ihosvany , Martín-Téllez Sandra , Doblas-Márquez Alberto , Tesfay Yohannes , Márquez-Gómez Ignacio , Reguera-Iglesias José María , Muñoz-Pérez Manuel Isidro , Montaño Adrián
Published: July 2022

A high risk of thrombotic complications has been observed among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Viscoelastic tests (VET) have shown a hypercoagulable profile in these patients, although so far there is no clear evidence on the use of these tools as predictors of risk in the clinical course of patients. In this study we aimed to evaluate the association between Quantra® sonorheometry VET parameters, standard coagulation tests and inflammatory markers in 69 patients with COVID-19 on hospital admission with disease severity and outcome. Inflammatory markers were elevated in a high percentage of patients, as were coagulation-related parameters such as fibrinogen and D-dimer levels. Quantra® sonorheometry analysis revealed increased clot stiffness (CS), especially due to increased fibrinogen contribution (FCS) in 63.7%. Analysis of clot stability to lysis (CSL) on the Quantra showed a value of 100%, suggesting hypofibrinolysis, in 32.4%. Age > 65 years, elevated values of fibrinogen, D-dimer, LDH, increased CS and CSL were significantly associated with worsening disease. The combination of elevated FCS and D-dimer values showed a particularly high prognostic value in distinguishing patients with severe symptomatology. In conclusion, FCS measured by Quantra® system and its combination with D-dimer could be established as a powerful tool to identify poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients on hospital admission.
Goal Setting and Health-Related Outcomes in Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature From 2000 to 2020
Authors: Tabaei-Aghdaei Zahra , McColl-Kennedy Janet R. , Coote Leonard V.
Published: July 2022

Identifying and synthesizing recent empirical research on goal setting among adults with chronic disease is the focus of this article. The article has two phases: Phase 1, a thematic analysis with machine reading of the data and manual thematic analysis, and Phase 2, a quantitative meta-analysis. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies are included in Phase 1 (99 papers). Phase 2 includes only quantitative studies (75 papers). Five main themes are identified: (a) the effect of goal characteristics on health-related outcomes, (b) the effect of goal setting on health-related outcomes, (c) the effect of goal achievement on health-related outcomes, (d) goal alignment between patients and health care service providers, and (e) individual and collaborative goal setting of patients and health care service providers. The meta-analysis reveals considerable evidence of an association between goal setting and health-related outcomes.
Capecitabine-related neurotoxicity presenting with agraphia
Authors: Iscan Dilek , Tolay Rumeysa , Bayram Ertugrul , Demir Turgay , Bicakci Sebnem
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Capecitabine is a pre-metabolite of 5-fluorouracil and is used as a chemotherapeutic agent. Among the common side effects of capecitabine, there are gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and dermatological side effects including hand-foot syndrome and skin pigmentation change. However, neurological side effects of capecitabine are very rare. We describe herein a patient who developed neurological side effects in the form of agraphia and dysarthria on the 7th day of capecitabine treatment.

Case Report

A 34-year-old male patient, who was being followed up with the diagnosis of colon cancer, presented with speech and writing disorder that developed while under capecitabine treatment. Dysarthria and agraphia were detected in his neurological examination. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed acute diffusion restriction in the splenium of the corpus callosum and at the level of the bilateral centrum semiovale. Brain MRI revealed symmetrical T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) signal increases at the right temporoparietal medial, corpus callosum level, and bilateral white matter level.

Management & Outcome

The capecitabine treatment was terminated, and methylprednisolone treatment was administered and plasmapheresis procedure was carried out. Subsequently, significant improvement was observed in the clinical findings and neuroimaging.

Discussion

Capecitabine is used as an oral agent; thus, it provides ease of use. Neurological side effects associated with the use of capecitabine reportedly occur very rarely. The findings of this case demonstrated that leukoencephalopathy can be seen during the use of capecitabine, imaging results are very important in the diagnosis of leukoencephalopathy, and improvement can be achieved with the termination of the capecitabine treatment.
Election promises on children’s wellbeing and health 2015 to 2021 – a study of Finnish voting advice applications database
Authors: Hiilamo Aapo , Ristikari Tiina , Helve Otto , Kaila Minna , Jalonen Harri , Virtanen Petri
Published: July 2022

Background:

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children’s views should be heard in policymaking. But it remains unclear to what extent children’s wellbeing is considered in election promises

Methods:

We investigated the extent to which Finnish political candidates consider children and their wellbeing in their election promises. We used YLE, the national broadcaster’s voting advice application database, and analysed some 35,000 politicians’ election promises made in the 2015 and 2019 parliamentary and the 2017 and 2021 municipal elections. We calculated the proportion of candidates who mentioned children and examined the content of the election promises in which children were mentioned. Logistic regression models were used to examine the role of the background of the characteristics of candidates.

Results:

In the 2015 and 2019 elections, some 12% and 19% of candidates, respectively, mentioned children in their election promises. The figures for the 2017 and 2021 municipal elections were higher at 19% and 24%, respectively. In the 2021 election, the candidates considering children in their election promises were younger and had higher education qualifications. Inspection of a random set of 350 promises indicated that common issues mentioned in respect of children were education and hobby activities. Concrete proposals to improve the wellbeing of children were rarely put forward.

Conclusions:

Political candidates are increasingly considering children in their election promises but concrete proposals to improve the wellbeing and health of children are rare. Effective policy solutions to improve the health of children should be discussed in election debates.
Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity-diffusion-weighted imaging mismatch and functional outcome after endovascular reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Tokunaga Keisuke , Tokunaga So , Hara Kenta , Yasaka Masahiro , Okada Yasushi , Kitazono Takanari , Tsumoto Tomoyuki
Published: July 2022

Background

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity (FVH) outside of the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion, termed FVH-DWI mismatch, may represent penumbral tissue with good collateral status.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent endovascular reperfusion therapy (EVT) for acute internal carotid artery (ICA) or middle cerebral artery (MCA)-M1 occlusion were enrolled. FVH-DWI mismatch score was defined as the number of cortical Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score areas (I and M1 to M6) that involved FVH but no DWI lesion (0 to 7 points). The outcome measure was set as good functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2, at 90 days after onset.

Results

Of 196 consecutive patients who underwent EVT for acute ICA or MCA-M1 occlusion, 32 without brain MRI before EVT were excluded, and the remaining 164 were analyzed. The median FVH-DWI mismatch score was 2 (interquartile range, 0 to 4). At 90 days after EVT, 2 patients were lost-to follow-up, and 73 had good functional outcome. The frequency of good functional outcome at 90 days after EVT increased significantly with increasing FVH-DWI mismatch score (P for trend <0.001). FVH-DWI mismatch score was independently associated with good functional outcome at 90 days after onset (adjusted odds ratio per 1 point,1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–1.89).

Conclusions

Patients with large FVH-DWI mismatch had good functional outcome after EVT for acute ICA or MCA-M1 occlusion.
Robotic scanning free-space measurement system for electromagnetic performance evaluation of curved radar absorbing structures
Authors: Din Salah ud , Hyun Jong-Min , Son Dae-Sung , Lee Jung-Ryul
Published: July 2022

Radar absorbing structures are manufactured for stealth missions and total quality inspection applies to evaluate their performances before assembly to stealth weapon systems. This study adopted a six-axis robot arm to move a target specimen in a scanning free-space measurement system for electromagnetic performance evaluation. The six-axis robot arm completely enables the system to maintain the specimen at the focal point of the antenna and solves the issue of curvature effect on the return loss results of the curved specimens, faced in the two- and three-axis scanning free-space measurement systems. The six-axis robotic scanning free-space measurement system uses a RobotStudio to extract the position and orientation of each target point on the specimen to be evaluated and uses a robotic scanning algorithm to transform all the points into a scan path. The system was verified by variable and constant curvature radar absorbing structure specimens with frequency selective surfaces. Return losses ( S 11s) of the nonsymmetrical cambered airfoil specimen and S-shaped double curvature specimen that could not be accurately evaluated with a three-axis stage-based scanning free-space measurement system were measured by the six-axis robotic scanning free-space measurement system. All the specimen results adhere to the theoretical parameters of the specimen. The transition region results of the S-shaped specimen were studied using effective radius of curvature. Finally, the inspected results of the S-shaped specimen were curvature compensated to check the effect of negative and positive curvature on the specimen resonance frequency performance.
Collective memory of environmental change and connectedness with nature: Survey evidence from Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Hellmann Olli
Published: July 2022

The field of memory studies has, in recent years, experienced a ‘nonhuman turn’ that extends the analytical focus beyond anthropocentric functions of collective remembering. However, while this growing literature has considerably enhanced our understanding of how memories of environmental change may promote a stronger sense of connectedness with nature, the different arguments – developed mainly through critical readings of cultural texts – have yet to be investigated empirically. By means of an original survey of 1,100+ adults in Aotearoa New Zealand, the paper here provides a first step towards addressing the empirical gap in the ‘nonhuman turn’ literature. Two main findings emerge from this analysis. First, knowing about historical environmental change and overestimating the extent of environmental change make it more likely that individuals see themselves as part of nature. Second, the survey demonstrates that the relationship between memories of environmental change and closeness to nature interacts with wider political conflicts over how to remember the colonial past. In particular, the question of who to blame for historical environmental change shapes the effect of ecological memories in different ways, depending on whether respondents identify as European New Zealanders or Indigenous Māori.
Deep Learning Model to Identify Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: A Case Study of Isolated Compounds From Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre
Authors: Nguyen Tan Khanh , Tran Thanh Hoa , Nguyen Kiet , Ho Duc Viet , Nguyen Hoai Thi , Tran Linh Thuy Thi
Published: July 2022

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays an essential role in the cholinergic pathways in Alzheimer's disease. This study used a deep learning model as a powerful virtual tool for discovering AChE inhibitors. The model showed 94.3% accuracy, 97.1% precision, 95.9% recall, and 86.2% specificity. A list of bioactive compounds extracted from Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre was selected as the test dataset. Four candidates were selected for in vitro: pongapin, ovalichromene B, gamatin, and pongaglabrone. These flavonoids showed inhibitory effects with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values between 19.8 and 63.5 μg/mL. In molecular analyses, these compounds showed noticeable interactions with the AChE catalytic residues Ser203 and His447 and satisfied acceptable drug-like properties and other druglikeness parameters. This study has shown that a deep learning approach can accurately predict potential compounds targeting AChE, and P. pinnata is a promising medical plant for Alzheimer's disease.
Differential immune responses of 3D gingival and periodontal connective tissue equivalents to microbial colonization
Authors: Makkar Hardik , Atkuru Srividya , Tang Yi Ling , Sethi Tanya , Lim Chwee Teck , Tan Kai Soo , Sriram Gopu
Published: July 2022

Gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts are functionally distinct cell types within the dento-gingival unit that participate in host immune response. Their microenvironment influences the behavior and immune response to microbial challenge. We developed three-dimensional gingival and periodontal connective tissue equivalents (CTEs) using human fibrin-based matrix. The CTEs were characterized, and the heterogeneity in their innate immune response was investigated. The CTEs demonstrated no to minimal response to planktonic Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus oralis, while their biofilms elicited a moderate increase in IL-6 and IL-8 production. In contrast, Fusobacterium nucleatum provoked a substantial increase in IL-6 and IL-8 production. Interestingly, the gingival CTEs secreted significantly higher IL-6, while periodontal counterparts produced higher IL-8. In conclusion, the gingival and periodontal CTEs exhibited differential responses to various bacterial challenges. This gives insights into the contribution of tissue topography and fibroblast heterogeneity in rendering protective and specific immune responses toward early biofilm colonizers.
Pre-attack and pre-episode symptoms in cluster headache: a multicenter cross-sectional study of 327 Chinese patients
Authors: Li Ke , Sun Shuping , Xue Zhanyou , Chen Sufen , Ju Chunyang , Hu Dongmei , Gao Xiaoyu , Wang Yanhong , Wang Dan , Chen Jianjun , Li Li , Liu Jing , Zhang Mingjie , Jia Zhihua , Han Xun , Liu Huanxian , He Mianwang , Zhao Wei , Gong Zihua , Zhang Shuhua , Lin Xiaoxue , Liu Yingyuan , Wang Shengshu , Yu Shengyuan , Dong Zhao
Published: July 2022

Background

There have been a few studies regarding the pre-attack symptoms (PAS) and pre-episode symptoms (PES) of cluster headache (CH), but none have been conducted in the Chinese population. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and features of PAS and PES in Chinese patients, as well as to investigate their relationships with pertinent factors.

Methods

The study included patients who visited a tertiary headache center and nine other headache clinics between January 2019 and September 2021. A questionnaire was used to collect general data and information about PAS and PES.

Results

Among the 327 patients who met the CH criteria (International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition), 269 (82.3%) patients experienced at least one PAS. The most common PAS were head and facial discomfort (74.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis depicted that the number of triggers (OR = 1.798, p = 0.001), and smoking history (OR = 2.067, p = 0.026) were correlated with increased odds of PAS. In total, 68 (20.8%) patients had PES. The most common symptoms were head and facial discomfort (23, 33.8%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the number of triggers were associated with increased odds of PES (OR = 1.372, p = 0.005).

Conclusions

PAS are quite common in CH patients, demonstrating that CH attacks are not comprised of a pain phase alone; investigations of PAS and PES could help researchers better understand the pathophysiology of CH.
Canary: an automated tool for the conversion of MaCH imputed dosage files to PLINK files
Authors: Bennett Adam N. , Rainford Jethro , Huang Xiaotai , He Qian , Chan Kei Hang Katie
Published: July 2022

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated the value of re-analysing publicly available genetics data with recent analytical approaches. Publicly available datasets, such as the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) offered by the database of genotypes and phenotypes (dbGaP), provide a wealthy resource for researchers to perform multiple analyses, including Genome-Wide Association Studies. Often, the genetic information of individuals in these datasets are stored in imputed dosage files output by MaCH; mldose and mlinfo files. In order for researchers to perform GWAS studies with this data, they must first be converted to a file format compatible with their tool of choice e.g., PLINK. Currently, there is no published tool which easily converts the datasets provided in MACH dosage files into PLINK-ready files.

Results

Herein, we present Canary a singularity-based tool which converts MaCH dosage files into PLINK-compatible files with a single line of user input at the command line. Further, we provide a detailed tutorial on preparation of phenotype files. Moreover, Canary comes with preinstalled software often used during GWAS studies, to further increase the ease-of-use of HPC systems for researchers.

Conclusions

Until now, conversion of imputed data in the form of MaCH mldose and mlinfo files needed to be completed manually. Canary uses singularity container technology to allow users to automatically convert these MaCH files into PLINK compatible files. Additionally, Canary provides researchers with a platform to conduct GWAS analysis more easily as it contains essential software needed for conducting GWAS studies, such as PLINK and Bioconductor. We hope that this tool will greatly increase the ease at which researchers can perform GWAS with imputed data, particularly on HPC environments.