bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disrupting ‘a man's world’: gender, technology, and class in Vietnam's global heavy industry
Authors: Rydstrom Helle
Published: December 2022

Only rarely is Vietnam's global heavy industry studied from an anthropological perspective in either its gender or its class dimensions. This article contributes new insights into the ways in which the interagential dynamics of gender and technology from shopfloor to engineer offices coproduce social orders in contesting and perpetuating essentializing notions of femininity and masculinity. Blue‐collar and white‐collar women working in heavy industrial workplaces represent a minority in ‘a man's world’, ambiguously both disidentifying and identifying with notions of a typical ‘female character’ vis‐à‐vis ‘male character’. Women working in heavy industry, the article shows, generate ‘disruption’ by reconfiguring conventions regarding gendered occupation, redefining gendered engagement with technology, and recalibrating images of femininity and masculinity. Doing so means carving out new opportunities and/or provoking crisis in a patrilineal universe. The article analyses the intricate ways in which women's engagement with technology is empowering while simultaneously reinforcing gender‐ and class‐specific inequalities in socialist Vietnam's global market economy.
Composition, processing, and quality control of whole flaxseed products used to fortify foods
Authors: Zhang Shan , Chen Yashu , McClements David Julian , Hou Tao , Geng Fang , Chen Peng , Chen Hongjian , Xie Bijun , Sun Zhida , Tang Hu , Pei Yaqiong , Quan Shuang , Yu Xiao , Deng Qianchun
Published: December 2022

Whole flaxseed (flour) as a good source of omega‐3 fatty acid and phytochemicals with excellent nutritional and functional attributes has been used to enrich foods for health promotion and disease prevention. However, several limitations and contemporary challenges still impact the development of whole flaxseed (flour)‐enriched products on the global market, such as naturally occurring antinutritional factors and entrapment of nutrients within food matrix. Whole flaxseed (flour) with different existing forms could variably alter the techno‐functional performance of food matrix, and ultimately affect the edible qualities of fortified food products. The potential interaction mechanism between the subject and object components in fortified products has not been elucidated yet. Hence, in this paper, the physical structure and component changes of flaxseed (flour) by pretreatments coupled with their potential influences on the edible qualities of multiple fortified food products were summarized and analyzed. In addition, several typical food products, including baked, noodle, and dairy products were preferentially selected to investigate the potential influencing mechanisms of flaxseed (flour) on different substrate components. In particular, the altered balance between water absorption of flaxseed protein/gum polysaccharides and the interruption of gluten network, lipid lubrication, lipid–amylose complexes, syneresis, and so forth, were thoroughly elucidated. The overall impact of incorporating whole flaxseed (flour) on the quality and nutritional attributes of fortified food products, coupled with the possible solutions against negative influences are aimed. This paper could provide useful information for expanding the application of whole flaxseed (flour) based on the optimal edible and nutritional properties of fortified food products.
Repeated ethanol exposure and withdrawal alters angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 expression in discrete brain regions: Implications for SARS‐CoV‐2 neuroinvasion
Authors: Balasubramanian Nagalakshmi , James Thomas D. , Selvakumar Govindhasamy Pushpavathi , Reinhardt Jessica , Marcinkiewcz Catherine A.
Published: December 2022

Background

People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may be at higher risk for COVID‐19. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are required for cellular entry by SARS‐CoV‐2, but information on their expression in specific brain regions after alcohol exposure is limited. We sought to clarify how chronic alcohol exposure affects ACE2 expression in monoaminergic brainstem circuits and other putative SARS‐CoV‐2 entry points.

Methods

Brains were examined for ACE2 using immunofluorescence after 4 weeks of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor inhalation. We also examined TMPRSS2, Cathepsin L, and ADAM17 by Western blot and RAS pathway mediators and pro‐inflammatory markers via RT‐qPCR.

Results

ACE2 was increased in most brain regions following CIE including the olfactory bulb (OB), hypothalamus (HT), raphe magnus (RMG), raphe obscurus (ROB), locus coeruleus (LC), and periaqueductal gray (PAG). We also observed increased colocalization of ACE2 with monoaminergic neurons in brainstem nuclei. Moreover, soluble ACE2 (sACE2) was elevated in OB, HT, and LC. The increase in sACE2 in OB and HT was accompanied by upregulation of ADAM17, an ACE2 sheddase, while TMPRSS2 increased in HT and LC. Cathepsin L, an endosomal receptor involved in viral entry, was also increased in OB. Alcohol can increase Angiotensin II, which triggers a pro‐inflammatory response that may upregulate ACE2 via activation of RAS pathway receptors AT1R/AT2R. ACE2 then metabolizes Angiotensin II to Angiotensin (1‐7) and provokes an anti‐inflammatory response via MAS1. Accordingly, we report that AT1R/AT2R mRNA decreased in OB and increased in the LC, while MAS1 mRNA increased in both OB and LC. Other mRNAs for pro‐inflammatory markers were also dysregulated in OB, HT, raphe, and LC.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that alcohol triggers a compensatory upregulation of ACE2 in the brain due to disturbed RAS and may increase the risk or severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.
Maternal intake of folate and folic acid during pregnancy and markers of male fecundity: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Gaml‐Sørensen Anne , Brix Nis , Høyer Birgit Bjerre , Tøttenborg Sandra Søgaard , Hougaard Karin Sørig , Bonde Jens Peter Ellekilde , Clemmensen Pernille Jul , Ernst Andreas , Arendt Linn Håkonsen , Olsen Sjurdur Frodi , Granström Charlotta , Henriksen Tine Brink , Toft Gunnar , Ramlau‐Hansen Cecilia Høst
Published: December 2022

Background

Poor male fecundity is of concern, and a prenatal origin has been proposed. Folate, a methyl donor involved in DNA methylation, is essential for normal fetal development by regulating gene expression during different periods of fetal development. Thus, prenatal exposure to low maternal folate intake might have a programing function of the developing reproductive organs.

Objectives

To examine the association between maternal intake of folate from diet and folic acid from supplements during pregnancy and markers of fecundity in young men.

Materials and methods

We conducted a follow‐up study using a Danish mother–son cohort of 787 young men born 1998–2000. Percentage differences in semen characteristics, testes volume, and reproductive hormone levels were analyzed according to total folate calculated as dietary folate equivalents from diet and supplements in midpregnancy, using multivariable negative binomial regression models. Total folate was analyzed in quintiles, continuous per standard deviation decrease (SD: 318 μg/day) and as restricted cubic splines.

Results

Low maternal intake of total folate was associated with lower total sperm count (−5% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: −11%; 2%)), a lower proportion of non‐progressive and immotile spermatozoa (−5% [95% CI: −8%; −3%]), and lower testes volume (−4% [95% CI: −6%; −2%]) per SD decrease in total folate intake. Spline plots supported these findings.

Discussion

The finding of a lower proportion of non‐progressive and immotile spermatozoa, and hence a higher proportion of motile spermatozoa, in men of mothers with a lower intake of total folate in midpregnancy was surprising and may be a chance finding.

Conclusion

Lower maternal intake of total folate in midpregnancy was associated with lower sperm count and lower testes volume, however, also with a lower proportion of non‐progressive and immotile spermatozoa in adult men. Whether this actually affects the ability to obtain a pregnancy warrants further investigation.
Long‐term real‐world outcomes of patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia treated with arsenic trioxide and all‐trans retinoic acid without chemotherapy—a retrospective, single‐centre study
Authors: Singh Charanpreet , Yanamandra Uday , Karunakaran Parathan , Jindal Nishant , Kumar Saloni Rani , Saini Neha , Jandial Aditya , Jain Arihant , Das Chandan , Lad Deepesh , Prakash Gaurav , Khadwal Alka , Naseem Shano , Das Reena , Varma Neelam , Varma Subhash , Malhotra Pankaj
Published: December 2022

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) and all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) form the backbone of the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), with the addition of chemotherapy for high‐risk patients. We describe our experience of treating patients with APL of all risk classes with ATO and ATRA without chemotherapeutic agents. Patients received induction with ATO and ATRA followed by three cycles of consolidation with ATO and ATRA (each 1 month apart) after achieving morphological remission. Patients with intermediate‐ and high‐risk disease received a further 2 years of maintenance with ATRA, 6‐mercaptopurine and methotrexate. A total of 206 patients were included in the study. The majority of the patients were intermediate risk (51.9%), followed by high risk (43.2%). Differentiation syndrome was seen in 41 patients (19.9%). Overall, 25 patients (12.1%) died within 7 days of initiating therapy. Seven patients relapsed during follow‐up. The mean (SD) estimated 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in the entire cohort was 79% [5.8%] and 80% [5.8%] respectively. After excluding patients who died within 7 days of therapy initiation, the mean (SD) estimated 5‐year EFS and OS was 90% [5.8%] and 93% [3.9%] respectively. Our study shows that treatment of all risk classes of APL with ATO and ATRA without chemotherapy is associated with excellent long‐term outcomes in the real‐world setting.
Genetic and phenotypic determinants of morphologies in 3D cultures and xenografts of lung tumor cell lines
Authors: Matsubara Daisuke , Yoshimoto Taichiro , Akolekar Ninad , Totsuka Takashi , Amano Yusuke , Kihara Atsushi , Miura Tamaki , Isagawa Yuriko , Sakuma Yuji , Ishikawa Shumpei , Ushiku Tetsuo , Fukayama Masashi , Niki Toshiro
Published: December 2022

We previously proposed the classification of lung adenocarcinoma into two groups: the bronchial epithelial phenotype (BE phenotype) with high‐level expressions of bronchial epithelial markers and actionable genetic abnormalities of tyrosine kinase receptors and the non‐BE phenotype with low‐level expressions of bronchial Bronchial epithelial (BE) epithelial markers and no actionable genetic abnormalities of tyrosine kinase receptors. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of tumor morphologies in 3D cultures and xenografts across a panel of lung cancer cell lines. First, we demonstrated that 40 lung cancer cell lines (23 BE and 17 non‐BE) can be classified into three groups based on morphologies in 3D cultures on Matrigel: round (n = 31), stellate (n = 5), and grape‐like (n = 4). The latter two morphologies were significantly frequent in the non‐BE phenotype (1/23 BE, 8/17 non‐BE, p = 0.0014), and the stellate morphology was only found in the non‐BE phenotype. SMARCA4 mutations were significantly frequent in stellate‐shaped cells (4/4 stellate, 4/34 non‐stellate, p = 0.0001). Next, from the 40 cell lines, we successfully established 28 xenograft tumors (18 BE and 10 non‐BE) in NOD/SCID mice and classified histological patterns of the xenograft tumors into three groups: solid (n = 20), small nests in desmoplasia (n = 4), and acinar/papillary (n = 4). The latter two patterns were characteristically found in the BE phenotype. The non‐BE phenotype exhibited a solid pattern with significantly less content of alpha‐SMA‐positive fibroblasts (p = 0.0004) and collagen (p = 0.0006) than the BE phenotype. Thus, the morphology of the tumors in 3D cultures and xenografts, including stroma genesis, reflects the intrinsic properties of the cancer cell lines. Furthermore, this study serves as an excellent resource for lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, with clinically relevant information on molecular and morphological characteristics and drug sensitivity.
Analyzing CT images for detecting lung cancer by applying the computational intelligence‐based optimization techniques
Authors: Pethuraj Mohamed Shakeel , Aboobaider Burhanuddin bin Mohd , Salahuddin Lizawati Binti
Published: December 2022

Lung cancer is the most critical disease because it affects both men and women. Most of the time, lung cancer leads to death due to less health care and medical attention. In addition, lung cancer is difficult to identify in earlier stages due to the low‐level symptoms and risk factors. To overcome the complexity, effective techniques must predict lung cancer earlier. To attain the problem statement, an lung cancer identification system is developed with the help of a meta‐heuristic algorithm. The CT imageries obtained from the CIA database are analyzed step by step. The gathered image noise is removed by applying the mean filter, and the affected regions are segmented with the help of the Butterfly Optimization Algorithm‐based K‐Means Clustering (BOAKMC) algorithm. Afterward, various statistical features are derived, and the Supervised Jaya Optimized Rough Set related Feature Selection (SJORSFS) process is used to select the lung features. Finally, the lung cancer is identified using Autoencoder based Recurrent Neural Network (ARNN) classification algorithm, successfully recognizing the lung cancer features. Then the system's efficiency is evaluated using a MATLAB setup; here, 3000 are treated as training images and 2043 for testing images. The effective training enhances overall lung cancer prediction accuracy by up to 99.15%.
Effectiveness of digital and remote provision of the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Barron Emma , Bradley Dominque , Safazadeh Soraya , McGough Ben , Bakhai Chirag , Young Bob , Khunti Kamlesh , Murray Elizabeth , Wareham Nick , Jebb Susan , Valabhji Jonathan
Published: December 2022

Aims

To assess weight change in the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) delivered via video conferencing (remote) sessions or delivered via specific digital interventions through apps or websites, during the COVID‐19 pandemic compared to group‐based face‐to‐face interventions, pre‐pandemic.

Methods

Prospectively collected national service‐level data relating to individuals with non‐diabetic hyperglycaemia (HbA1c 42–47 mmol/mol (6.0%–6.4%) or fasting plasma glucose 5.5–6.9 mmol/L) referred to the NHS DPP from June 2016 to March 2022.

Results

Between March 2020 and March 2022, 335,961 people were referred to the programme and were offered a choice of remote or digital intervention. This was preceded by 556,793 people referred to the face‐to‐face programme between June 2016 and February 2022. Uptakes to intervention sessions were 47% for those offered a choice and 39% for face‐to‐face. Remote and digital participants were significantly younger (60 and 56 vs. 65 years) and heavier (86.1 kg and 91.0 kg vs. 84.1 kg) compared to face‐to‐face. Weight change was assessed for 42,407 remote, 7699 digital and 97,205 face‐to‐face participants with sufficient time to have finished the programme and no missing data. Mean weight losses for participants attending at least one intervention session were: 2.40 (2.36–2.44) kg, 2.59 (2.49–2.68) kg and 2.01 (1.98–2.04) kg for remote, digital and face‐to‐face participants respectively. Corresponding mean weight losses for those who completed the programme were: 3.24 (3.19–3.30) kg, 4.76 (4.60–4.92) kg and 3.04 (3.00–3.07) kg. There were no significant differences in weight change between interventions by ethnicity and deprivation.

Conclusions

Weight losses achieved through remote and digital interventions were greater than those previously achieved through face‐to‐face interventions, without evidence of exacerbation of health inequalities.
Everyday governance in areas of contested power: Insights from Mozambique, Myanmar, and Pakistan
Authors: Anderson Colin , Joshi Anuradha , Barnes Katrina , Ahmed Affaf , Ali Muddabir , Chaimite Egidio , Forquilha Salvador , Khan Danyal , Khan Rizwan , Loureiro Miguel ,   Myanmar Research Team, Posse Lucio , Rowlands Jo , Shankland Alex
Published: December 2022

Motivation

How do poor and marginalized people solve problems and claim rights and entitlements in places affected by conflict and where state authority is contested? Understanding such processes is important as the numbers of poor people living in difficult settings grows, yet existing research on governance in conflict largely misses a “citizen's eye” view of these processes.

Purpose

The article focuses on “everyday governance” from a citizen's perspective. What do engagements with the multiple state and non‐state actors that prevail in such settings look like? We present insights from longitudinal research in conflict‐affected areas in Mozambique, Myanmar and Pakistan.

Methods and approach

Research was undertaken in two phases over the period 2017–2021. Researchers developed an innovative method, “governance diaries,” in which we interviewed the same set of poor and marginalized households over a period of a year, capturing an unfolding citizen's eye view of governance. We subsequently used the same method to include key intermediaries to whom households went with problems.

Findings

We find that in most instances poor and marginalized households did not rely on the state or other formal or external authorities to resolve problems. Mostly, they simply “lived with” those problems, or resolved them through “self‐provision”—mutual aid and community action. When they did go to authorities, they used “governance intermediaries”—actors that connect people with authorities or mediate between households. These intermediaries played a central role in local governance, using their networks and deploying a range of strategies with a focus on local resolution of problems.

Policy implications

These findings challenge some core assumptions of contemporary development practice. First, development programmes tend to focus on improving state‐run services, rather than engaging with the diversity of how public goods are governed on the ground. Second, policies assume that people can go directly to authorities with their problems, and do not take into account the role that intermediaries play. Finally, the highly diverse networks of governance actors that matter to specific places challenges the common focus on formal systems rather than informal practices.
Selection for high growth displaces costs of digestion from SDA to SMR in divergent ecotypes of rainbow trout
Authors: Monnet Gauthier , Rosenfeld Jordan S. , Richards Jeffrey G.
Published: December 2022

To understand the drivers of variation in digestive performance and their effects on growth, we examined relationships among food consumption, digestive metabolism, food processing efficiency, and growth rate in juveniles of fast‐growing piscivore versus slow‐growing insectivore ecotypes of rainbow trout reared at satiation rations on the same diet (i.e., commercial food pellets). Relative to slow‐growing insectivores with lower basal metabolism, and despite a much larger maximum food ration, faster‐growing piscivores presented an unexpected pattern of higher digestive efficiency through a reduction in the absolute costs of postprandial metabolism coupled with shorter or similar gut residence time and higher assimilation efficiency. These results suggest that the increase in digestive metabolism following the ingestion of larger meals can be mitigated by displacing the costs of digestion from SDA to SMR. Reducing total digestion costs (SDA + SMR) while maintaining higher assimilation efficiency may be possible through potential adaptations including (1) increased intestinal absorption capacity; (2) economies of scale that shorten gut transit time with increasing ration level; or (3) a permanently larger digestive tract that increases maintenance costs but reduces the need for cyclic upregulation and associated overhead costs.
Long‐term outcomes of aplastic anemia with cytogenetic abnormalities at diagnosis
Authors: Li Jianping , Liu Xu , Zhao Xin , Yang Wenrui , Zhang Li , Jing Liping , Zhou Kang , Ye Lei , Li Yuan , Li Yang , Peng Guangxin , Song Lin , Fan Huihui , Hu Xiangrong , Li Xiaoxia , Zhang Fengkui
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To elucidate the clinical characteristics of AA patients with cytogenetic abnormalities.

Methods

We retrospectively screened 30 patients (30/1206, 2.5%) with cytogenetic abnormalities from 1206 patients with severe and very severe AA who received immunosuppressive therapy (IST) during the years 2012–2019.

Results

The most common abnormalities were trisomy 8 (+8, 10/30, 33.3%) and loss of Y (−Y, 8/30, 26.7%). The abnormal clones disappeared 6 months after IST in 14 patients and sustained in 12 patients. Patients with sustained abnormal clones had a lower hematologic response at 6 months after IST than the disappeared (33.3% vs. 64.3%, p = .116). The hematologic response after IST, 5‐year overall survival, 5‐year event‐free survival, myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia transformation in AA patients with cytogenetic abnormalities were not statistically different from those in normal cytogenetic patients.

Conclusion

For AA patients with chromosome abnormalities but ineligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplant, IST is effective and appropriate as first‐line treatment.
Future area expansion outweighs increasing drought risk for soybean in Europe
Authors: Nendel Claas , Reckling Moritz , Debaeke Philippe , Schulz Susanne , Berg‐Mohnicke Michael , Constantin Julie , Fronzek Stefan , Hoffmann Munir , Jakšić Snežana , Kersebaum Kurt‐Christian , Klimek‐Kopyra Agnieszka , Raynal Hélène , Schoving Céline , Stella Tommaso , Battisti Rafael
Published: December 2022

The European Union is highly dependent on soybean imports from overseas to meet its protein demands. Individual Member States have been quick to declare self‐sufficiency targets for plant‐based proteins, but detailed strategies are still lacking. Rising global temperatures have painted an image of a bright future for soybean production in Europe, but emerging climatic risks such as drought have so far not been included in any of those outlooks. Here, we present simulations of future soybean production and the most prominent risk factors across Europe using an ensemble of climate and soybean growth models. Projections suggest a substantial increase in potential soybean production area and productivity in Central Europe, while southern European production would become increasingly dependent on supplementary irrigation. Average productivity would rise by 8.3% (RCP 4.5) to 8.7% (RCP 8.5) as a result of improved growing conditions (plant physiology benefiting from rising temperature and CO2 levels) and farmers adapting to them by using cultivars with longer phenological cycles. Suitable production area would rise by 31.4% (RCP 4.5) to 37.7% (RCP 8.5) by the mid‐century, contributing considerably more than productivity increase to the production potential for closing the protein gap in Europe. While wet conditions at harvest and incidental cold spells are the current key challenges for extending soybean production, the models and climate data analysis anticipate that drought and heat will become the dominant limitations in the future. Breeding for heat‐tolerant and water‐efficient genotypes is needed to further improve soybean adaptation to changing climatic conditions.
The effect of masks on the visual preference for faces in the first year of life
Authors: Galusca Cristina Ioana , Clerc Olivier , Chevallier Marie , Bertrand Caroline , Audeou Frederique , Pascalis Olivier , Fort Mathilde
Published: December 2022

To prevent the spread of COVID‐19, face masks were mandatory in many public spaces around the world. Since faces are the gateway to early social cognition, this raised major concerns about the effect face masks may have on infants' attention to faces as well as on their language and social development. The goal of the present study was to assess how face masks modulate infants' attention to faces over the course of the first year of life. We measured 3, 6, 9, and 12‐month‐olds’ looking behavior using a paired visual preference paradigm under two experimental conditions. First, we tested infants' preference for upright masked or unmasked faces of the same female individual. We found that regardless of age, infants looked equally long at the masked and unmasked faces. Second, we compared infants' attention to an upright masked versus an inverted masked face. Three‐ and 6‐month‐olds looked equally long to the masked faces when they were upright or inverted. However, 9‐ and 12‐month‐old infants showed a novelty preference for the inverted masked face. Our findings suggest that more experience with faces, including masked faces, leads to efficient adaptations of infants' visual system for processing impoverished social stimuli, such as partially occluded faces.
Impact of negative pressure wound treatment on incidence of surgical site infection in varied orthopedic surgeries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yuan Song , Zhang Tingjiu , Zhang Dong , He Qin , Du Meiting , Zeng Fanwei
Published: December 2022

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a popular treatment to heal infected wounds. This meta‐analysis aimed to determine if NPWT was more effective than conventional wound dressings for surgical site infections (SSI) in varied orthopaedic surgeries. Literature was retrieved from seven electronic databases (Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and CNKI). Randomised control trials (RCT) and retrospective cohort studies (RS) involving arthroplasty, fracture, and spinal surgery were extracted. SSI was our primary outcome, while total complications and length of hospital stay were secondary outcomes. We carried out the risk of bias assessment and meta‐analysis using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool and Stata 17.0. Among the 798 studies retrieved, 18 of them met our inclusion criteria. We identified 13 RCTs and 5 RSs. The results of meta‐analysis showed that the incidence of SSI in the NPWT group was significantly lower relative to the control group (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.77, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that the incidences of SSI involving arthroplasty, fracture, and spinal surgery in the NPWT group accounted for 46%, 69%, and 37% relative to the control group, respectively. The incidence of SSI in RS (OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.56) was significantly lower than that in RCT (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.90) (P = 0.02). Moreover, patients in the NPWT group had a lower total complication rate (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.76) and shorter hospital stays (SMD = −0.42, 95% CI −0.83 to −0.02), although high heterogeneity existed. NPWT may be an efficient alternative to help prevent the incidence of SSI and total complications as well as achieved shorten hospital stay in varied orthopaedic surgeries. The rational use of NPWT should be based on the presence of patients' clinical conditions and relevant risk factors.
Identifying the suicidal ideation risk group among older adults in rural areas: Developing a predictive model using machine learning methods
Authors: Kim Junglyun , Gwak DongHyeon , Kim Seonhee , Gang Moonhee
Published: December 2022

Aims

The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model that can identify the suicidal ideation risk group among older adults in rural areas using machine learning methods.

Design

This study applied an exploratory, descriptive and cross‐sectional design.

Methods

The participants were older adults (N = 650) aged over 65 living in rural areas of South Korea. Self‐report questionnaires were used to collect the demographics, suicidal ideation, depression, socioeconomic information and basic health information from September to October 2020. The collected data were analysed using machine learning methods with R statistical software 4.1.0.

Results

The predictive models indicated that depression, pain, age and loneliness were significant factors of suicidal ideation. Good performance was observed based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the decision tree, random forest and logistic regression. Finally, the evaluation of model performance indicated moderate to high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion

The predictive models using machine learning methods may be useful to predict the risk of suicidal ideation. Furthermore, depression with pain, age and feelings of loneliness should be included in the initial screening to assess suicide risk among older adults in rural areas.

Impact

Identifying suicidal risk among older adults is challenging. Thus, employing predictive models that can assess depression, pain, age and loneliness can enable public healthcare providers to detect suicidal risk groups. Particularly, the presented models from this study can facilitate healthcare providers with initiating early interventions to prevent suicide among older adults in clinical and community nursing care settings.

Reporting Method

The reporting of this study (Observational, cross‐sectional study) conforms to the STROBE statement.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution. This study did not involve patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public.

Implication for the Profession and/or Patients Care

Applying this model may help to prevent geriatric suicide because the nursing staff will have a greater awareness regarding the suicide ideation risk of older adults, thereby reducing the possibility of their suicide.
Intratumoral immune heterogeneity of prostate cancer characterized by typing and hub genes
Authors: Han Jianpeng , Zhou Yan , Zhang Chundong , Feng Jianyong , Wang Junhao , Guo Kuo , Chen Wenbin , Li Yongzhang
Published: December 2022

Discordant abundances of different immune cell subtypes is regarded to be an essential feature of tumour tissue. Direct studies in Prostate cancer (PC) of intratumoral immune heterogeneity characterized by immune cell subtype, are still lacking. Using the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm, the abundance of 28 immune cells infiltration (ICI) were determined for PC. A NMF was performed to determine tumour‐sample clustering based on the abundance of ICI and PFS information. Hub genes of clusters were identified via weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA). The multivariate dimensionality reduction analysis of hub genes expression matrix was carried out via principal component analysis (PCA) to obtain immune score (IS). We analysed the correlation between clustering, IS and clinical phenotype. We divided the 495 patients into clusterA (n = 193) and clusterB (n = 302) on the basis of ICI and PFS via NMF. The progression‐free survival (PFS) were better for clusterA than for clusterB (p < 0.001). Each immune cell subtypes was more abundant in clusterA than in clusterB (p < 0.001). The expression levels of CTAL‐4 and PD‐L1 were lower in clusterB than in clusterA (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006). We obtained 103 hub genes via WGCNA. In the training and validation cohorts, the prognosis of high IS group was worse than that of the low IS group (p < 0.05). IS had good predictive effect on 5‐year PFS. The expression of immune checkpoint genes was higher in the low IS group than in the high IS group (p < 0.01). Patients with low IS and receiving hormone therapy had better prognosis than other groups. The combination of IS and clinical characteristics including lymph node metastasis and gleason score can better differentiate patient outcomes than using it alone. IS was a practical algorithm to predict the prognosis of patients. Advanced PC patients with low IS may be more sensitive to hormone therapy. CXCL10, CXCL5, MMP1, CXCL12, CXCL11, CXCL2, STAT1, IL‐6 and TLR2 were hub genes, which may drive the homing of immune cells in tumours and promote immune cell differentiation.
Development of telehealth principles and guidelines for older adults: A modified Delphi approach
Authors: Wardlow Liane , Leff Bruce , Biese Kevin , Roberts Carly , Archbald‐Pannone Laurie , Ritchie Christine , DeCherrie Linda V. , Sikka Neal , Gillespie Suzanne M. ,   The Collaborative for Telehealth and Aging
Published: December 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic elevated telehealth as a prevalent care delivery modality for older adults. However, guidelines and best practices for the provision of healthcare via telehealth are lacking. Principles and guidelines are needed to ensure that telehealth is safe, effective, and equitable for older adults. The Collaborative for Telehealth and Aging (C4TA) composed of providers, experts in geriatrics, telehealth, and advocacy, developed principles and guidelines for delivering telehealth to older adults. Using a modified Delphi process, C4TA members identified three principles and 18 guidelines. First, care should be person‐centered; telehealth programs should be designed to meet the needs and preferences of older adults by considering their goals, family and caregivers, linguistic characteristics, and readiness and ability to use technology. Second, care should be equitable and accessible; telehealth programs should address individual and systemic barriers to care for older adults by considering issues of equity and access. Third, care should be integrated and coordinated across systems and people; telehealth should limit fragmentation, improve data sharing, increase communication across stakeholders, and address both workforce and financial sustainability. C4TA members have diverse perspectives and expertise but a shared commitment to improving older adults' lives. C4TA's recommendations highlight older adults' needs and create a roadmap for providers and health systems to take actionable steps to reach them. The next steps include developing implementation strategies, documenting current telehealth practices with older adults, and creating a community to support the dissemination, implementation, and evaluation of the recommendations.
Feel it or deal with it: Oral perception and aspiration risk in early stroke
Authors: Benli Enes Tayyip , Avci Şebnem , Öğün Muhammed Nur
Published: December 2022

Background

Sensation and perception impairments are significant problems faced by individuals with early‐stage stroke. Sensory inputs needed in swallowing guide the perceptual process with the involvement of cognitive functions. In the absence of sensory input, bolus perception may be altered, and swallowing safety may be compromised.

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate the oral perception of volume change and the aspiration risk of individuals with stroke and determine the relationship between oral perception and aspiration risk.

Methods

Total participants were 35. The Gugging Swallowing Screening Test (GUSS) was used to determine individuals' risk of aspiration and divide them into groups ‘aspiration risk’ and ‘non‐aspiration risk’. The Oral Perception of Liquid Volume Changes Test (OPLVCT) was used to determine the level of oral perception.

Results

The groups were statistically similar in terms of age and other descriptives. When the OPLVC test was examined, the scores of the aspiration risk group were significantly lower (p < .001). In addition, a moderate negative correlation was found between aspiration risk and the OPLVC scores (r: −0.502; p < .001).

Conclusion

In this study, a relationship was found between aspiration risk and oral perception. It also revealed that individuals with stroke who are at risk of aspiration have low oral perception abilities. Based on these results, it was concluded that these individuals cannot reliably determine the maximum volume of liquid to be consumed without assistance. We suggest that evaluations and training of oral perception should be added to the rehabilitation of individuals with stroke.
Oral functioning after open versus closed treatment of unilateral condylar neck or base fractures: A two‐centre controlled clinical trial
Authors: Weinberg Florine M. , Rosenberg Antoine J. W. P. , Withagen Koen P. A. , Gilijamse Marjolijn , Forouzanfar Tymour , Speksnijder Caroline M.
Published: December 2022

Background

Oral functioning and rehabilitation in patients after condylar trauma can be measured by objective functional outcomes and patient‐reported outcomes. The similarities or differences between these outcomes may contribute to the decision if open treatment (OT) or closed treatment (CT) will obtain the most advantageous results.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare OT versus CT for unilateral condylar mandibular neck or base fractures in a two‐centre controlled clinical trial by objective functional outcomes and patient‐reported outcomes measured at 6 weeks and 6 months follow‐up. Additionally, these outcomes were compared within each group.

Methods

Patients were enrolled between January 2017 and November 2019. In one centre, patients received OT by extra‐oral open reduction and internal fixation. In another centre, patients received CT by maxillomandibular fixation. Objective measurements included the mixing ability test (MAT) and mandibular active range of motion (ROM). Patient‐reported outcomes included the mandibular function impairment questionnaire (MFIQ) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. Independent t‐tests and Mann–Whitney U‐tests were used to determine differences between the treatment groups at 6 weeks and 6 months follow‐up. Paired t‐tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to determine differences within each group.

Results

Thirty‐three patients were enrolled. No differences were found between the groups treated with OT or CT for MAT, ROM, MFIQ and VAS. Both groups showed functional improvement.

Conclusion

Good objective functional outcomes and patient‐reported outcomes were achieved with both OT and CT in patients with unilateral condylar mandibular neck or base fractures.
Infeasible Punishment and Noneffective Threats: Political Feasibility of Nuclear Punishment and Policy Choices after Direct Nuclear Deterrence Failure
Authors: Kim Yang Gyu , Bowen Tyler , Shehadeh Lana
Published: December 2022

Direct nuclear deterrence should provide significant stability considering the defender's capability to inflict enormous costs on the challenger and its high level of resolve to protect its territory and people. In the past, however, nuclear powers' deterrence strategy to prevent adversaries from escalating a crisis has failed. We argue that to manage deterrence failure crises, nuclear weapons would not matter much until the crisis actors overcome the inherent political difficulties in following through on the threat of nuclear punishment. If a defender passes this bar, then it would escalate the crisis after the deterrence failure. Conversely, if the challenger possesses high political feasibility to follow through on a threat of nuclear use, then the crisis will be terminated less violently as most defenders will view nuclear escalation as more likely and decide to compromise. We identify a total of 156 cases of direct deterrence failure after 1947 from the International Crisis Behavior Data data set. Then, using ordered logistic regression analysis, we find evidence for this feasibility of punishment hypothesis.
Effects of exogenous GnRH administration on lambing performance of oestrus‐synchronized Kazak ewes during the breeding season
Authors: Zhang Jing , Ma Jun ,   Aibibaimu, Wu Xinglong , Liu Yiyong , Li Xiangyun
Published: December 2022

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of GnRH at insemination on lambing performance of Kazak ewes. Oestrus was synchronized in 774 adult Kazak ewes using an intravaginal sponge impregnated with flurogestone acetate. The sponge was left in the vagina for 12 days followed with an injection of 330 IU of eCG at sponge removal. Each ewe was inseminated twice at 48 h and 60 h after sponge removal. The treatment group (n = 387) was intramuscularly injected at the first insemination with a dose of 25 μg GnRH and the control group (n = 387) with saline solution. The results showed that GnRH administration significantly decreased the fertility rate. In addition, significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the twin birth rate, the abortion rate and the litter size. In conclusion, GnRH administration at insemination was not recommended in Kazak ewes undergoing the fixed time artificial insemination during the breeding season. The breed may be a critical determinant of the potential for the exploitation of GnRH application in sheep breeding programmes.
‘Emancipatory nationalisms’? The nationalisms of nations without states
Authors: Khandy Idreas , Şengül Ceren
Published: December 2022

In today’s seemingly ever‐globalizing societies, nationalism remains a potent force, most recently illustrated by national governments’ responses to the COVID‐19 crisis. Even though nationalism and its manifestations are deeply entrenched within societies, the term ‘nationalism’ itself continues to carry negative connotations, and the dichotomy between ‘good patriots’ vs ‘bad nationalists’ appears to be widely accepted in everyday life and the scholarly literature. Likewise, the association of ‘good’ (meaning ‘civic’ nationalism) with Western and ‘bad’ (for which read ‘ethnic’) nationalism with Eastern forms of nationalism remains prevalent. In this special issue, we critique these Eurocentric approaches to nationalism, highlighting two aspects of nationalism that are often overlooked: 1) nationalism takes many forms, and rather than viewing it as ‘good’ or ‘bad, it should be understood as a spectrum spreading across the Global North and South; 2) there is an emancipatory and creative potential within nationalism for marginalized and colonized peoples that has been illustrated through cases from the Global South. This potential – represented by the ‘nationalisms of nations without states’ – forms the central concern of this special issue. Our selection of cases from both the Global North and South reflects our own approach to nationalism.
Seasonal suicide trends in adolescents in the US: Did they explain the apparent effect of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why?
Authors: Romer Daniel
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Controversy surrounds the effects of the first season of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why on adolescent suicide in the United States. This research reexamined the question using more sensitive weekly suicide counts and more sensitive tests for seasonal changes in suicide.

Methods

Weekly suicide counts for adolescents ages 10–19 and young people ages 20–29 obtained from CDC were analyzed from 2013 to 2018 NVSS Mortality Data using time series methods.

Results

Adolescents ages 10–19 exhibited seasonal changes in suicides that increased from March to April and that also paralleled the school year. The same seasonal pattern was evident in males ages 20–24. There was no evidence of an effect of 13 Reasons in male adolescent suicides in 2017 once seasonality, auto‐correlation, and longer term trends were removed.

Conclusion

Seasonal changes and secular increases can explain why previous studies observed suicide increases in March and April of 2017 in male adolescents. The association between school year and suicide suggests that stressors associated with schooling increase the risk of suicide in some youth. How to reduce these risks is an important focus for future research as is the need to understand the conditions under which fictional depictions of suicide lead to contagion.
Jasmonic acid enhances osmotic stress responses by MYC2‐mediated inhibition of protein phosphatase 2C1 and response regulators 26 transcription factor in tomato
Authors: Zhao Wenchao , Huang Huang , Wang Jingjing , Wang Xiaoyun , Xu Bingqin , Yao Xuehui , Sun Lulu , Yang Rui , Wang Jianli , Sun Aidong , Wang Shaohui
Published: December 2022

The jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway is involved in the plant response to drought stress. JA and other hormones synergistically regulate the drought response in plants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this synergism remains poorly defined. In the present study, transcriptome analyses of guard cells and quantitative PCR experiments revealed that MYC2 negatively regulated the negative regulator of ABA signaling, SlPP2C1, and the type‐B response regulator in the cytokinin pathway, SlRR26, and this negative regulation was direct. SlRR26 overexpression reduced drought tolerance in transgenic tomatoes, whereas slrr26cr lines were more tolerant to drought. SlRR26 negatively modulated reactive oxygen species levels in stomata and stomatal closure through RobhB. Moreover, SlRR26 overexpression counteracted JA‐mediated stomatal closure, suggesting that SlRR26 played a negative role in the JA‐mediated drought response. These findings suggest that MYC2 plays a key role in JA‐regulated stomatal closure under drought stress by inhibiting SlPP2C1 and SlRR26.
Numerical Simulation of a Three-dimensional Subsea Cable with Buoyancy Module
Authors: Normisyidi Nur Adlin Lina , Zainal Abidin Ahmad Razin , Hoe Yeak Su
Published: December 2022

Extreme formation of slacks and entanglement with risers induced from a small diameter and high structural flexibility of subsea cable is often being a huge challenge in subsea cable installation. In many cases, the cable is prone to breaking, bending, or twisting due to the rough and dynamic underwater condition. One of the alternatives is the use of buoyancy module to facilitate the cable installation and to reduce cable tension and false slacks. This paper proposes reliable three-dimensional mathematical model and simulation to specifically investigate the behaviour of subsea cable with buoyancy module during laying operation. A finite difference method (FDM) and optimization algorithm is used to discretize the formulation and simulate this type of subsea cable problem concerning on the tensional analysis. The methodology is specifically designed to allow cable configuration to be changed over time as a result from the buoyancy module. The viability subsea cable configuration with existence of buoyancy module has been showed successfully reduce the cable tension especially at the hang-off section.
The Elimination of Carry-Over Under Steel-Mill Operating Conditions
Authors: Rivers H. M. , Hill W. P.
Published: December 2022

At the Sparrows Point steel mill an expanded production schedule brought greatly increased demands on the steam-generating facilities, which eventually led to a severe carry-over condition. The authors review the steps taken to correct the causes of carry-over, both chemically, mechanically, and in firing methods. Studies were conducted on various boiler units of the plant, each of which offered somewhat different problems for solution. However, a balanced solution to the carry-over problem was evolved which applies to boiler operation at this plant as a whole, details of which are given. An explanation is also given of the experimental methods used in arriving at an acceptable solution.
Development and Performance of a Coal-Fired Unit Heater
Authors: Rush R. M.
Published: December 2022

The paper describes an advanced design of coal-fired unit heater; explains the means by which high rates of heat transfer comparable to those of heating boilers are attained in an air heater, and by which the steel shell of the combustion chamber is kept at a safe temperature level; and gives results of tests of a large heater of this type. Various modifications of the installation arrangements are described, and the savings of critical materials and of man-hours, important under the present war conditions, attainable by the use of this type of heater are pointed out. A design of heater having all-refractory heat-transmitting surfaces, is also described. The reasons why the over-all saving of metal effected by the last-mentioned design must be disappointingly small, are explained.