bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the mechanical properties of composites containing exfoliated graphite/epoxy sensors: Experimental testing and simulation
Authors: Verbosky Arianna L , Gebretsadik Biniam Tamrea , Reed Quinn T , Cho H E , Zegeye Ephraim F
Published: October 2024

One approach to structural health monitoring (SHM) involves embedding sensors within a composite material. However, the integration of these sensors can potentially introduce flaws that might affect the composite’s mechanical properties. This research aims to explore the impact of embedding exfoliated graphite (EG)/epoxy sensors on the mechanical characteristics of composite systems through laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Sensor strips composed of varying volume fractions of EG/epoxy were fabricated. Tensile test specimens were prepared by embedding these sensors in the epoxy matrix oriented both lengthwise and widthwise. Baseline specimens of EG/epoxy without sensors were also created for comparison. Tensile tests were performed on the samples to evaluate the effects of the embedded sensors on the composite’s elastic modulus and tensile strength. The results indicated a slight improvement in both elastic modulus and tensile strength with the introduction of EG. Crucially, the orientation of the sensors within the samples had a significant impact on the composite’s mechanical properties. Samples with widthwise-aligned sensors showed reduced tensile strength due to delamination along the sensor edges. Finite element simulations using a viscoelastic model based on the experimental data were conducted to analyze the effect of sensor alignment on mechanical properties. The findings revealed that a grid pattern alignment of sensors significantly enhanced mechanical performance compared to lengthwise or widthwise alignment, particularly at 0.1% and 0.3% EG volume fractions, highlighting the effectiveness of a grid pattern for embedding sensors in SHM applications.
Universal Design Element Utilization and Mathematics Performance: Implications for Diverse Student Populations
Authors: Wei Xin
Published: October 2024

This empirical research study investigates the relationship between the utilization of Universal Design (UD) elements and math performance among eighth graders. We analyzed 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress process data using Poisson Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models to examine how the frequency of UD element usage varies across diverse student demographics. Our findings reveal a great divide: lower achievers, students with disabilities, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, English Language Learners, and African American students predominantly use text-to-speech, whereas high achievers more frequently employ digital pencils (which allow for manual writing or drawing on the screen) and elimination capacity (which enables students to dismiss incorrect multiple-choice answers). Linear Mixed-Effects Models show that higher levels of utilization of digital pencils and elimination capacity are correlated with improved math performance across various student subgroups. However, frequent changes in color themes, intended to enhance visual differentiation, were associated with lower performance, suggesting that these might serve as distractions rather than aids for some students. We discuss the implications of the findings in terms of the design of UD elements, as well as for equity, accessibility, and math education more broadly.
When the war strikes back: TikTok’s domestication of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict among youth
Authors: Colombo Enzo , Giorgi Giulia , Rebughini Paola Alessandra
Published: October 2024

This article explores how the Russo-Ukrainian conflict is represented through videos circulating on TikTok and how the consumption of this content impacts young people’s imaginary of war. After 2 years since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the centrality of TikTok in the communication around this conflict has become apparent. In this study, we are interested in the ‘domesticating’ effect produced by the circulation and consumption of content circulated on TikTok and the effects this may have on young people – the larger segment of the platform’s user base. Using insights from the qualitative analysis of 826 TikTok videos and 2 focus groups conducted with Italian high school students, we found that TikTok contributes to the domestication of war through 3 narrative strategies: the spectacularization of the technical aspects of war, the representation of war as part of the everyday life, and various affordance-mediated attempts of aestheticization. The representations of the conflict vehiculated through TikTok videos make war something familiar and normalized in the eyes of our interviewees. The idea of a war in the near future as something that may realistically happen strongly emerge from the focus groups, alongside with different ways to cope with this idea.
Rancière reading Plato: Myth against sociology
Authors: Pollaert Marion Kim-Chi
Published: October 2024

This article examines how Rancière contrasts Plato’s philosophy with sociology, specifically that of Bourdieu and Passeron. In The Philosopher and His Poor, Plato is among those who exclude the majority not only from political power but also from thought and discourse. However, Rancière uses the Republic’s founding myth of inequality to identify the arbitrary basis behind the circular reasoning that justifies thought’s legitimate and illegitimate use based on alleged nature. Can Platonic myth constitute what Rancière terms a ‘discursive act’, which triggers political conflict, that is, the debate on equality as first presupposition? This study of Rancière’s Platonic reference examines the conditions under which philosophical myth can challenge sociology. The emancipatory use of myth involves reconfiguring our concepts of science and society and any notion of nature while scholarly discourse is hinged on processes of social othering that align it with the repressive order of social hierarchy. The comparison between Plato and Bourdieu, as analyzed through Rancière’s critique, reveals a fundamental divergence in their approach to societal structures. According to Rancière, all explanations tend to naturalize, whereas the only correct approach is to emphasize the total absence of any foundation for hierarchy. This problem has epistemological implications: how can we construct a discourse that does not reproduce the exceptionality of authorized speech? On this condition, one can catch a glimpse of the collective and temporal extent of Rancière’s resolute commitment to equality. Taking seriously a definition of the social as a series of perceptual rearrangements allows us to question the anti-institutional limit of Rancière’s thinking.
Examining Early Childhood Expulsion Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
Authors: Chudzik Mia , O’Grady Courtney , Burdick Lynn , Corr Catherine
Published: October 2024

Expulsion is unfortunately common in early childhood settings and has a negative impact on both children and caregivers. In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to learn about caregivers’ experiences with early childhood expulsion. We analyzed the data using a trauma-informed lens to examine how the experience of expulsion was potentially traumatic to children and caregivers. Our findings indicate that caregivers believed the experience of expulsion was deeply harmful for themselves and their children. The implications of this study highlight ways early childhood education systems and practices can improve to be more trauma-informed and prevent expulsion.
Research on fracture prediction and control of UHSS thin-walled component with complex section in roll forming process
Authors: Wei Zhidong , Cao Jianguo , Wang Xuesong , Zhu Hao , Zhu Xudong , Zhao Rongguo
Published: October 2024

Aiming at the fracture of an ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) thin-walled component with complex section in the roll forming process, the three-dimensional finite element model was established. It is found that the stress triaxiality and equivalent plastic strain are the main factors affecting the fracture behaviour of the UHSS thin-walled component with complex section, and the influence laws of forming strategies and process parameters on the fracture behaviour were discussed. The results show that the damage value, equivalent plastic strain and stress triaxiality at the fracture position are reduced by increasing the inter-distance and roll diameter, decreasing friction coefficient and forming velocity. The mathematical model of the UDP comprehensive measure with the forming strategies and process parameters was established by the response surface method. The numerical simulation and industrial test verify the effectiveness of the UDP comprehensive measure, which provides a theoretical and practical basis for the fracture prevention control.
Development of in situ forming autologous fibrin scaffold incorporating synthetic teriparatide peptide for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Khalili Mohammad Reza , Molafilabi Azam , Mousazadeh Sepideh , Mehrabi Arezou , Kiani Jafar , Brouki Milan Peiman , Ghasemi Faezeh
Published: October 2024

Introduction:

This study investigates the potential of an in-situ forming scaffold using a fibrin-based scaffold derived from autologous plasma combined with Synthetic Teriparatide (TP) for bone regeneration application. TP is known for its bone formation stimulation but has limited clinical use due to side effects. This autologous delivery system aims to provide precise, controlled, localized, and long-term release of TP for accelerating bone regeneration.

Methods:

Fibrinogen from autologous plasma was extracted using ethanol, and thrombin was precipitated with ammonium sulfate to create the fibrin scaffold. Characterization of fibrinogen was done through FTIR, SDS-Page, porosity, SEM, degradation, and rheology tests. Viability was assessed by MTT in five groups with different concentrations of TP in fibrin scaffold (50, 100, and 150 µl/ml), fibrin alone, and a control group against HEK and Wharton’s jelly cells. The release profile of different concentrations of TP in the fibrin scaffold was also examined.

Results:

The formation time of the fibrin scaffold was 4 ± 0.2 s. The highest Infrared absorption for fibrinogen was confirmed. Rheology assessment revealed a higher elastic modulus than the viscous modulus. The created fibrin scaffold displayed a consistent three-dimensional microstructure with an interconnected porous network. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated good biocompatibility and enhanced cell growth with different concentrations of TP in the fibrin scaffold. The TP release increased with higher concentrations, peaking at an average of 61% over 54 h.

Conclusion:

Autologous plasma-derived fibrin scaffolds incorporating TP exhibit satisfactory release within the scaffold and hold promise as a versatile bone filler for clinical use, facilitating osteoregeneration.
A Unitary Caring Theory Perspective of Adolescent and Young Adult Experiences of Resilience
Authors: Martinez Laurie A. , Opalinski Andra S. , Butcher Howard K.
Published: October 2024

The major aim of this study was to understand the experience of resilience in adolescents and young adults within the context of a unitary caring science and to generate insights into ways to cultivate resilience in adolescents and young adults who have experienced adversity. Four major essences emerged and were synthesized into one statement. Maintaining hope and optimism for a promising future is acknowledging awareness and acceptance and experiencing connectedness while embracing power in the situation. The essences were interpreted within a theory of unitary caring.
Urban protracted displacement and displacement economies
Authors: Brown Alison , Mackie Peter , García Amado Patricia , Barratt Stefanie , Kriščiūnaitė Akvilė
Published: October 2024

Protracted displacement is one of the most complex and difficult humanitarian problems facing the international community today. This paper argues that urban protracted displacement deserves status as a distinct state of refugeehood, and that better analysis of the structural and individual barriers to economic inclusion of urban refugees and IDPs should underpin both incremental and radical policy response. The paper draws on a study of protracted displacement in four countries, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya and Afghanistan, to explore those barriers through application of the Displacement Economies Framework, a theoretical and programming tool developed through the research, to help rethink responses to protracted displacement in cities. The paper thus contributes to literatures on urban protracted displacement and to a gap in the research on displacement economies in cities, demonstrating that addressing structural and individual barriers is key to supporting the economic inclusion of displaced people in cities.
The Role, Contribution and Impact of Independent Nurse Prescribers and Advanced Nurse Practitioners to the Children's Hospice Workforce
Authors: Tatterton Michael J. , Bethell Claire , Moody Amy , McShane Zoe P. , Stocks Kathy L. , Charles Anna E.
Published: October 2024

The care needs of babies, children and young people who use children's hospices have changed over the last decade, with children living for longer, with more complexity. Children's hospice workforces have evolved to continue to meet these needs, including a growth in the number of nurses working at specialist and advanced levels, particularly prescribing. A 15-question survey was sent to all 54 UK children's hospices, which aimed to explore the impact of independent nurse prescribing, and specialist and advanced level nursing practice in UK children's hospices. Forty-one organisations responded, representing 76% of UK children's hospices. Increased autonomy and the ability to respond to the dynamic needs of families, and enabling family choice was recognised and valued by prescribers. Challenges included the breadth of needs of children with life-limiting conditions, and the use of medicines that are either unlicenced or used off-licence. Access to clinical supervision and continuing professional development were highlighted as enablers of prescribing practice.
An Exploration of the Desistance Process of Male Substance Offenders in Pakistan: Influence of Family Relationships
Authors: Ahmad Waqas , Liu Chengbin , Mahmood Rabia , Suleman Rao Muhammad Faisal
Published: October 2024

The aim of the study was to gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of male substance abusers who participated in a community program, with a particular focus on the role that their families played in their desistance journey from substance abuse. A qualitative research approach was adopted since the study's aim was exploratory. Thirty male participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Through interviews, participants were requested to express their emotions or experiences related to the following: being released from prison, abstaining from substance abuse, and their perceived level of assistance from their families. The findings of this study highlighted the positive influence of family support on the recovery of substance abusers. The findings showed that individuals with substance use disorder were more likely to rely on their family for assistance in contrast to other aspects (i.e., CBT counseling). The findings’ significance is considered in terms of desistance and social relations.
Coded Appeals and Political Gains: Exploring the Impact of Racial Dogwhistles on Political Support
Authors: Lindgren Elina , Rönnerstrand Björn , Rettenegger Gregor , Breitholtz Ellen , Cooper Robin , Sayeed Asad
Published: October 2024

Political parties have incentives to appeal to diverse voters to maximize support. This study examines the effect of politicians exploiting dogwhistles—expressions that convey hidden messages to specific audiences while escaping notice by the majority—for this purpose. Findings from a word replacement test and a survey experiment assessing the utility of racial dogwhistles in Sweden suggest that dogwhistling can aid politicians in gaining support from in-groups while retaining backing from out-groups; for example, “suburban gang” (dogwhistle) elicits more support than “immigrant gang.” Results suggest that dogwhistling is effective beyond the U.S. context and for different forms of political support.
Investigating Lasofoxifene Efficacy Against the Y537S + F404V Double-Mutant Estrogen Receptor Alpha Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Bouricha El Mehdi , Hakmi Mohammed
Published: October 2024

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) plays a critical role in breast cancer (BC) progression, with endocrine therapy being a key treatment for ERα + BC. However, resistance often arises due to somatic mutations in the ERα ligand-binding domain (LBD). Lasofoxifene, a third-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator, has shown promise against Y537S and D538G mutations. However, the emergence of a novel F404 mutation in patients with pre-existing LBD mutations raises concerns about its impact on lasofoxifene efficacy. This study investigates the impact of the dual Y537S and F404V mutations on lasofoxifene’s efficacy. Using molecular dynamics simulations and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) free energy calculations, we found that the dual mutation reduces lasofoxifene binding affinity and binding free energy, disrupts crucial protein-ligand interactions, and induces significant conformational changes in the ligand-binding pocket. These alterations are likely due to the loss of the pi-pi stacking interaction in the F404V mutation. These findings suggest a potential reduction in lasofoxifene efficacy due to the dual mutation. Further experimental validation is required to confirm these results and fully understand the impact of dual mutations on lasofoxifene’s effectiveness in ERα + metastatic BC.
The erosion of democracy in an age of wealth inequality: Unravelling the impact of subjective socioeconomic stratification
Authors: Han Seungwoo
Published: October 2024

Since the 1980s, the growing wealth disparity in advanced capitalist societies has drawn attention from political economy scholars due to its profound effects on political systems. This research explores the relationship between wealth inequality and the stability of democratic institutions, focusing on how subjective class perceptions shape support for democratic governance. The findings indicate that as wealth inequality intensifies, it significantly reshapes class identities, influencing attitudes towards democracy. Both the subjective lower and upper classes exhibit diminished support for democratic systems, albeit for different reasons, which may pose risks to democratic stability. In contrast, the subjective middle class, a stronghold of democratic values, is shrinking in both proportion and influence as wealth inequality widens, potentially weakening democratic institutions further. This study underscores the connection between increasing wealth inequality and challenges to democratic values, highlighting the importance of policy measures to protect democratic integrity in the face of rising economic disparities.
Of boredom and havoc: Correctional officers and meaning making
Authors: Spencer Dale , Ricciardelli Rose , Richard Katerina , Towns Zachary
Published: October 2024

Despite early calls to pay attention to the role of emotions in crime and criminal justice, including in prison studies, empirical research focusing on emotions in the administration of criminal justice has been sporadic. With notable exceptions, little attention has been paid to the role of boredom, meaning, and the labour processes of criminal justice personnel more broadly, and correctional officers specifically. We fill the lacuna in knowledge by examining the relationship between boredom, temporality, the labour process of correctional officers, meaning making, and officer wellness. We first offer an overview of boredom as an emotion and its contribution to meaning making. We then outline the labour process of correctional officers, reviewing literature on the structure of their carceral work environments and their experiences of boredom. We draw on 651 interviews with correctional officer recruits (n = 375) and follow-up interviews with correctional officers (n = 276) within federal prisons across Canada to understand the emotional experiences of correctional work, specifically focusing on boredom as a dominant emotion and its effect on officer wellness. Our study uses a phenomenological approach to consider how boredom plays a role in the daily lives of those providing security within prison spaces, how prison officers make sense of their work in relation to temporality and boredom, and how boredom and havoc contributes to poor officer wellness.
The risky business of research: the control of academic knowledge production and the racialised and gendered contours of corporate power
Authors: Moeller Kathryn
Published: October 2024

This article examines attempts to censor academic knowledge production and expertise on corporate power. It provides an ethnographically grounded way of illuminating one corporation’s attempts to control academic research as the company worked to maintain its hegemony in the face of a long history of public accusations of labour abuse. Reflecting on the author's own experience of negotiating fieldwork and publishing, the analysis reveals what antagonisms provoke corporate control of information, what social relations may ease corporate anxiety and what ultimately, regardless of these social relations, prompts corporations to protect themselves, often irrespective of the truth. In doing so, the article reveals the racialised, gendered and classed contours of corporate power and abuse.
Inequality in participation in shadow education in mathematics in Europe: An intersectional perspective
Authors: Karaçay İrem , Bousselin Audrey , Benz Robin , Darmody Merike , Smyth Emer
Published: October 2024

There is a growing body of research on participation in shadow education (SE), reflecting the global growth of this sector. However, less is known about the topic from an intersectional perspective. Drawing on TIMSS 2019 and PISA 2012 data for European countries, this paper explores the way in which social background, gender and migration background interact to shape participation in mathematics SE. Our findings show that across European Economic Area (EEA) countries, migrant females from socioeconomically disadvantaged families have the highest probability of participating in SE at the primary school level, while native males from socioeconomically advantaged families have the lowest probability of doing so. At the secondary school level, regardless of their socioeconomic background, migrant female students have the highest likelihood of participating in SE compared to other groups. Our research reveals that contrary to common understanding, participation in SE is not solely determined by high socioeconomic status, especially for specific demographics like migrant girls, indicating the need for future studies to delve deeper into the various factors influencing such involvement beyond just financial means.
Rupture of an Aneurysmal Pulmonary Sequestration Artery
Authors: Hordijk Marjolijn , Buimer Mathijs G.
Published: October 2024

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare lung malformation seldomly accompanied by aneurysmal deformation of its arterial vasculature. This is a first report of aneurysmal PS presenting with acute aneurysmal rupture. The ruptured aneurysm was treated uneventfully by emergency endovascular coiling, and thoracoscopic hemothorax drainage.
Servant and Crisis Manager? The Association of Servant Leadership with Followers’ Adaptivity and Proactivity
Authors: Schowalter Annika F. , Volmer Judith
Published: October 2024

Crisis situations require employees to be adaptive and proactive in order to be successfully managed. Because servant leaders focus on serving their followers, they should be able to fulfill their followers’ needs and respond appropriately to situations that cause uncertainty, thereby helping them manage crises. Against this backdrop, we investigated whether the perception of servant leadership can support follower adaptivity and proactivity in a crisis context. Additionally, we examined two potential mediating processes to explain these relationships (i.e., followers’ basic psychological need satisfaction and procedural justice perceptions). Using a longitudinal study with three measurement points between March 2020 (at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis) and October 2020, we surveyed 129 teachers employed at several schools in a private school association in Germany. In line with our hypotheses, the results of the path analysis showed that servant leadership perceptions were positively associated with both mediators. The relationships between servant leadership and followers’ proactivity and adaptivity were mediated by basic need satisfaction. However, contrary to our assumptions, we found no direct associations between servant leadership and follower behavior, no indirect relationship between servant leadership and adaptivity via procedural justice, and even a negative indirect relationship between servant leadership and proactive behavior via procedural justice. Based on our findings, we discuss the potential benefits and negative implications of servant leadership in the crisis context.
Sarcoma or haematoma? If only it was that simple! Part 2
Authors: Berry Catharine , Charnock Mark
Published: October 2024

Introduction:

Imaging appearances and clinical presentation of soft tissue sarcoma and soft tissue haematomas are similar. It is imperative that sarcoma is differentiated from benign soft tissue lesions due to the poor outcomes and high morbidity associated with sarcoma.

Topic Description:

Part 2 of this pictorial review summarises the key ultrasound appearances of soft tissue sarcoma and soft tissue haematomas and some differential diagnoses.

Discussion:

Ultrasound is the first line test in the investigation of soft tissue masses. With the overlapping ultrasound appearances of soft tissue sarcoma and soft tissue haematomas, it is essential that practitioners are aware of key ultrasound appearances and understand when to escalate cases for further investigation.

Conclusion:

Sound knowledge of the clinical and sonographic features of soft tissue haematomas and soft tissue sarcoma as well as recognising potential differential diagnoses is fundamental to ensuring an accurate diagnosis, timely management and improved patient outcomes.
Amputation versus circular external fixation in the treatment of diabetic foot with osteomyelitis: a cost and quality-of-life analysis
Authors: López Capdevilla Laia , Santamaría Fumas Alejandro , Sales Pérez José Miguel , Domínguez Sevilla Alejandro , del Corral Cuervo Julio , Varela-Quintana Carlos , Rabanal Rubio María , Roza Miguel Pablo
Published: October 2024

Background:

Charcot foot is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus. Amputation is associated with 5-year mortality rates as high as 70%, and the overall treatment cost for diabetic foot surpasses that of conditions such as cancer or depression.

Objectives:

To compare clinical, quality-of-life, and cost outcomes related to Charcot foot management through two distinct treatments: amputation and resection with stabilization using circular external fixation (CEF).

Methods:

This retrospective study included all adult patients treated at our unit between 2008 and 2022 for acute diabetic foot with infected ulcers. The allocation to treatment groups was based on the timing of patient enrollment. We gathered anthropometric, diagnostic, and surgical data, documenting individualized costs for preoperative, postoperative, and rehabilitation phases. Health status was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, and recorded data included mortality.

Results:

A total of 31 patients (18 amputations; 13 CEF) were included. Amputees exhibited significantly higher mortality compared to those with a CEF (44.8% vs 7.7%, p = 0.045). The estimated 3-year survival was 60.8% for amputees and 90% for the CEF group (log-rank test, p = 0.096). In terms of quality of life (EQ-5D-3L), amputees reported a reduction of 14.67 points while CEF patients reported an increase of 40.39 points ( p < 0.001). The EQ-5D-3L index improved by 1.8 points for amputees, as compared with 62.3 points in the CEF group ( p < 0.001). The total mean cost of managing an amputated patient was €222,864, practically identical to the €224,438 incurred in the CEF group ( p = 0.767). No statistically significant differences were found in the time distribution of costs. However, some specific expense items demonstrated statistical significance.

Conclusion:

In treating infected diabetic foot ulcers, external fixation leads to a better quality of life compared to amputation. There’s also a trend suggesting higher survival rates with external fixation, and both approaches have similar costs.
Advanced abdominal pregnancy complicated by pelvic inflammatory disease: A compelling case report
Authors: El Hajjar Charlotte , Mohamad Hawraa , Siblini Mohammad , Demachkie Khouloud , Yared Georges , Ramadan Mohamad , El Hassan Jihad , Barakat Hassan , Ghazal Kariman
Published: October 2024

This case report discusses the rare and complex occurrence of an advanced abdominal pregnancy in a 36-year-old multiparous woman at 26 weeks of gestation, compounded by chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome. The patient was presented with severe symptoms, including abdominal pain, fever, chills, constipation, and vaginal spotting, leading to her hospital admission. Diagnosis was challenging due to the advanced stage of the pregnancy and its abdominal location, particularly in the Douglas pouch, as detected through ultrasonography. According to anatomical standards, this is an intraperitoneal pregnancy rather than an intra-abdominal pregnancy because the fetus developed in the peritoneal cavity. This case is significant for illustrating the critical need for high clinical suspicion and skilled sonographic evaluation to identify such advanced abdominal pregnancies. The successful management of this case through laparotomy, despite the complexities of concurrent conditions, emphasizes the possibility of safe placental removal without increased hemorrhage risk. This report highlights the importance of awareness and expertise in handling rare presentations of ectopic pregnancies, underscoring the potential for positive outcomes with appropriate surgical intervention.
The quality and reliability of short videos about thyroid nodules on BiliBili and TikTok: Cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Yuying , Wang Qianyu , Huang Xuanwei , Zhang Yu , Li Yuanhui , Ni Tianyu , Pan Gang , Luo Dingcun , Ni Yeqin
Published: October 2024

Background

The detection rate of thyroid nodules has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, triggering heightened public apprehension. Short video platforms such as TikTok and BiliBili have showed tremendous potential in the dissemination of health information. There is a plethora of videos about thyroid nodules on TikTok and BiliBili, but the quality and reliability of videos concerning thyroid nodules remains unknown.

Methods

On December 3rd, 2023, the top 100 short videos related to thyroid nodules on BiliBili and TikTok were collected through a comprehensive search in Chinese. After extracting the basic information, the quality and reliability of each video was assessed by using the global quality score (GQS) and DISCERN score. Further, Spearman correlation analyses were applied to examine the correlation among video variables, GQS and DISCERN score.

Results

Compared to BiliBili, TikTok exhibits greater popularity, as evidenced by higher counts of likes ( P = 0.021), comments ( P = 0.008) and shares ( P = 0.017). The median (interquartile range) scores of GQS and DISCERN score were 3 (2–3) on TikTok while 2 (2–3) on BiliBili. Both reviewers exhibited good consistency in GQS and DISCERN score. Moreover, it was observed that the videos shared by thyroid specialists demonstrated higher scores both in GQS ( P = 0.014) and DISCERN score ( P = 0.022) than others on TikTok. Spearman correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between video variables and the scores of GQS and DISCERN score.

Conclusions

The quality and reliability of thyroid nodules videos on BiliBili and TikTok were unsatisfactory. Notably, videos shared by thyroid specialists are more likely to exhibit superior quality and reliability. People should exercise caution when perusing short videos.
Piloting the Impact of an e-Learning on Knowledge About HIV Prevention and Prophylaxis Among General Practitioners in Belgium
Authors: Van Oost Niels , Van Raemdonck Annelies , Schoenmakers Birgitte
Published: October 2024

INTRODUCTION

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set a goal to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and the World Health Organization emphasized pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial element. Despite the lack of a specific role for general practitioners (GPs) in PrEP care, GPs could play a crucial role in the follow-up but this is still uncommon. Above, GPs estimate their knowledge about PrEP as low.

OBJECTIVES

This study seeks to understand the knowledge of GPs regarding PrEP care. Through online e-learning, we aimed to enhance our knowledge of PrEP care.

METHODS

Firstly, we assessed general knowledge about the PrEP of GPs. Secondly, we investigated the impact of e-learning on knowledge of PrEP care among GPs. We developed a multiple-choice questionnaire to evaluate self-assessed knowledge and knowledge about PrEP. One group of participants completed an e-learning module and took a pre- and post-test to assess changes in knowledge. Another group completed the questionnaire without e-learning.

RESULTS

Seventy-two participants completed the survey. Finally, 18 participants successfully completed the e-learning module. Nineteen percent ( n = 14) of all GPs considered their general knowledge of PrEP to be “good,” while 68% ( n = 49) of the GPs felt confident in identifying patients at risk, rating their ability as “good.” Participants achieved an average score of 4.7 (test group) and 4.6 (e-learning group) out of 10 on the knowledge test. After completion of the e-learning, the overall average score of the e-learning group significantly increased by 33% ( p-value < .03).

CONCLUSIONS

GP generally scored low on knowledge covering different aspects of PrEP. However, after completing an e-learning module, there was a significant increase in the average test scores. These findings highlight the potential efficacy of targeted educational interventions in enhancing the understanding of PrEP among GPs.
Viral ecologies: Resurgent nature, COVID-19 and the discourse of transgender contagion
Authors: Brice Sage , McNulty Felix
Published: October 2024

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, popular narratives of a ‘resurgent nature’ and portrayals of the virus as a form of ‘revenge’ prompted geographical reflection on the promises and limitations of ecological perspectives on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Revisiting these reflections in the light of what we have learned from the pandemic, this article asks what is to be gained by attempting to think critically with the virus about human space as multispecies composition. Thinking ecologically with the virus can become a method for critically reconsidering naturalised and dualistic orders of exclusion and inclusion, health and unhealth, or belonging and unbelonging. Specifically, we focus in this article on the overlap of immunological and trans-antagonistic discourses with viral imaginaries of the pandemic, exploring the paradox of vulnerability that arises at this point of intersection. COVID-19 simultaneously highlights humans’ mutual vulnerability as a horizontalising force and amplifies differential social vulnerabilities. In examining this paradox of vulnerability as it relates to viral discursive constructions of transness, we explore tensions between different modes of engaging, identifying and thinking with the virus in recognition that the social and the ecological cannot properly be considered as separate domains. The aim is not simply to propose an extended epidemiology that takes into account the complex human–nonhuman entanglement, but to explore the social, cultural and political implications of pandemic vulnerabilities and of thinking ecologically with the virus. We trace the shared conceptual underpinnings of ecological and immunological thought, showing that these same conceptual lineages manifest in political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and exploring how they are expressed in queer- and trans-antagonistic discourse and policy. Building on these analyses, we develop a proposal for ‘transing’ the virus and a model for ‘thinking ecologically’ that is simultaneously liberatory, messy and agnostic.
Where are the values in evaluating palliative care? Learning from community-based palliative care provision
Authors: Whitelaw Sandy , Vijay Devi , Clark David
Published: October 2024

Background:

The World Health Organization Astana Declaration of 2018 sees primary healthcare as key to universal health coverage and gives further support to the goal of building sustainable models of community palliative care. Yet evaluating the benefits of such models continues to pose methodological and conceptual challenges.

Objective:

To explore evaluation issues associated with a community-based palliative care approach in Kerala, India.

Design:

An illuminative case study using a rapid evaluation methodology.

Methodology:

Qualitative interviews, documentary analysis and observations of home care and community organising.

Results:

We appraise a community palliative care programme in Kerala, India, using three linked ‘canvases’ of enquiry: (1) ‘complex’ multi-factorial community-based interventions and implications for evaluation; (2) ‘axiological’ orientations that foreground values in any evaluation process and (3) the status of evaluative evidence in postcolonial contexts. Three values underpinning the care process were significant: heterogeneity, voice and decentralisation. We identify ‘objects of interest’ related to first-, second- and third-order outcomes: (1) individuals and organisations; (2) unintended targets outside the core domain and (3) indirect, distal effects within and outside the domain.

Conclusion:

We show how evaluation of palliative care in complex community circumstances can be successfully accomplished when attending to the significance of community care values.
The effect of Oleoylethanolamide supplementation on lipid profile, fasting blood sugar and dietary habits in obese people: a randomized double-blind placebo-control trial
Authors: Ostadrahimi Alireza , Khajebishak Yaser , Moradi Fardin , Payahoo Laleh
Published: October 2024

Background

Abnormalities in biochemical parameters and changes in eating habits are considered complications of obesity. Oleoylethanolamide (OEA), an endocannabinoid-like compound, has been shown to have protective effects on many metabolic disorders. Given this evidence, the present study aimed to assess the effects of OEA on lipid profile parameters, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and dietary habits in healthy obese people.

Methods

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which was carried out in 2016 in Tabriz, Iran, 60 obese people were enrolled in the study based on inclusion criteria. The intervention group consumed 125 mg of OEA capsules, and the placebo group received the same amount of starch twice for 8 weeks. Blood samples (5 mL) were taken at baseline and the end of the study in a fasting state. Serum concentrations of FBS, triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC) were measured by enzymatic methods using commercial kits. The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration was obtained using the Friede-Wald formula. To assess dietary habits, a food frequency questionnaire (147 items) was used at baseline and the end of the study. A value less than < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

Results

The TG concentration decreased significantly in the intervention group (mean (SD): 166.29 (70.01) mg/dL to 142.22 (48.05) mg/dL, p = 0.047). Changes in the placebo group were not significant (p > 0.05). After adjusting for baseline values and demographic characteristics, the difference in TG between groups remained significant (p = 0.044). Changes in other biochemical parameters were not significant. There was no significant difference between or within groups in terms of food groups.

Conclusion

OEA, as a complementary agent, plays a protective role in TG regulation. However, future studies with longer durations are needed to explore the impact of OEA on regulating dietary habits and to identify the mechanisms related to metabolic abnormalities in obese people.

Trial Registration

The study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) center as IRCT201607132017N30 with URL. www.IRCT.IR in date 03/10/2016.
The small inhibitor WM-1119 effectively targets KAT6A-rearranged AML, but not KMT2A-rearranged AML, despite shared KAT6 genetic dependency
Authors: Sheridan Mathew , Maqbool Muhammad Ahmad , Largeot Anne , Clayfield Liam , Xu Jingru , Moncaut Natalia , Sellers Robert , Whittle Jessica , Paggetti Jerome , Iqbal Mudassar , Aucagne Romain , Delva Laurent , Baker Syed Murtuza , Lie-a-Ling Michael , Kouskoff Valerie , Lacaud Georges
Published: October 2024

Background

The epigenetic factors KAT6A (MOZ/MYST3) and KMT2A (MLL/MLL1) interact in normal hematopoiesis to regulate progenitors’ self-renewal. Both proteins are recurrently translocated in AML, leading to impairment of critical differentiation pathways in these malignant cells. We evaluated the potential of different KAT6A therapeutic targeting strategies to alter the growth of KAT6A and KMT2A rearranged AMLs.

Methods

We investigated the action and potential mechanisms of the first-in-class KAT6A inhibitor, WM-1119 in KAT6A and KMT2A rearranged (KAT6Ar and KMT2Ar) AML using cellular (flow cytometry, colony assays, cell growth) and molecular (shRNA knock-down, CRISPR knock-out, bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, ChIP-seq) assays. We also used two novel genetic murine KAT6A models combined with the most common KMT2Ar AML, KMT2A::MLLT3 AML. In these murine models, the catalytic activity of KAT6A, or the whole protein, can be conditionally abrogated or deleted. These models allowed us to compare the effects of specific KAT6A KAT activity inhibition with the complete deletion of the whole protein. Finally, we also tested these therapeutic approaches on human AML cell lines and primary patient AMLs.

Results

We found that WM-1119 completely abrogated the proliferative and clonogenic potential of KAT6Ar cells in vitro. WM-1119 treatment was associated with a dramatic increase in myeloid differentiation program. The treatment also decreased stemness and leukemia pathways at the transcriptome level and led to loss of binding of the fusion protein at critical regulators of these pathways. In contrast, our pharmacologic and genetic results indicate that the catalytic activity of KAT6A plays a more limited role in KMT2Ar leukemogenicity, while targeting the whole KAT6A protein dramatically affects leukemic potential in murine KMT2A::MLLT3 AML.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that inhibiting KAT6A KAT activity holds compelling promise for KAT6Ar AML patients. In contrast, targeted degradation of KAT6A, and not just its catalytic activity, may represent a more appropriate therapeutic approach for KMT2Ar AMLs.
Cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents with obesity: a position paper of the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology
Authors: Valerio Giuliana , Di Bonito Procolo , Calcaterra Valeria , Cherubini Valentino , Corica Domenico , De Sanctis Luisa , Di Sessa Anna , Faienza Maria Felicia , Fornari Elena , Iughetti Lorenzo , Licenziati Maria Rosaria , Manco Melania , del Giudice Emanuele Miraglia , Morandi Anita , Salerno Mariacarolina , Street Maria Elisabeth , Umano Giuseppina Rosaria , Wasniewska Malgorzata , Maffeis Claudio
Published: October 2024

Despite the implementation of preventive measures to counteract the obesity epidemics, the prevalence of childhood obesity is still alarming all over the world. Childhood obesity is the most common risk factor for both cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In fact, an earlier onset of obesity can cause a greater risk of adiposity tracking across the lifespan and consequently a longer exposure to cardiometabolic risk factors. Accumulating evidence provided by prospective and intervention studies demonstrated the link between pediatric obesity and selected subclinical signs of cardiovascular damage (atherosclerosis and left ventricular hypertrophy), or fatal and not fatal cardiovascular events as early as 40 years of age.

The numerous guidelines and scientific documents published in the last years demonstrate the relevance of assessing cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents with OB.

This Position paper, released by experts of the “Childhood Obesity study group” within the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, aims to review the assessment of cardiometabolic risk factors and comorbidities in children and adolescents with OW/OB on the light of the most recent scientific evidence.

The main recommendations are: (a) early detection of comorbidities, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, prediabetes/type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, inactivity, obstructive sleep apnea and decline in kidney function; (b) weight loss treatment, which is associated with a reduction of all cardiometabolic risk factors; (c) specific treatment of comorbidities, through lifestyle modifications or pharmacological treatment added to lifestyle for suitable individuals; d). monitoring comorbidities for mitigating future morbidity and mortality.
Evaluation of statistical process control charts for infant mortality monitoring in Brazilian cities with different population sizes
Authors: Souza Jéssica , Boccolini Cristiano , Baroni Lais , Belloze Kele , Bezerra Eduardo , Pedroso Marcel , Alves Ronaldo Fernandes Santos , Ogasawara Eduardo
Published: October 2024

Objectives

The control chart is a classic statistical technique in epidemiology for identifying trends, patterns, or alerts. One meaningful use is monitoring and tracking Infant Mortality Rates, which is a priority both domestically and for the World Health Organization, as it reflects the effectiveness of public policies and the progress of nations. This study aims to evaluate the applicability and performance of this technique in Brazilian cities with different population sizes using infant mortality data.

Results

In this article, we evaluate the effectiveness of the statistical process control chart in the context of Brazilian cities. We present three categories of city groups, divided based on population size and classified according to the quality of the analyses when subjected to the control method: consistent, interpretable, and inconsistent. In cities with a large population, the data in these contexts show a lower noise level and reliable results. However, in intermediate and small-sized cities, the technique becomes limited in detecting deviations from expected behaviors, resulting in reduced reliability of the generated patterns and alerts.