bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non‐Islet Cell Tumor Hypoglycemia Secondary to a 20 cm Intra‐Abdominal Leiomyoma in a Male Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Lippincott Michelle D. , McDonald James D. , Bui Marilyn M. , Gonzalez Ricardo J. , Voss Rachel K.
Published: June 2024

Non‐islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) is a rare clinical entity associated with large mesenchymal tumors. Its pathogenesis is most commonly mediated by tumor overproduction of “big” insulin‐like growth factor‐2. Here, we present a 54‐year‐old male who presented with noninsulin‐mediated hypoglycemia and a 20 cm intra‐abdominal leiomyoma. His hypoglycemic episodes resolved after the resection of his tumor. To our knowledge, this is the only documented case in the English literature of NICTH associated with leiomyoma in a male patient. NICTH due to a benign leiomyoma should be in the differential diagnosis for any patient with hypoglycemia and an abdominal mass.
Assessing the Impacts of Rainstorm and Flood Disaster for Improving the Resilience of Transportation System
Authors: Yang Zhenzhen
Published: June 2024

Rainstorm and the induced flood disaster often cause serious damage to transportation system, resulting in the loss of life and property. To improve the resilience of transportation system, this study proposes a framework for assessing the impacts of rainstorm and flood disaster on road network based on GPS data. The change ratio of traffic flow and congestion index are used to evaluate the disrupted and detour road sections caused by rainstorm. A method based on the change of traffic flow compared to the normal circumstances is proposed to identify the flood‐damaged road sections. A case study in Beijing verifies the feasibility and practicality of the proposed framework, which can effectively assess the impacts of rainstorm from multiple spatial and temporal dimensions, identify the flood‐damaged road sections, and supplement existing research. Research findings can provide scientific basis for the emergency management departments to accurately identify the roads affected by rainstorm and improve the resilience of transportation system.
Existence of Positive Solutions for a Nonlinear Iterative System of Boundary Value Problems with Tempered Fractional Order Derivative
Authors: Nageswara Rao Sabbavarapu , Khuddush Mahammad , Ahmadini Abdullah Ali H.
Published: June 2024

This paper investigates the existence of positive solutions for an iterative system of nonlinear two‐point tempered fractional boundary value problem. Utilizing Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem in a cone, we establish criteria for the existence of positive solutions. The proofs involve transforming the problem into an equivalent Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. We further explore solution uniqueness using Rus’s theorem and examine Hyers–Ulam stability, particularly for the case when only a single fractional differential equation is considered, (m = 1). Our study represents a significant departure from previous works by including Riemann–Liouville tempered fractional derivative operators and an iterative equation. This research sheds light on the diverse applications of iterative functional differential equations, extending beyond noniterative counterparts. Throughout the paper, presumptive conditions are applied, and the results are validated through illustrative examples.
Network Resilience and Rehabilitation Strategies for an Airport Movement Area Considering Traffic Flow and Road Class
Authors: Mou Ruiling , Kang Rui
Published: June 2024

In this study, we propose an improved betweenness centrality (FDBC) algorithm to identify vulnerabilities in airport field operations, assist controllers in formulating emergency response strategies, and enhance the safety resilience of the maneuvering area network during external disturbances. The algorithm is developed by constructing a transportation network model for the airport movement area and extracting key nodes based on considerations of traffic flow and road class. Utilizing aircraft field operation rules, we define an assessment index for the average shortest path length of inbound and outbound activities. Comparative analyses of comprehensive resilience indexes under various recovery strategies are conducted to assess the network’s recovery ability (RA) and adaptability in the face of external disturbances. The goal is to identify the optimal recovery strategy that achieves a dynamic balance between development and safety. To validate our approach, we conducted an empirical study at an airport in southwest China, simulating the resilience of the airport movement area transportation network under varying road class coefficients, traffic flow weights, and road class weights. The results indicate that the airport movement area transportation network in the southwest region lacks small‐world and scale‐free network characteristics. The identification of important road intersections through the FDBC strategy proves to be more effective in discerning potential safety hazard orientations. Under the FDBC‐based recovery strategy, as traffic flow weights increase, the comprehensive resilience index of the network initially shows a smooth trend, followed by a decrease, then another period of smoothness before decreasing again. Increasing the road class coefficient can enhance the network’s recovery efficiency and resilience level, enabling the network to maintain a high level of recovery for an extended period. This is beneficial for enhancing the safety and stability of flight operations. However, in cases where traffic flow weights are high, the FDBC‐based recovery strategy, which solely considers traffic, exhibits a relatively slower network RA in response to degree‐valued perturbations. Overall, the traffic network in the airport movement area demonstrates the highest resilience under the FDBC‐based recovery strategy. It can rapidly transition the network from a failure state to a normal stable state, thereby improving emergency response efficiency and ensuring the safe operation of the traffic network in the airport movement area.
Supplementary Data from Deuterium Metabolic Imaging Differentiates Glioblastoma Metabolic Subtypes and Detects Early Response to Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Low Jacob C.M. , Cao Jianbo , Hesse Friederike , Wright Alan J. , Tsyben Anastasia , Alshamleh Islam , Mair Richard , Brindle Kevin M.
Published: June 2024

Supplementary Methods and Supplementary Figures S1–S11
Development of an Audiovisual Tool on Peripheral Arterial Disease and Preliminary Suitability Assessment
Authors: Pedras Susana , Oliveira Rafaela , Silva Ivone
Published: June 2024

Background: Increasing health literacy in people with chronic illness is essential to prevent disease complications and to promote responsible and conscious decision-making. Therefore, an audiovisual tool was developed to promote literacy about peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a hospital setting, and a preliminary evaluation of the tool’s suitability was carried out. Material and Methods: The tool was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The preliminary assessment of the suitability study of an audiovisual tool was carried out with a sample of 7 patients with PAD admitted to an Angiology and Vascular Surgery Service and with a group of four professionals specialized in the subject (health literacy and PAD). The design, elaboration, and production of the audiovisual tool were based on a literature review, an informal focus group with patients, a communication model, and an empirical model of behavioral change. Through this preliminary suitability assessment study, we identified the suitability characteristics of this audiovisual tool that can be transmitted in waiting rooms and vascular surgery hospitalizations. The Suitable Assessment of Material (SAM) was used by professionals and patients to obtain different appropriateness factors for each of the 11 videos. Results: The audiovisual tool developed and built for patients with PAD proved to be accessible, understandable, and attractive for people with low levels of education. The patients were satisfied with the audiovisual tool and highlighted positive points, also reporting some suggestions for changes. Health professionals evaluated the 11 videos with a high level of adequacy ranging from 82% to 93.05% adequacy. Out of 19 factors (from the SAM), the quality of the illustrations, the presence of tables and lists, and stimulation and incentive to learning were the two dimensions scored as least appropriate/used. Conclusion: The audiovisual tool developed to improve health literacy on PAD presented preliminary suitability characteristics that make it a high-quality material to be used in future studies that evaluate the effectiveness of the tool with this population.
The Sources of Drinkable Water Used and Its Related Diseases among Barangay Capual Residents Omar, Sulu
Authors: Warid-Sahial Ayesha Pesy , Hayudini Magna Anissa A. , Gadong Raima J. , Ujad Rheada J. , Warid Ledina Pesy , Hussin Brenda A. , Kahalan Ananghulma J. , Abdulpatta Jardine , Alam Hasanul Basariy B.
Published: June 2024

The goal of this study is to determine the sources of drinking water and identify ailments among the respondents that are related to water consumption. The study was undertaken to ascertain the sources of drinking water used and its impact on health on Capual Island. The research will also determine whether the respondents' water-related illnesses are significantly impacted by their sources of drinking water. Residents of Capual Island will gain knowledge about local sources of drinking water and illnesses associated with water from the study. Male and female respondents from 287 households were polled. Regarding the data analysis and interpretation, a statistician was consulted. Frequency tables were used to present the data. For the study, the researchers utilized a descriptive-predictive research methodology. The entire population of Barangay Capual had been used by the researchers.
The Rural Health Unit-Omar can help communities improve their drinking water by educating them on proper cleaning of their sources of drinking water, installing covers on their deep wells, making sure there are no animals in their water sources, and sanitizing their drinking water. Typhoid fever and diarrhea were the most common water-related diseases among respondents, topping the survey with 84.7% and 85.0%, respectively.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree should provide lectures on waterborne illnesses and inform residents of additional methods for sanitizing their drinking water. It is important to inform the people of Barangay Capual that their homes should have backup water sources. Additionally, according to the experts, filtering and boiling the drinking water before use is important and will lower the risk of contracting waterborne illnesses and their fatal consequences. Future researchers may use it as a backbone for further study by taking on other variables that were not tested in this study.
Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Prehospital Machine Learning Scores as Screening Tools for Early Detection of Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients With Suspected Stroke
Authors: Alobaida Muath , Joddrell Martha , Zheng Yalin , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Rowe Fiona J. , El‐Bouri Wahbi K. , Hill Andrew , Lane Deirdre A. , Harrison Stephanie L.
Published: June 2024

Background

Enhanced detection of large vessel occlusion (LVO) through machine learning (ML) for acute ischemic stroke appears promising. This systematic review explored the capabilities of ML models compared with prehospital stroke scales for LVO prediction.

Methods and Results

Six bibliographic databases were searched from inception until October 10, 2023. Meta‐analyses pooled the model performance using area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve. Of 1544 studies screened, 8 retrospective studies were eligible, including 32 prehospital stroke scales and 21 ML models. Of the 9 prehospital scales meta‐analyzed, the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation had the highest pooled AUC (0.82 [95% CI, 0.79–0.84]). Support Vector Machine achieved the highest AUC of 9 ML models included (pooled AUC, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.88–0.89]). Six prehospital stroke scales and 10 ML models were eligible for summary receiver operating characteristic analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for any prehospital stroke scale were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68–0.75) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.72–0.81), respectively; summary receiver operating characteristic curve AUC was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76–0.83). Pooled sensitivity for any ML model for LVO was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64–0.79), specificity was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.80–0.89), and summary receiver operating characteristic curve AUC was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83–0.89).

Conclusions

Both prehospital stroke scales and ML models demonstrated varying accuracies in predicting LVO. Despite ML potential for improved LVO detection in the prehospital setting, application remains limited by the absence of prospective external validation, limited sample sizes, and lack of real‐world performance data in a prehospital setting.
Safety and Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Attributable to Cardiological Diseases: A Scoping Review
Authors: D’Anna Lucio , Abu‐Rumeileh Samir , Merlino Giovanni , Ornello Raffaele , Foschi Matteo , Diana Francesco , Barba Lorenzo , Mastrangelo Vincenzo , Romoli Michele , Lobotesis Kyriakos , Bax Francesco , Kuris Fedra , Valente Mariarosaria , Otto Markus , Korompoki Eleni , Sacco Simona , Gigli Gian Luigi , Nguyen Thanh N. , Banerjee Soma
Published: June 2024

There is limited evidence on the outcomes and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the context of cardiac diseases. Our study reviews MT in AIS within the context of cardiac diseases, aiming to identify existing and emerging needs and gaps. PubMed and Scopus were searched until December 31, 2023, using a combination of cardiological diseases and “mechanical thrombectomy” or “endovascular treatment” as keywords. Study design included case reports/series, observational studies, randomized clinical trials, and meta‐analyses/systematic reviews. We identified 943 articles, of which 130 were included in the review. Results were categorized according to the cardiac conditions. MT shows significant benefits in patients with atrial fibrillation (n=139) but lacks data for stroke occurring after percutaneous coronary intervention (n=2) or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (n=5). MT is beneficial in AIS attributable to infective endocarditis (n=34), although functional benefit may be limited. Controversy surrounds the functional outcomes and mortality of patients with AIS with heart failure undergoing MT (n=11). Despite technical challenges, MT appears feasible in aortic dissection cases (n=4), and in patients with left ventricular assist device or total artificial heart (n=10). Data on AIS attributable to congenital heart disease (n=4) primarily focus on pediatric cases requiring technical modifications. Treatment outcomes of MT in patients with cardiac tumors (n=8) vary because of clot consistency differences. After cardiac surgery stroke, MT may improve outcomes with early intervention (n=13). Available data outline the feasibility of MT in patients with AIS attributable to large‐vessel occlusion in the context of cardiac diseases.
Statin Overuse in Cerebral Ischemia Without Indications: Systematic Review and Annual US Burden of Adverse Events
Authors: Sung Eleanor Mina , Saver Jeffrey L.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Statin agents play a major role in secondary prevention after acute cerebral ischemia (ACI) events but are not indicated in all patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. National guidelines recommend statins for patients with ACI of large or small vessel atherosclerotic origin and without these stroke mechanisms but coexisting coronary artery disease or primary prevention indications. The potential adverse effect burden of statin overuse in the remaining ACI patients have not been well delineated.

METHODS:

Per Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we performed systematic meta-analyses of: (1) statin randomized clinical trials to determine absolute risk increases for 6 major adverse events; (2) large clinical series to determine the proportion of ACI events due to large or small vessel atherosclerotic disease; and (3) the proportion of remaining patients with coronary artery disease/primary prevention statin indications.

RESULTS:

For adverse effects, data were available from 63 randomized clinical trials enrolling 155 107 patients. Statin therapy was associated with an increased risk of the occurrence of 6 conditions: diabetes, myalgia or muscle weakness, myopathy, liver disease, renal insufficiency, and eye disease. Across 55 large series enrolling 53 501 patients, the rate of ACI due to large and small artery atherosclerosis was 45.0% (large artery atherosclerosis 21.6%, small vessel disease 23.4%), the rate of remaining patients with coronary artery disease/primary prevention statin indications was 31.8%, and the rate of patients without statin indications was 23.2%. Data synthesis indicated that, in the United States, were all patients with ACI without statin indications treated with statins, a total of 5601 patients would develop needless adverse events each year, most commonly diabetes, myopathy, and eye disease.

CONCLUSIONS:

More than one-fifth of patients with ACI do not have an indication for statins, and statin overuse in these patients could annually lead to over 5600 adverse events each year in the United States, including diabetes, myopathy, and eye disease. These findings emphasize the importance of adhering to guideline indications for the start of statin therapy in ACI.
A catalogue of the Yponomeutoidea of India (Lepidoptera)
Authors: JOSHI RAHUL , FAROOQUI SHAHABAB A. , SINGH NAVNEET
Published: June 2024

The present catalogue comprises 144 species in 54 genera and 11 families of Yponomeutoidea found in India which represents 7.6 % of the total 1,884 species. Among the 11 families present in India, Yponomeutidae is most speciose (32 species in 14 genera), followed by Lyonetiidae (28 species in four genera), Glyphipterigidae (25 species in four genera), Plutellidae (14 species in nine genera), Heliodinidae (eight species in six genera), Ypsolophidae (six species in two genera), Attevidae (five species in single genus), Argyresthiidae (five species in single genus), Praydidae (five species in single genus) and Bedelliidae (four species in single genus). Tonzidae is least diverse, represented by single species from India. 10 species (and) in 10 yponomeutoid genera are unassigned to any family. Herein, diversity and distribution of known species in different biogeographic zones of India as well as number of species described by various authors is discussed. The information on the type locality, type depository (wherever available), first reference, synonymy and distribution within as well as outside India for each of the included species is provided. Some clarifications regarding type locality within Indian states are also given.
6. Ecological Evolutionary Demography
Authors: Mattison Siobhán M. , Shenk Mary K.
Published: June 2024

Ecological evolutionary demography is the branch of evolutionary demography that focuses on the potential adaptive value of demographic behavior at the level of the individual. First defined by Low and colleagues some 25 years ago, ecological evolutionary demography has gained important ground in developing our understanding of the ultimate evolutionary ecological drivers of fertility and mortality, often in combination with more proximate determinants of these demographic outcomes. In doing so, the field has provided solutions for apparent paradoxes associated with human fertility – how humans sustain high fertility despite highly dependent young and slow development of offspring, as well as the demographic transition – and has led to an improved understanding of the basic pattern of human mortality. A third core area in mainstream demography – migration – has received less attention from an ecological evolutionary perspective, but work on dispersal generates insights into how various ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors affect the costs and benefits of leaving the natal community, and how such strategies vary across individuals, households, and societies. Given the broad framework underlying ecological evolutionary demography investigations of demographic behavior, the field has outstanding potential for integration across demography and the evolutionary social sciences. We offer several potential pathways for immediate pursuit and anticipate that this will invigorate further the impact of the field on understanding human demographic behavior.
8. Why Do We Do What We Do?
Authors: Mace Ruth
Published: June 2024

Here I describe the reasoning behind dividing explanations for the evolution of behaviour into four different levels of explanation, two relating to proximate explanations relating to mechanism and development, and two ultimate explanations relating to evolutionary history and function. I outline the basic methods we can use to attempt to test functional hypotheses about the evolution of behaviour. I note that in natural populations, we often find ourselves studying proximate mechanisms even if our central interest is evolutionary function. I conclude that a distinction between proximate and ultimate explanations for behaviour can be a useful heuristic tool in many situations, even if in some real world studies of human behaviour, this distinction is sometimes blurred.
12. Genetic Evolutionary Demography
Authors: Wachter Kenneth W.
Published: June 2024

Since the 1990s biodemographers comparing demographic schedules across divergent species have highlighted features in common, plausibly reflecting evolutionary influences in common. Optimal life history models and stochastic vitality models garner inspiration from Darwinian theory. Models for genetic load go further, explicitly incorporating natural selection, mutation, and recombination and consequences for genomes. These models draw age-specific demographic implications from assumptions about mutation accumulation. The genetic variants posited by the theory are now coming into observation in genomic data. A search is underway for contemporary effects of genetic load on measures of health, aging, and survival. It may be possible to tell how far an evolutionary heritage from deep in the past persists amid the altered environments of the present, shaping demographic regularities.
13. Genetics and Reproductive Behaviour
Authors: Mills Melinda C. , Tropf Felix C.
Published: June 2024

Fertility and reproduction have been core topics across multiple disciplines, including the study of reproductive behavior outcomes such as tempo (timing) and quantum (number) of fertility, but also fecundity, infertility and reproductive development. The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive and introductory overview of the central theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of the genetics of human reproductive behavior and review key findings. We start with a brief definition of fertility and reproduction, followed by an overview of interdisciplinary approaches and findings. We then explore why it may be useful to adopt a biodemographic and genetic approach to reproduction, the central empirical methods that have been used, core findings to date and conclude with a discussion and reflection on future directions of research.
The Causes of Intraseasonal Alternating Warm and Cold Variations over China in Winter 2021/22
Authors: Yang Hongqing , Fan Ke
Published: June 2024

The subseasonal variability of winter air temperature in China during 2021/22 underwent significant changes, showing warm, warm, and cold anomalies during 2–23 December 2021 (P1), 1–27 January 2022 (P2), and 28 January–24 February 2022 (P3). The strong (weak) zonal circulation over East Asia led to positive (negative) surface air temperature anomalies (SATAs) during P1 and P2 (P3). The position of the Siberian high affected the distribution of the warmest center of SATA over northeastern and northwestern China in P1 and P2, respectively. Further investigations indicated that intraseasonal components (10–90 days) primarily drove the warm-to-cold transition in China during P2 and P3, contributing to 79.5% of the variance in SATA in winter 2021/22. Strong (weak) East Asian intraseasonal zonal circulations and positive (negative) meridional wind anomalies over China–Lake Baikal led to warm (cold) anomalies over China during P2 (P3). East Asian circulation alternations from P2 to P3 were associated with a shift in intraseasonal geopotential height anomalies over the North Atlantic region from positive to negative in the mid- to high troposphere through the propagation of north and south branch wave trains. The reversal of the North Atlantic geopotential height anomalies between P2 and P3 was modulated by intraseasonal higher-latitude SST anomalies over the North Atlantic and the location of intraseasonal stratospheric polar vortex. Furthermore, the intensified south branch wave train from the Indian Peninsula to China in the mid- to high troposphere was associated with active convection over the tropical western Indian Ocean during P3. These processes could be verified by using the linear baroclinic model.
Linear and Nonlinear Indices of Score Accuracy and Item Effectiveness for Measures That Contain Locally Dependent Items
Authors: Ferrando Pere J. , Navarro-González David , Morales-Vives Fabia
Published: June 2024

The problem of local item dependencies (LIDs) is very common in personality and attitude measures, particularly in those that measure narrow-bandwidth dimensions. At the structural level, these dependencies can be modeled by using extended factor analytic (FA) solutions that include correlated residuals. However, the effects that LIDs have on the scores based on these extended solutions have received little attention so far. Here, we propose an approach to simple sum scores, designed to assess the impact of LIDs on the accuracy and effectiveness of the scores derived from extended FA solutions with correlated residuals. The proposal is structured at three levels—(a) total score, (b) bivariate-doublet, and (c) item-by-item deletion—and considers two types of FA models: the standard linear model and the nonlinear model for ordered-categorical item responses. The current proposal is implemented in SINRELEF.LD, an R package available through CRAN. The usefulness of the proposal for item analysis is illustrated with the data of 928 participants who completed the Family Involvement Questionnaire-High School Version (FIQ-HS). The results show not only the distortion that the doublets cause in the omega reliability estimate when local independency is assumed but also the loss of information/efficiency due to the local dependencies.
Misunderstood with No Desire to Be Understood: Socio-Cultural Dimension of Farming and Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mandipaza Brian
Published: June 2024

There is extensive literature on barriers and constraints of Conservation Agriculture (CA) adoption in Zimbabwe, but the impact of local socio-cultural factors on the adoption of this technology for rural farm households has largely been assumed. The research was designed to understand socio-cultural factors that led to dis-adoption and outright rejection of this seemingly appropriate intervention using empirical qualitative data from a case study in Nyanga District. The article found that there is a discernible and significant relationship between farming practise (farmers’ prior experiences, culture, Indigenous knowledge systems and values) arrangements and the abandonment and outright rejection of CA.
International organizations, the EU and peace among member states: Bringing organization structure in
Authors: Egeberg Morten
Published: June 2024

Well-functioning states are often seen as great pacifiers in the sense that serious societal disputes within their respective territories are usually solved without violence. On the other hand, deep conflicts between states may more easily result in violent situations due to the partly anarchical character of the international system. One could therefore expect that studies of war and peace focused extensively on various ways of organizing interstate relations and the potential for replacing anarchy with political order. However, although several peace studies deal with the role of international organizations (IOs), this research is surprisingly absent in review literature. One reason for this absence may be that findings on the peacemaking role of IOs among member states seem to be ambiguous. The purpose of this review essay is to increase our understanding of under what conditions international institutions could matter in this respect. The fierce debate between realists and institutionalists only marginally touches upon the effect that the various ways of organizing IOs might have on interstate peace. Arguably, the only international organization so far that in its structure and work clearly transcends a basically intergovernmental arrangement is the European Union (EU). This could make the EU, and EU-like structures, more able to avoid polarization along the territorial dimension since its organization structure activates cross-cutting cleavages and a system-wide perspective among policymakers, arguably tying together rather than splitting the system. Interestingly, the peculiar organizational structure of the EU seems very much ignored in the IO literature in general, and in peace research on IOs in particular.
The Fate of Being a ‘Distressed Asset’: Insights into Women Returners’ Experiences in the UK
Authors: Guillaume Cécile , Kirton Gill , Elliott Carole
Published: June 2024

Building on studies looking into how professionals encounter stigma and negotiate their work lives, this article fills a gap in extant sociological literature on gender and professional work by providing original qualitative data on professional women’s supported re-entry-to-work experiences. Examining the development of returner programmes in the UK, we investigate the supportive factors in the mitigation of stigma threats associated with the returner status, including organisational support and individual stigma-management strategies. We examine how these social processes contribute to alleviating stigmatisation only partially, while maintaining persistent wage and career discrimination for women returners. To explain this mixed result, we explore the way in which women returners inhabit neoliberal feminist subjectivities.
Upward Mobility and Class Inequities among Filipino Migrant Nurses in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Trinidad Arnie Cordero , Faas Daniel
Published: June 2024

Using Bourdieusian class analysis, this mixed-methods study examines the nuances in the upward mobility of Filipino nurse migrants in the Republic of Ireland as they move from the Philippines to Ireland. The article illustrates how the transnational connections of nurses create cleavages among them as a micro-class category in the host state and argues how the social class position of the family continues to impact on the class conditions of migrants – especially those from lower income backgrounds. In contrast, the financial independence of higher income families leads to better life chances for nurses allowing them to invest in additional economic capital, pursue personal projects and improve their symbolic capital. This can be described as the social reproduction of inequality on a transnational scale, which has repercussions on the present and future class conditions of migrants. The article contributes to discussions on class conditions and mobility from a transnational frame.
Book review: Gogu Shyamala, Nene Balanni: T. N. Sadalaxmi Batuku Katha [I Am the Strength: T. N. Sadalaxmi’s Life Story]
Authors: Gundimeda Sambaiah
Published: June 2024

Gogu Shyamala, Nene Balanni: T. N. Sadalaxmi Batuku Katha [I Am the Strength: T. N. Sadalaxmi’s Life Story] (Telugu), Hyderabad Book Trust, 2011, xviii + 338 pp., ₹180, (Paperback).
The Role of Multiple Measures in Community College Developmental Mathematics
Authors: Kremer Kristen P. , Fong Carlton J. , García Agustín J.
Published: June 2024

Objective: Developmental education provides postsecondary students requisite skills to take credit-bearing coursework. Yet, racial disparities exist in which students are most likely to be placed into developmental education. The present study investigates how multiple measures of students’ mathematics background ameliorate racial disparities in developmental math outcomes among U.S. community college students. Methods: The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 was used to identify sample participants ( n = 3,650) who attended a 2-year postsecondary institution (community college) within 3 years of high school graduation. A series of logistic regression models were employed with developmental math outcomes as dependent variables predicted by multiple measures of student’s math background and demographic covariates. Results: Compared to White students, Black and Hispanic students had poorer developmental math outcomes; however, inclusion of multiple measures of high school math experiences reduced racial disparities. Multiple measures significantly reduced developmental math enrollment by 13% for Black students and 15% for Hispanic students, improved developmental math passing rates for Black students by 25% and Hispanic students by 25%, and improved passing rates for the first college-credit bearing math course for Hispanic students by 73%. Conclusion: The present study highlights how multiple measures of students’ math background might be an important lever for more racially-equitable placement processes. For Black and Hispanic students, the most influential high school measures were high school math GPA, highest high school math course, and math motivation. More work is needed to fine-tune how multiple measures can be used to increase access and equitable outcomes for students.
Ethnobotany as a Tool to Teach Science in Rural Schools: A Case Study in Western Mexico
Authors: Flores-Silva Alondra , Cuevas-Guzmán Ramón , Baptista Geilsa
Published: June 2024

As formal education is increasingly valued among rural and Indigenous communities, a common assumption is that local ecological knowledge may simultaneously become devalued or lost. To solve this, several scholars point out that using ethnobotanical knowledge to teach science can be a great way to engage students and help them learn scientific concepts in a more meaningful way and develop a deeper appreciation for their local environment and culture. Through a school herbarium project in three rural schools in western Mexico, students developed different activities, experiments, and applied ethnobotanical tools in order to learn about plant science. A total of 39 wild edible species were collected by students, from which they obtained information about their local name, seasonality, preparations, where they could be found and uses other than food. As the students developed the different activities of the school herbarium project, they not only shared their prior knowledge but were also able to expand that knowledge with scientific information and value into their own ethnobotanical knowledge by learning in accordance with cultural context. The use of ethnobotany as a tool to teach science proved to be a good way not just to learn scientific concepts in a contextualized way but also to revitalize the local ethnobotanical knowledge.
The value of synthetic MRI for quantitative analysis in the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer
Authors: Wei Mei , Yang Haitao , Li Zhihua , Hu Wei , Qin Yong , Wan Liangbin
Published: June 2024

Background

Preoperative effective assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer plays an important role in formulating the surgical plan.

Purpose

To investigate the significance of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantitatively analyzing cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer.

Material and Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 patients with thyroid cancer, consisting of 19 thyroid cancer nodules, 45 metastatic lymph nodes, and 47 non-metastatic lymph nodes. Regions of interest (ROIs) for each type of nodule were manually delineated using a workstation. Quantitative parameters, such as T1, T2, and proton density (PD) values, were automatically extracted from synthetic MRI scans. Statistical tests and regression analysis were performed to assess differences and correlations among the quantitative parameters.

Results

There were no significant differences in the quantitative parameter values between the primary tumor and metastatic lymph node tissues ( P > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in the quantitative parameters between the primary tumor and non-metastatic lymph node tissues and between the metastatic and non-metastatic lymph node tissues ( P < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy for cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer was 94.4% for the T1 and T2 combined index, 91.9% for T2, 86.8% for T1, and 71.7% for PD values.

Conclusion

The application of quantitative parameters from synthetic MRI can assist clinicians in accurately planning surgical interventions for thyroid cancer patients before surgery.
Formation and removal mechanism of SiO2-MnO-Al2O3 inclusions in Al-killed 42CrMo4 wind turbine bearing steel forgings
Authors: Qiao Tong , Huang Yu , Cheng Guoguang , Wang Guanbo , Li Yao , Bao Daohua , Zhang Yanling
Published: June 2024

SiO2-MnO-Al2O3 (SMA) inclusions were identified in the defective areas during the ultrasonic inspection of Al-killed 42CrMo4 wind turbine bearing steel forgings. To explore their formation mechanism, we systematically sampled 42CrMo4 steel through industrial experiments, analysing SMA inclusions’ morphology and composition at various stages. Thermodynamic calculations were also employed to assess the origin and formation of these inclusions. It was observed that these inclusions primarily formed during electric arc furnace tapping, where the mass ratio of SiO2 to MnO was close to 1, while the Al2O3 content varied. Despite undergoing the ladle furnace and vacuum degassing (VD) refining processes, these inclusions persisted in the molten steel. Following the conclusion of electric furnace smelting, the dissolved oxygen content in the molten steel could reach 193 ppm. During the tapping process, high oxidising steel comes into direct contact with silicon-manganese alloy. During this phase, the uneven distribution of Al content around the alloy results in the formation of SMA inclusions with varying Al2O3 content. Dynamic calculations suggest that in subsequent smelting processes, SMA inclusions with high Al2O3 content and large size are relatively easier to eliminate, while those with low Al2O3 content and small size are more likely to persist in the molten steel. During solidification, residual SMA inclusions agglomerate, forming larger sizes, consequently resulting in the ultrasonic inspection failure of 42CrMo4 steel forgings. After the process improvement, the SMA inclusions are greatly reduced and the effect is obvious.
The Future of Democracy in the Digital Era: Internet Shutdowns, Cyber Laws and Online Surveillance in Zimbabwe
Authors: Yingi Edwin , Benyera Everisto
Published: June 2024

This study seeks to explore how the advances in digital technologies have created a problem for democracy. Information technology has continued to leap forward, and it has been envisaged to provide a free flow of information, freedom of choices and hence enhanced democratisation. However, rulers have devised ways to turn the tide of technological advancement in their favour to entrench their rule and their grip on power. From internet shutdowns and online surveillance to social media intimidation rulers have used digital platforms to undermine basic freedoms and fundamental human rights. Zimbabwe is among the countries that have used digital technologies to stifle people’s ability to organize, voice their concerns and participate in governance. Using the qualitative research design, the study argues that digital technologies have presented an opportunity for authoritarian regimes to censor citizens, manipulate their subjects and disseminate propaganda to the detriment of democracy.
Onabotulinumtoxina (craniotomy scar combined with cranial suture line injections) for persistent post craniotomy headache: Case series with long-term follow-up
Authors: Leon Janet , Rozen Todd D. , Bhatt Alok A.
Published: June 2024

Background

There is no defined preventive treatment protocol for persistent post-craniotomy headache. In several small case series and individual case reports onabotulinumtoxinA injected into the craniotomy scar has shown possible efficacy. What is lacking is long term follow-up and if focusing on the cranial suture lines along with the craniotomy scar can enhance improvement and provide more sustained benefit.

Methods

Retrospective chart review with case series.

Results

Four patients (three women, one man) with ICHD-3 defined persistent post craniotomy headache were treated using a novel onabotulinumtoxinA injection protocol. All the patients presented with continuous head pain of moderate to severe intensity. All had severe allodynia on the side of their craniotomy. All had significant reduction in quality of life. Our application of onabotulinumtoxinA involved injection into both the surgical scar and the transected/irritated cranial suture lines noted on neuroimaging and physical examination. With treatment all patients demonstrated significant benefit including a reduction in daily pain intensity (75%-100%), developing periods of pain freedom (2–7 days per week) and having a dramatic improvement in quality of life (close to 100% in all). The benefit was sustained for at least five years of follow-up.

Conclusion

From our case series it appears that injection not only along the painful craniotomy scar but into the involved cranial suture lines provides positive efficacy and sustained improvement in patients with persistent post craniotomy headache.
Accessible Jobs and Secured Jobs by Mode of Travel and Isochrone: An Exploratory Study of Shanghai, China
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhou Mingzhi , Zhou Jiangping , Zhang Tianran , Zhang Min
Published: June 2024

Job accessibility measures the ease of accessing potential job opportunities from a given locale, such as a traffic analysis zone (TAZ). In principle, improved job accessibility of a locale should lead to better employment outcomes for job seekers residing there. However, the extent to which residents of a locale can secure jobs within its isochrone by a specific mode of travel has rarely been investigated in the existing scholarship. In this article, we define “accessible jobs” as all the jobs within an isochrone of a locale by a specific travel mode, and “secured jobs” as the subset of these accessible jobs that are actually obtained by residents of the locale. Using a high-resolution location-based service data set, we calculate the secured jobs and accessible jobs of different TAZs by the 15-, 30-, and 45-min isochrones by transit or automobile in Shanghai, China. We investigate (a) the spatial patterns of the secured jobs and accessible jobs, and (b) besides the accessible jobs, what can predict the secured jobs, controlling for travel time and mode of travel. We find that the secured jobs vary across the TAZs, mode of travel, and isochrones but are often spatially autocorrelated at the TAZ level. The accessible jobs are always positively related to the secured jobs, regardless of mode of travel and travel time. This relationship is more salient for those workers by transit. The secured jobs could be predicted by a few TAZ- and isochrone-level indicators concerning land use, transport, and socioeconomic attributes. Our findings indicate that (a) accessible jobs should be considered in tandem with secured jobs, controlling for isochrones by mode of travel and travel time, and (b) both transport-land use and socioeconomic attributes at the TAZ and isochrone levels should be accounted for when planning for secured jobs and accessible jobs.
The German Mobility Panel: – Lessons Learned from a Longitudinal Travel Behavior Survey over 30 Years
Authors: Chlond Bastian , Ecke Lisa , Magdolen Miriam , Vallée Jan , Vortisch Peter
Published: June 2024

After 30 years, the German Mobility Panel ceased data collection in the summer of 2023, despite being considered a successful and benchmark-worthy survey about everyday travel. This article gives an overview of the survey’s central ideas, purpose, and design, thoughts about the usefulness and applicability of the data, and explains why the survey has been terminated. It ends up with the experiences made with the MOP. Lastly, a synthesis based on the lessons learned is used to derive recommendations that can help implement future longitudinal surveys.
Attitudes Toward Unhealthy Relationship Behaviors and Boundary-Setting: Variation Among High School Students
Authors: Moschella-Smith Elizabeth A. , Potter Sharyn J. , Jamison Tyler , Harley Michael , Fine Sue , Chaudhry Amy S.
Published: June 2024

Teen dating violence (TDV) is common during adolescence and has lasting negative impacts on those who experience it. Yet, there is limited research exploring how well teens recognize unhealthy behaviors and communicate boundaries, both crucial aspects in preventing TDV. This study aimed to investigate how demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, sexual identity, and race/ethnicity) relate to adolescents’ abilities to recognize unhealthy relationships and willingness to communicate boundaries. Participants ( N = 873) completed online surveys during school hours on demographic characteristics (e.g., gender), recognition of unhealthy relationship behaviors, communicating boundaries, and navigating breakups. We found that girls, participants who identify as a sexual minority (e.g., lesbian), and White participants demonstrated significantly higher recognition of controlling behaviors compared to boys and their heterosexual and non-White counterparts, respectively, but there was no significant difference in identifying abusive behaviors such as shouting, yelling, and insulting a partner. Older participants (i.e., ages 16–18) were significantly more likely to recognize controlling and abusive behaviors as unhealthy compared to younger participants (i.e., 13–15). Further, we found that girls and older participants were significantly more willing to communicate boundaries in relationships than boys and their younger counterparts. Our findings align with prior research emphasizing the necessity for prevention strategies that raise awareness of controlling behaviors that can escalate to more severe forms of TDV and equip adolescents with the means to establish and communicate personal boundaries.