bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlations between serum hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B surface antigen in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and a hepatitis B virus-DNA-negative status: a retrospective study
Authors: Xu Baiguo , Liu Anjing , Liu Ying , Han Tao , Guo Hua , Ding Xian , Xiang Huiling
Published: October 2022

Objective

This study aimed to examine the correlations between serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titers in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA-negative status.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data and blood samples of patients who were diagnosed with HBV liver cirrhosis and an HBV-DNA negative status. These patients were hospitalized between October 2018 and October 2019 at one hospital.

Results

A total of 180 patients were included. The median (interquartile range) HBsAg and HBcrAg concentrations were 2.77 log10 IU/mL (1.60–3.15) and 3.96 log10 U/mL (2.70–4.97), respectively. A non-linear significant relationship was found between HBsAg and HBcrAg concentrations. The inflection point was 0.58. The effect size and confidence interval on the left and right sides of the inflection point were 0.10 (−0.23–0.42) and 0.62 (0.46–0.78), respectively. When HBsAg concentrations were ≥0.58 log10 IU/mL, HBsAg concentrations were positively correlated with HBcrAg concentrations. When HBsAg concentrations increased by 1 log10 IU/mL, HBcrAg concentrations increased by 0.62 log10 U/mL (95% confidence interval: 0.46, 0.78).

Conclusions

There might be a non-linear relationship between HBcrAg and HBsAg concentrations in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and an HBV-DNA-negative status.
Changes in testicular arterial hemodynamic, gonadotropin levels, and semen parameters among varicocele patients randomized to varicocelectomy or observed in Tamale, Ghana
Authors: Adams Yussif , Amidu Nafiu , Afoko Akisibadek Alekz
Published: October 2022

Objective:

A randomized trial to compared testicular blood flow parameters, gonadal hormones, and semen characteristics among three groups; surgery group ( n = 127); observed group ( n = 114); and healthy controls ( n = 33).

Methods:

The blood flow parameter selected was resistive index (RI) measured using color Doppler ultrasonography. Serum total testosterone, FSH, LH were measured, and semen analysis performed at baseline and repeated 12 months of follow-up. The data was computed using GraphPad Prism (v8.0) at an alpha of 0.05.

Results:

In the observed group, increased +0.0060 in the right (R_RI) and in the left (L_RI) +0.0026 capsular arteries from baseline measurement to 12 months follow-up. Surgery group, reduced –0.079 in the right (R_RI) and −0.0731 in the left (L_RI) capsular arteries ( p < 0.0001). At 12 months, the changes for both left and right RIcap in the surgery group did not reach the values of the controls. In the surgery group, L_RIcap ( r = −0.63; p < 0.0001) and R_RIcap ( r = −0.49; p = 0.004) correlated with total testosterone, FSH ( r = 0.57; p = 0.001 for left; r = 0.52; p = 0.002 for right), and LH ( r = 0.61; p = 0.0002 for left; r = 0.41; p = 0.020 for right). Furthermore, L_RIcap correlated with changes in sperm count ( r = −0.46; p = 0.008) and sperm concentration ( r = −0.35; p = 0.011) in the surgery group.

Conclusion:

Microsurgical sub-inguinal varicocelectomy improves blood supply to the testicular tissues evidenced by reduced resistive index in the surgery group. Resistive index in the left capsular artery can be used to evaluate the success of surgery because it correlates with total testosterone, FSH, LH, and semen quality.
By the Volunteer, For the Volunteer: Volunteer Perspectives of Management Across Levels of Satisfaction
Authors: Prince William , Piatak Jaclyn
Published: October 2022

Volunteers play a critical role in government and nonprofit organizations. Yet, volunteer management research has focused on universal prescriptions or a contingency perspective based on the needs of the organization rather than the volunteer. As volunteers are a finite resource, how can nonprofits retain their volunteers? We conduct a qualitative analysis of open-ended responses to explore how assessments of volunteer management vary across satisfaction levels as delineated by the Net Promoter Score (NPS) scale. We find evidence that the most satisfied volunteers may be important resources to volunteer programs for the insight and advice they offer as champions of the collective. We also observe patterns across satisfaction levels suggesting that volunteer satisfaction is linked to volunteer development. Our research offers the NPS, a commonly used feedback measure, as a valuable tool for volunteer management to measure volunteer satisfaction, to identify enthusiastic promoters, and to examine volunteer development.
The Opportunity Costs of Volunteering: Evidence From Germany
Authors: Wallrodt Sören , Thieme Lutz
Published: October 2022

This study analyzes the effect of opportunity costs on the decision to volunteer, the extent of volunteering, and how opportunity costs are related to competing volunteering activities. Our results reveal that opportunity costs operationalized as net wage per hour had the predicted negative effect on the extent of volunteering but a positive effect on the decision to volunteer. When the individual hourly net wage of the surveyed volunteers is applied, volunteering has average opportunity costs of about 14€/h. As volunteering competes with other activities, we assigned opportunity costs to different activities such as family, hobbies, paid work, or spending time with friends. Results show that, overall, opportunity costs of volunteering are especially related to family activities and less so to paid work. This implies that volunteering activities, in general, compete with family activities rather than with paid work or other activities.
Child focused research: Disconnected and disembodied voices
Authors: Cooper Victoria
Published: October 2022

Voice represents a commitment to child focused studies which provide insights into childhood. This builds upon the assumption that voice equates to authenticity and that children’s words can speak for themselves. These claims remain disputed and more could be done to critique how voices are extracted, translated and used in research in ways which disconnect from embodied experiences within material and social contexts. Critical analysis provides an opportunity to consider next steps in voice research, calling for greater dialogue between disciplines and a reconsideration of disciplinary boundaries.
A novel PES-C/(GO-COOH/Ce) blended membrane for treating heavy-metal-ion wastewater
Authors: Zhang Jie , Li Baining , Xue Hongdan , Zhang Chunyan , Li Jinjing , Zhou Shujing
Published: October 2022

A GO-COOH/Ce complex was introduced into a phenolphthalide polythersulfone (PES-C) matrix to prepare a PES-C/(GO-COOH/Ce) blended membrane by nonsolvent-induced phase transformation (NIPS). FT-IR and EDS analysis confirmed that the GO-COOH/Ce complex was successfully incorporated into the PES-C matrix. SEM showed that the blended membrane possessed an asymmetric structure with finger-like pores. The best comprehensive performance was obtained for a PES-C/(GO-COOH/Ce) blended membrane prepared using 0.1 wt.% of the GO-COOH/Ce complex in the casting liquid. The specific results for the blended membrane were as follows: the fluxes of pure water and 0.1 g/L lead nitrate solution were 272 L/m2·h and 214 L/m2·h, respectively; the rejection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was 99.4%; the rejection of lead ions was 96.2%; the moisture content was 10.9%; the contact angle was 67.1°; the Young's modulus was 35.7 MPa; and the flux recovery ratio was 1.5 times higher than that of the pure PES-C membrane. The antibacterial-zone diameters of the PES-C/(GO-COOH/Ce) blended membrane used against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 2.50 cm and 2.88 cm, respectively. A catalytic cleaning test showed a flux recovery ratio of 63% after washing the PES-C/(GO-COOH/Ce) blended membrane with a 0.2 g/L acetic acid solution for 0.5 h.
Jet mixing manipulation with asymmetric orientation of tabs
Authors: Suseela Moorthi Aravindh Kumar , Perumal Arun Kumar , Rathakrishnan Ethirajan
Published: October 2022

The jet mixing caused by two rectangular and triangular tabs of geometric blockage 2.5% each, separated by 90⁰ at the nozzle exit plane of a Mach 2 circular jet, in the presence of varying levels of expansion, corresponding to nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) 4–8, was investigated experimentally. The relative mixing promoting capability of these tabs was assessed. It is found that the rectangular tabs at 90⁰ interval retards mixing for NPRs 4, 5, and 6, and promotes mixing at NPRs 7 and 8. Comparison of the present result for rectangular tabs at 90⁰ interval with that of Arun Kumar and Rathakrishnan 8 for 180⁰ interval shows that the mixing promoting capability of 90⁰ and 180⁰ intervals are comparable, at NPR 7. But at NPR 8, the mixing performance of rectangular tabs at 90⁰ interval is better than 180⁰ interval. For NPRs 7 and 8, the core length reduction due to rectangular tabs at 90⁰ and 180⁰ are 26% and 36%, and 28% and 26%, respectively. On the contrary, the triangular tabs at 90⁰ interval promote mixing at all NPRs of the present study. The mixing caused by triangular tabs at 180⁰ interval reported in literature 8 is only marginally better than triangular tabs at 90⁰ interval studied in this work. For NPR 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the core length reduction caused by triangular tabs, at 90⁰ and 180⁰ intervals, are 24%, 58%, 69%, 80%, and 76%; and 38%, 65%, 77%, 87%, and 85%, respectively.
A theoretical model of projects in motivated behavior
Authors: Coscioni Vinicius , Paixão Maria Paula , Teixeira Marco Antônio Pereira
Published: October 2022

This article introduces a theoretical model of projects in motivated behavior. It begins with the discussion of two theoretical traditions that conceived a project as either an anticipation of action or a set of actions aimed at the same goals. The limitations of both traditions are discussed, and a project is then conceived as an integration of internal processes and actions. Next, a theoretical model of projects is presented, comprising cognitive, motivational, volitional, emotional, and behavioral components. A framework interrelating the different components of the model is presented. Considering the framework introduced, a project is then defined as a process comprising the formation, enactment, and maintenance of intentional structures and actions. The definition is comprehensive because it integrates both the previous theoretical traditions of the project in order to overcome the limitations of both. The applications of the new approach in existential theories and management sciences are discussed.
Labour market regulation and the demand for migrant labour: A comparison of the adult social care sector in England and the Netherlands
Authors: Marino Stefania , Keizer Arjan
Published: October 2022

This article contributes to the theoretical understanding of institutions as fundamental in shaping the demand for migrant labour by investigating labour market regulation as possible explanation for cross-country differences in labour market segmentation and the presence of migrant workers. It compares the adult social care sector in England and the Netherlands with important cross-country differences in the reliance on migrant labour amid similar cost saving policies and marketization drives. The analysis draws on data collected between 2009 and 2019 and consisting of sectoral survey data, policy documents, interviews with relevant actors, and the observations of trade union and care workers’ meetings. The findings highlight the importance of path-dependent features of the national industrial relations systems in explaining observed differences but also how the specific nature of the regulatory outcomes depends on unions’ strategies and power.
Ameliorating Caregiver Burden in the Pediatric Palliative Population Utilizing a Psychophysiological Intervention
Authors: Beattie Alexandra , Restaino Mary R.
Published: October 2022

Background: Providing long-term care for a family member can be a source of severe stress for the untrained caregiver, and is known to cause depression, poor overall health, and lower quality of life for the caregiver. This burden may lead to poorer outcomes for the patient, as well as contribute to overall increasing costs of an already strained healthcare system. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reduce the stress that accompanies caregiver burden through the intervention of diaphragmatic breathing. Method: Diaphragmatic breathing is a low-cost, psychophysiological intervention found to be helpful for reducing stress, which is a significant component of caregiver burden. Caregivers of pediatric patients enrolled in a homecare program were assessed for caregiver burden utilizing the Zarit Burden Interview-12 (ZBI-12). Those who had scored 15 or higher on the ZBI-12 were taught diaphragmatic breathing, and assessed again, two months after using the intervention. Results: A paired dependent t-test revealed that palliative caregivers showed a reduction in ZBI-12 assessment score after implementation of a diaphragmatic breathing intervention ( m = 17.4, s = 6.7), compared to before implementation of a diaphragmatic breathing intervention ( m = 12.8, s = 8.6), t(11) = 2.513 , P < .05. Conclusion: The intervention resulted in less anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout among the pediatric palliative caregivers. Improvement of caregiver well-being was evidenced by decreased ZBI-12 scores in a postintervention assessment.
The Grammar of Salvation: The Function of Trinitarian Theology in the Works of Karen Kilby and Robert Jenson
Authors: Brain Michael
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the purpose of trinitarian theology in relation to theological knowledge, examining whether the doctrine of the Trinity is designed to serve an apophatic or cataphatic purpose. Through a comparative analysis of Karen Kilby and Robert Jenson, I argue that trinitarianism serves a hermeneutical and incorporative function in theology, encompassing both apophatic and cataphatic language, connecting our knowledge of God with God's revelation in the missions of the triune persons. Kilby and Jenson represent apophatic and cataphatic tendencies respectively, but their differences largely concern methodology. Regarding the purpose of trinitarian doctrine, they each hold that the dogma functions as an interpretive grammar for the Scriptures, so that by patterning our lives on the biblical narrative, human beings may be incorporated into Trinity itself. These hermeneutical and incorporative principles create room within Nicene trinitarianism to accommodate varying methods and theories of theological knowledge while preserving the doctrine's core functions.
Identifying Priorities and Strategies for Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening in Tribal Clinics
Authors: Blanchard Jessica , Rhoades Dorothy , Nagykaldi Zsolt , Campbell Janis , Cannady Tamela , Hopkins Michelle , Gibson Michelle , Lonewolf Hazel , Doescher Mark
Published: October 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most frequently diagnosed cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the United States (US), and incidence and mortality rates in Oklahoma are higher for many American Indian (AI) populations than other populations. The AI CRC Screening Consortium addresses major regional CRC screening disparities among AIs with shared objectives to increase CRC screening delivery and uptake in AIs aged 50 to 75 years at average risk for CRC and to assess the effectiveness of implementations of the interventions. This manuscript reports environmental scan findings related to current practices and multi-stakeholder experiences with CRC screening in two Oklahoma Indian health care systems.

Method

We conducted a mixed methods environmental scan across five clinical sites and with multiple stakeholders to determine the scope and scale of colorectal cancer screening in two separate AI health care delivery systems in Oklahoma. Data collection consisted of a mixture of individual interviews and group discussions at an urban site, and four clinical care sites within a tribal health system.

Results

Sixty-two individuals completed interviews. Data from these interviews will inform the development of evidence-based intervention strategies to increase provider delivery, community access to, and community priority for CRC screening in diverse AI health care delivery systems. Conversations with patients, providers, and clinical leadership point to individual and system-level opportunities for improvement at each site, shaped in part by differences in the delivery of services, structure of the health care system, and capacity to implement new intervention strategies. The thematic areas most central to the process of evidenced-based intervention development included: current practices, needs and recommendations, and CRC site priorities.

Conclusion

Environmental scan data indicated clear opportunities for individual and system-level interventions to enhance CRC screening and was critical for understanding readiness for EBI implementation at each site.
Ethical Principles, Social Harm and the Economic Relations of Research: Negotiating Ethics Committee Requirements and Community Expectations in Ethnographic Research in Rural Malawi
Authors: Ansell Nicola , Mwathunga Evance , Hajdu Flora , Robson Elsbeth , Hlabana Thandie , van Blerk Lorraine , Hemsteede Roeland
Published: October 2022

Conventional research ethics focus on avoidance of harm to individual participants through measures to ensure informed consent. In long-term ethnographic research projects involving multiple actors, however, a wider concept of harm is needed. We apply the criminological concept of social harm, which focuses on harm produced through and affecting wider social relations, to a research project that we undertook in Malawi. Through this, we show how structural economic inequalities shape the consequences of research for the differently positioned parties involved. Specifically, we focus on dilemmas around transferring resources within three social fields: our relations with a Malawian ethics committee; our interventions in a rural community; and our efforts to engage the policy community. Each of these involved multiple and differently placed individuals within broader, multi-scalar structural relations and reveals the inadequacies of conventional codes of ethics.
(Navigating-Circling-Un/Doing)~Post-Qualitative Inquiry: A Collective Biography
Authors: Flint Maureen A. , Eaton Paul W. , Smithers Laura E.
Published: October 2022

In this collective biography, we follow the question: What does it do to think~post? We navigate~circle~un/do the entanglements of institutional and disciplinary boundaries and researcher identities, increasing striations of post-thinking within qualitative inquiry, teaching practices, ethics, and becoming. Our data include personal journals, crafts and collages, collective writing, dialogues, and images from a conference session where we engaged participants in our thinking. Our memory work enacts post-qualitative becomings, opening space for questioning and reflecting (&&&), undoing and unfolding individual subjectivities, and examining the vulnerabilities, tensions, and possibilities of becoming~post.
Mediterranean diet is linked to less objective disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Katz Sand Ilana , Levy Sarah , Fitzgerald Kathryn , Sorets Tali , Sumowski James F
Published: October 2022

Background:

The multiple sclerosis (MS) community is highly interested in diet as a potential protective factor against disability, but empirical evidence remains limited.

Objective:

Evaluate associations between patient-reported Mediterranean diet alignment and objective disability in a real-world MS cohort.

Methods:

Data were analyzed from persons with MS, aged 18–65, who completed the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), MS Functional Composite (MSFC; primary disability metric), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs; disability, gait disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and depression) as part of our Comprehensive Annual Assessment Program. Multiple regression predicted MSFC (and PROs) with MEDAS after adjusting for demographic (age, sex, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) and health-related (body mass index (BMI), exercise, sleep disturbance, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and smoking) covariates.

Results:

Higher MEDAS independently predicted better outcomes across MSFC ( z-score, B = 0.10 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 0.13), β = 0.18, p < 0.001), MSFC components, and PROs in 563 consecutive patients. Each MEDAS point was associated with 15.0% lower risk for MSFC impairment (⩽ 5th percentile on ⩾ 2 tasks; odds ratio (OR) = 0.850; 95% CI: 0.779, 0.928). Higher MEDAS attenuated effects of progressive disease and longer disease duration on disability.

Conclusion:

With robust control for potential confounds, higher Mediterranean diet alignment predicted lower objective and patient-reported disability. Findings lay the necessary groundwork for longitudinal and interventional studies to guide clinical recommendations in MS.
Analytical study on the effects of flexural rigidity and negative stiffness in the optimal tuning of inerter-based damper for cable vibration mitigation
Authors: Shi Xiang , Ma Junchi , Xing Lanchang , Li Jin-Yang , Zhu Songye
Published: October 2022

The control performances of inerter-based dampers on stay cables, usually governed by relevant damper parameters (such as inertance, stiffness, and damping coefficients), are sensitive to parameter variation around the optimal range. Further given these inerter-based dampers amplify the vibration amplitude at the damper location, the effects of cable’s flexural rigidity, which is often ignored in previous studies, are examined in this study. The results suggest an approximate 10% increase in all three design parameters (i.e., inertance, stiffness, and damping coefficients) is required to achieve optimal control compared with the case ignoring the flexural rigidity. In addition, the potential combination of inerter-based dampers with negative stiffness elements is also discussed in this study, which offers a more flexible layout and enhances multi-mode cable vibration control performance. Consequently, the tuning procedures are updated, and the revised optimal tuning formulas taking account of both the cable’s flexural rigidity and the introduction of negative stiffness are presented in this paper.
Precast bridge piers: Construction techniques, structural systems, and seismic response
Authors: Fahmy Mohamed FM , Moussa Amr MA , Wu Zhishen
Published: October 2022

The aim of this paper is to make a comprehensive evaluation of existing works on precast bridge piers, considering several aspects including construction techniques, structural systems, and seismic response. The general classification of the construction techniques refers to five different construction systems, which can be fully precast (post-tensioned system, pre-tensioned system, non-prestressed system) or partially precast techniques (post-tensioned system, non-prestressed system). The details of columns, column-footing connection, and column-beam connection are carefully studied to provide a unified classification of the existing construction techniques. According to the available experimental research, the failure modes and seismic resisting mechanisms of the classified construction techniques are fully addressed. In the light of a new proposed mechanical model, the seismic response of 50 experimentally tested precast bridge piers (covering the five construction techniques) is evaluated to ensure the required resiliency under anticipated seismic hazards. The evaluation of the seismic response of the studied systems indicated that the fully precast post-tensioned system is a promising construction technique, which can ensure the resilience performance of bridge piers. Finally, performance levels of the five construction systems were extracted in view of the possibility to realize robust, redundant, and recoverable structure systems that can be a motivation for application in the construction of modern sustainable cities.
The natural language processing of radiology requests and reports of chest imaging: Comparing five transformer models’ multilabel classification and a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Olthof Allard W , van Ooijen Peter MA , Cornelissen Ludo J
Published: October 2022

Background

Radiology requests and reports contain valuable information about diagnostic findings and indications, and transformer-based language models are promising for more accurate text classification.

Methods

In a retrospective study, 2256 radiologist-annotated radiology requests (8 classes) and reports (10 classes) were divided into training and testing datasets (90% and 10%, respectively) and used to train 32 models. Performance metrics were compared by model type (LSTM, Bertje, RobBERT, BERT-clinical, BERT-multilingual, BERT-base), text length, data prevalence, and training strategy. The best models were used to predict the remaining 40,873 cases’ categories of the datasets of requests and reports.

Results

The RobBERT model performed the best after 4000 training iterations, resulting in AUC values ranging from 0.808 [95% CI (0.757–0.859)] to 0.976 [95% CI (0.956–0.996)] for the requests and 0.746 [95% CI (0.689–0.802)] to 1.0 [95% CI (1.0–1.0)] for the reports. The AUC for the classification of normal reports was 0.95 [95% CI (0.922–0.979)]. The predicted data demonstrated variability of both diagnostic yield for various request classes and request patterns related to COVID-19 hospital admission data.

Conclusion

Transformer-based natural language processing is feasible for the multilabel classification of chest imaging request and report items. Diagnostic yield varies with the information in the requests.
Listening to music videos on YouTube. Digital consumption practices and the environmental impact of streaming
Authors: Beuscart Jean-Samuel , Coavoux Samuel , Garrocq Jean-Baptiste
Published: October 2022

YouTube is currently the most widely used platform for music streaming. Users listen to music videos rather than watch them. This is environmentally suboptimal since video data require more energy than audio data to be hosted and transmitted. Why are consumers using a video platform to stream music? In this paper, we sketch a framework for analyzing digital practices as consumption practices and their transformation in the context of the ecological transition. We interviewed 29 online music consumers from varied backgrounds. Drawing on practice theory, we conceptualize online music use as a combination of sociotechnical configurations articulating listening devices, types of attention to music, and the social contexts of daily life. We analyze how different platforms, especially YouTube, are embedded in specific configurations. We first establish that configurations in which videos are actually watched are rare. Though users are aware of the carbon footprint of streaming, this representation does not inform their listening configurations. We describe three types of online music practices according to the role YouTube plays in, that correlate with music passion: YouTube can be framed as a free and open listening platform (especially to casual listeners), as an efficient soundtracking device in many contexts, as a useful complementary listening and music sharing device. The paper extends the literature on green consumption to digital consumption, analyzing relations to infrastructures in a regime of abundance, and contributes to the sociology of online music consumption, showing how platform choices are linked with music passion and embedded in social contexts.
Faculty course evaluations and class size
Authors: Fisher Christine , Vu Phu , Lai Philip
Published: October 2022

Instructor performance plays a critical role in fostering student learning. Unlike the postsecondary level, many states in the United States, have substantially regulated class size in the p-12 education system with the aim of enhancing quality learning. Thus, the purpose of this research paper is to examine the correlation between instructor evaluations and class size in tertiary institutions as the findings can inform regulatory decisions regarding class sizes in postsecondary facilities. The study reviewed 97-course evaluations garnered in the Fall of 2019 from a Midwest University. The feedback of students, undertaking physical, and virtual classes, was considered regarding teachers’ performance. Different course evaluations included in the study were adjunct faculty, full-time faculty, graduate level, and undergraduate level course assessments. The research findings depicted a negative correlation between class size and instructor evaluation, positing that teachers teach the same way in smaller classes as they do in larger classes. Nonetheless, the study results showed that the sizes of conventional virtual classes had a lower correlation with course performances compared to traditional face-to-face classes. In the latter, there was more engagement between teachers and students, as the latter appeared to be more active than in online classes. With the technological effect that Covid-19 has brought forth in online learning, population sizes of online classes have changed. Therefore, considering the data used for the research was collected preCovid-19, it is essential that future studies pay considerable focus on the quality of evaluation of virtual classes to help with directing of school budget allocations toward online learning.
After Hardin
Authors: Brinkley Catherine
Published: October 2022

Inaccurate histories beget faulty explanatory theories which, in turn, engender faulty guiding theories for practice. This research addresses such faults with a focus on Garret Hardin’s 1968 Science essay titled ‘Tragedy of the Commons.’ Hardin’s work invoked the commons as a symbol while inspiring a broad shift in theory and practice across multiple disciplines, including land-use planning. To understand how “Tragedy” became a lightning rod, this research brings together current debates with a deep history of land-use governance. To start, the etymological root of the word ‘commons’ stems from an intentionally planned, central space for use by commoners. Archeologists and anthropologists demonstrate the prevalence and perseverance of the commons as a structural feature across an 8,000-year history of city building. The commons offered opportunities for self-sufficiency to the most vulnerable community members. With the enclosure and privatization of the commons in the last millennium, disenfranchised commoners fought for greater representation in governance, a fight that has extended to modern notions of participatory planning and environmental justice. Together, with the contributions to this special issue, we emphasize that the commons are still a rallying symbol and proof of concept in realizing a sustainable, just society.
Bronchial Artery Chemoembolization With Radiopaque Doxorubicin Eluding Beads in Patients With Malignant Hemoptysis from Metastatic Lung Cancer
Authors: Nezami Nariman , Georgiades Christos , Hong Kelvin K. , Buethe Ji
Published: October 2022

Purpose:This pilot study was designed to assess the technical feasibility and safety of bronchial artery chemoembolization with radiopaque doxorubicin eluting beads (DEB-BACE) in patients with malignant hemoptysis from pulmonary metastasis. Materials & Methods: Four patients underwent DEB-BACE using 70-150 μm radiopaque DEB (LC Beads LUMI, Boston Scientific). Beads delivery and deposition were assessed under fluoroscopy and cone beam computed tomography (CT), respectively. Results: All 4 procedures were technically successful. Beads delivery and deposition were successfully visualized under fluoroscopy and cone beam CT guidance in all cases. Hemoptysis was resolved after embolization in all 4 patients. There were no adverse events or immediate or early complications after DEB-BACE. Two patients (50%) required repeat DEB-BACE within 1 week due to recurrent hemoptysis, and 1 patient had DEB-BACE 1.5 years later due to recurrent hemoptysis from the contralateral lung. All targeted lesions decreased in size in follow-up studies (mean 16 months, range 1-33 months). One patient died of progressive cancer disease invading the heart 1 month after DEB-BACE. Conclusions: DEB-BACE using radiopaque LC Beads LUMI loaded with doxorubicin is technically feasible and safe for controlling hemoptysis and cancer progression in patients with metastatic lung tumors. Visualization of beads delivery under fluoroscopy and deposition of beads under cone beam CT facilitate delivery of beads and embolization of bronchial arteries.
Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for Refugees Integrated With Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Case Study on the Treatment of PTSD and Emotion Dysregulation for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers
Authors: Tissue Avalon , Specker Philippa , Hoffman Joel , Uppal Shivani , Cloitre Marylene , Neuner Frank , O’Donnell Meaghan , Nickerson Angela
Published: October 2022

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals affected by war and conflict is high, with approximately 1 in 3 refugees and asylum-seekers meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD. PTSD in refugees and asylum-seekers is associated with significant emotion dysregulation which may arise from chronic trauma exposure and post-migration stressors and lead to impaired day-to-day functioning. There is evidence that treatments that target emotion regulation skills prior to implementing exposure-based therapies lead to improved treatment response and reduced attrition in survivors of interpersonal traumas such as sexual abuse. The current case study details the use of a novel adaptation of one such treatment – Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation for refugees and asylum-seekers (STAIR-R). In this case study, we report on the implementation of STAIR-R in combination with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) with Sara, a 60-year-old Iraqi woman who presented with high levels of nightmares, avoidance and emotion dysregulation following exposure to war- and conflict-related trauma and post-migration stressors. In this case study, we explore the intersection of emotion regulation skills training (in STAIR-R) and exposure therapy (in NET), and the potential for this combined intervention to improve emotion regulation skills, enhance coping with post-migration stressors and facilitate engagement with exposure-based treatment for PTSD.
Osteochondroma as an Unusual Cause of Popliteal Artery Pseudoaneurysm and Occlusion
Authors: Samra Humraaz S. , Severance Sarah E. , Gutwein Ashley R. , Gupta Alok K.
Published: October 2022

Osteochondromas are the most common benign bony tumour, usually occurring in the 2nd/3rd decade of life and generally asymptomatic. However, there have been reports of bony tumours causing arterial vascular injuries via erosion into vessel walls. We present a case of a 16-year-old M with no significant past medical history who presented with acute-on-chronic Right Lower Extremity (RLE) pain and numbness who was found to have a popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm and occlusion. We will discuss our initial work up, management, outcomes and follow up and compared our results with an English language literature search for comparable cases.
Shining Light on Labels in the Dark: Guidelines for Offensive Collections Materials
Authors: Briscoe Laura , Nazaire Mare , Allen J. Ryan , Baker Janelle , Donnell Davenport Aliya , Mansaray Janet , McCormick Carol Ann , Santiago Coyle McKenna , Schmull Michaela
Published: October 2022

The natural history collections community has made significant strides in the past decade in the digitization of their holdings. Digitization has made the data and corresponding images of collections publicly available to researchers, students, and the public. Data and images are served online by institutions’ local databases, and regional, national, and international aggregators. One challenging aspect in digitizing natural history collections is the presence of offensive language, such as racial slurs in collection and location data. We present findings from a community survey and analysis of data from relevant aggregators to assess the presence of and approach to offensive language in collections data. We also suggest initial guidelines for data warning statements and disclaimers and transcription guidelines to help preserve historical integrity of data while also supporting inclusive and safe workspaces. Please note that in writing about offensive terms found in natural history collections, we use and refer to offensive terms and include images of labels and documents to provide examples.
The Effect of α-lipoic Acid on C-Reactive Protein Level: A Meta-analysis of Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Studies
Authors: Đukić Ljiljana , Trajković Lazar , Knežević Tamara , Dimitrijević Jelena , Krstić Danijela , Stojanović Marko
Published: October 2022

The C-reactive protein is generally considered a marker of inflammation, and it is widely used in clinical practice as a minimally invasive index of any ongoing inflammatory response. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation can be beneficial for human health, especially in the sense of its anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this meta-analysis was to, based on the currently available highest level of evidence (prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled data), investigate the effect of ALA supplementation on CRP levels. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trials were extracted after a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Scopus databases. A random effect model was used in this meta-analysis to investigate the influence of ALA on the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to identify the source of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis provided evidence of the positive effect of ALA on the reduction of the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression results indicated that ALA can reduce the CRP level when administrated at a 600 mg dose, and not in higher or lower doses. Also, a shorter duration of study positively correlates with the reduction of CRP after ALA supplementation.
Trypsin Inhibitor Isolated From Glycine max (Soya Bean) Extraction, Purification, and Characterization
Authors: Khan Sabir , Arshad Shafia , Arif Amina , Tanveer Rida , Amin Zeemal Seemab , Abbas Saba , Maqsood Amna , Raza Muhammad , Munir Arooj , Latif Amara , Habiba Maryam , Afzal Muhammad
Published: October 2022

The current study aims to isolate, purify, and characterize the trypsin inhibitor protein from seeds of soya beans, scientifically known as Glycine max. Its seeds were ground, and the powder was soaked several times using n-hexane. It was added to phosphate buffer saline (PBS) followed by filtration and centrifugation of the PBS dissolved extract. The supernatant was subjected to ammonium sulfate precipitation and about six fractions, 30% to 80% were prepared. The centrifuged pellets obtained from each fraction were dialyzed and run on SDS-PAGE. The trypsin inhibitor protein was precipitated and characterized in 30% pellet and molecular weight was 21.5 kDa compared to protein ladder (ThermoFisher 10-170 kDa). GC-MS analysis revealed the steroid derivatives such as stigmasterol, campesterol, beta-sitosterol, and gamma-tocopherol. Glycine max trypsin inhibitor could be used as a plant-derived drug to overcome the over-activation of trypsin without its real substrate (proteins) becoming activated and start auto digestion leading to pancreatitis.
Antibiofilm and Quorum Sensing Inhibition (QSI) Potential of Lagerstroemia speciosa Leaves Extract
Authors: Zafar Farzana , Shahid Muhammad , Fatima Hina , Riaz Muhammad , Anjum Fozia , Mushtaq Zahid , Zia Saadiya , Jahangir Muhammad Muzammil , Aslam Muhammad Amir
Published: October 2022

Disruption of quorum sensing pathway of pathogenic microbes is considered as novel approach to fight against infectious diseases. The current study was planned to evaluate the antibiofilm and quorum sensing inhibitory potential of Lagerstroemia speciosa. Antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of L. speciosa extracts was determined through agar well diffusion and crystal violet assay against sinusitis isolates, that is, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while quorum sensing inhibition efficacy of L. speciosa extracts was determined through violacein inhibition assay using Chromobacterium pseudoviolaceum as bacterial model . The methanolic extract of L. speciosa presented the highest antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis and antibiofilm activity against K. pneumoniae (77.42 ± 1.51%) , while n-hexane extract was found to be least active against all tested bacterial strains . Quorum sensing inhibition activity of L. speciosa extracts against C. pseudoviolaceum showed significant dose-dependent inhibition in violacein production by different concentrations of methanolic extract. Furthermore, none of the extracts of L. speciosa showed any hemolytic activity against human RBCs and hold considerable thrombolytic potential in comparison to streptokinase (75.9 ± .46%). In conclusion, findings suggest that L. speciosa leaves are excellent source of phytochemicals with potent antibiofilm and quorum sensing inhibition potential.
Influence of residual stress on apparent fracture toughness of pipeline under different constraints
Authors: Wu Jin , Liu Fang , Cui Wei , Shen Jun , Yang Jie
Published: October 2022

Taking the cracked pipeline as the research object, different preloads were applied on the cross section of the pipeline to produce different stresses at the crack tip, and these stresses were introduced into the pipeline as the residual stresses by restart method. And then, the apparent fracture toughness of pipeline under different constraints considering residual stress, and the interaction between residual stress and constraint were systematically studied. The results showed that the residual stress had a certain promoting effect on the improvement of the apparent fracture toughness of the pipeline. Compared with the pipeline with low constraint, the apparent fracture toughness of the pipeline with a high constraint was more sensitive to the change of residual stress, it was mainly related to the Mises stress at the crack tip and the triaxle principal stress.
Sophocarpine attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury through pulmonary oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis
Authors: Niu Rui-Bin , Hu Guo-Xia , Gao Hao , Ye Feng , Zhu Ming-sheng , Zhang Jie
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Sepsis, pneumonia, or trauma caused by acute lung injury (ALI) remains a high incidence and mortality worldwide.The critical ALI pathogenesis includes inflammatory cell infiltration, inflammation, oxidative stress injury, and damage to the alveolar-capillary barrier due to inflammatory apoptosis injury. Sophocarpine is reported protective against inflammatory diseases, while little is known about its effects on acute lung injury. Investigating therapeutic molecules that relieve the pathological processes might be a possible option for ALI management.

Methods

In the present study, we adopted the LPS-induced ALI model in mice to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of oral sophocarpine administration and analyze possible effects against inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress.

Results

The results showed sophocarpine decreased pathological injury score of lung tissues, inflammatory cytokine level and oxidative stress indicators (H2O2, NO, and O.-2), and elevated antioxidant molecules (SOD, GSH, and CAT). Besides, sophocarpine suppressed Nrf2/Syk, NF-kB, and PI3K/AKT signaling. Sophocarpine showed beneficial effects against inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in LPS-induced ALI.

Conclusions

Our finding suggested that sophocarpine might be applied in treating septic or endotoxemia-related ALI.
Comparison of physical demands between matches and small-sided games in Australian Football
Authors: Wing Christopher , Hart Nicolas H , Ma’ayah Fadi , Nosaka Kazunori
Published: October 2022

This study evaluated the physical demands and specificity of small-sided games (SSGs) compared to matches in Australian Football (AF). Global positioning system (GPS) data was collected on 48 AF players from 39 matches and 28 training sessions across two seasons. Match data was analysed using the ball in play (BiP) method with the maximum BiP period for each match (e.g. the BiP with greatest meters per minute), for each variable (relative distance, high-speed running, and accelerations) averaged for each player to establish maximal means as reference points. Intensity of all BiP periods in matches and SSGs was compared (e.g. a BiP period recorded at 100 m·min−1 by a player with a maximal mean of 200 m·min−1, was classified as a 50% effort). This was categorised in 10% intensity buckets, and compared between matches and SSGs using linear mixed models and Cohen's d effect sizes. Distance was greater ( p < 0.01) in the 20–49% buckets for matches and in the 60–89% buckets ( p < 0.001) for SSGs. For high-speed running and accelerations, matches were greater ( p < 0.001) in the 0–9% bucket but SSGs were greater ( p < 0.001) in buckets from 20 to 49%. At the individual level, 37–49% of the players did not record any SSGs efforts in buckets of >80 to ≥90% across GPS variables. SSGs appear to provide a sub-optimal training stimulus, if the aim is to prepare AF players for the highest intensity periods of play recorded during matches, thus may under-prepare players for the intensity demands of AF matches.
Medicalized reality weight-loss television and the negotiation of neoliberalism on My 600 Pound Life
Authors: Zimdars Melissa
Published: October 2022

On their surface, medicalised reality television series about food addiction and fatness seem to reinforce the same discourses of neoliberalism that have come to define our understanding of contemporary reality TV. However, this article considers how one of these shows, My 600 Pound Life (2012), negotiates and de-centres discourses of neoliberalism through medicalisation and spectacle. The bodies and behaviours on medicalised reality TV programmes can be engendering of sympathy as much or more than of discipline and shame, which reflects expanding and shifting narratives of the ‘obesity epidemic’.
The Impact of Social Media Salience on the Subjective Value of Social Cues
Authors: Clerke Alexa S. , Heerey Erin A.
Published: October 2022

Like face-to-face interactions, evidence shows that interacting on social media is rewarding. However, the rewards associated with social media are subject to unpredictable delays, which may shape how they are experienced. Specifically, these delays might enhance the subjective desirability of social rewards and subsequent reward-seeking behavior by sensitizing people to the presence of such rewards. Here, we ask whether thinking about a recent social media post or conversation influences the subjective value of monetary and social rewards. Across two studies, we find that individuals who are thinking about a recent social media post are more likely to sacrifice small financial gains for the chance to see a genuine smile (a social reward) compared with those who are thinking about a recent conversation. This suggests that rather than satisfying social needs, thinking about social media interactions enhances the subjective value of social rewards, potentially explaining the incentive value of social media.