bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between previous cataract surgery and cognition among middle-aged and older Chinese: the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS)
Authors: Zhao Xiaohuan , Wei Kunchen , Sun Junran , Chen Jieqiong , Wang Yimin , Chen Yuhong , Zhu Xinyue , Sun Xiaodong , Li Tong , Zhou Minwen
Published: May 2023

Background

Cataract is the primary cause of blindness globally, and surgery offers the only method by which to remove cataracts. We aimed to examine whether previous cataract surgery is associated with cognitive function.

Methods

Our study included 13,824 participants. Data from the baseline of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were used. The participants were categorized into two groups: with and without previous cataract surgery. Weighted multiple linear regression was used to obtain the β and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

The participants who had previous cataract surgery (n = 261) scored lower in cognition, including both memory and mental state, than those without previous cataract surgery. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors and metabolic measures, a negative association was evident between previous cataract surgery and cognition (β = −0.647, 95% CI: −1.244, − 0.049). Furthermore, the participants who were older and female demonstrated a decline in cognition, while living in cities and having higher levels education were associated with higher cognition.

Conclusions

Better cognitive function was associated with less previous cataract surgery or cataract occurrence. This suggests that a period of vision loss due to cataract leads to cognitive decline, however further studies are need to dissect the impact of vision loss and cataract surgery on cognitive decline.
Concerned friends of intimate partner violence survivors: results from the myPlan randomized controlled trial on college campuses
Authors: Bloom Tina L. , Perrin Nancy , Brown Megan Lindsay , Campbell Jacquelyn , Clough Amber , Grace Karen Trister , Laughon Kathryn , Messing Jill , Eden Karen B. , Turner Rachael , Glass Nancy
Published: May 2023

Background

Nearly half of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors experience their first abusive relationship at college age (18–24 years). Most often they disclose the violence to friends. Existing college campus “bystander” interventions training peers to safely intervene have been effective in sexual assault prevention; similar interventions have rarely been tested for IPV. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness of an interactive, personalized safety decision and planning tool, myPlan app, on decisional conflict, decisional preparedness, confidence in intervening, supportive safety behaviors, and IPV attitudes with concerned friends of abused college women.

Methods

We recruited college students (age 18–24, N = 293) of any gender who had a female-identified friend who had recently experienced IPV (“concerned friends”) from 41 Oregon and Maryland colleges/universities. Participants were randomized to myPlan (n = 147) or control (usual web-based resources; n = 146). Outcomes included decisional conflict, decisional preparedness, confidence to intervene, safety/support behaviors, and IPV attitudes.

Results

At baseline, concerned friends described the abused person as a close/best friend (79.1%); 93.7% had tried at least one strategy to help. Most (89.2%) reported concerns their friend would be seriously hurt by the abuser; 22.7% reported extreme concern. Intervention participants had greater improvements in decisional conflict (specifically, understanding of their own values around the decision to intervene and help a friend) and decisional preparedness immediately after their first use of myPlan, and a significantly greater increase in confidence to talk with someone about their own relationship concerns at 12 months. At 12-month follow-up, both intervention and control groups reported increased confidence to intervene, and did not differ significantly in terms of percentage of safety/support strategies used, whether strategies were helpful, or IPV attitudes.

Conclusions

A technology-based intervention, myPlan, was effective in reducing one aspect of decisional conflict (improving clarity of values to intervene) and increasing decisional preparedness to support a friend in an unsafe relationship. Information on IPV and related safety strategies delivered through the myPlan app or usual web-based resources both increased confidence to intervene with a friend. College students in the myPlan group were more likely to talk with someone about concerns about their own relationship, demonstrating potential for IPV prevention or early intervention.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02236663, registration date 10/09/2014.
Forgotten joint score is worse when the affected leg perceived longer than shorter after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Kawakami Takehiro , Imagama Takashi , Matsuki Yuta , Okazaki Tomoya , Kaneoka Takehiro , Sakai Takashi
Published: May 2023

Background

One of the causes of patient dissatisfaction after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is leg length discrepancy (LLD). Even when radiographic LLD (R-LLD) is within 5 mm, some people perceive the affected side to be longer, while others perceive it is shorter. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived LLD (P-LLD), R-LLD, and Forgotten Joint Score (FJS-12) after THA.

Methods

A retrospective study of 164 patients with unilateral hip disease was conducted. Based on P-LLD after THA, they were classified into three categories: perceived short (PS 21 patients), no LLD (PN 121 patients), and perceived long (PL 22 patients). On the other hand, based on R-LLD after THA, they were divided into <  − 5 mm (RS 36 patients), − 5 mm ≤ x < 5 mm (RN 99 patients), and 5 mm ≥ (RL 29 patients), respectively. The proportion of P-LLD in the RN group was also evaluated. In each group, the relationship between P-LLD, R-LLD and FJS-12 was investigated.

Results

After THA, the PL group had significantly worse FJS-12 (PS: 68.3 ± 26.2, PN: 75.0 ± 20.9, PL: 47.3 ± 25.2, P < .0001). In the R-LLD evaluation, there was no difference in FJS-12 among the three groups (RS: 73.7 ± 21.1, RN: 70.0 ± 24.5, RL: 67.7 ± 25.4, P < .53). The RN group perceived leg length to be longer (RN-PL) in 12.1% of cases, and the RN-PL groups had significantly worse FJS-12 (RN-PS: 65.4 ± 24.8, RN-PN: 73.8 ± 23.1, RN-PL: 41.8 ± 27.6, P < .0001).

Conclusion

One year after THA, patients with longer P-LLD had worse FJS-12, even if the R-LLD was less than 5 mm.
Assessing needs-based supply of physicians: a criteria-led methodological review of international studies in high-resource settings
Authors: Geiger Isabel , Schang Laura , Sundmacher Leonie
Published: May 2023

Background

Many health systems embrace the normative principle that the supply of health services ought to be based on the need for healthcare. However, a theoretically grounded framework to operationalize needs-based supply of healthcare remains elusive. The aim of this paper is to critically assess current methodologies that quantify needs-based supply of physicians and identify potential gaps in approaches for physician planning. To this end, we propose a set of criteria for consideration when estimating needs-based supply.

Methods

We conducted searches in three electronic bibliographic databases until March 2020 supplemented by targeted manual searches on national and international websites to identify studies in high-resource settings that quantify needs-based supply of physicians. Studies that exclusively focused on forecasting methods of physician supply, on inpatient care or on healthcare professionals other than physicians were excluded. Additionally, records that were not available in English or German were excluded to avoid translation errors. The results were synthesized using a framework of study characteristics in addition to the proposed criteria for estimating needs-based physician supply.

Results

18 quantitative studies estimating population need for physicians were assessed against our criteria. No study met all criteria. Only six studies sought to examine the conceptual dependency between need, utilization and supply. Apart from extrapolations, simulation models were applied most frequently to estimate needs-based supply. 12 studies referred to the translation of need for services with respect to a physician’s productivity, while the rest adapted existing population-provider-ratios. Prospective models for estimating future care needs were largely based on demographic predictions rather than estimated trends in morbidity and new forms of care delivery.

Conclusions

The methodological review shows distinct heterogeneity in the conceptual frameworks, validity of data basis and modeling approaches of current studies in high-resource settings on needs-based supply of physicians. To support future estimates of needs-based supply, this review provides a workable framework for policymakers in charge of health workforce capacity planning.
Facilitation of team-based care to improve HTN management and outcomes: a protocol for a randomized stepped wedge trial
Authors: Shelley Donna R. , Brown Dominique , Cleland Charles M. , Pham-Singer Hang , Zein Dina , Chang Ji Eun , Wu Winfred Y.
Published: May 2023

Background

There are well-established guidelines for treating hypertension (HTN), yet only half of patients with HTN meet the defined target of < 140/90. Team-based care (TBC) is an evidence-based strategy for improving blood pressure (BP) management and control. TBC is defined as the provision of health services by at least two health professionals “who work collaboratively with patients and their caregivers to accomplish shared goals to achieve coordinated, high-quality care”. However, primary care practices experience challenges to implementing TBC principles and care processes; these are more pronounced in small independent practice settings (SIPs). Practice facilitation (PF) is an implementation strategy that may overcome barriers to adopting evidence-based TBC to improve HTN management in SIPs.

Methods

Using a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial design, we will test the effect of PF on the adoption of TBC to improve HTN management in small practices (< 5 FTE clinicians) in New York City, and the impact on BP control compared with usual care. We will enroll 90 SIPs and randomize them into one of three 12-month intervention waves. Practice facilitators will support SIPs to adopt TBC principles to improve implementation of five HTN management strategies (i.e., panel management, population health, measuring BP, supporting medication adherence, self-management). The primary outcome is the adoption of TBC for HTN management measured at baseline and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include the rate of BP control and sustainability of TBC and BP outcomes at 18 months. Aggregated data on BP measures are collected every 6 months in all clusters so that each cluster provides data points in both the control and intervention conditions. Using a mixed methods approach, we will also explore factors that influence the effectiveness of PF at the organization and team level.

Discussion

This study will provide much-needed guidance on how to optimize adoption and sustainability of TBC in independent primary care settings to reduce the burden of disease related to suboptimal BP control and advance understanding of how facilitation works to improve implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT05413252.
EMT/MET plasticity in cancer and Go-or-Grow decisions in quiescence: the two sides of the same coin?
Authors: Akhmetkaliyev Azamat , Alibrahim Noura , Shafiee Darya , Tulchinsky Eugene
Published: May 2023

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) are genetic determinants of cellular plasticity. These programs operate in physiological (embryonic development, wound healing) and pathological (organ fibrosis, cancer) conditions. In cancer, EMT and MET interfere with various signalling pathways at different levels. This results in gross alterations in the gene expression programs, which affect most, if not all hallmarks of cancer, such as response to proliferative and death-inducing signals, tumorigenicity, and cell stemness. EMT in cancer cells involves large scale reorganisation of the cytoskeleton, loss of epithelial integrity, and gain of mesenchymal traits, such as mesenchymal type of cell migration. In this regard, EMT/MET plasticity is highly relevant to the Go-or-Grow concept, which postulates the dichotomous relationship between cell motility and proliferation. The Go-or-Grow decisions are critically important in the processes in which EMT/MET plasticity takes the central stage, mobilisation of stem cells during wound healing, cancer relapse, and metastasis. Here we outline the maintenance of quiescence in stem cell and metastatic niches, focusing on the implication of EMT/MET regulatory networks in Go-or-Grow switches. In particular, we discuss the analogy between cells residing in hybrid quasi-mesenchymal states and GAlert, an intermediate phase allowing quiescent stem cells to enter the cell cycle rapidly.
Muscle synergy patterns as altered coordination strategies in individuals with chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Saito Hiroki , Yokoyama Hikaru , Sasaki Atsushi , Nakazawa Kimitaka
Published: May 2023

Background

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent disease with poorly understood underlying mechanisms. In particular, altered trunk muscle coordination in response to specific trunk tasks remains largely unknown.

Methods

We investigated the muscle synergies during 11 trunk movement and stability tasks in 15 healthy individuals (8 females and 7 males, aged 21. 3 (20.1–22.8) ± 0.6 years) and in 15 CLBP participants (8 females and 7 males, aged 20. 9 (20.2–22.6) ± 0.7 years) by recording the surface electromyographic activities of 12 back and abdominal muscles (six muscles unilaterally). Non-negative matrix factorization was performed to extract the muscle synergies.

Results

We found six trunk muscle synergies and temporal patterns in both groups. The high similarity of the trunk synergies and temporal patterns in the groups suggests that both groups share the common feature of the trunk coordination strategy. We also found that trunk synergies related to the lumbar erector spinae showed lower variability in the CLBP group. This may reflect the impaired back muscles that reshape the trunk synergies in the fixed structure of CLBP. Furthermore, the higher variability of trunk synergies in the other muscle regions such as in the latissimus dorsi and oblique externus, which were activated in trunk stability tasks in the CLBP group, represented more individual motor strategies when the trunk tasks were highly demanding.

Conclusion

Our work provides the first demonstration that individual modular organization is fine-tuned while preserving the overall structures of trunk synergies and temporal patterns in the presence of persistent CLBP.
Hierarchical Interleaved Bloom Filter: enabling ultrafast, approximate sequence queries
Authors: Mehringer Svenja , Seiler Enrico , Droop Felix , Darvish Mitra , Rahn René , Vingron Martin , Reinert Knut
Published: May 2023

We present a novel data structure for searching sequences in large databases: the Hierarchical Interleaved Bloom Filter (HIBF). It is extremely fast and space efficient, yet so general that it could serve as the underlying engine for many applications. We show that the HIBF is superior in build time, index size, and search time while achieving a comparable or better accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art tools. The HIBF builds an index up to 211 times faster, using up to 14 times less space, and can answer approximate membership queries faster by a factor of up to 129.
Reporting of PPI and the MCID in phase III/IV randomised controlled trials—a systematic review
Authors: Brennan Joseph , Poon Michael T. C. , Christopher Edward , Fulton Olivia , Porteous Carol , Brennan Paul M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in clinical trial design contributes to ensuring the research objectives and outcome measures are relevant to patients. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the primary outcome influences trial design and feasibility and should be predicated on PPI. We aimed to determine current practice of reporting PPI and the MCID in phase III/IV randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

Following a search of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, we included primary publications of phase III/IV RCTs, in English, inclusive of any medical specialty or type of intervention, that reported a health-related outcome. We excluded protocols and secondary publications of RCTs. We extracted RCT characteristics, the use of PPI, and use of the MCID.

Results

Between 1 July 2019 and 13 January 2020, 123 phase III/IV RCTs matched our eligibility criteria. Ninety percent evaluated a medical rather than surgical intervention. Oncology accounted for 21% of all included RCTs. Only 2.4% (n = 3) and 1.6% (n = 2) RCTs described PPI and the MCID respectively.

Conclusions

PPI and the MCID are poorly reported, so it is uncertain how these contributed to trial design. Improvement in the reporting of these items would increase confidence that results are relevant and clinically significant to patients, contributing to improving the overall trial design.

Trial registration

Not registered.
Development of an international core outcome set for treatment trials in necrotizing enterocolitis—a study protocol
Authors: Klerk Daphne H. , van Varsseveld Otis C. , Offringa Martin , Modi Neena , Lacher Martin , Zani Augusto , Pakarinen Mikko P. , Koivusalo Antti , Jester Ingo , Spruce Marie , Derikx Joep P. M. , Bakx Roel , Ksia Amine , Vermeulen Marijn J. , Kooi Elisabeth M. W. , Hulscher Jan B. F.
Published: May 2023

Aim

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most lethal disease of the gastrointestinal tract of preterm infants. New and existing management strategies need clinical evaluation. Large heterogeneity exists in the selection, measurement, and reporting of outcome measures in NEC intervention studies. This hampers meta-analyses and the development of evidence-based management guidelines. We aim to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for NEC that includes the most relevant outcomes for patients and physicians, from moment of diagnosis into adulthood. This COS is designed for use in NEC treatment trials, in infants with confirmed NEC.

Methods

This study is designed according to COS-STAD (Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development) recommendations and the COMET (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) Initiative Handbook. We obtained a waiver from the Ethics Review Board and prospectively registered this study with COMET (Study 1920). We will approach 125 clinicians and/or researchers from low-middle and high-income countries based on their scientific output (using SCIVAL, a bibliometric tool). Patients and parents will be approached through local patient organisations. Participants will be separated into three panels, to assess differences in priorities between former patients and parents (1. lay panel), clinicians and researchers involved in the neonatal period (2. neonatal panel) and after the neonatal period (3. post-neonatal panel). They will be presented with outcomes currently used in NEC research, identified through a systematic review, in a Delphi process. Eligible outcome domains are also identified from the patients and parents’ perspectives. Using a consensus process, including three online Delphi rounds and a final face-to-face consensus meeting, the COS will be finalised and include outcomes deemed essential to all stakeholders: health care professionals, parents and patients’ representatives. The final COS will be reported in accordance with the COS-Standards for reporting (COS-STAR) statement.

Conclusions

Development of an international COS will help to improve homogeneity of outcome measure reporting in NEC, will enable adequate and efficient comparison of treatment strategies, and will help the interpretation and implementation of clinical trial results. This will contribute to high-quality evidence regarding the best treatment strategy for NEC in preterm infants.
Characterizing seasonal changes in the reproductive activity of Culex mosquitoes throughout the fall, winter, and spring in Ohio
Authors: Siperstein Alden , Pomeroy Laura W. , Robare Sydney , Sarko Lucas , Dehus Hannah , Lowmiller Taylor , Fyie Lydia , Meuti Megan E.
Published: May 2023

Background

Culex mosquitoes are the primary vectors of West Nile virus (WNV) across the USA. Understanding when these vectors are active indicates times when WNV transmission can occur. This study determined the proportion of female Culex mosquitoes that were in diapause during the fall and winter and when they terminated diapause and began blood feeding in the spring.

Methods

Mosquitoes were collected from parks using various traps and/or aspirated from culverts in Franklin County, Ohio, from October to mid-May from 2019 to 2022. Culex mosquitoes were morphologically identified to species, and the ovaries of females were dissected to determine their diapause and parity statuses.

Results

By early October 2021, roughly 95% of Culex pipiens collected in culverts were in diapause and 98% of Cx. erraticus were in diapause. Furthermore, gravid and blood-fed Culex salinarius, Cx. pipiens, and Cx. restuans were collected in late November in 2019 and 2021 in standard mosquito traps. In the winter of 2021, the proportions of non-diapausing Culex decreased within culverts. The last non-diapausing Cx. erraticus was collected in late December 2021 while the final non-diapausing Cx. pipiens was collected in mid-January 2022, both in culverts. Roughly 50% of Cx. pipiens terminated diapause by mid-March 2022, further supported by our collections of gravid females in late March in all 3 years of mosquito collection. In fact, male mosquitoes of Cx. pipiens, Cx. restuans, and Cx. territans were collected by the 1st week of May in 2022, indicating that multiple species of Culex produced a second generation that reached adulthood by this time.

Conclusions

We collected blood-fed and gravid Culex females into late November in 2 of the 3 years of our collections, indicating that it might be possible for WNV transmission to occur in late fall in temperate climates like Ohio. The persistence of non-diapausing Cx. pipiens and Cx. erraticus throughout December has important implications for the winter survival of WNV vectors and our overall understanding of diapause. Finally, determining when Culex terminate diapause in the spring may allow us to optimize mosquito management programs and reduce the spread of WNV before it is transmitted to humans.

Graphical Abstract
Ulcerative colitis successfully treated with vedolizumab in the presence of comorbid opportunistic infections: a case report
Authors: Oki Yusuke , Nagano Sho , Ishikawa Yoichi , Yamada Takayoshi , Ichimori Toshiki , Uchida Kazushige
Published: May 2023

Background

Opportunistic infections associated with immunosuppressive treatments for inflammatory bowel disease pose an important safety concern. Here we report the case of a patient with active ulcerative colitis and cryptococcal pneumonia who was treated with vedolizumab combined with fluconazole.

Case presentation

A 56-year-old Japanese man with ulcerative colitis and a history of Sweet’s syndrome who was taking prednisolone and azathioprine presented with a moderate exacerbation of ulcerative colitis, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools along with cytomegalovirus infection. Increasing the prednisolone dose without using antiviral drugs improved cytomegalovirus infection; however, ulcerative colitis did not improve, and cryptococcal pneumonia occurred. Thus, treatment with fluconazole followed by vedolizumab was initiated for ulcerative colitis. The patient gradually recovered and achieved clinical remission without the exacerbation of pneumonia.

Conclusions

We reported the first case of a patient with ulcerative colitis who was treated with vedolizumab and concomitant fluconazole for active cryptococcal pneumonia. Vedolizumab constitutes a high-potential treatment regimen owing to its safety in inflammatory bowel disease associated with opportunistic infections.
Pancreatic pseudocyst mimicking a left kidney abscess: a case report
Authors: Madani Mohamed Anouar , Ouannes Yassine , Chaker Kays , Marrak Mahdi , Nouira Yassine
Published: May 2023

Background

Pancreatic pseudocyst are fluid filled sacs that develop as a result of dissection of pancreatic enzyme tissue. While most commonly found near the pancreas, they can also rarely occur in other areas such as the perirenal region.

Case presentation

This study reports a new case of an infected perirenal pancreatic pseudocyst mimicking a left kidney abscess in a 46-year-old North African patient with history of recurrent acute pancreatitis, who presented with left lumbar region pain and fever. Computed tomography revealed a left perirenal collection that turned out to be an infected pancreatic pseudocyst, The diagnostic was first suspected based on the medical history of the patient and confirmed by biochemical examination detecting a high level of pancreatic enzymes in the computed tomography-guided percutaneous drainage fluid. The patient evolved well after early resuscitation, rapid and effective antibiotic therapy, and computed tomography-guided percutaneous drainage of renal collection.

Conclusion

Pancreatic pseudocyst is an uncommon disorder, which may present at a complicated stage and that must be considered in patients with a history of pancreatitis.
Automatic detection of attachment style in married couples through conversation analysis
Authors: Koçak Tuğçe Melike , Dibek Büşra Çilem , Polat Esma Nafiye , Kafesçioğlu Nilüfer , Demiroğlu Cenk
Published: May 2023

Analysis of couple interactions using speech processing techniques is an increasingly active multi-disciplinary field that poses challenges such as automatic relationship quality assessment and behavioral coding. Here, we focused on the prediction of individuals’ attachment style using interactions of recently married (1–15 months) couples. For low-level acoustic feature extraction, in addition to the frame-based acoustic features such as mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and pitch, we used the turn-based i-vector features that are the commonly used in speaker verification systems. Sentiments, positive and negative, of the dialog turns were also automatically generated from transcribed text and used as features. Feature and score fusion algorithms were used for low-level acoustic features and text features. Even though score and feature fusion algorithms performed similar, predictions with score fusion were more consistent when couples have known each other for a longer period of time.
Mediastinal gray zone lymphoma in a pregnant woman presenting with cardiac tamponade
Authors: Alizadehasl Azin , Roudini Kamran , Hesami Mahshid , kosari Farid , Pouraliakbar Hamid Reza , Mohseni Mina , Dokhani Negar
Published: May 2023

Background

Mediastinal gray zone lymphoma is a newly recognized rare B cell neoplasm, which is challenging in diagnosis and treatment.

Case presentation

In the current study, we aimed to report a 25-year-old pregnant woman at 25 weeks of gestation who presented with chronic cough and progressive shortness of breath, hypotension, tachycardia, and tachypnea. A large circumferential pericardial effusion with compressive effect on the right atrium and right ventricle and a large extracardiac mass with external pressure to mediastinal structures were seen on trans thoracic echocardiography. The emergency pericardiocentesis was performed with the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. Also, CMR revealed a huge heterogeneous anterior mediastinal mass, and the pathology and the immunohistochemistry of the mass biopsy revealed gray zone lymphoma with positive CD3, CD20, CD30, CD45, PAX5, and negative CD15 expression. Three courses of chemotherapy with the CHOP regimen were performed with an acceptable response every three weeks before delivery. A caesarian section was performed at 37 weeks without any problem for the patient and fetus, and chemotherapy will be started three weeks after delivery.

Conclusion

Cardiac tamponade as an emergency condition occurred in this pregnant patient by malignant pericardial effusion and mediastinal mass pressure. Accurate diagnosis and on time interventions caused a significant improvement and a successful delivery.
Sexual Orientation Identity Mobility in the United Kingdom: A Research Note
Authors: Hu Yang , Denier Nicole
Published: May 2023

Sexual identity is fluid. But just how fluid is it? How does such fluidity vary across demographic groups? How do mainstream measures fare in capturing the fluidity? In analyzing data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (N = 22,673 individuals, each observed twice), this research note provides new, population-wide evidence of sexual identity mobility—change and continuity in individuals' sexual orientation identification—in the United Kingdom. Overall, 6.6% of the respondents changed their sexual identity reports between 2011–2013 and 2017–2019. Sexual identity mobility follows a convex pattern over the life course, with higher mobility rates at the two ends than in the middle of the age spectrum. Sexual identity mobility is more prevalent among women, ethnic minority individuals, and the less educated. Changes in people's self-reported sexual identity are closely associated with changes in their partnership status and partner's sex. However, inferring individuals' sexual identity from their partner's sex substantially underestimates the degree of sexual fluidity compared with people's self-reported sexual identity. Our findings encourage researchers and data collectors to fully examine sexual identity mobility and consider its implications for measuring sexual identity.
Learning and Management during and after the Pandemic
Authors: Brenden Mark
Published: May 2023

This article explores some pedagogical challenges and opportunities introduced by higher education's increased reliance on private learning management systems (LMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It theorizes LMS as an expression of neoliberalism and argues that critical literacy, as a method, should be done to (rather than simply through) LMS. Specifically, it examines two case studies of student interactions with the LMS during an asynchronous first-year writing course.
From Old Books to New Science
Authors: Feinstein Sandy , Wang Bryan Shawn
Published: May 2023

Co-teaching an interdomain literature and biology course, before, during, and after the COVID-19 protocols led the authors to consider how interdisciplinarity might serve as a means to “de-extinction” for English. The authors, an English professor and a biologist, provide contrasting models representing their distinct perspectives on how English may be revivified through disciplinary integration.
What a Trip
Authors: Zeleny Rachael
Published: May 2023

This essay details the evolution of an interdisciplinary course at a university with proximity to Baltimore, Maryland. The original course relied entirely on experiential learning via field trips. During these trips, students conducted analyses of museums as rhetorical and political spaces. As a result of the pandemic, the course evolved into one that relied entirely on students making virtual field trips for cultural organizations and for those at home. In both courses, students focused on issues of social justice as they pertain to museums: issues of access (who is able/encouraged to visit the museum?), issues of diversity (which artists/works of art are featured and who is offered positions of power within the organization?), and issues of engagement (does the museum offer exhibits/programming that is relevant to the public they serve?). In the revised class, students (1) virtually met with museum representatives to discuss their needs; (2) researched the types of resources, events, and objects that can be found in the different locations; (3) learned how to use technology such as Nearpod as multimodal composing platforms; and (4) created a virtual field trip to be used by that organization for educational and promotional purposes. By creating material for specific audiences, students not only learned the rhetorical skills of composing for diverse groups but also grappled with issues of equity, access, and engagement. While the revisions were made out of necessity, this essay details the transferable methodology that can continue to be employed in online classes and integrated into in-person learning.
Aggrephagy at a glance
Authors: Bauer Bernd , Martens Sascha , Ferrari Luca
Published: May 2023

Cells keep their proteome functional by the action of the proteostasis network, composed of the chaperones, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy. The decline of this network results in the accumulation of protein aggregates and is associated with aging and disease. In this Cell Science at a Glance and accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms of the removal of protein aggregates by a selective autophagy pathway, termed aggrephagy. We outline how aggrephagy is regulated by post-translational modifications and via auxiliary proteins. We further describe alternative aggrephagy pathways in physiology and their disruption in pathology. In particular, we discuss aggrephagy pathways in neurons and accumulation of protein aggregates in a wide range of diseases. Finally, we highlight strategies to reprogram aggrephagy to treat protein aggregation diseases.
Unraveling the Role of (Meta-) Cognitive Functions in Pacing Behavior Development during Adolescence: Planning, Monitoring, and Adaptation
Authors: MENTING STEIN GERRIT PAUL , KHUDAIR MOHAMMED , ELFERINK-GEMSER MARIJE TITIA , HETTINGA FLORENTINA JOHANNA
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate whether (meta-) cognitive functions underpin the development of the self-regulated distribution of effort during exercise (i.e., pacing) throughout adolescence.

Methods

Participants included 18 adolescents (9 girls, 15.6 ± 2.5 yr old) and 26 adults (13 women, 26.8 ± 3.1 yr old), all recreationally active but unfamiliar with time trial cycling. The (meta-) cognitive functions involved in preexercise planning were quantified by calculating the difference between estimated and actual finish time during a 4-km cycling time trial. The capability to monitor and adapt one’s effort distribution during exercise was measured during a 7-min submaximal trial, in which the participants were tasked with adhering to a set submaximal goal velocity either with (0–5 min) or without (5–7 min) additional feedback provided by the researcher. Analyses included between-group comparisons (ANOVA) and within-group comparisons (correlation) (P < 0.05).

Results

Adolescents were less accurate in their estimation of the task duration. The adolescents’ overestimation of task duration of the 4-km time trial was accompanied by pacing behavior characteristics resembling a longer trial (i.e., more even power output distribution, lower RPE, more pronounced end-spurt). Contrary to the adults, the adolescents deviated relatively more from the goal velocity during the 7-min submaximal trial, when no additional feedback was provided by the researcher. Within the adolescent group, estimation of task duration accuracy (r = 0.48) and adherence to goal velocity (r = 0.59) correlated with age.

Conclusions

The (meta-) cognitive functions involved in the preexercise planning and the monitoring and adaptation of the distribution of effort during exercise underpin the development of pacing behavior during adolescence. Feedback from the (social) environment can be used to aid the monitoring and adaptation of effort expenditure in adolescents.
Los estudios sociales de la nutrición: una agenda académica urgente
Authors: Pohl Valero Stefan
Published: May 2023

En la actualidad, y como ha evidenciado la pandemia de la covid-19, las políticas nacionales de nutrición y seguridad alimentaria en América Latina se ven enfrentadas a abordar los problemas de obesidad, desnutrición y hambruna más allá de una mirada biomédica y de asistencia alimentaria puntual. También es fundamental tener en cuenta las dimensiones sociales, económicas, culturales y políticas del fenómeno. Por ejemplo, las brechas culturales entre las recomendaciones alimentarias basadas en nutrientes (y en guías estandarizadas) y la forma como la gente realmente come y les asigna significados a los alimentos han generado no pocas tensiones, ansiedades y efectos contraproducentes a la hora de implementar políticas públicas de salud nutricional en la región.
Setting Gendered Expectations? Recruiter Outreach Bias in Online Tech Training Programs
Authors: Lane Jacqueline N. , Lakhani Karim R. , Fernandez Roberto M.
Published: May 2023

Competence development in digital technologies, analytics, and artificial intelligence is increasingly important to all types of organizations and their workforce. Universities and corporations are investing heavily in developing training programs, at all tenure levels, to meet the new skills needs. However, there is a risk that the new set of lucrative opportunities for employees in these tech-heavy fields will be biased against diverse demographic groups like women. Although much research has examined the experiences of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and occupations, less understood is the extent to which gender stereotypes influence recruiters’ perceptions and evaluations of individuals who are deciding whether to apply to STEM training programs. These behaviors are typically unobserved because they occur prior to the application interface. We address this question by investigating recruiters’ initial outreach decisions to more than 166,000 prospective students who have expressed interest in applying to a midcareer level online tech training program in business analytics. Using data on the recruiters’ communications, our results indicate that recruiters are less likely to initiate contact with female than male prospects and search for additional signals of quality from female prospects before contacting them. We also find evidence that recruiters are more likely to base initial outreach activities on prospect gender when they have higher workloads and limited attention. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this research for our understanding of how screening and selection decisions prior to the application interface may undermine organizational efforts to achieve gender equality and diversity as well as the potential for demand-side interventions to mitigate these gender disparities.

Funding: We gratefully acknowledge Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management for generously funding this work.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.22.16499 .
Cross-Border Capacity Planning in Air Traffic Management Under Uncertainty
Authors: Künnen Jan-Rasmus , Strauss Arne K. , Ivanov Nikola , Jovanović Radosav , Fichert Frank , Starita Stefano
Published: May 2023

In European air traffic management (ATM), it is an important decision how much capacity to provide for each airspace, and it has to be made weeks or even months in advance of the day of operation. Given the uncertainty in demand that may materialize until then along with variability in capacity provision (e.g., due to weather), Airspace Users could face high costs of displacements (i.e., delays and reroutings) if capacity is not provided where and when needed. We propose a new capacity sharing scheme in which some proportion of overall capacities can be flexibly deployed in any of the airspaces of the same alliance (at an increased unit cost). This allows us to hedge against the risk of capacity underprovision. Given this scheme, we seek to determine the optimum budget for capacities provided both locally and in cross-border sharing that results in the lowest expected network costs (i.e., capacity and displacement costs). To determine optimum capacity levels, we need to solve a two-stage newsvendor problem: We first decide on capacities to be provided for each airspace, and after uncertain demand and capacity provision disruptions have materialized, we need to decide on the routings of flights (including delays) as well as the sector opening scheme of each airspace to minimize costs. We propose a simulation optimization approach for searching the most cost-efficient capacity levels (in the first stage), and a heuristic to solve the routing and sector opening problem (in the second stage), which is [Formula: see text]-hard. We test our approach in a large-sized simulation study based on real data covering around 3,000 flights across Western European airspace. We find that our stochastic approach significantly reduces network costs against a deterministic benchmark while using less computational resources. Experiments on different setups for capacity sharing show that total variable costs can be reduced by more than 8% if capacity is shared across borders: even though we require that no airspace can operate lower capacities under capacity sharing than without (this is to avoid substitution of expensive air traffic controllers with those in countries with a lower wage level). We also find that the use of different technology providers is a major obstacle to reap the benefits from capacity sharing and that sharing capacities across airspaces of the same country may instead be preferred.

History: This paper has been accepted for the Transportation Science Special Issue on Emerging Topics in Transportation Science and Logistics.

Funding: This work was supported by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme [893380].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2023.1210 .
UTILIZAÇÃO DA MOEDA SOCIAL COMO MEIO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL: ESTUDO DE CASO DA INOVAÇÃO SOCIAL OCORRIDA EM MARICÁ /RJ
Authors: Barbosa Ana Carolina Da Costa
Published: May 2023

O Brasil é um país de extrema desigualdade social e muitas vezes, por isso, tem agravadas situações de pobreza, evasão escolar e violência. Essa desigualdade é resultado de diversos processos sociais que ocorrem desde a data da colonização do país. Uma das soluções, que vem sendo utilizada com o objetivo de minimizar as consequências dessa desigualdade, é a implementação de alguns projetos de utilização de moedas sociais. Esse conceito é completamente aderente à Agenda 2030, que tem em sua estrutura pelo menos um objetivo direto de erradicação da desigualdade social, e alguns outros objetivos que, indiretamente, combatem a desigualdade globalmente. Maricá, município do estado do Rio de Janeiro, é um dos locais onde ocorre o uso da moeda social. O projeto é uma iniciativa de distribuição de renda proveniente de royalties do petróleo através de uma moeda digital, de aceitação local. Apesar da melhoria de renda vivenciada por parte da população, sempre existiu a dificuldade de vislumbrar a melhoria social experimentada pelos beneficiários desse tipo de projeto. Para isso, esse estudo se propôs a investigar os benefícios sociais, atrelados ao tema de desenvolvimento sustentável da Agenda 2030, percebidos pela população.
Inherited aortopathy: an overview
Authors: Mamombe Fortunate , Renwick Catherine , Potterton Amanda , Wilson Elizabeth , Romer Carolyn , Kalathiparambil Rachana , Banerjee Anita , Magboo Rosalie
Published: May 2023

This article is the fourth instalment of a wider series looking at cardiac genetic concepts. Inherited aortopathies are a group of syndromic and non-syndromic genetic conditions that affect the aorta. Aortopathies can lead to sudden cardiac death through aortic aneurysm rupture, especially in individuals whose aortopathy is undiagnosed. Most inherited aortopathies follow an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and high-quality family history taking is paramount in assessing this. This article focuses on thoracic aortic aneurysm and provides an overview of the aetiology, diagnosis and management, including risk stratification and treatment.
Gender disparities in cardiovascular care: the need to educate and advocate for equal care for women
Authors: Fitzsimons Donna , Thompson Gareth , Nicholson Catherine , Flynn Angela
Published: May 2023

Following the International Women’s Day campaign in March, Fitzsimons and colleagues highlight current gender disparities in cardiovascular disease care, diagnosis and treatment and discuss how gender equality can be promoted in clinical practice
Recollections of the NHS: a personal perspective
Authors: Jackson Sir B
Published: May 2023

Sir Barry Jackson reflects on his surgical career, the beginnings of the NHS and the progress that has been made in the past 75 years.
Prototype Hopkins Endoscope, 1961
Authors: Simpson Bruce
Published: May 2023

A look at the prototype of the Hopkins endoscope and its impact on laparoscopic surgery.
The Strehl ratio as a phase histogram
Authors: Strycker Benjamin D.
Published: May 2023

It is shown that the Strehl ratio can always be written as an integral over an apodization-weighted phase histogram. The corresponding mathematical formalism, based on Federer’s co-area formula, is enumerated, and a practical numerical method to quickly and accurately calculate apodization-weighted phase histograms is detailed and compared with similar methods. Conditions for expressing the Strehl ratio as a product S=S1S2 are investigated.
GS-16QAM OFDM with ANN scheme combined with LFM signal for joint communication and radar sensing system
Authors: Liang Jiacong , He Jing , Song Ran , Xiao Yaoqiang
Published: May 2023

In this Letter, an integrated waveform geometrically shaped (GS) 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signal combined with a linear frequency modulation (LFM) radar signal is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in a W-band communication and radar detection system. The proposed method can generate communication and radar signals simultaneously. The inherent error propagation and the interference of the radar signal limit the transmission performance of the joint communication and radar sensing system. Thus, an artificial neural network (ANN) scheme is proposed for the GS-16QAM OFDM signal. After 0.8-m wireless transmission, the experimental results show that the receiver sensitivity and normalized general mutual information (NGMI) of the GS-16QAM OFDM are improved compared with that of the OFDM with uniform 16QAM at the forward error correction (FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10−3. In addition, multi-target radar detection in centimeter level radar ranging is realized.
Wideband chaos synchronization using discrete-mode semiconductor lasers
Authors: Wang Longsheng , Huang Huiyu , Mao Xiaoxin , Jia Zhiwei , Sun Yuehui , Li Songsui , Wang Yuncai , Yan Lianshan , Wang Anbang
Published: May 2023

Optical chaos communication encounters difficulty in high-speed transmission due to the challenge of realizing wideband chaos synchronization. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a wideband chaos synchronization using discrete-mode semiconductor lasers (DMLs) in a master–slave open-loop configuration. The DML can generate wideband chaos with a 10-dB bandwidth of 30 GHz under simple external mirror feedback. By injecting the wideband chaos into a slave DML, an injection-locking chaos synchronization with synchronization coefficient of 0.888 is realized. A parameter range with frequency detuning of −18.75 GHz to approximately 1.25 GHz under strong injection is identified for yielding the wideband synchronization. In addition, we find it more susceptible to achieve the wideband synchronization using the slave DML with lower bias current and smaller relaxation oscillation frequency.