bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Hypertension and Diabetes Control and COVID‐19 Severity: National Patient‐Centered Clinical Research Network, United States, March 2020 to February 2022
Authors: Jackson Sandra L. , Woodruff Rebecca C. , Nagavedu Kshema , Fearrington Julia , Rolka Deborah B. , Twentyman Evelyn , Carton Thomas W. , Puro Jon , Denson Joshua L. , Kappelman Michael D. , Paranjape Anuradha , Thacker Deepika , Weiner Mark G. , Goodman Alyson B. , Lekiachvili Akaki , Boehmer Tegan K. , Block Jason P. , Ahmad Faraz S. , Blecker Saul , Bunnell H. Timothy , Chang Bernard P. , Chrischilles Elizabeth A. , Christakis Dimitri A. , Cowell Lindsay G. , Curtis Janis L. , Fort Daniel , Hanauer David A , Hess Rachel , Horne Benjamin D. , Giordano Philip , Hogan William , Hwang Wenke , Lehmann Harold , Mayer Kenneth H. , Mosa Abu Saleh Mohammad , McClay James C. , Nandhakumar Samyuktha , Nolan Bridget , Obeid Jihad S. , Ostasiewski Brian , Pajor Nathan M. , Patel Lav , Rao Suchitra , Robinson Patricia S. , Silverstein Jonathan C. , Stoddard Alexander , Trick William E.
Published: October 2023

Background

Hypertension and diabetes are associated with increased COVID‐19 severity. The association between level of control of these conditions and COVID‐19 severity is less well understood.

Methods and Results

This retrospective cohort study identified adults with COVID‐19, March 2020 to February 2022, in 43 US health systems in the National Patient‐Centered Clinical Research Network. Hypertension control was categorized as blood pressure (BP) <130/80, 130 to 139/80 to 89, 140 to 159/90 to 99, or ≥160/100 mm Hg, and diabetes control as glycated hemoglobin <7%, 7% to <9%, ≥9%. Adjusted, pooled logistic regression assessed associations between hypertension and diabetes control and severe COVID‐19 outcomes. Among 1 494 837 adults with COVID‐19, 43% had hypertension and 12% had diabetes. Among patients with hypertension, the highest baseline BP was associated with greater odds of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.30 [95% CI, 1.23–1.37] for BP ≥160/100 versus BP <130/80), critical care (aOR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.21–1.40]), and mechanical ventilation (aOR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.17–1.50]) but not mortality (aOR, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.98–1.12]). Among patients with diabetes, the highest glycated hemoglobin was associated with greater odds of hospitalization (aOR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.47–1.76] for glycated hemoglobin ≥9% versus <7%), critical care (aOR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.31–1.54]), mechanical ventilation (aOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02–1.23]), and mortality (aOR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.09–1.27]). Black and Hispanic adults were more likely than White adults to experience severe COVID‐19 outcomes, independent of comorbidity score and control of hypertension or diabetes.

Conclusions

Among 1.5 million patients with COVID‐19, higher BP and glycated hemoglobin were associated with more severe COVID‐19 outcomes. Findings suggest that adults with poorest control of hypertension or diabetes might benefit from efforts to prevent and initiate early treatment of COVID‐19.
Effect of Menopause Status on Brain Perfusion Hemodynamics
Authors: Guo Wei , Wang Xiuzhu , Chen Yinzhong , Wang Feng , Qiu Jianfeng , Lu Weizhao
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND:

The menopause transition is associated with an increasing risk of cerebrovascular disorders. However, the direct effect of menopause status on brain perfusion hemodynamics remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the influence of menopause status on cerebral blood flow (CBF) using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging.

METHODS:

In this cross-sectional study, 185 subjects underwent arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging at a hospital in China between September 2020 and December 2022, including 38 premenopausal women (mean age, 47.74±2.02 years), 42 perimenopausal women (mean age, 50.62±3.15 years), 42 postmenopausal women (mean age, 54.02±4.09 years), and 63 men (mean age, 52.70±4.33 years) of a similar age range. Mean CBF values in the whole brain, gray matter, white matter, cortical gray matter, subcortical gray matter, juxtacortical white matter, deep white matter, and periventricular white matter were extracted. ANCOVA was used to compare mean CBF among the 4 groups, controlling for confounding factors. Student
t
test was applied to compare mean CBF between the 3 female groups and age-matched males, respectively. Multivariable regression analysis was used to analysis the effect of age, sex, and menopause status on the CBF of the whole brain, gray matter, white matter, and subregions.

RESULTS:

Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women showed a higher proportion of white matter hyperintensities compared with the other 2 groups (
P
<0.001). Premenopausal women exhibited higher CBF in the whole brain, gray matter, white matter, and subregions, compared with perimenopausal, postmenopausal women and men (
P
≤0.001). Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated significant effect of age and insignificant effect of sex on CBF for all participants. In addition, menopause status and the interaction between age and menopause status on CBF of whole brain, gray matter, white matter, and the subregions were observed in female participants, except for the deep and periventricular white matter regions, with premenopausal women exhibited a slight increase in CBF with age, while perimenopausal and postmenopausal women exhibited declines in CBF with age.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current findings suggest that alterations of brain perfusion hemodynamics begin during the perimenopause period, which may be due to the increased burden of white matter hyperintensities.
A Metaphysical Foundation for Religious Thinking in Public? On Sharing Reason with Afro-protestant Thought
Authors: Crump Julius
Published: October 2023

This article examines metaphysics as a method for religious thinking in public. Such a method invites criticism because 1) no one institution or population group can determine how well others use reason and 2) religious justifications for optimal reason-sharing emanate from privileged institutions. Reason is worth using and sharing when traditions share limit-questions. On what basis had the determination – that some use and share reason better than others – seemed plausible? Some scholars base their determination on appeals to metaphysics. The first part of this article introduces public theology’s origins in American civil religious discourse. The second part examines a foundational method for public reason. These parts establish a relationship between a description of public theology and an examination of its use of reason in David Tracy’s methodological justification of metaphysics. The third part shows how Afro-protestant thought mediates public and emancipatory reason by asking whose inquiry liberates and why.
Rethinking Jung’s Reception of Kant and the Naturphilosophen
Authors: Clark Gary
Published: October 2023

In this essay I reassess the scholarship on Jung’s reception of Kant and the influence of German biology and the Naturphilopshen on his thinking. In the extant literature on Jung and Kant it has been argued that Jung misread Kant. I argue that this position is based on a limited understanding of Kant’s work, one which fails to consider Kant’s theories on the affect-based nature of aesthetic experience as outlined in Critique of Judgment (1790). I also explore connections between the Naturphilopshen, Jung and contemporary developmental evolutionary biology. This approach will enable me to reconsider German biology from Kant to Jung in the context of contemporary evolutionary and cognitive science. More specifically, I look at how forms of minimal phenomenal experience, in which the spatiotemporal structures of consciousness are annulled, can help us develop a new approach to analytical psychology and altered states of consciousness grounded in contemporary evolutionary science.
Diversity of medium and large-sized mammal species in Chilimo Forest, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Desalegn Tamenut
Published: October 2023

Investigating species distribution and diversity patterns is vital for conservation efforts in biodiversity-rich countries such as Ethiopia. The present study examined the diversity of medium and large-sized mammal species in the Chilimo forest, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia. It was conducted from January 2022 to October 2022 by stratifying the study area into three habitat types: natural forest, plantation, and human-modified forest. A fixed-width line transect sampling method was used to collect the mammalian data. A total of 14 medium and large mammal species belonging to 11 families and six orders, were recorded in the forest during the study period. Of these, 11 were medium, and 3 were large-sized mammals. The Olive Baboon (Papio anubis) was the most abundant mammal species, accounting for 41.7 % of the total abundance. The abundance of medium and large-sized mammals varied significantly among the three habitat types (Species × Habitat; Chi-square test of independence; χ2 = 163.385, df = 26, p < 0.001) and between the wet and dry seasons (Species × Season; Chi-square test of independence; χ2 = 43.753, df = 13, p < 0.001). During the dry season, species diversity was the highest in the natural forest and plantation habitat (H’ = 1.76 in both). The natural forest also supported the highest species diversity during the wet season (H’ = 1.57), followed by the plantation and human-modified habitats (H’ = 1.54 in both). An 88% similarity in species composition was observed between the natural and human-modified forests. The occurrence of 14 species of medium and large-sized mammals in the study area calls for immediate conservation actions in collaboration with respective stakeholders to protect the area’s biodiversity.
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Feline Strays in the Venice Area (2020–2022) in the Experience of Cat Rescue Organization Volunteers
Authors: De Langes Marilena , Normando Simona
Published: October 2023

This short communication introduces the reader to challenges faced by a cat rescue organization (Dingo-Venezia ONLUS) operating in the Venice area during and after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The area around Venice houses more than 1,500 cat colonies, in the mainland and in a number of densely inhabited isles. During COVID-19 restrictions, providing for animals was recognized as a legitimate cause to circulate, but there was uncertainty about the procedure to obtain such recognition. Volunteers chose to go and feed the animals nonetheless, even with the risk of incurring legal consequences. During restrictions, there was an increase of cat adoption demands, but also in cat relinquishment, and a general decrease in donations due to the economic crisis. Although not reporting experimentally sourced data, this paper affords the reader an informed insight into the challenges due to COVID-19 restriction, directly from the experience of an established Italian cat rescue organization.
How Well Do CMIP6 Models Simulate Salinity Barrier Layers in the North Indian Ocean?
Authors: Pang Shanshan , Wang Xidong , Vialard Jérôme
Published: October 2023

Previous studies have hypothesized that climatologically thick salinity-stratified barrier layers (BLs) in the north Indian Ocean (NIO) influence the upper ocean heat budget, sea surface temperature (SST), and monsoons. Here, we investigate how state-of-the-art Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) climate models simulate the NIO barrier layer thickness (BLT). CMIP6 models generally reproduce the BLT seasonal cycle and spatial distribution, but with shallow November–February (NDJF) biases in regions with thick observed BLT: the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO), Bay of Bengal (BoB), and southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS). We show that the intensity of the CMIP6 equatorial easterly wind bias controls the EEIO shallow isothermal layer depth (ILD) and BLT biases. It also controls the BoB shallow BLT bias, both through the propagation of the EEIO shallow ILD bias into the NIO coastal waveguide and because it is linked to the BoB dry and cold bias through the Bjerknes feedback, hence also controlling the mixed layer depth (MLD) deep bias there. Finally, the SEAS shallow BLT bias is due to a too-deep MLD, in response to subdued monsoonal currents around India, which do not bring enough BoB low-salinity water. The BL insulating effect mentioned in literature does not seem to dominate in CMIP6. Rather, the CMIP6 salinity-related deep MLD biases diminish the BoB cooling rate by winter upward surface heat fluxes, reducing cold SST biases. This suggests that salinity effects alleviate the easterly equatorial wind, cold, and dry BoB biases that develop through the positive Bjerknes feedback loop in CMIP6.
Clinical Profiles and One-Year Outcome in Middle Eastern Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Hypertension: Analysis From the Jordan Atrial Fibrillation Study
Authors: Al-kasasbeh Abdullah , Alghzawi Ahmad Abdalmajeed , Jarrah Mohamad , Ababneh Muhannad , Al-Makhamreh Hanna , Shehadeh Joud , Migdadi Afnan , Jum’ah Mohammad , Ahmad Anas , Ja’arah Daria , Al Omary Anwar Y. , Hammoudeh Ayman
Published: October 2023

Studies on the impact of hypertension (HTN) on the outcome of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Middle East are scarce. The aim of this contemporary multicenter study is to evaluate the effect of the coexisting HTN on the baseline clinical profiles and 1-year prognosis in a cohort of Middle Eastern patients with AF. Consecutive AF patients in 29 hospitals and cardiology clinics were enrolled in the Jordan AF study (May 2019–December 2020). Patients were prospectively followed up for 1 year, and the study had no influence on their treatment, which was at the discretion of the treating physician. We compared clinical features, use of medications, and 1-year prognosis in patients with AF/HTN compared with AF/no HTN. Among 1849 non-valvular AF patients, 76.4% had HTN, with higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, and left ventricular hypertrophy in HTN patients. There was a higher thromboembolic and bleeding risk among HTN patients. At 1 year, HTN patients had significantly higher rates of stroke and systemic embolism (SSE) (4.5%), acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (2.4%), rehospitalization (27.9%), and major bleeding events (3.0%) compared with non-HTN patients. In this cohort, the coexistence of HTN was associated with worse baseline clinical profile and 1-year outcomes.
An Eye-Fixation Related Electroencephalography Technique for Predicting Situation Awareness: Implications for Driver State Monitoring Systems
Authors: Yang Jing , Liang Nade , Pitts Brandon J. , Prakah-Asante Kwaku , Curry Reates , Yu Denny
Published: October 2023

Objective

This study developed a fixation-related electroencephalography band power (FRBP) approach for situation awareness (SA) assessment in automated driving.

Background

Maintaining good SA in Level 3 automated vehicles is crucial to drivers' takeover performance when the automated system fails. A multimodal fusion approach that enables the analysis of the visual behavioral and cognitive processes of SA can facilitate real-time assessment of SA in future driver state monitoring systems.

Method

Thirty participants performed three simulated automated driving tasks. After each task, the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) was deployed to capture their SA about key elements that could affect their takeover task performance. Participants eye movements and brain activities were recorded. Data on their brain activity after each eye fixation on the key elements were extracted and labeled according to the correctness of the SAGAT. Mixed-effects models were used to identify brain regions that were indicative of SA, and machine learning models for SA assessment were developed based on the identified brain regions.

Results

Participants’ alpha and theta oscillation at frontal and temporal areas are indicative of SA. In addition, the FRBP technique can be used to predict drivers’ SA with an accuracy of 88% using a neural network model.

Conclusion

The FRBP technique, which incorporates eye movements and brain activities, can provide more comprehensive evaluation of SA. Findings highlight the potential of utilizing FRBP to monitor drivers’ SA in real-time.

Application

The proposed framework can be expanded and applied to driver state monitoring systems to measure human SA in real-world driving.
Abnormal heart rate variability and its application in predicting treatment efficacy in patients with chronic migraine: An exploratory study
Authors: Chuang Chun-Hsiang , Li Jhe-Yu , King Jung-Tai , Chen Wei-Ta , Chen Shih-Pin , Wang Yen-Feng , Liu Hung-Yu , Hsiao Fu-Jung , Pan Li-Ling Hope , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Lai Kuan-Lin
Published: October 2023

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the extent of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in patients with chronic migraine using heart rate variability analysis. In addition, we explored the potential association between heart rate variability and treatment outcomes in patients receiving preventive treatment.

Methods

In this cross-sectional and prospective study, we compared heart rate variability profiles in 81 preventive-naïve chronic migraine patients and 58 healthy controls. In addition, treatment responses of patients, who received a 12-week treatment with flunarizine, were assessed in relation to baseline heart rate variability.

Results

We observed that chronic migraine patients had a reduced heart rate variability, signifying autonomic dysfunction in comparison to healthy controls. Furthermore, patients presenting normal heart rate variability, characterized by a standard deviation exceeding 30 milliseconds in normal-to-normal RR intervals, experienced a superior response to flunarizine treatment. This improvement was exemplified by a significantly larger reduction in monthly headache days for patients with higher heart rate variability compared to those with lower heart rate variability: −9.7 (5.9) vs. −6.2 (6.0) days ( p = .026).

Conclusions

Autonomic dysfunction occurs in chronic migraine as evaluated by heart rate variability. A preserved function is associated with a better treatment outcome to flunarizine. Trial registration: Neurologic Signatures of Chronic Pain Disorders, NCT02747940. Registered 22 April 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02747940
The genetics and chronobiology of cluster headache
Authors: Belin Andrea Carmine , Barloese Mads Christian
Published: October 2023

Background/Hypothesis

Cluster headache displays uniquely rhythmic patterns in its attack manifestation. This strong chronobiological influence suggests that part of the pathophysiology of cluster headache is distinctly different from migraine and has prompted genetic investigations probing these systems.

Methods

This is a narrative overview of the cluster headache chronobiological phenotype from the point of view of genetics covering existing knowledge, highlighting the specific challenges in cluster headache and suggesting novel research approaches to overcome these.

Results

The chronobiological features of cluster headache are a hallmark of the disorder and while discrepancies between study results do exist, the main findings are highly reproducible across populations and time. Particular findings in subgroups indicate that the heritability of the disorder is linked to chronobiological systems. Meanwhile, genetic markers of circadian rhythm genes have been implicated in cluster headache, but with conflicting results. However, in two recently published genome wide association studies two of the identified four loci include genes with an involvement in circadian rhythm, MER proto-oncogene, tyrosine kinase and four and a half LIM domains 5. These findings strengthen the involvement of circadian rhythm in cluster headache pathophysiology.

Conclusion/Interpretation

Studying chronobiology and genetics in cluster headache presents challenges unique to the disorder. Researchers are overcoming these challenges by pooling various data from different cohorts and performing meta-analyses providing novel insights into a classically enigmatic disorder. Further progress can likely be made by combining deep pheno- and genotyping.
A Relational Approach to the Drivers of Child Acute Malnutrition
Authors: Young Helen , Sulieman Hussein , Krätli Saverio , Osman Abdal Monium
Published: October 2023

Background:

This article presents a new analytical approach to acute malnutrition causal analysis that is different from the orthodox approach in 2 respects. First, it engages with basic causes, that is, beyond the usual focus on individuals and households. Second, it uses a relational view in the causal analysis. The orthodox approach identifies the malnourished and their individual and household characteristics. In contrast, a relational approach explores the ways in which the relationships between people, their livelihoods, and the environment, mediated by systems and institutions, create the underlying drivers associated with acute malnutrition for some, while simultaneously creating better conditions for others.

Methods:

The article draws on 2 case study communities in West Darfur, Sudan, first considering the Darfur context and the inequitable policies and weakened institutions that have led to ethnic polarization, multilayered conflict, and humanitarian crises. The article explores how this context has played out differently in each community, contrasting their livelihood specializations, conflict-related losses, and livelihood diversification over time.

Findings:

This analysis shows how the relative vulnerability of some people versus others is strongly influenced by their social, economic, and political relationships, as reflected in their shifting power relations and uneven control over livelihood resources.

Conclusions:

Shifting the focus to the basic drivers, especially the institutional structures, processes, and relationships, will deepen the causal analysis of child acute malnutrition, make it more meaningful, and provide a new direction for engagement, learning, and action to address the deepening problem of child acute malnutrition.
Analysis of Strategic Plans from Accredited Graduate Planning Programs: A Rubric for Manifesting Equity and Justice Values
Authors: Gough Meghan Z. , Wilson Barbara Brown , Diamond Alissa Ujie , Gray-Sparks LaToya , Whitworth Janie Day
Published: October 2023

In a time of heightened politicization of equity, this research examines how equity, a long-standing value of planning, guides planning education priorities. Using equity-related language in planning education and research as a guide, we assess how these issues manifest today in the missions and strategic plans of fifty graduate planning programs accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. We find that more recent plans have stronger equity orientations but that overall plans are limited in their claims and priorities. These findings animate opportunities for discussion and collective revisiting of the roles that equity plays in planning education and accreditation and the rigor and intentionality of our strategic plans.
Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Intervention Among Young Adult Male Soldiers Who Engage in At-Risk Drinking
Authors: Orchowski Lindsay M. , Oesterle Daniel W. , Borsari Brian , Berry-Cabán Cristóbal S. , Kazemi Donna M. , Kahler Christopher W. , Berkowitz Alan D.
Published: October 2023

Bystander intervention—when someone intervenes to help in situations that pose a risk for harm—is a promising strategy for sexual violence prevention. In the current study, a sample of U.S. Army male soldiers ( N = 10; ages 18–24) who engaged in at-risk drinking completed a 90-min individual semi-structured interview to understand the ways in which soldiers intervene to address risk for sexual violence. Two independent raters coded soldier responses using thematic analysis and identified eight main themes: (a) recognizing risk for sexual violence; (b) labeling situations as problematic and taking responsibility; (c) facilitators of intervention; (d) barriers to intervention; (e) intervention strategies; (f) reactions and consequences to intervention; (g) alcohol’s influence on intervention; and (h) using bystander intervention to shift cultural norms. As soldiers reported noticing more extreme risks for violence, prevention interventions may help service members identify situations earlier in the continuum of harm. Soldiers anticipated intervening in a way that was physical and aggressive, which could facilitate physical altercation and result in collateral misconduct. Results from the present study reveal ways that bystander intervention programs for civilians can be tailored to address the unique individual, situational, and contextual factors relevant to the military. These findings also highlight the importance of teaching soldiers indirect and nonaggressive strategies for intervention.
Nationalist versus Populist Constructions of “the People”: Eastern Europe and Latin America in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Kajsiu Blendi
Published: October 2023

This article argues that while nationalist discourses construct “the people” through positive identity practices, populist discourses articulate it through negative identity practices. Nationalism emphasizes who “the people” are, by identifying a number of core positive characteristics that they share, such as ethnicity, language, culture, history, religion, or political rights and civic traditions. Populism, on the other hand, defines “the people” primarily in a negative fashion in opposition to the elites. Here, “the people” do not share any positive characteristics beyond their oppression, exclusion, and marginalization by the elites. In order to empirically demonstrate the above distinction, I compare the political discourse of Rafael Correa in Ecuador during his first term in office (2007–2012) with that of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, primarily during his second term in office (2010–2014). The comparison between these two political projects not only spells out important differences between populist and nationalist articulations of “the people” but also highlights different types of anti-system politics that have emerged in Latin America and eastern Europe.
Fire hazard and risk analysis of large fuel storage tank in IOC terminal
Authors: Dhurandher Bhisham Kumar , Khatua Lizina , Jiménez Macedo Víctor Daniel , Bhuria Vijay , Jatti Vijaykumar S , Sahu Deepak , Dwivedi Gaurav
Published: October 2023

Fires and explosions in large oil storage tanks terminal cause significant loss of property and casualties and are always the concern of the world. To have proper understanding and knowledge about tank fires in terminals a detail study has been done considering various factors like safe separation distance, thermal radiation intensity and deluge water requirement. This paper offers the study of fire hazard especially the radiative heat flux absorbed by adjoining storage tanks. Large storage tanks fire has significant amount of energy release and causes strong thermal radiation to the properties and structures nearby. The thermal radiation intensity has been determined by providing safe separation distance recommended by various standards along with its permissible thermal radiation level for adjoining tanks. The calculated amount of mass flow rate of water required ranges in between 0.09 and 0.23 l/m2s which significantly varies from the recommendations of different code. However, by not ensuring required amount of water as a protective measure to safeguard the target tanks will put its integrity in doubt.
Nongonococcal tysonitis
Authors: Vallejo-Ruiz María de la Soledad , Sandoval-Garcés Matías , Bru-Gorraiz Francisco-Javier , Martín-Gorgojo Alejandro
Published: October 2023

Tyson’s glands are sebaceous glands located on each side of the frenulum that communicate with the preputial sac, and their inflammation can be an infrequent complication of urethritis. We describe a rare case that presented with urethral discharge and parafrenular swelling with mucopurulent discharge a week after an unprotected sexual encounter. The patient was empirically treated with 500 mg of ceftriaxone intramuscularly and 100 mg of doxycycline every 12 h for 14 days with symptomatic resolution. The urethral swab culture and the urine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were negative for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis, therefore, and given the response to treatment, nongonococcal tysonitis was diagnosed.
Racist discourse in a German far-right blog: A corpus-driven approach using word embeddings
Authors: Meier-Vieracker Simon
Published: October 2023

Newer forms of racism in the context of right-wing extremism are characterised by an apparent distancing from overt racist devaluations. In addition or even beyond biological features, it is now cultural characteristics attributed to social groups which serve as grounds for practices of othering and social exclusion. This paper analyses racist discourse in the comment sections of the influential far-right blog pi-news.com where these practices can be observed in detail. With reference to discourse analytical approaches to racism and using corpus-linguistic, data-driven methods, especially word embeddings and collocations, it is shown how racism is linguistically and discursively expressed. Next to both overt and more implicit racist nominations and predications, the notion of Heimat (‘homeland’) is analysed; it is used to draw racist demarcations without relying on overtly racialising terms.
The Nelson inquest: Relevance of the Victorian Charter to the coronial function of preventing deaths in custody
Authors: Chen Bruce , Mackay Anita
Published: October 2023

The 2023 coronial inquest findings into the death of Aboriginal woman, Ms Veronica Nelson, in a Victorian prison represents a high-water mark for the relevance and application of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 to inquests into deaths in custody. The reliance on the Victorian Charter in the inquest was particularly significant because of the detailed findings and recommendations, directed at a wide variety of criminal justice system agencies, intended to prevent future deaths in custody. The outcome of the inquest clearly demonstrates that Human Rights Acts can enhance the preventive function of coroners in Australia.
Finite element analyses of rotor/bearing system using second-order journal bearings stiffness and damping coefficients
Authors: Ahmed Omar , El-Sayed TA , Sayed Hussein
Published: October 2023

The rotor-bearing system is a crucial component of rotating machinery, such as turbines, pumps, compressors, and turbogenerators, which are widely used in various advanced engineering fields. This work presented a methodology for studying the behavior of an elastic Jeffcott rotor supported by two similar fluid film journal bearings. A finite element model using consistent matrix formulation was employed to simulate the shaft, including the external load, with four degrees of freedom per node. The small perturbation method was used to evaluate the second-order bearing coefficients of a journal bearing of finite length. These coefficients were further integrated with the finite element model to evaluate the dynamic response of the flexible rotors. Moreover, the system equations of motion were presented in dimensional form. The results of the second-order bearing coefficients analysis agreed with nonlinear analysis when the speed was less than the threshold speed, while there was a pronounced difference in second-order analysis when the speed was above the threshold speed. The behavior of the rotor-bearing system was studied using dynamic response and orbit diagrams, revealing that changes in rotational speed significantly affected the rotor’s stability.
An improved model predictive control method for path tracking of autonomous vehicle considering longitudinal velocity
Authors: Qin Wu , Zeng Weicheng , Ge Pingzheng , Cheng Xianfu , Wan WenXing , Liu Feifei
Published: October 2023

In order to increase the accuracy of the path tracking, an improved model predictive control (IMPC) is proposed for autonomous vehicle under road conditions of large curvature, which can enhance the performances of the driving stability and safety. The controller design is implemented in four steps. First, the curvature of road ahead is derived and applied to determine the longitudinal velocity. Thus, the longitudinal velocity is not assumed to be constant, which is the salient feature of the proposed control. Second, the kinematic model of vehicle is established by the Ackermann steering principle. Third, the predictive model is constructed by linearization and discretization of the kinematic model. Fourth, the longitudinal velocity and the front steering angle are imposed on hard constraints, and the constrained objective function is designed and composed of the position deviation and the control increment. Then, we can obtain the optimal results of the longitudinal velocity and the front steering angle. Furthermore, experiment and simulation on the path tracking of an autonomous vehicle are presented. The results show that the proposed control can realize excellent tracking performance under the road conditions of large curvature.
Effect of mydriasis on chord mu value in cataract surgery candidates
Authors: Stern Benjamin , Chowers Itay , Ben-Eli Hadas
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study investigates the relationship between pupil size during biometry examinations and the chord mu value in candidates for cataract surgery.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of ocular biometry measurements was performed on consecutive cataract surgery candidates above 50 years of age, examined between 2018 and 2020 at a single tertiary referral center. Statistical analysis assessed the association between pupil size and the chord mu value. The population was categorized into groups based on pupil size, and an analysis was conducted on the barycenter positions of the iris and pupil center for each group.

Results

The analysis included 2877 patients. A weak positive correlation was observed between the chord mu value and pupil size using Pearson's test ( r = 0.160, p < 0.01). Group stratification by pupil size indicated temporal and inferior shifts in pupil center barycenter as pupil size increased, reflecting asymmetrical pupil dilation during mydriasis. A moderate positive correlation between the chord mu value and chord alpha value was identified (Pearson's test, r = 0.641, p < 0.01). As expected, no correlation was found between chord alpha value and pupil size.

Conclusions

Chord mu values were higher in patients with mydriatic pupils, likely due to asymmetric pupil dilation and center displacement. Evaluating chord mu values requires considering pupil status and conducting biometry under standardized lighting to prevent misinterpretation caused by pharmacological dilation. This caution is crucial to avoid erroneously excluding eligible patients from multifocal IOL implants. Alternatively, the chord alpha value could serve as a more appropriate alternative in such scenarios.
Schools and the principle of non-intrusion into the private
Authors: Kannisto Tarna
Published: October 2023

In this article, I argue that parental privacy has often been given too much weight in theorising about justice at schools. Susan Okin famously stated that as the family serves as the children’s ‘first school of justice’,1 it should also be internally just. However, she agreed with John Rawls on that interfering directly within the family life, even in the name of equality and justice, would risk causing injustice to those who do not share these liberal ideals. I ask in what sense this principle of non-intrusion into the private should be extended over the school institution. If the principles of public justice and private morality came into conflict in school education, which set of principles should be given priority? I pose Rawls’ suggestion concerning children’s schooling against his depiction of the family and claim that these two are normatively at odds with each other. Of the two, the latter seems paradoxically to allow for more extensive public regulation and therefore his view of the school must be modified accordingly. Moreover, I revisit one of Okin’s main arguments that countering injustices requires active and explicated countermeasures where education plays a key role. Therefore, it is justified to prioritise principles of public morality, and teach related substantial values at schools, given that they accord with the demands of justice. Parental privacy applies to schools only in a limited sense.
The Role of microRNAs in Regulating Cancer Cell Response to Oxaliplatin-Containing Regimens
Authors: Tavakoli Pirzaman Ali , Ebrahimzadeh Pirshahid Manijeh , Babajani Bahareh , Rahmati Amirhossein , Niknezhad Shokat , Hosseinzadeh Rezvan , Taheri Mehdi , Ebrahimi-Zadeh Faezeh , Doostmohamadian Shahrbanoo , Kazemi Sohrab
Published: October 2023

Oxaliplatin (cyclohexane-1,2-diamine; oxalate; platinum [2+]) is a third-generation chemotherapeutic drug with anticancer effects. Oxaliplatin has a role in the treatment of several cancers. It is one of the few drugs which can eliminate the neoplastic cells of colorectal cancer. Also, it has an influential role in breast cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and gastric cancer. Although oxaliplatin has many beneficial effects in cancer treatment, resistance to this drug is in the way to cure neoplastic cells and reduce treatment efficacy. microRNAs are a subtype of small noncoding RNAs with ∼22 nucleotides that exist among species. They have diverse roles in physiological processes, including cellular proliferation and cell death. Moreover, miRNAs have essential roles in resistance to cancer treatment and can strengthen sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs and regimens. In colorectal cancer, the co-treatment of oxaliplatin with anti-miR-19a can partially reverse the oxaliplatin resistance through the upregulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Moreover, by preventing the spread of gastric cancer cells and downregulating glypican-3 (GPC3), MiR-4510 may modify immunosuppressive signals in the tumor microenvironment. Treatment with oxaliplatin may develop into a specialized therapeutic drug for patients with miR-4510 inhibition and glypican-3-expressing gastric cancer. Eventually, miR-122 upregulation or Wnt/β-catenin signaling suppression boosted the death of HCC cells and made them more sensitive to oxaliplatin. Herein, we have reviewed the role of microRNAs in regulating cancer cells’ response to oxaliplatin, with particular attention to gastrointestinal cancers. We also discussed the role of these noncoding RNAs in the pathophysiology of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.
Aesthetics, Engagement, and Narration: Temporal Constraint as an Articulator of Ludo-Narrative Time
Authors: Parra Bravo Cristian
Published: October 2023

Mechanics and narrations must be in the appropriate consonance to keep gamers engaged with the game; here is where time structures become crucial. Based on bibliographical revision and empiric observation, this work proposes the idea of temporal constraints as a concrete design variable that allows designers and researchers to measure and analyze how the game systems regulate progression time of players in the game. Temporal constraints are presented as a techno-aesthetic ludo-narrative component of video games; it combines the ludic and narrative aspects of the game. As a result, critical aspects of the new concept are clarified, and future research ideas are outlined.
Association of multimorbidity with mortality after stroke stratified by age, severity, etiology, and prior disability
Authors: Downer Matthew B , Luengo-Fernandez Ramon , Binney Lucy E , Gutnikov Sergei , Silver Louise E , McColl Aubretia , Rothwell Peter M
Published: October 2023

Background:

Multimorbidity is common in patients with stroke and is associated with increased medium- to long-term mortality, but its value for clinical decision-making and case-mix adjustment will depend on other factors, such as age, stroke severity, etiological subtype, prior disability, and vascular risk factors.

Aims:

In the absence of previous studies, we related multimorbidity to long-term post-stroke mortality with stratification by these factors.

Methods:

In patients ascertained in a population-based stroke incidence study (Oxford Vascular Study; 2002–2017), we related pre-stroke multimorbidity (weighted/unweighted Charlson comorbidity index (CCI)) to all-cause/vascular/non-vascular mortality (1/5/10 years) using regression models adjusted/stratified by age, sex, predicted early outcome (THRIVE score), stroke severity (NIH stroke scale (NIHSS)), etiology (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST)), premorbid disability (modified Rankin Scale (mRS)), and non-CCI risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, smoking, deprivation, anxiety/depression).

Results:

Among 2454 stroke patients (M/SD age: 74.1/13.9 years; 48.9% male; M/SD NIHSS: 5.7/7.0), 1375/56.0% had ⩾ 1 CCI comorbidity and 685/27.9% had ⩾ 2. After age/sex adjustment, multimorbidity (unweighted CCI ⩾ 2 vs 0) predicted (all ps < 0.001) mortality at 1 year (aHR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.38–1.78), 5 years (aHR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.53–1.96), and 10 years (aHR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.58–2.03). Although multimorbidity was independently associated with premorbid disability (mRS > 2: aOR = 2.76, 2.13–3.60) and non-CCI risk factors (hypertension: 1.56, 1.25–1.95; hyperlipidemia: 2.58, 2.03–3.28; atrial fibrillation: 2.31; 1.78–2.98; smoking: 1.37, 1.01–1.86), it predicted death after adjustment for all measured confounders (10-year-aHR = 1.56, 1.37–1.78, p < 0.001), driven mainly by non-vascular death (aHR = 1.89, 1.55–2.29). Predictive value for 10-year all-cause death was greatest in patients with lower expected early mortality: lower THRIVE score (pint < 0.001), age < 75 years (aHR = 2.27, 1.71–3.00), NIHSS < 5 (1.84, 1.53–2.21), and lacunar stroke (3.56, 2.14–5.91). Results were similar using the weighted CCI.

Conclusion:

Pre-stroke multimorbidity is highly prevalent and is an independent predictor of death after stroke, supporting its inclusion in case-mix adjustment models and in informing decision-making by patients, families, and carers. Prediction in younger patients and after minor stroke, particularly for non-vascular death, suggests potential clinical utility in targeting interventions that require survival for 5–10 years to achieve a favorable risk/benefit ratio.

Data access statement:

Data requests will be considered by the Oxford Vascular Study (OXVASC) Study Director (P.M.R.-peter.rothwell@ndcn.ox.ac.uk).
Prevalence and determinants of chronic pain and persistent opioid use after surgery: A review of systematic reviews
Authors: Bansal Neetu , Ang Sheanne , Chen Li-Chia
Published: October 2023

Background

Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) and persistent post-operative opioid use (PPOU) are inconsistently defined in published literature. This review comprehensively summarised their definitions, prevalence and determinants from existing systematic reviews or meta-analyses.

Methods

Systematic reviews or meta-analyses evaluating the prevalence of CPSP and PPOU in adults after surgeries were retrieved from an electronic database search applying structured search strategies in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to 31 December 2022. Two reviewers selected systematic reviews, extracted data regarding the definition, prevalence and risk factors of CPSP and PPOU and assessed the quality using the AMSTAR 2 tool.

Results

The study identified 6936 records related to chronic pain and persistent opioid use in patients after surgery, of which 24 articles were identified for full-text review. Eighteen systematic reviews were included in this umbrella review, of which five systematic reviews assessed chronic pain in patients who had undergone a surgical procedure, and 13 reviews assessed persistent opioid use after surgery. Despite considerable variations in patient characteristics (from age ≥18 years), types of surgeries, follow-up duration and the definitions of measures, most reviews were of medium to good quality (fulfilled 9-11/16 AMSTAR 2 criteria). The prevalence of CPSP and PPOU, commonly synthesised at 3, 6 or 12 months after surgeries, varied from 5%–58% and 2%–65%, respectively, despite various terminologies, definitions and timing of measures and associated determinants. The prevalence of neuropathic pain in CPSP was obtainable for four surgeries, with 9%–74%.

Conclusion

To inform future practice and policy to optimise pain management and opioid safety, consensus on standardising measurements and further studies assessing risk factors associated with CPSP, PPOU and adverse outcomes are needed.
Replicating the effects of Facebook deactivation in an ethnically polarized setting
Authors: Asimovic Nejla , Nagler Jonathan , Tucker Joshua A.
Published: October 2023

The question of how social media usage impacts societal polarization continues to generate great interest among both the research community and broader public. Nevertheless, there are still very few rigorous empirical studies of the causal impact of social media usage on polarization. To explore this question, we replicate the only published study to date that tests the effects of social media cessation on interethnic attitudes (Asimovic et al., 2021). In a study situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the authors found that deactivating from Facebook for a week around genocide commemoration in Bosnia and Herzegovina had a negative effect on users’ attitudes toward ethnic outgroups, with the negative effect driven by users with more ethnically homogenous offline networks. Does this finding extend to other settings? In a pre-registered replication study, we implement the same research design in a different ethnically polarized setting: Cyprus. We are not able to replicate the main effect found in Asimovic et al. (2021): in Cyprus, we cannot reject the null hypothesis of no effect. We do, however, find a significant interaction between the heterogeneity of users’ offline networks and the deactivation treatment within our 2021 subsample, consistent with the pattern from Bosnia and Herzegovina. We also find support for recent findings (Allcott et al., 2020; Asimovic et al., 2021) that Facebook deactivation leads to a reduction in anxiety levels and suggestive evidence of a reduction in knowledge of current news, though the latter is again limited to our 2021 subsample.