bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetorheological damper parameter identification and its application in semi-active control of power equipment
Authors: Wei Huang , Jian Xu , Yi Yao , Yongliang Zhang , Xin Wang
Published: September 2024

In recent years, magnetorheological dampers (MRD) have played a significant role in vibration control in various fields such as vehicles, military, building structures, etc. However, the mechanical model of MRD is very complex due to its hysteresis, which makes it difficult to identify the model’s parameters. In addition to experimental data, under the condition of no other prior knowledge, eight unknown parameters of the Bouc-Wen model are identified in this study based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. According to the trend of parameter variation with current, fitting research is conducted, and the variation law of parameters with current is summarized. Based on the identified parameters, the MRD’s output force is predicted under any current other than the experimental current. Subsequently, the application of MRD in semi-active control of power equipment is performed out, and proposed Simulink calculation programs for single-stage and two-stage vibration control systems are built. Then, a comparative study with passive and active control is conducted. In this paper, linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control is adopted for the active control, and the controller’s parameters are optimized based on the PSO algorithm. The results show that the adopted semi-active control can significantly reduce the transmitted force from power equipment to the foundation and can effectively mitigate the disturbance of power equipment to the environment. This study offers important guidance for the vibration control of MRD in industrial engineering.
A clumsy messenger with a flippant tongue: Reported speech by Chinese males between their mothers and wives
Authors: Wang Yihang , Mao Yansheng , Wei Shuang
Published: September 2024

Prior research has predominantly explored reported speech through the lenses of narratology and conversation analysis. However, scant attention has been directed toward elucidating how reported speech functions in either enhancing or diminishing interpersonal relationship management. Accordingly, this study endeavors to fill this gap by shedding light on the role of reported speech in the realm of relationships within Chinese households. Specifically, we probe into the verbal articulation of reported speech by Chinese males, examining how it either constructively or disruptively contributes to the management of the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. For this end, our analysis focuses on two succinct video cases, accompanied by corresponding comments. As a result, the findings indicate that reported speech by Chinese males typically takes the form of indirect speech, manifesting as compressives, expansives, and correctives that challenge the maxims of quantity and quality of Cooperative Principle. This nuanced analysis further unravels the intricate interplay of reported speech in fueling tensions between the mothers and wives of Chinese males. These imbue reported speech with rich meaning potentials, positing it as a recontextualized repository, which relieves the Chinese males from shouldering full responsibility of being blamed as poor messengers between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law.
Racialization through (un-)deservingness: political discourse on poverty migration and access to social rights in Germany
Authors: Barwick-Gross Christine
Published: September 2024

Based on the political debate preceding the introduction of two laws that restricted access to social rights for EU citizens, the article examines the construction of deservingness regarding access to the welfare system for EU citizens in German political discourse. Connecting theories of racial capitalism, whiteness, and deservingness, I show how a racist and classist discourse categorized poor Romanian and Bulgarian nationals, including Roma, as poverty migrants and as disposable labour. The debate on poverty migration foregrounds the permanence of once established categories and the immutability of ascribed negative characteristics, such as laziness, potential criminality and a lack of assimilation into the labour market. The discourse on disposable labour serves to strengthen hierarchies of labour power, which are deeply racialized. It ensures the ready availability of cheap and exploitable labour power, while at the same time externalizing its social costs. Both discourses and the resulting restrictive laws create and reinforce an edge population made up of poor Romanians, Bulgarians and Roma, who are portrayed as not assimilable to the labour market and hence not deserving of welfare support. The hierarchies of whiteness and Europeanness translate into hierarchies of mobility, confining the affected population to edge places, that is, the peripheralized East of Europe.
Prenatal and early life lead exposure induced neurotoxicity
Authors: Parithathvi Aluru , Choudhari Neha , Dsouza Herman S
Published: September 2024

Lead (Pb) has become a major environmental contaminant. There are several ways in which lead can enter the human body and cause toxic effects on human health. This review focuses on the impact of lead toxicity at prenatal and early life stages and its effect on neurodevelopment. Lead exposure to the developing foetus targets foetal neural stem cells. Hence, it has detrimental effects on developing neural and glial cells, adversely influencing cognition and behaviour. Lead has a profound influence on the movement of calcium ions (Ca2+), which can be attributed to most of the mechanisms by which lead affects neurodevelopment. There is no known safe threshold of lead exposure for children. Lead can affect foetal neurodevelopment leading to various neurological disorders, and neurotoxic effects on behavioural and cognitive outcomes. In this review, we discuss prenatal and early-life lead exposure, its mechanism, and consequences for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in later stages of life. This review further highlights the importance of lead exposure during pregnancy and lactation periods as well as early development of the child in understanding the extent of lead-induced neurological damage to the foetus/children and the associated future risks.
Digital Colonialism Beyond Surveillance Capitalism? Coloniality of Knowledge in Nigeria's Emerging Privacy Rights Legislation and Border Surveillance Practices
Authors: Singler Samuel , Babalola Olumide
Published: September 2024

This article examines the impact of privacy rights norms and North–South technological diffusion on the development of Nigeria's emerging legal regime for data governance, and the relationship between this legal regime and the digitalisation of border control in Nigeria. We show that federal data protection regulations and border control technologies in Nigeria are not characterised by the extractive logics of surveillance capitalism, which is the focus of several contemporary critiques of ‘digital colonialism’. Nonetheless, the country's data governance regime and its digital borders have been shaped by Northern-produced norms, practices, and technical tools – interacting with the interests and agency of local actors – through both legislative and technological influences. Critically analysing the co-production of law and digital infrastructures highlights the coloniality of knowledge relating to data protection, privacy rights, and digital mobility control. These cases suggest that digital colonialism can be productively analysed beyond the scope of surveillance capitalism.
Futile therapeutic nursing interventions in adult intensive care: A descriptive study
Authors: Vieira João Vítor , Oliveira Henrique , Deodato Sérgio , Mendes Felismina
Published: September 2024

Background: Despite the progress made in recent decades on the phenomenon of futility in adult intensive care, recognizing it during clinical care practice remains a complex and sensitive process, during which questions are often raised for which concrete answers are difficult to find. Aims: To analyze the frequency with which futile nursing interventions are implemented in critically ill patients admitted to adult intensive care in specific situations and how often futile autonomous and interdependent nursing interventions are implemented in the same population, as perceived by adult intensive care nurses. Research design: Cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive study, which employed a questionnaire constructed specifically for this research to assess the perception of therapeutic futility in nursing in adult intensive care. Following an evaluation of the psychometric properties, the questionnaire was made available in an electronic format on the EUSurvey platform between August and October 2024. The data was analyzed between November 2023 and March 2024 using the statistical software packages SPSS and R. Participants and research context: A simple random sample of nurses working in level II and level III intensive care units in Portugal. Ethical considerations: Research ethical approvals were obtained, and the participants provided informed consent. Findings/results: Four hundred and fourteen valid questionnaires were obtained. The results allow the identification of thirty-three statistically significant associations, the inference of intervals for the mean and median for the perception of futility of nursing interventions with a 95% confidence interval, and enable the hierarchization of nursing interventions implemented in critically ill patients admitted to adult intensive care units according to the nurses’ perception of their futility. Conclusion: There is a balance in nurses' perception of the futility of their interventions in the specific situations analyzed. There is statistically significant evidence that interdependent nursing interventions are, in general, more frequently perceived as futile when compared to autonomous nursing interventions.
Current Concepts in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Arthritis
Authors: Mukherjee Sayan , Kishor Kriti
Published: September 2024

Cancer immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has revolutionised the field of oncology and has been in use in India since 2015. ICI includes monoclonal antibodies directed against programmed cell death-1(PD-1), programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4). They are currently approved in various stages of cancer immunotherapy. By inhibiting the negative co-stimulatory signals, unchecked T-cell stimulation can occur which helps enhance anti-tumour responses but at the same time cause immune-related adverse events (irAE) due to excessive/off-target inflammation. The most common irAE is cutaneous (30%) followed by hypothyroidism (20%). Other irAEs like rash and colitis present early in the treatment course, while inflammatory arthritis (ICI-IA) and pneumonitis have variable times of onset. Musculoskeletal AEs are rarely life-threatening and include arthralgia, inflammatory arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and myositis. Most patients of ICI-IA have undifferentiated phenotypes at onset and do not satisfy any diagnostic or classification criteria for primary rheumatic diseases. Caucasian origin, female sex, combination therapy (anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1) and body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m2 are independently associated risk factors. Phenotypic subtypes include rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-like, reactive arthritis (ReA)-like, spondyloarthritis (SpA)-like, PMR-like, undifferentiated arthritis, isolated tenosynovitis and RS3PE-like syndromes. Pre-treatment autoantibodies like RF, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) have been detected in some patients receiving ICI who went on to develop ICI-IA later. Management includes early rheumatology referral, continuing ICI therapy in grade 1 irAE, holding ICI, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)/intra-articular steroids for grade 2 irAE, while grades 3 and 4 require high-dose glucocorticoids prednisolone 0.5–1 mg/kg and conventional synthetic Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARD)/biological DMARDs if not responding within two weeks.
Regional Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Screening
Authors: Park Jongho , Kim Yeaeun , Park Jae-Hyun
Published: September 2024

Cancer screening is the most cost-effective prevention strategy that enables improved cancer morbidity and mortality rates. However, there was a significant decline in cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. This study aimed to measure regional differences in cancer screening by comparing screening rates before and during COVID-19 and to examine factors explaining the regional difference in cancer screening. All variables including the differences in cancer screening rate before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were collected from 229 administrative subregions in South Korea and joined with each community in ArcGIS environment. Factors explaining regional difference in cancer screening were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and interactive decision tree modeling. Cancer screening rates decreased in all regions during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. The findings revealed that national health insurance premiums, the number of cancer screening facilities, livelihood benefit recipients, and the population aged 65+ could be classified as variables highly affecting the decrease in cancer screening rate. These findings highlight the efforts to appraise different barriers to cancer screening in each community. In addition, it is important to promote sustainable cancer screening strategies from regional perspectives based on regional vulnerabilities and their complex impact on cancer screening.
Growing Stronger Together: Exploring Indigenous Caregivers’ Lived Experiences Through Poetic Inquiry
Authors: Holder Melissa , Two Bulls Sierra , Levy Michelle , Ramirez Laura , Jung Euijin
Published: September 2024

This article presents the use of poetic inquiry to explore the impact of a culturally integrated evidence-based program among Indigenous1 caregivers and argues for the continued use of poetic inquiry within social work research for studying and building community with Indigenous Peoples. The qualitative article uses a relationality framework and offers three poems generated from caregiver interviews that share their takeaways from the program and the skills and practices they learned from the curriculum. As reflected in the program’s catchphrase, “Growing Stronger Together,” the authors suggest that integrating culture can strengthen and begin to heal caregiver-child relationships.
How Children Influence Weight-Related Behaviors of Women With Low Incomes: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Adams Monica M. , Anderson Georgia
Published: September 2024

Despite women with low incomes’ (WLIs) shared exposure to socioenvironmental risk factors for poor eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors, mothers are more likely than non-mothers to experience obesity. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 14 WLI, with and without children in the home, with engaging in weight-related behaviors. Four common themes were identified—elasticity of food budget, motivation, access to information, and access to PA opportunities; each had subthemes unique to mothers. There was an additional theme exclusive to mothers—time constraints. Results highlight how weight-related health behaviors of WLI are strongly related to the presence of children in the home and relationship status of the mother. The need to consider household composition when developing obesity-related interventions is essential to supporting WLI.
Constructing Websites with Generative AI Tools: The Accessibility of Their Workflows and Products for Users With Disabilities
Authors: Palmer Zsuzsanna B. , Oswal Sushil K.
Published: September 2024

Generative AI tools allow anyone without web-design experience to have a business website created when the user provides a few specifications about the business, such as its name, type, and location. But the resulting websites not only fall short of the business's basic needs but they also raise major concerns about their accessibility for disabled users. This study specifically examines whether these AI generated websites are accessible to screen-reader users with visual disabilities. It presents data about the usability and accessibility of the products of three generative AI website builders, highlights the specific problems found by an expert screen reader test along with an automated machine scan of these sites, and discusses some causes of and recommendations for solving these problems.
Culturally Responsive Early Intervention for Marginalized Families of Young Autistic Children: A Qualitative Inquiry
Authors: Lee James D. , Terol Adriana Kaori , Yoon Christy D. , Boyd Brian
Published: September 2024

Although early intervention is known to be effective in promoting positive child and family outcomes, not all families equally benefit from these services due to issues of access. Disparities are known to occur in the publicly funded early intervention system, which are exacerbated among marginalized families with diverse backgrounds, including cultural or linguistic differences. To examine determinants of culturally responsive early intervention, we conducted a qualitative study with 15 early intervention providers who work with marginalized families and their young child. We used a set of interview questions based on the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework to better understand the barriers, facilitators, and suggestions from providers in the field. Through thematic coding, we identified facilitators, barriers, and suggestions at the provider, organization, and systemic levels to provide culturally responsive early intervention services for marginalized families. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Meaningful Experiences for Adolescents: Investigating the Impact of Immersion Semester High Schools
Authors: Meerts-Brandsma Lisa , Spielvogel Bryn , Lambert Hilary , Sibthorp Jim
Published: September 2024

Background: Meaningful experiences are integral to well-being, yet our understanding of how educational experiences can be designed to promote meaningfulness is limited. Purpose: Our study examined whether immersion semester high schools facilitated more meaningful experiences and investigated relationships between experience factors within immersion semester high schools and meaningfulness. Method: For 3 weeks at an immersion semester high school and home, youth reported on the most meaningful activities they engaged in during morning and afternoon/evening periods, their perceived meaningfulness of that activity, the level of emotion involved, the emotional valence, and their psychological engagement and behavioral participation. We collected 18,804 observations from 638 participants and analyzed the data with a series of mixed effects models. Findings: Activities were significantly more meaningful at immersion semester high schools compared to home. Additionally, activities were more meaningful when individuals had higher behavioral participation and psychological engagement, when the experience involved more emotion, and when the emotion involved was more positive. However, interaction models indicate that the effects of psychological engagement and behavioral participation varied depending on emotional valence. Implications: To expand the reach of meaningful educational experiences, we should explore whether structural elements of immersion semester high schools can be applied to other contexts.
The Other Organization: Heterotopia, Management, and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Champenois Claire , Drakopoulou Dodd Sarah , Hjorth Daniel , Jack Sarah
Published: September 2024

Organizations are viewed as ordered places that legitimate the hand that holds back and that formalize structured, institutionalized ways of saying and doing. Against this backdrop, we want to see the more recent attention to the entrepreneurial as a reason to conceptualize the new organization that emerges from within the existing organization as the “other organization,” accomplished through heterotopia. We propose that such creation of organization, the process of entrepreneurial emergence, can be thought of as part of organizations: organization entails both the already organized and the emergent; and organization-creation efforts are tactically exploring the cracks, the interstices, of the already organized. The “other organization” is actualized within the heterotopic and ephemeral space opened by such efforts. Bringing heterotopic/heterochronic space-time back into the study of organizations requires that we immerse ourselves in the spaces of resistance, emergence and play. This essay—hopefully, also playfully—does that.
A Qualitative Investigation of Teamwork in Extreme Environments
Authors: Olenick Jeffrey , Eggler Kristen D. , Bowker Jenna , Kozlowski Steve W. J. , Chang Chu-Hsiang (Daisy) , Somaraju Ajay V. , Griffin Daniel J.
Published: September 2024

Teams operating in isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments are especially rare and difficult to study. Their inaccessibility limits our understanding of the team processes driving effective functioning in ICE environments and our ability to support them. Contributing to this research space, we present a qualitative study of nine teams each deployed to Antarctica during the summer season for approximately six weeks. By analyzing participants’ daily journal entries reflecting on their teamwork and experiences, we generate an ecological model of extreme team functioning. Our model integrates individual, team, leadership, and contextual characteristics and processes to demonstrate how team functioning is often idiosyncratic and emerges from co-evolving relationships within and across levels. Our dynamic perspective helps move beyond the input-process-output organizing heuristic that has guided teams research for decades, but is limited in its ability to provide insights for specific teams. We take an idiographic approach to focus on understanding the unique processes of specific teams to provide insights into how to support a particular team and better direct interventions. Importantly, we find that the social relationships within the team are especially pertinent for determining team functioning in this ICE environment and identify team structures that supported positive psychosocial functioning and the role of leadership in fostering those structures. We discuss implications for future research and suggest teams in extreme environments can be better supported through special attention to the idiosyncratic processes of a given team and ensuring their social lives are considered alongside their taskwork.
Exploring Informal Social Support Experiences and Coping Strategies in Families Raising a Child with an Intellectual Disability
Authors: Lakhani Arusa , Ali Tazeen Saeed , Ashraf Dilshad , Roy Debora Kramer
Published: September 2024

Background: This scoping review systematically explores the evidence-based literature concerning the experiences and coping strategies of families raising children with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Objectives: The primary objective of this scoping review was to comprehensively examine the existing literature on the informal social support experiences of families with a child having an ID and to identify the challenges and coping strategies they employ, particularly emphasizing the social support needs of these families. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic search of relevant databases was conducted to identify pertinent studies. The inclusion criteria encompassed empirical research and theoretical literature exploring the experiences of families raising a child with an ID and the coping mechanisms employed. A thorough examination of selected studies was conducted to extract and synthesize key findings related to these families’ psychological, economic, and social challenges, as well as the strategies employed to seek social support. Results: The scoping review reveals a substantial body of evidence indicating that parents of children with IDs frequently encounter negative and overwhelming experiences, including psychological, economic, and social distress. This synthesis provides a foundation for understanding that the early adoption of coping mechanisms becomes crucial in navigating the difficulties of raising a child with an ID. The importance of family unity and shared responsibilities cannot be emphasized. In resource-constrained nations, informal social assistance becomes a lifeline, meeting the needs of the child's development and providing support to the parents on this unique journey. Conclusions: Although it is challenging to raise a child with an ID, early coping skills are essential, and unofficial social support is invaluable, especially in countries with low resources. Contributions: Synthesizing existing literature contributes valuable insights into coping mechanisms utilized by these families, offering a comprehensive understanding of their coping strategies and support networks. This scoping review underscores the importance of acknowledging and enhancing informal social support systems to address families’ unique needs in similar circumstances.
Symptomatic, Massive Right-Sided Splenic Heterotopia Masquerading as a Renal Cell Carcinoma With Metastasis
Authors: Lee Jihoon William , Gore John L. , Tretiakova Maria
Published: September 2024

Heterotopic splenic tissue is a rare phenomenon that can occur in the abdomen and mimic renal or gastrointestinal tumors on imaging. We describe a 24-year-old woman who initially presented with right flank pain, urinary frequency, intermittency, and nocturia. The patient was found to have a large mass distorting and displacing the right kidney, thought to be renal cell carcinoma with concern for metastasis to the ileocecal junction based on radiographic imaging. The patient underwent right radical nephrectomy with right adrenalectomy and partial colon resection to remove the ileocecal mass. Pathological examination revealed the renal mass to be splenic tissue and the ileocecal mass to be a dermoid cyst, with no evidence of renal malignancy. This is an exceptional demonstration of a right-sided splenic heterotopia of remarkably large size sufficient to cause symptoms of a mass effect.
Identification of Novel Anoikis-Related Gene Signatures to Predict the Prognosis, Immune Microenvironment, and Drug Sensitivity of Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Liu Jiena , Wu Hao , Wang Qin , Jin Shengye , Hou Siyu , Shen Zibo , Zhao Liuying , Xu Shouping , Pang Da
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related death among females worldwide. Anoikis, a specific type of apoptosis that is triggered by the loss of anchoring between cells and the native extracellular matrix, plays a vital role in cancer invasion and metastasis. However, studies that focus on the prognostic values of anoikis-related genes (ARGs) in breast cancer are scarce.

Methods

Gene expression data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) databases. Five anoikis-related signatures (ARS) were selected from ARGs through univariate Cox regression analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Subsequently, an ARGs risk score model was established, and breast cancer patients were divided into high and low risk groups. The correlation between risk groups and overall survival (OS), tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor microenvironment (TME), stemness, and drug sensitivity were analyzed. Moreover, RT-qPCR was performed to verify the gene expression levels of the five ARS in breast cancer tissues. Furthermore, a nomogram model was constructed based on ARGs risk score and clinicopathological factors.

Results

A novel ARGs risk score model was constructed based on five ARS (CEMIP, LAMB3, CD24, PTK6, and PLK1), and breast cancer patients were divided into high and low risk groups. Correlation analysis showed that the high and low risk groups had different OS, TMB, TME, stemness, and drug sensitivity. Both the ARGs risk score model and the nomogram showed promising prognosis predictive value in breast cancer.

Conclusion

ARS could be used as promising biomarkers for breast cancer prognosis predication and treatment options selection.
State Policy Levers for Reducing Early Childhood Maltreatment: The Importance of Family Planning and Economic Support Policies
Authors: Piña Gabriel , Moore Kristin , Mihalec-Adkins Brittany , Darling Kristen , Abdi Fadumo , Liehr Alyssa
Published: September 2024

Children experiencing maltreatment in the first 3 years of life are at risk for several developmental challenges throughout the lifespan. Researchers and practitioners have emphasized understanding how institutional supports implemented through state governments may support infants and toddlers’ development, but less attention has been paid to the potential effects of state policies on maltreatment specifically. We tested whether state-level policies providing economic and family planning support implemented between 2005–2019 were associated with rates of reported and substantiated abuse and neglect among children under three. Two-way fixed effects models indicate that implementing a state Child Tax Credit, expanding contraception access, raising minimum wages, and expanding eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs were associated with decreased maltreatment according to various indicators among Black, White, and Hispanic children. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
Audiovisual Integration Decreases Inhibition of Return in Children With ADHD
Authors: Zhang Hong , Chen Yan , Sun Jiaying , Cai Shizhong , Tang Xiaoyu , Wang Aijun
Published: September 2024

Objectives:

Previous studies have widely demonstrated that inhibition of return (IOR) with audiovisual targets decreases due to audiovisual integration (AVI). It is currently unclear, however, whether the impaired AVI in children with ADHD has effects on IOR. The present study used the cue-target paradigm to explore differences between the IOR of audiovisual targets and the IOR of visual targets in ADHD and typically developing (TD) children.

Method:

A total of 81 native Chinese speakers aged 6 to 13 years were recruited, including 38 children with ADHD and 43 age- and sex-matched TD children.

Results:

The results showed that there was a smaller magnitude of IOR with audiovisual targets as compared with visual targets in the two groups. Importantly, the reduction of IOR in audiovisual conditions was significantly smaller in children with ADHD than in children with TD. Race model analyses further confirmed that differences in IOR between ADHD and TD are due to deficits of audiovisual integration in ADHD.

Conclusion:

The results indicated that children with ADHD have impaired audiovisual integration, which has a minimal impact on IOR.
Sarcomatoid Morphology in Pediatric Langerhans Cell Neoplasm Does Not Always Predict Aggressive Clinical Course
Authors: Sirotnikov Sam , Dehner Louis P. , Velázquez Vega José E. , Cheng Jinjun
Published: September 2024

Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS), a rare malignant neoplasm in the general category of myeloid neoplasms characterized by overtly malignant Langerhans cells (LC) with conspicuous mitotic activity including atypical forms. Although most cases occur in adults, rare examples of LCS have been reported in children with variable clinical outcome. We present 2 childhood cases of Langerhans cell neoplasm with high grade sarcomatous features and OSBPL9::BRAF fusion and BRAF V600E mutation.
Third Trimester Stillbirth Associated With Hamartoma of Mature Cardiac Myocytes (HMCM)
Authors: Planas Silvia , Genero Mariona , Illa Miriam
Published: September 2024

Fetal primary cardiac tumors (FPCTs) are very rare. The majority of them correspond to cardiac rhabdomyomas, followed by other benign neoplasms or hamartomas. We describe the case of a third trimester female stillborn with an incidental autopsy finding of Hamartoma of Mature Cardiac Myocytes (HMCM), a rare benign cardiac tumor previously unreported in the fetal or neonatal period. The intrauterine demise occurred at 32 + 6 weeks gestation after an uneventful pregnancy. The fetal autopsy revealed a structurally normal heart with a small subendocardial nodule just below the membranous septum. Microscopically, the nodule was well-demarcated from the surrounding penetrating bundle of the conduction axis and the adjacent left ventricular myocardium and consisted of disorganized mature cardiac myocytes in a haphazard arrangement with patchy mild interstitial fibrosis, consistent with HMCM. Awareness that HMCM can occur in the fetus is important in order to consider it among the differential diagnosis of FPCTs.
Evolution of the SLATE linear algebra library
Authors: Gates Mark , Abdelfattah Ahmad , Akbudak Kadir , Al Farhan Mohammed , Alomairy Rabab , Bielich Daniel , Burgess Treece , Cayrols Sébastien , Lindquist Neil , Sukkari Dalal , YarKhan Asim
Published: September 2024

SLATE (Software for Linear Algebra Targeting Exascale) is a distributed, dense linear algebra library targeting both CPU-only and GPU-accelerated systems, developed over the course of the Exascale Computing Project (ECP). While it began with several documents setting out its initial design, significant design changes occurred throughout its development. In some cases, these were anticipated: an early version used a simple consistency flag that was later replaced with a full-featured consistency protocol. In other cases, performance limitations and software and hardware changes prompted a redesign. Sequential communication tasks were parallelized; host-to-host MPI calls were replaced with GPU device-to-device MPI calls; more advanced algorithms such as Communication Avoiding LU and the Random Butterfly Transform (RBT) were introduced. Early choices that turned out to be cumbersome, error prone, or inflexible have been replaced with simpler, more intuitive, or more flexible designs. Applications have been a driving force, prompting a lighter weight queue class, nonuniform tile sizes, and more flexible MPI process grids. Of paramount importance has been building a portable library that works across several different GPU architectures – AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA – while keeping a clean and maintainable codebase. Here we explore the evolving design choices and their effects, both in terms of performance and software sustainability.
Lipemia retinalis following FLAG-Ida protocol in an 11-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Kaplan Koruk Reyhan Hazal , Kocabora Mehmet Selim , Erdur Sevil Karaman , Yaman Yöntem
Published: September 2024

Introduction

We report a case of early-onset lipemia retinalis secondary to the FLAG-Ida protocol in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in an 11-year-old girl.

Case Report

An 11-year-old patient, diagnosed with AML at four months old, experienced a relapse and was treated with the FLAG-Ida protocol (fludarabine, idarubicin, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and high-dose cytarabine). Prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation, she underwent a pre-transplantation eye examination. The patient exhibited normal visual acuity in both eyes. Fundus examination revealed cream-white retinal vessels and a salmon-pink retina, indicative of grade 3 lipemia retinalis. Laboratory tests, normal before treatment initiation, showed significantly elevated serum cholesterol (727.6 mg/dL) and triglyceride (6015.6 mg/dL) levels post-treatment. After receiving fenofibrate, these levels decreased markedly, and the retinal vessels normalized on follow-up fundus examination.

Conclusion

Lipemia retinalis, characterized by creamy-white retinal vessels resulting from hypertriglyceridemia, can develop as a secondary condition to chemotherapy. Early detection and treatment of hyperlipidemia are crucial to prevent severe ocular and systemic complications. This case highlights the importance of monitoring lipid levels and conducting thorough ophthalmologic examinations in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Clinico-radiological features of optic nerve sheath schwannoma: Review and illustrative case
Authors: Quigley Clare , Tong Jessica Y , Zhang Alexander S , Psaltis Alkis J , Selva Dinesh
Published: September 2024

The optic nerve sheath is a rare site for schwannoma, to our knowledge 19 optic nerve sheath schwannoma (ONSS) cases have been reported. Difficulty can arise in diagnosis as imaging findings can be relatively non-specific. We describe a case of ONSS that mimicked orbital cavernous venous malformation pre-operatively. A 43-year-old woman presented with right subacute visual loss, reduced vision to 6/48 and signs of optic neuropathy. Endocapsular excision of the mass, which was adherent to the optic nerve, was accomplished from an endoscopic endonasal approach utilizing a 5-hand technique of retrocaruncular dissection. Histology showed spindle-shaped tumour cells with S100 positivity, consistent with ONSS. At 6 months post-operatively vision had improved to 6/6. We show that an endoscopic endonasal approach, augmented by transcaruncular retraction, can be utilized to excise ONSS with an excellent outcome. We review published cases of ONSS, including demographic and clinical features, differential diagnosis based on radiological features, and described outcomes, which are generally poor.
Cloud Horizons: Strengthening Rural Healthcare Through Telemedicine’s Digital Canopy
Authors: Kitole Felician Andrew , Shukla Sameer
Published: September 2024

Introduction:

Cloud-based telemedicine holds promise for improving healthcare accessibility and delivery, particularly in rural areas of developing countries like Tanzania. However, little is known about its determinants and benefits in such contexts. This study investigates the factors influencing the usage of telemedicine in Mvomero district, Morogoro region, Tanzania, focusing on both supply and demand sides.

Method:

Using structured interviews and key informant interviews, the study examines various cloud-based telemedicine platforms, including remote monitoring, electronic health records, cloud-based storage, and machine learning algorithms. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results:

Results reveal several factors influencing telemedicine usage. On the demand side, perceived benefits (53.96%), technology cost (62.79%), legal practices (62.79%), and resource availability and affordability (49.77%) are crucial. On the supply side, technological innovation (35%) and access to financial resources (43%) play pivotal roles. Environmental and institutional factors such as political willingness (38%) and regulatory support (34%) also impact telemedicine usage. Moreover, results reveal that cloud-based telemedicine platforms in rural healthcare facilities have several benefits including improved access (32.74% to 57.44%), cost efficiency (37.88% to 54.82%), timely consultations (56.83% to 65.21%), health monitoring, and prescription management (43.89% to 75.90%). Private facilities particularly emphasize health monitoring.

Conclusion:

Adopting telemedicine technologies can revolutionize rural healthcare by providing customized and easily accessible services. Policymakers can use these findings to develop targeted strategies, including subsidized infrastructure, innovative financing models, and clear regulatory frameworks. Clear guidelines on data transfer and privacy are essential to ensure legal compliance and equitable access to telemedicine benefits. Simplifying registration requirements and implementing explicit consent mechanisms are recommended to address data privacy concerns. These measures aim to promote operational efficiency, data safety, and enhanced health outcomes in resource-limited settings.
An Active Trend of Immunotherapy Combination Regimen as Second-Line Therapy Towards Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer
Authors: Weng Haimin , Zeng Pengfei , Chen Yuemiao , Xu Qi , Ying Jieer
Published: September 2024

Background:

As a second-line therapy, oxaliplatin/fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX) remains the standard of care for patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC); however, its efficacy is suboptimal. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether, compared with chemotherapy alone, the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination regimen improved the overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced BTC.

Methods:

Patients diagnosed with advanced BTC who received chemotherapy or ICI combination therapy as second-line (L2) treatment between January 1, 2018, and April 1, 2022, were retrospectively identified.

Results:

A total of 98 patients with BTCs were reviewed and recruited: the chemotherapy group (cohort A, n = 40), the chemotherapy plus ICIs group (cohort B, n = 27), and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs) plus ICIs group (cohort C, n = 31). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and median OS were 2.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-4.2) and 7.8 months (95% CI: 5.9-12.0) for cohort A, 4.3 months (95% CI: 2.9-8.4) and 10.9 months (95% CI: 7.67-NA) for cohort B, 5.1 months (95% CI: 4.0-8.3) and 10.1 months (95% CI: 8.23-NA) for cohort C, respectively. The confirmed overall response rates were 7.5% (3/40, cohort A), 22.2% (6/27, cohort B), and 19.4% (6/31, cohort C), whereas the disease control rates were 47.5% (19/40, cohort A), 77.8% (21/27, cohort B), and 77.4% (24/31, cohort C). Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse reaction were reported in 20.0% (cohort A), 37.0% (cohort B), and 41.9% (cohort C) of the patients.

Conclusions:

The ICI combination strategy beyond first-line (L1) systemic chemotherapy plays a positive role in advanced BTCs. Both TKIs plus ICIs and chemotherapy plus ICIs could be considered candidates for trials and applied as competitive L2 treatment regimens for advanced BTCs in clinical practice.
Numerical solution of the boltzmann-based lubrication equation for multi-leaf gas microbearing with different load configurations
Authors: Wu Yao , Xi Wenjun , Cao Jujiang , Liu Zhao , Zhang Meng
Published: September 2024

The lubrication characteristics of multi-leaf aerodynamic microbearings influence the reliable operation and service life of microfluidic devices directly. Based on the linearized Boltzmann rarefaction model with three adjustable coefficients, the dynamic gas film pressure, film thickness and Poiseuille flow ratio can be expressed as two superimposing static and complex perturbed terms. The modified Reynolds equation including complete variable disturbance of multi-leaf microbearings for different load configurations are derived, which solved by the finite difference algorithm, partial derivative method and over-relaxation iteration simultaneously. The effects of preload factor, pad location and perturbation frequency on load capacity and dynamic coefficients of multi-leaf/cylindrical microbearings are investigated in detail. Results indicate that the gas film peak pressure of multi-leaf microbearings is higher at greater pad preload, and the direct stiffness coefficients of multi-leaf microbearing for load between pad are larger because of pumping effect within axial grooves that decrease the degree of rarefied gas flow.
Performing home through women’s care practices in digital spaces
Authors: Limb Julia , Cabalquinto Earvin Charles , Humphry Justine
Published: September 2024

This article investigates how the home is performed by two differing groups of women in Australia through gendered care practices and domestic representations in digital spaces. Specifically, it examines the ways Australian women craft bloggers use Instagram and older Filipina-Australians use Facebook to enact diverse modes of mediated care in and beyond the home setting. The analysis draws on two separate ethnographic studies. The first study involved six Australian women to investigate their craft blogging practices on Instagram from 2014 to 2019 where they engaged their varying sized online audiences ranging from 1000 to more than 100,000 followers. The second study included 15 older Filipina-Australians in Victoria, Australia in March 2023 to understand their digital care practices using Facebook to maintain transnational connections among family members and peers. The studies utilised in-person research interviews, visual methods and a digital ethnography. This article extends the model of the moral economy of the household to highlight a range of mediated domestic and care practices carried out across physical and digital spaces shaped by gendered labour practices, transborder care expectations and digital platform affordances. These practices reveal the role of the home as a site and symbol for these different groups in negotiating the tensions of the unequal division of social reproduction and care within the Globalised Care Chain.
Satisfaction in mental health care: Examining psychometric properties of experience of service questionnaire
Authors: Bulut Ozer Pelinsu , Halfon Sibel
Published: September 2024

Measuring satisfaction with psychological health services is important in clinical settings to evaluate the benefits of treatment. Past research has shown that relationship with therapist is at the core of satisfaction reports. However, measurement tools focusing on patients’ psychological health care experiences are rather scarce. The objective of this study is to adapt the Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) Parent form and examine its psychometric properties in a Turkish population. ESQ Parent form was presented to parents ( N = 265) of children who have received treatment at a university’s psychological counseling center. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was gathered from parents pre- and post-treatment to measure symptomatic gains and investigate their associations with satisfaction with treatment. Confirmatory factor analysis comparing two different constructs showed that the 2-factor structure had a better fit. In addition, participants showing higher therapeutic gains showed significantly higher satisfaction in ESQ. This study is the first to measure satisfaction in psychological health care settings in Turkey, and therefore aims to contribute to a gap in the field. Results indicate a significant association between treatment outcome and satisfaction levels. Also, adapted measurement tool demonstrates adequate reliability and validity scores supporting its use in clinical settings.
Fatalism in Turkish women with gestational diabetes: Its relationship with diabetes self-management and perception of risk to maternal and fetal health in pregnancy
Authors: Anataca Gulden , Celik Selda , Taskin Yilmaz Feride
Published: September 2024

Fatalism is one of the variables associated with disease management. This descriptive-correlational study aimed to determine the level of fatalism in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its relationship with diabetes self-management and perception of risk to maternal and fetal health in pregnancy. The study included 531 pregnant women. The data were collected using a pregnancy information form, the Fatalism Scale, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire, and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire. Fatalism explained 25% of the total variance on risk perception in pregnancy and 7% of the total variance on diabetes self-management. Fatalism had a fully mediating role in the effect of risk perception in pregnancy on diabetes self-management. It is important for health professionals to evaluate the effects of women’s perceptions of fatalism on their health behaviors in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy process.