bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Satisfactory Functional Outcome and Significant Correlation with the Length of Haglund’s Deformity after Endoscopic Calcaneoplasty: A Minimum 4-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Fathi Mahmoud Hossam , Feisal Walid , Samir Fahmy Fahmy
Published: April 2022

Background. Haglund’s syndrome is a posterosuperior calcaneal prominence with posterior heel pain causing functional disability to the patient. Operative treatment is indicated after failure of conservative measures and includes resection of the bony hump along with retrocalcaneal bursectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcome and degree of patient satisfaction after endoscopic resection of Haglund’s deformity with assessment of correlation with the length of bony exostosis. Methods. Seventeen patients (21 feet) with a mean age of 44.7 ± 5.1 years were included in this study. Six females and 11 males underwent endoscopic calcaneoplasty. Clinical outcome evaluation included the assessment of the visual analog scale (VAS) and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score (AOFAS). The preoperative and postoperative lengths of bony exostosis were measured radiologically. The paired t test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared the preoperative and final postoperative means.

P
<
0.05

was considered statistically significant. Results. The mean follow-up period was 56.4 ± 5.1 months. Statistically significant improvements in the preoperative mean of AOFAS (from 55.7 ± 9.3 to 94.3 ± 7.1) and VAS (from 8.1 ± 1.4 to 0.7 ± 1.04) at the final follow-up were noted

P
<
0.0001

. There was a statistically significant correlation between clinical scores (AOFAS and VAS) and the final postoperative length of the bone above parallel pitch lines (PPLs). The patients were satisfied and returned to their previous activities without reporting major morbidities except one patient who had mild pain with exertion. Conclusion. Endoscopic calcaneoplasty is a safe, less invasive surgical procedure for the management of Haglund’s syndrome after failure of conservative treatment. It provided a satisfactory clinical result without serious complications at a minimum 4-year follow-up.
A Computational Turn in Policy Process Studies: Coevolving Network Dynamics of Policy Change
Authors: Stauffer Maxime , Mengesha Isaak , Seifert Konrad , Krawczuk Igor , Fischer Jens , Di Marzo Serugendo Giovanna
Published: April 2022

The past three decades of policy process studies have seen the emergence of a clear intellectual lineage with regard to complexity. Implicitly or explicitly, scholars have employed complexity theory to examine the intricate dynamics of collective action in political contexts. However, the methodological counterparts to complexity theory, such as computational methods, are rarely used and, even if they are, they are often detached from established policy process theory. Building on a critical review of the application of complexity theory to policy process studies, we present and implement a baseline model of policy processes using the logic of coevolving networks. Our model suggests that an actor’s influence depends on their environment and on exogenous events facilitating dialogue and consensus‐building. Our results validate previous opinion dynamics models and generate novel patterns. Our discussion provides ground for further research and outlines the path for the field to achieve a computational turn.
Research on Disease Prediction Method Based on R-Lookahead-LSTM
Authors: Chen Hailong , Du Mei , Zhang Yingyu , Yang Chang
Published: April 2022

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most serious diseases that threaten human health in the world today. Therefore, establishing a high-quality disease prediction model is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In the feature selection stage, three new strong feature vectors are constructed based on the background of disease prediction and added to the original data set, and the relationship between the feature vectors is analyzed by using the correlation coefficient map. At the same time, a random forest algorithm is introduced for feature selection, and the importance ranking of features is obtained. In order to further improve the prediction effect of the model, a cardiovascular disease prediction model based on R-Lookahead-LSTM is proposed. The model based on the stochastic gradient descent algorithm of the fast weight part of the Lookahead algorithm is optimized and improved to the Rectified Adam algorithm; the Tanh activation function is further improved to the Softsign activation function to promote model convergence; and the R-Lookahead algorithm is used to further optimize the long-term memory network model. Therefore, the long- and short-term memory network model can be better improved so that the model tends to be stable as soon as possible, and it is applied to the cardiovascular disease prediction model.
Vitronectin, a Novel Urinary Proteomic Biomarker, Promotes Cell Pyroptosis in Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Zhang Song , Pan Wenxu , Wang Hongli , Zhi Cheng , Lin Yanhao , Wu Ping , Ren Qi , Wei Ping , Chen Rui , Li Feng , Xie Ying , Wong Chun Kwok , Tang Hong , Cai Zhe , Xu Wanfu , Zeng Huasong
Published: April 2022

Objective. Identifying new markers of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is critical event to predict patient stratification and prognosis. The aim of the present study is to analyze alteration of urinary protein expression and screen potential valuable biomarkers in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). Methods. The urine was collected from the patients with or without JSLE and detected by mass spectrometry to analyze proteomic changes. ELISA was used to verify the Vitronectin (VTN) changes in a new set of patients. The clinical correlation was performed to analyze between VTN and clinical pathological parameters. WB and ELISA were used to analyze VTN-mediated cell pyroptosis. Results. Herein, we have identified a group of 105 differentially expressed proteins with ≥1.3-fold upregulation or ≤0.77-fold downregulation in JSLE patients. These proteins were involved in several important biological processes, including acute phase inflammatory responses, complement activation, hemostasis, and immune system regulation through Gene Ontology and functional enrichment analysis. Interestingly, urinary ephrin type-A receptor 4 (EPHA4) and VTN were significantly reduced in both inactive and active JSLE patients, and VTN treatment in THP-1 derived macrophages led to a significant increased cell pyroptosis by activation of Nod-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes, resulting in caspase-1 activation, cleaved gasdermin D (GSDMD), and IL-18 secretion. Most importantly, the urinary VTN was also linearly correlated with clinical characteristics of JSLE, implying that VTN could be a specific diagnostic biomarker to distinguish inactive and active JSLE. Conclusion. This study provided a novel role of VTN in pyroptosis in JSLE through the urinary proteomic profile for JSLE, which could be a nonintrusive monitoring strategy in clinical diagnosis.
α-Lipoic Acid-Plus Ameliorates Endothelial Injury by Inhibiting the Apoptosis Pathway Mediated by Intralysosomal Cathepsins in an In Vivo and In Vitro Endothelial Injury Model
Authors: Wang Yang , Bao Dejun , Dong Yongfei , Wei Xiangpin , Yu Jian , Niu Chaoshi
Published: April 2022

α-Lipoic acid-plus (LAP), an amine derivative of α-lipoic acid, has been reported to protect cells from oxidative stress damage by reacting with lysosomal iron and is more powerful than desferrioxamine (DFO). However, the role of LAP in experimental carotid artery intimal injury (CAII) has not yet been well investigated. Therefore, we sought to uncover the role and potential endovascular protective mechanisms of LAP in endothelial injury. In vitro, oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) stimulation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) simulated intimal injury. In vivo, balloon compression injury of the carotid artery was used to establish a rat CAII model. We found that the protein levels of cathepsin B/D, ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), cleaved caspase-3, and Bax increased in the injured endothelium and HUVECs but were rectified by DFO and LAP treatments, as revealed by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, DFO and LAP decreased oxidative stress levels and endothelial cell necrosis of the damaged endothelium. Moreover, DFO and LAP significantly ameliorated the increased oxidative stress, iron level, and lactic dehydrogenase activity of HUVECs and improved the reduced HUVEC viability induced by OxyHb. More importantly, DFO and LAP significantly reduced mitochondrial damage and were beneficial for maintaining lysosomal integrity, as indicated by acridine orange (AO), Lyso-Tracker Red, JC-1, and ATPB staining in HUVECs. Finally, LAP might offer more significant endovascular protective effects than DFO. Our data suggested that LAP exerted endovascular protective effects by inhibiting the apoptosis signaling pathway mediated by intralysosomal cathepsins by reacting with excessive iron in endothelial lysosomes after intimal injury.
Darboux Vector in Four-Dimensional Space-Time
Authors: Hu Na , Zhang Tingting , Jiang Yang
Published: April 2022

As the space-time model of the theory of relativity, four-dimensional Minkowski space is the basis of the theoretical framework for the development of the theory of relativity. In this paper, we introduce Darboux vector fields in four-dimensional Minkowski space. Using these vector fields, we define some new planes and curves. We find that the new planes are the instantaneous rotation planes of rigid body moving in four-dimensional space-time. In addition, according to some characteristics of Darboux vectors in geometry, we define some new space curves in four-dimensional space-time and describe them with curvature functions. Finally, we give some examples.
A Retrospective Study on Bile Culture and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Patients with Biliary Tract Infections
Authors: Zhao Chenwei , Liu Shanshan , Bai Xue , Song Jitao , Fan Qiaowei , Chen Jing
Published: April 2022

Aim. This study aimed to provide profiles of microorganisms isolated from bile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of biliary tract infections (BTIs) in our center. Methods. A total of 277 patients diagnosed with BTIs at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from 2011 to 2018 were included in this study. Medical records were reviewed to obtain clinical and demographic data. Bile specimens were prepared through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage (PTCD), and percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGD) under aseptic conditions. In those with positive bile culture results, blood cultures were concurrently conducted. The concordance of the results between bile culture and blood culture were also analysed. Results. Two hundred and sixty-seven bile cultures were positive, while 280 strains of micro-organisms were isolated. Among these, 76.8% were Gram-negative, 22.5% were Gram-positive and 0.7% were fungi. The most common microorganisms were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Gram-negative bacteria we tested were highly sensitive to ertapenem, imipenem, tigecycline, and amikacin. Gram-positive bacteria we tested were highly sensitive to tigecycline, teicoplanin, linezolid, vancomycin, and chloramphenicol. For the 44 patients with positive bile cultures, a blood culture was also performed. Among them, 29 cases yielded positive blood culture results. Among those cases with positive blood culture, 48.3% showed complete agreement with bile culture, 3.4% showed partial agreement, and 48.3% showed disagreement. The most common microorganisms in blood culture were the same as in bile culture. Additionally, the proportion of Staphylococcus epidermidis was significantly higher in blood culture (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Our study provided a comprehensive analysis of the bacteria distribution and drug resistance profiles in patients with BTIs in northern China. Further studies should be conducted to validate our findings.
Machine Learning-Based Prediction Model of Preterm Birth Using Electronic Health Record
Authors: Sun Qi , Zou Xiaoxuan , Yan Yousheng , Zhang Hongguang , Wang Shuo , Gao Yongmei , Liu Haiyan , Liu Shuyu , Lu Jianbo , Yang Ying , Ma Xu
Published: April 2022

Objective. Preterm birth (PTB) was one of the leading causes of neonatal death. Predicting PTB in the first trimester and second trimester will help improve pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study is to propose a prediction model based on machine learning algorithms for PTB. Method. Data for this study were reviewed from 2008 to 2018, and all the participants included were selected from a hospital in China. Six algorisms, including Naive Bayesian (NBM), support vector machine (SVM), random forest tree (RF), artificial neural networks (ANN), K-means, and logistic regression, were used to predict PTB. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to assess the performance of the model. Results. A total of 9550 pregnant women were included in the study, of which 4775 women had PTB. A total of 4775 people were randomly selected as controls. Based on 27 weeks of gestation, the area under the curve (AUC) and the accuracy of the RF model were the highest compared with other algorithms (accuracy: 0.816; AUC = 0.885, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.873–0.897). Meanwhile, there was positive association between the accuracy and AUC of the RF model and gestational age. Age, magnesium, fundal height, serum inorganic phosphorus, mean platelet volume, waist size, total cholesterol, triglycerides, globulins, and total bilirubin were the main influence factors of PTB. Conclusion. The results indicated that the prediction model based on the RF algorithm had a potential value to predict preterm birth in the early stage of pregnancy. The important analysis of the RF model suggested that intervention for main factors of PTB in the early stages of pregnancy would reduce the risk of PTB.
Participant Characteristics Associated with Changes in Mental Health in a Trial of Behavioural Weight Management Programmes: Secondary Analysis of the WRAP Trial
Authors: Jones Rebecca A. , Mueller Julia , Sharp Stephen J. , Duschinsky Robbie , Griffin Simon J. , Ahern Amy L.
Published: April 2022

Introduction: On average, aspects of mental health improve following behavioural weight management programmes, yet this is not the case for all participants. It is important to identify those at risk of harm to provide more effective psychological support. We aimed to identify participant characteristics associated with changes in depression and anxiety in participants of a behavioural weight management programme. Methods: In the Weight loss Referrals for Adults in Primary care trial, 1,267 adults with body mass index ≥28 kg/m2 were randomized to brief intervention, or WW (formerly weight watchers) for 12-weeks or 52-weeks and followed for 5 years. We used linear and multinomial regression to explore the association between participant characteristics and changes in depression and anxiety (measured by the hospital anxiety and depression scale). Where possible, the impact of missing data was investigated using multiple imputation. Results: Higher baseline anxiety was associated with decreases in anxiety symptoms and increases in depression symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Higher baseline depression was associated with decreases in depression symptoms and increases in anxiety symptoms from baseline to follow-up. The magnitude of the associations was small. No further characteristics were consistently associated with changes in mental health. Discussion: Evidence suggests that baseline depression and anxiety may indicate how depression and anxiety symptoms change during and after attending WW. Measurement of depression and anxiety at the start of a behavioural weight management programme and subsequent monitoring may facilitate timely psychological support if a deterioration in mental health is identified. Further research in large and diverse participant samples is required to clarify the findings.
Frailty and Suicidality in Older Adults: A Mini-Review and Synthesis
Authors: Shah Jaffer , Kandil Omneya A. , Mortagy Mohamed , Abdelhameed Aya , Shah Asghar , Kuron Michael , Abdellatif Yasser Omar
Published: April 2022

The prevalence of frailty, which is significantly associated with late-life suicidality, increases with age in older adults. This review addresses the compiled evidence on the relationship between suicidality and frailty within older populations, explores the latest findings, weighs the effectiveness of various intervention strategies, and outlines potential future investigations in this area. Growing evidence suggests that identifying and addressing risk factors, including mood disorders, prior suicide attempts, poor physical health, and social isolation/problems can decrease the risk of late-in-life suicide. Various studies have shown that interventions such as diet improvements, cognitive training, psychosocial programs, and depression medication could reduce the severity of frailty and suicidality, with physical exercise being the most effective intervention. Combined programs with multiple interventions can have an even greater impact on combating depression, lowering risk of falls, and improving gait speed in older adults.
Hematic Pseudocyst Masquerading as Orbital Cellulitis and Sinusitis
Authors: Larochelle Ryan , Levitt Alexandra , Liao Sophie
Published: April 2022

Hematic pseudocysts are fibrous, nonepithelial lined capsules containing blood byproducts that typically present remotely following orbital fracture hardware implantation. Trauma, implant migration, and tissue erosion are believed to cause hemorrhage to pool within the capsular space. Risk factors include inadequate posterior fracture reduction and use of nonporous material which prevents fibrovascular ingrowth and stabilization. Mass effect from these lesions may cause patients to present with pain, lid swelling, hyperglobus, proptosis, lid retraction, motility restriction, or blurry vision. Pseudocysts associated with fracture hardware have been misdiagnosed as tumors or in one prior case as an infection. Herein we report a unique case of hematic pseudocyst masquerading as orbital cellulitis with maxillary sinusitis. A 59-year-old man presented with periorbital pain, hyperglobus, proptosis, and ptosis 2 years after repair of an orbital floor fracture. CT demonstrated a soft tissue collection adjacent to an implant as well as maxillary sinus opacification. He did not improve with antibiotics, at which point surgery revealed a pseudocyst and its contents were removed. This report describes a unique presentation of orbital pseudocyst and summarizes the literature on this entity.
Changes in Alcohol Consumption, Eating Behaviors, and Body Weight during Quarantine Measures: Analysis of the CoCo-Fakt Study
Authors: Wessely Stefanie , Tappiser Marc , Eisenburger Nina , Feddern Sven , Gehlhar Andreas , Kilimann Anna , Klee Lisa , Nießen Johannes , Schmidt Nikola , Wiesmüller Gerhard A. , Kossow Annelene , Grüne Barbara , Joisten Christine ,   on behalf of the CoCo-Fakt Group
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Public health measures enacted to reduce COVID-19 transmission have affected individuals’ lifestyles, mental health, and psychological well-being. To date, little is known how stay-at-home orders have influenced the eating behaviors, weight development, and alcohol consumption of quarantined persons. The CoCo-Fakt cohort study analyzed these parameters and their association with psychological distress and coping strategies. Methods: An online survey was conducted of all persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (infected persons [IP]) between December 12, 2020, and January 6, 2021, as well as their close contacts (contact persons [CP]) registered by the public health department of Cologne. 8,075 of 33,699 individuals were included in the analysis. In addition to demographic data, psychological distress, and coping strategies, information on changes in body weight, eating, and drinking behaviors was collected. Results: IP lost 1.2 ± 4.4 kg during the quarantine period, and CP gained 1.6 ± 4.1 kg. The reasons given by IP for weight change were mainly loss of taste and feeling sick, whereas CP were more likely than IP to eat out of boredom. Higher psychological burden and lower coping strategies were associated with both weight gain and loss. Of the 30.8% of participants who changed their alcohol consumption during the quarantine period, CP in particular drank more alcohol (IP 15.2%; CP 47.7%). Significantly less alcohol was consumed by individuals with higher coping scores. Conclusion: In this short but psychologically stressful period of stay-at-home orders, changes in eating and drinking behavior as well as weight development are evident, mainly in high-risk contacts. To avoid possible long-term sequelae, health authorities should take these findings into account during the quarantine period; in particular, general practitioners should consider these findings during follow-up.
Efficacy and Safety of Once-Weekly Somatrogon Compared with Once-Daily Somatropin (Genotropin®) in Japanese Children with Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency: Results from a Randomized Phase 3 Study
Authors: Horikawa Reiko , Tanaka Toshiaki , Hasegawa Yukihiro , Yorifuji Tohru , Ng David , Rosenfeld Ron G. , Hoshino Yuko , Okayama Akifumi , Shima Daisuke , Gomez Roy , Pastrak Aleksandra , Castellanos Orlando
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Somatrogon is a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone being developed as a once-weekly treatment for children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). The objective of this phase 3 study (NCT03874013) was to compare the efficacy and safety of once-weekly somatrogon with once-daily Genotropin in Japanese children with GHD. Methods: In this open-label, randomized, active-controlled study, 44 prepubertal Japanese children with GHD (boys: 3 to <11 years; girls: 3 to <10 years) were randomized 1:1 to receive once-weekly somatrogon or once-daily Genotropin (0.025 mg/kg/day) for 12 months. Dose escalation for somatrogon-treated subjects occurred in the first 6 weeks (0.25, 0.48, and 0.66 mg/kg/week; 2 weeks each) with the remaining 46 weeks at a dose of 0.66 mg/kg/week. The study’s primary endpoint was annualized height velocity (HV) at 12 months. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment groups. Compared with Genotropin-treated subjects, somatrogon-treated subjects had higher least-squares mean HV at 12 months (9.65 cm/year vs. 7.87 cm/year). Once-weekly somatrogon was concluded as being comparable to once-daily Genotropin as the mean treatment difference (somatrogon-Genotropin) in HV was +1.79 cm/year (95% confidence interval, 0.97–2.61), which was greater than the preestablished margin (−1.8 cm/year). For both treatment groups, most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity and a similar proportion of subjects reported injection-site pain, although the somatrogon group reported more painful injections. Conclusion: In prepubertal Japanese children with GHD, once-weekly somatrogon was comparable to once-daily Genotropin in terms of annualized (12-month) HV. Both treatments had similar safety and tolerability profiles.
A curatela compartilhada com atribuição de funções: um instrumento de proteção ao incapaz
Authors: Machado Joaquim Cardoso
Published: April 2022

A curatela, instituto tradicional do Direito Civil desde a civilização romana, desempenha papel relevante até os dias atuais como instrumento de proteção aos interesses dos maiores incapazes. Não sendo estática, essa ferramenta passou por modificações ao longo da sua evolução, chegando ao melhor interesse do incapaz como paradigma contemporâneo. Nesse sentido, a partir da análise histórica do direito romano, procura-se identificar quais foram as preocupações levantadas no passado sobre a incapacidade e quais foram as soluções aventadas para essas questões. No direito contemporâneo, procura-se realizar uma abordagem tanto das decisões judiciais sobre o tema quanto sobre a perspectiva de planejamento patrimonial e sucessório para sugerir melhores arranjos para o futuro do incapaz e do seu patrimônio, como o compartilhamento de curatela com divisão de funções.
O Código Civil chinês de 2021
Authors: Tomasevicius Filho Eduardo
Published: April 2022

Em 1º de janeiro de 2021, entrou em vigor o Código Civil chinês. Elaborado a partir de leis existentes no país em matéria de direito civil, trata-se da primeira lei chinesa dos últimos tempos em formato de código, promulgada para a garantia da manutenção da ordem social e econômica, visando à concretização das necessidades de desenvolvimento do socialismo com características chinesas. Embora se possa imaginar que seu conteúdo normativo consista em um texto que teria aproveitado exclusivamente a experiência legislativa europeia por conta dos institutos jurídicos por este disciplinados, não há como interpretar o Código Civil chinês somente como se fosse um código civil ocidental, porque alguns de seus pressupostos são distintos daqueles que levaram à codificação no ocidente. O direito civil chinês – e consequentemente o Código Civil chinês – traz elementos da filosofia chinesa, de modo que há artigos centrais que regulam normas oriundas do confucionismo, assim como outras normas procuram suplantá-lo. O objetivo desse artigo consistiu na investigação dos motivos que levaram à elaboração de um novo Código Civil; se é mesmo um novo texto legal ou a consolidação do direito vigente; e quais são as fontes de suas normas.
Titularidade originária de direitos autorais sobre as aulas ministradas pelos docentes
Authors: Morato Antonio Carlos
Published: April 2022

As aulas são criações intelectuais que asseguram aos professores, como titulares originários, direitos morais e patrimoniais de autor. No Brasil são protegidas por normas constitucionais e infraconstitucionais, bem como pela Convenção de Berna para a Proteção das Obras Literárias e Artísticas (que foi promulgada, com a revisão efetuada em Paris em 1971, pelo Decreto n. 75.699, de 6 de maio de 1975) e sua utilização, total ou parcial, depende de autorização expressa dos docentes inexistindo qualquer diferença quanto à proteção das aulas ministradas presencialmente, em forma remota ou à distância.
Concentração de execuções no processo do trabalho
Authors: Martins Sergio Pinto
Published: April 2022

O artigo pretende analisar a concentração de execuções contra um mesmo devedor no processo do trabalho.
Business as Usual? The Role of Business Elites in Hong Kong’s Evolving Political Identity
Authors: Dore Giovanna Maria Dora
Published: April 2022

The article argues that Hong Kong is a polity where business elites have been and remain key to maintaining the status quo. The article builds on data and information about advisory committees, functional constituencies pre- and post-1997, and reviews business elites’ support for British advisory politics. Prior to the 1997 handover, advisory politics proved useful to secure the cooperation of the business elites, promote British interests, and induce political participation while simultaneously postponing universal suffrage. The article also discusses Beijing’s bias toward business elites and advisory politics during the 1980s and the Sino-British negotiations, and China’s efforts, between 1997 and 2019, to co-opt business elites to ensure prosperity, stability, and political control on the island. Throughout Hong Kong’s history, business elites have acted as a powerful barrier against democratic development and, consequently, emerged as one of the main reasons why Hong Kong’s political identity remains in jeopardy.
New species of Vetuprostomis from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Prostomidae)
Authors: LI YAN-DA , HSIAO YUN , HUANG DI-YING , CAI CHEN-YANG
Published: April 2022

Two new species of the prostomid genus Vetuprostomis Engel & Grimaldi (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Prostomidae), V. angularis Li & Cai sp. nov. and V. gaoi Li & Cai sp. nov., are described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Vetuprostomis is suggested to be more closely related to extant Dryocora Pascoe distributed in Australia and New Zealand, rather than the widespread genus Prostomis Latreille. A key to prostomid genera, as well as species in genus Vetuprostomis, is provided.
Declared Support and Clientelism
Authors: Nichter Simeon , Nunnari Salvatore
Published: April 2022

Recent studies of clientelism predominantly focus on how elites use rewards to influence vote choices and turnout. This article shifts attention toward citizens and their choices beyond the ballot box. Under what conditions does clientelism influence citizens’ decisions to express political preferences publicly? When voters can obtain post-election benefits by declaring support for victorious candidates, their choices to display political paraphernalia on their homes or bodies may reflect more than just political preferences. We argue that various factors—such as the size of rewards and punishments, the competitiveness of the election, and whether multiple candidates employ clientelism—affect citizens’ propensity to declare support in response to clientelist inducements. Building on insights from fieldwork, formal analyses reveal how and why such factors can distort patterns of political expression observed during electoral campaigns. We conduct an experiment in Brazil, which predominantly corroborates predictions about declared support and clientelism.
At the Border of Christian Learning: Islamic Thought and Constructive Christian Theology
Authors: Ralston Joshua
Published: April 2022

For Christian theology to learn from Muslims, it cannot simply cross over into Islamic thought by reading Muslim texts or appropriating Islamic ideas. The Christian theologian must find a way to attend to the history of Christian-Muslim polemics in a non-confrontational fashion that still accounts for disagreement and difference. Many Muslim voices offer profound and challenging questions concerning Christian theology. This essay proposes that Christian theology can engage with Islamic thought as a key resource in the theological quest for a more truthful and just witness to God.
Effect of acetylation modification on the structure and properties of windmill palm fiber
Authors: Chen Changjie , Tan Jing , Wang Zhong , Zhang Weiguo , Wang Guohe , Wang Xinhou
Published: April 2022

Windmill palm fiber, a high-quality cellulose resource, can be extracted from discarded palm sheath. However, the application of this abundant biomass in composite reinforcement is limited due to its hydrophilicity. In this study, the effects of chemical modifications, such as treatment with alkali, acetyl chloride, and acetic anhydride, on the micro-morphology, water repellence, sound absorption, thermal conductivity, and thermal stability of windmill palm fiber have been investigated. The results showed the surface of windmill palm fiber treated with alkali to be relatively long, thick, and smooth. In comparison, acetylation treatment destroyed the cell walls, leaving micro-holes in the surface. Acetylation modification significantly improved the water repellence of the fibers, increasing the water static contact angle to more than 145°. Acetylation treatment also improved the sound absorption performance of a fiber mat, giving an average sound absorption coefficient of 0.47, maintained a low thermal conductivity of under 0.050 W/m/K, and improved the thermal stability, raising the initial decomposition temperature to above 350°C.
Validation of the YLS/CMI on an Australian Juvenile Offending Population
Authors: Dellar Kristie , Roberts Lynne , Bullen Jonathan , Downe Kristy , Kane Robert
Published: April 2022

There is a wealth of research that shows juvenile justice systems that utilize structured and validated assessment tools, such as the YLS/CMI, are far more effective at reducing rates of recidivism than those who do not. In line with this research, the Department of Justice (DoJ) in Western Australia adopted the YLS/CMI as the standard risk assessment tool for evaluating the criminogenic risk and needs of youth entering the justice system. While there is evidence supporting the utility of the YLS/CMI in predicting recidivism, there is little research demonstrating its effectiveness in Australian juvenile populations and no such research in a West Australian population. There is also a lack of research on the utility of the tool with young Indigenous offenders, which is particularly concerning given the significant overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Australian criminal justice system. Our study was the first to examine the reliability and predictive validity of the YLS/CMI on a sample of West Australian juvenile offenders. In this paper, we present the results of two analyses. The first examines the properties of the YLS/CMI in a cohort of 4,653 juvenile offenders in Western Australia, including factor structure, internal consistency, and differences between male and female youth and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. Consistent with our hypotheses, the tool demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .91) and cross-validation analyses identified significant differences between groups on total YLS scores and risk domains. The second analysis examines the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI in a subsample of 921 youth with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years. The overall recidivism rate was 74.8% and there were differences in scores and recidivism rates for Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous youth, although the predictive accuracies in terms of AUC were similar ( c. = 0.65 and 0.66, respectively).
Remittances and the reconfiguration of rural finance in Nepal (1900–1960)
Authors: Paudel Lekh Nath
Published: April 2022

Remittances have been a crucial component in the lives of Nepali people since the beginning of the 20th century. Despite their importance, remittances only gained the attention of scholars and policymakers towards the end of the century. More recently, remittances have become linked to the global financial inclusion agenda in what has been termed the ‘financialisation of remittances’. This article proposes a temporal and spatial shift to explore the historical antecedents of the financialisation of remittances (1900–1960) and beyond the Global North to focus on the context of rural Nepal. I investigate the role of remittances in the reconfiguration of rural finance and social hierarchies. I propose the concept of ‘debt-reign’ as a political formation that allows to analyse the links between statecraft technologies, debt and caste relations, and remittances. Drawing on document analysis, expert interviews and a focus group discussion, the article shows the transformative power of remittances to bring about: the (re)negotiation of debt relations; an emancipation from debt relations; and the reconfiguration of social hierarchies. Together, these dynamics contribute to a reconfiguration of social power, challenging the domination of certain castes and rural elites and re-stratifying financial and social hierarchies. The analysis also highlights the colonial legacies of remittances that prepared the ground to introduce formal financial infrastructure in rural areas which is fundamental to contemporary financialisation.
Integration of AASHTO Element Data Into the New York State Department of Transportation Bridge Management System: Treatments and Project Selection
Authors: Malarich Kathryn , Leckrone Thomas , Thompson Paul D. , Gager Keith , Alampalli Sreenivas
Published: April 2022

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) started collecting AASHTO element-based inspection data as part of bridge inspections in 2016 after retiring its legacy condition inspection system that was in use for more than four decades. A research project was initiated to develop a methodology to integrate AASHTO element-based inspection data into NYSDOT bridge management decision-making processes, guidelines, and bridge performance measures. A logic was developed, based primarily on AASHTO element inspection data, for identifying the work needs for each bridge and predicting the change in element condition states should the resulting work recommendations be implemented. Based on a thorough evaluation of the developed logic, appropriate changes to NYSDOT’s bridge management system are recommended. This paper briefly describes the current study and findings.
Poor and Lost Connections: Essential Family Caregivers’ Experiences Using Technology with Family Living in Long-Term Care Homes during COVID-19
Authors: Chu Charlene H. , Yee Amanda , Stamatopoulos Vivian
Published: April 2022

Background: Long-term care homes (LTCHs) restricted essential family caregivers’ (EFCs) visitations during COVID-19, and virtual visits using technology were used. Objective: To understand EFCs’ virtual visitations experiences during COVID-19 in two Canadian provinces. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with EFCs. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes at micro, meso, and macro levels. Results: Four themes were found: 1) a lack of technology and infrastructure; 2) barriers to scheduling visitations; 3) unsuitable technology implementation; and 4) inability of technology to adapt to residents’ needs. Discussion: Virtual visitations showcased a confluence of micro, meso, and macro factors that, in some cases, negatively impacted the EFCs, residents, and the relationship between EFCs and residents. Structural and home inequities within and beyond the LTCH impacted the quality of technology-based visitations, underscoring the need to support technology infrastructure and training to ensure residents are able to maintain relationships during visitation bans. Conclusion: EFCs’ experiences of technology-based visitations were impacted by structural vulnerabilities of the LTCH sector.
Field-Based Assessments of Behavioral Patterns During Shiftwork in Police Academy Trainees Using Wearable Technology
Authors: Erickson Melissa L. , Wang Will , Counts Julie , Redman Leanne M. , Parker Daniel , Huebner Janet L. , Dunn Jessilyn , Kraus William E.
Published: April 2022

Circadian misalignment, as occurs in shiftwork, is associated with numerous negative health outcomes. Here, we sought to improve data labeling accuracy from wearable technology using a novel data pre-processing algorithm in 27 police trainees during shiftwork. Secondarily, we explored changes in four metabolic salivary biomarkers of circadian rhythm during shiftwork. Using a two-group observational study design, participants completed in-class training during dayshift for 6 weeks followed by either dayshift or nightshift field-training for 6 weeks. Using our novel algorithm, we imputed labels of circadian misaligned sleep episodes that occurred during daytime, which were previously were mislabeled as non-sleep by Garmin, supported by algorithm performance analysis. We next assessed changes to resting heart rate and sleep regularity index during dayshift versus nightshift field-training. We also examined changes in field-based assessments of salivary cortisol, uric acid, testosterone, and melatonin during dayshift versus nightshift. Compared to dayshift, nightshift workers experienced larger changes to resting heart rate, sleep regularity index (indicating reduced sleep regularity), and alterations in sleep/wake activity patterns accompanied by blunted salivary cortisol. Salivary uric acid and testosterone did not change. These findings show wearable technology combined with specialized data pre-processing can be used to monitor changes in behavioral patterns during shiftwork.
A Case Report of Cosmetic Abdominoplasty in a Patient With Colostomy Appliance
Authors: Alford Jonathan , Jackson Robert , Lowery Chris
Published: April 2022

Our patient presents with a unique case of both functional and cosmetic concerns following colectomy for the treatment of Crohn’s disease with subsequent massive weight loss following bariatric surgery. She desires abdominoplasty to address these concerns. Thorough preoperative planning and work up set the ground work for a successful procedure. We’ve shared our intraoperative approach, which has never before been published in the literature. Following her procedure, the patient had a mostly uneventful postoperative course. Her functional and cosmetic concerns were addressed with the procedure. The surgical outcome exceeded her expectations. Patients seeking body contouring surgery following bariatric surgery can be expected to increase. We suspect there may be other patients similar to ours that are experiencing similar functional and cosmetic concerns that can be addressed with cosmetic surgery. Due to the extremely unique nature of this case, we’ve shared our approach in hopes that our success can serve as a resource to other surgeons with similar patients.
Rape Victim Advocates’ Perceptions of the #MeToo Movement: Opportunities, Challenges, and Sustainability
Authors: Maier Shana L.
Published: April 2022

Awareness of the frequency of sexual victimization has been promoted through the #MeToo movement that opened the floodgates for survivors of sexual harassment, victimization, and violence to disclose their victimization. This research explores 41 rape victim advocates’ perceptions of the #MeToo movement and concludes that they recognize its strengths and weaknesses. They credit the movement for: empowering survivors to disclose their experience possibly due to reduced stigma surrounding sexual victimization given the number of disclosures, providing support through social media from other survivors, and increasing societal awareness of the prevalence of sexual victimization. Those interviewed fault the movement for: giving the false perception that since so many survivors are stepping forward then reports must be fabricated, pressuring victims to support the movement through disclose and criticizing those who do not disclose, and hindering survivors’ ability to escape media and social media coverage of sexual victimization. Advocates perceived #MeToo to be more of a “movement” rather than a “moment.” However, to sustain its progress advocates suggested that action must be taken to create change for survivors and to reduce the occurrence of sexual victimization through policy/legal change and perpetrator accountability.
An in vitro study on anti-carcinogenic effect of remdesivir in human ovarian cancer cells via generation of reactive oxygen species
Authors: Lee Chang Min , Kang Mi-Ae , Bae Jun Sang , Park Kyungmoon , Yang Yung-Hun , Lee Jongsung , Jang Kyu Yun , Park See-Hyoung
Published: April 2022

Background

Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that inhibits RNA polymerase. In 2020, remdesivir was recognized as the most promising therapeutic agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the effects of remdesivir on cancers have hardly been studied.

Purpose

Here, we reported that the anti-carcinogenic effect of remdesivir on SKOV3 cells, one of human ovarian cancer cell lines.

Research design

We anlalyzed the anti-carcarcinogenic effect of remdesivir in SKOV3 cells by performing in vitro cell assay and western blotting.

Results

WST-1 showed that remdesivir decreased cell viability in SKOV3 cells. Experiments conducted by Muse Cell Analyzer showed that remdesivir-induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells. We found that the expression level of FOXO3, Bax, and Bim increased, whereas Bcl-2, caspase-3, and caspase-7 decreased by remdesivir in SKOV3 cells. Furthermore, we observed that intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level increased after treatment of remdesivir in SKOV3 cells. Interestingly, cytotoxicity of remdesivir decreased after treatment of N-Acetylcysteine.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results demonstrated that remdesivir has an anti-carcinogenic effect on SKOV3 cells vis up-regulation of reactive oxygen species, which suggests that remdesivir could be a promising reagent for treatment of ovarian cancer.
Analyzing systemic lupus erythematosus publications using neural network–based multi-label classification algorithms
Authors: Rajabi Enayat , Sahebari Maryam , Thomas Tressy
Published: April 2022

The heterogeneity in systemic lupus erythematosus research topics poses a challenge for the entire lupus community, from basic geneticists to clinical investigators. As such, it is critical for medical professionals to remain up to date on directions in lupus research and the main fields in which this research is being conducted (e.g., etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes). This article develops two multi-label text-classification models using Deep Neural Networks and Convolutional Neural Networks to classify the human-based adult-onset lupus–related articles in the PubMed database based on their abstract, keywords, and MeSH terms. During training evaluation, our models correctly indicated all relevant labels for 70% of the articles. The applied machine learning models (Deep Neural Network and Convolutional Neural Network) yielded a Micro-F1 score of 0.89, meaning that it successfully labeled the most relevant medical domains and types. In addition, these types of studies help the researchers be aware of the essential topics in this field, but due to difficulties in designing, the related studies are ignored or fade.
Topic and sentiment analysis of crisis communications about the COVID-19 pandemic in Twitter’s tourism hashtags
Authors: Carvache-Franco Orly , Carvache-Franco Mauricio , Carvache-Franco Wilmer , Iturralde Kevin
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this paper was to assess Twitter as a means of communication during tourism crises with the following objectives: (a) identify the topics that are discussed, (b) establish the text sentiment, and (c) determine the differences in gender regarding the topics under discussion and the text sentiment. The data were collected from Twitter between March and April 2020. Using big data software, this study extracted 123,868 tweets globally in different languages through the Twitter API of popular tourism hashtags. Two techniques were applied: word association and sentiment analysis. The results show that the communication made through Tweets has the characteristics of a crisis communication related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism industry. The theoretical contribution of the research is that Twitter in social media is an effective means of communication during pandemic crises and contributes to reducing negative perceptions and adverse effects of the tourism crises in companies and destinations. The practical contribution of the research is that Twitter can be used as a means of communication helping the communication strategies of companies and organizations.
One School’s Management of Students With Intellectual Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Japan: A Study Based on Interviews With Teachers
Authors: Kusumi Yusuke , Tominaga Mitsuaki , Nagasawa Hironobu , Fujii Azusa
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to elucidate how school employees caring for students with intellectual disabilities managed emergencies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It attended to decision-making by school managers as well as the engagement of local teachers in the outcome resolution process. A total of 10 teachers employed in different positions were purposefully selected from a school for students with intellectual disabilities in Osaka, Japan, and interviews were conducted with them via Zoom. The thematic analysis identified six significant premises: sensemaking, emergency responsive organization, high morale, planning through prioritization, risk management, and recovery from adverse incidents. The findings suggest distributed leadership functions to successfully sustain security in educational practices. Additionally, the empirical study consisting of interviews with staff in multiple positions reveals that all of the staff’s proactive participation in decision-making and the communication process enabled the school to cope with the pandemic crisis as a united organization.