bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of upper limb robot assisted therapy techniques and virtual reality applications
Authors: Ibrahim Habiba Abdelsalam , Ammar Hossam Hassan , Shalaby Raafat
Published: April 2022

Impairments in the sensorimotor system negatively impact the ability of individuals to perform daily activities autonomously. Upper limb rehabilitation for stroke survivors and cerebral palsy (CP) children is essential to enhance independence and quality of life. Robot assisted therapy has been a bright solution in the last two decades to promote the recovery process for neurological disorders patients. Nevertheless, defining the optimum intervention of robot assisted therapy (RAT) in different cases is not clear yet. With this aim, the presented study reviewed the current literature on RAT protocols for upper limb impairments and the effects of RAT on recovery outcomes. A literature search was conducted using different search engines, reviews, and studies. This study presents an overview of fourteen robotic devices used in the rehabilitation field and seventeen clinical trials using commercially available devices during the last three years. A discussion about reaching an efficient rehabilitation process based on different aspects such as clinical setting and training modes has been introduced. This review identifies the limitations of RAT to lay the foundation for more effective neuromotor disorders rehabilitation. Finally, using virtual reality (VR) as an assisting feature in RAT improves the whole process of recovering motor functionality.
Sequence-to-sequence neural machine translation for English-Malay
Authors: Phua Yeong Tsann , Navaratnam Sujata , Kang Chon-Moy , Che Wai-Seong
Published: April 2022

Machine translation aims to translate text from a specific language into another language using computer software. In this work, we performed neural machine translation with attention implementation on English-Malay parallel corpus. We attempt to improve the model performance by rectified linear unit (ReLU) attention alignment. Different sequence-to-sequence models were trained. These models include long-short term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) and bidirectional GRU (Bi-GRU). In the experiment, both bidirectional models, Bi-LSTM and Bi-GRU yield a converge of below 30 epochs. Our study shows that the ReLU attention alignment improves the bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU) translation score between score 0.26 and 1.12 across all the models as compare to the original Tanh models.
Prediction analysis of the happiness ranking of countries based on macro level factors
Authors: Handayani Dini Oktarina Dwi , Lubis Muharman , Ridho Lubis Arif
Published: April 2022

Happiness is an essential universal human goal in their life that can improve the quality of life. Since the introduction of positive psychology, the primary consideration has been pointed out to the study of the role from certain factors in predicting the happiness, especially the advancement of technology that allows computer-mediated to be part of human interaction. It provides a multidimensional approach and indirect influence to the human expression and communication. The project investigates what it takes to build a happy country by analysing on the relationship between the happiness ranking of countries and their macro level factors. The World Happiness Report 2019 is used coupled with Python programming for visualizing and extracting information from the dataset to better understand the bigger picture.
Seed of rice plant classification using coarse tree classifier
Authors: Geollegue Kim Wallie Vergara , Romeroso Arboleda Edwin , Agustin Dizon Andy
Published: April 2022

The goal of this paper is to help the agriculture to have consistent observation in the status of seeds in rice plants and have a good quality postproduction by classifying the seeds automatically leading to reduction of low-quality rice plants while achieving higher demands in exportation as the quality increases. Additionally, manually observing the seeds of rice plants does not give an accurate evaluation as factors such as fatigue and emotion can affect the result. Using image processing and color feature extraction, it extracted the red, green, and blue (RGB) color feature lying in the pixel point of the seed in the healthy and unhealthy images of rice plants and classified by coarse tree classifier (CTC). The classifier achieved a 100% accuracy and training time of 0.32189 seconds, hence the fitted machine learning approach in the study.
Performance of multivariate mutual information and autocorrelation encoding methods for the prediction of protein-protein interactions
Authors: Bustamam Alhadi , Sunggawa Mohamad Irlin , Siswantining Titin
Published: April 2022

Protein interactions play an essential role in the study of how an organism can be infected with a disease and also its effects. One of the challenges in computational methods in the prediction of protein-protein interactions is how to represent a sequence of amino acids in a vector so that it can be used in machine learning to create a model that can predict whether or not an interaction occurs in a protein pair. This paper examined the qualitative feature encoding methods of amino acid sequence, namely, multivariate mutual information (MMI), and the quantitative feature encoding methods, namely, autocorrelation. We develop the new design for MMI and autocorrelation feature encoding methods which give better results than the previous research. There are four ways to build the MMI method and six ways to build the autocorrelation method that we tested. We also built four types of MMI-autocorrelation (mixed) method and look for the best form of each type of MMI, autocorrelation, and mixed-method. We combine these feature encoding methods with support vector machine (SVM) as machine learning methods. We also test the encoding methods we propose to several machine learning classifier methods, such as random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and gradient boosting.
O papel da gestão por algoritmos como suporte para os sistemas de controle gerencial na economia compartilhada: um estudo sobre a percepção dos motoristas de empresas do transporte por aplicativo no contexto brasileiro
Authors: Avelar Ewerton Alex , Jordão Ricardo Vinícius Dias , Ferreira Gabriela Maria Couto , Silva Beatriz Najela Ekaterina Ribeiro da
Published: April 2022

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi descrever o papel da gestão por algoritmos como suporte do sistema de controle gerencial (SCG) das empresas 99 Tecnologia  Ltda. (99TL) e UBER, considerando os modelos de Malmi e Brown (2008) e Jordão et al. (2013). Procedeu-se a um estudo qualitativo, descritivo e documental. Com base na análise dos dados e informações obtidos a partir de relatos em vídeos de motoristas e documentos públicos das empresas, percebeu-se que que ambas as organizações utilizaram as ferramentas dos tipos de SCG descritos por  Jordão et al. (2013) e Malmi e Brown (2008). Ademais, foi possível constatar que: (i) os motoristas se ajustaram ao SCG dessas empresas; (ii) houve uma forte inter-relação entre as ferramentas dos diferentes tipos de controle; e (iii) que o uso de algoritmos foi importante ao exercício prático do controle nas empresas da economia compartilhada estudadas.
Análise em 4-D: uma reflexão sobre a “autocracia burguesa” no Brasil
Authors: Belinelli Leonardo Octavio
Published: April 2022

O artigo discute o conceito de “autocracia burguesa” tal como elaborado por Florestan Fernandes. Tomando como referência principal A revolução burguesa no Brasil (1975), procura-se examiná-lo teórica e historicamente, como também levantar algumas hipóteses explicativas a respeito de seu abandono no debate intelectual brasileiro a partir dos anos 1990.  Ademais, sugere-se como alguns de seus supostos podem colaborar para o exame da situação política contemporânea do país.
Teoria Política Histórica e Democracia: notas introdutórias para um debate
Authors: Cassimiro Paulo Henrique Paschoeto
Published: April 2022

O presente artigo busca oferecer alguns apontamentos introdutórios para um debate sobre a relação entre história e teoria política. Partindo do princípio de que o acúmulo de erudição histórica não é suficiente para justificar a sua importância, afirmamos a ideia de que uma abordagem histórica da política precisa ser orientada pela necessidade de aprofundar o entendimento sobre como construímos a experiência política que conforma o mundo contemporâneo. Não se trata aqui, portanto, de uma história do pensamento político, mas de inquirir sobre a possibilidade e os fundamentos de uma abordagem histórica da teoria política. Mas o que significa, então, falarmos em uma teoria política histórica, e não apenas em história das ideias políticas? O que justificaria o pertencimento de uma abordagem histórica ao campo da ciência política em geral, e da teoria política em particular? O artigo busca indicar elementos para a compreensão da importância de recuperar a abordagem da teoria política histórica para pensar elementos históricos – conceitos, linguagens, ideologias - da experiência política que resulta no processo de desenvolvimento da democracia.
Pragmatismo e teoria democrática: o valor não-instrumental da democracia
Authors: Francisquini Renato
Published: April 2022

O artigo discute os atuais processos de recessão democrática considerando, de um lado, as interpretações minimalistas da teoria democrática e, de outro, a abordagem pragmatista tal como elaborada por autores como John Dewey, George Mead e Elizabeth Anderson. Tendo em vista que lideranças autoritárias vêm corroendo a democracia por meio das instituições e das regras consagradas da democracia liberal, questiona-se em que medida as perspectivas competitivas – e certa ciência política de caráter institucionalista – nos permitiriam criticar a desdemocratização ora em curso em diversos contextos nacionais. Como alternativa, será apresentada a contribuição do pragmatismo para o resgate da ideia de democracia, que entende este regime para além de sua materialização em arranjos institucionais. Sustenta-se que esta posição evidencia os valores atribuídos à política democrática e a caracteriza como um modo de vida baseado na interação dialógica que se estende para as diversas áreas da vida social. Dessa forma, seria possível realizar tanto um diagnóstico crítico acerca do novo autoritarismo quanto pensar em formas de resgatar a democracia em seu sentido radical.
Será que é possível pensar uma filosofia ou teoria política estritamente política? entrevista com Cícero Araújo
Authors: Freller Felipe , Sendretti Lilian
Published: April 2022

Cicero Romão Resende de Araújo é Professor Titular do Departamento de Filosofia da USP, atuando na área de Ética e Filosofia Política. Foi, durante muitos anos, professor do Departamento de Ciência Política da USP, onde teve um papel fundamental na consolidação da área de Teoria Política. É autor de A forma da República: da constituição mista ao Estado (WMF Martins Fontes, 2013), e lançou neste ano, com André Singer e Leonardo Belinelli, Estado e democracia: uma introdução ao estudo da política (Zahar, 2021). Nesta entrevista, realizada em 12 de março de 2021 por videoconferência, Araújo relata sua formação intelectual e sua trajetória acadêmica, da graduação em Física na Unicamp ao seu papel de destaque na estruturação da área de Teoria Política no Departamento de Ciência Política da USP, passando por sua militância política no movimento estudantil no final da ditadura militar. Ele comenta o tipo de teoria política com o qual se identifica, no cruzamento entre a história do pensamento político e o debate contemporâneo, discorre sobre sua busca atual pelo que é específico do campo político, para além das dívidas evidentes da Teoria Política para com a filosofia moral, e delineia os desafios da Teoria Política na conjuntura atual, entre eles a necessidade de voltar a investigar a dinâmica do capitalismo, em função das dificuldades enfrentadas pela perspectiva de introduzir valores éticos nas sociedades democráticas contemporâneas.
A dimensão normativa da política: entrevista com Álvaro de Vita
Authors: Sendretti Lilian , Rosa Gabriela , Freller Felipe
Published: April 2022

Álvaro de Vita é professor titular do Departamento de Ciência Política da USP, atuando nas áreas de teoria política contemporânea, especialmente teorias da justiça, teorias da democracia, tolerância e justiça internacional. Foi editor da Revista Lua Nova (1991-1999). É autor dos livros Justiça liberal: Argumentos liberais contra o neoliberalismo (Paz e Terra, 1993), A justiça igualitária e seus críticos (WWF Martins Fontes, 2007) e O liberalismo igualitário: sociedade democrática e justiça internacional (WWF Martins Fontes, 2008).  Nesta entrevista, realizada por e-mail em 2021, o professor Álvaro nos contou sobre sua trajetória acadêmica na teoria política, sobre as diferenças intergeracionais no campo desde a sua formação, sobre a importância da teoria política para reflexão de questões públicas fundamentais e sobre os desafios da democracia brasileira.
A política não está no objeto, mas na abordagem: entrevista com Bernardo Ricupero
Authors: Freller Felipe , Rosa Gabriela
Published: April 2022

Bernardo Ricupero é professor livre-docente do Departamento de Ciência Política da USP, atuando nas áreas de pensamento político brasileiro e pensamento político latino-americano. Entre seus principais trabalhos publicados, estão livros como Sete lições sobre as interpretações do Brasil (Alameda, 2007), O romantismo e a ideia de nação no Brasil (Martins Fontes, 2004) e Caio Prado Jr. e a nacionalização do marxismo no Brasil (Editora 34, 2000). Na entrevista, realizada em 18 de março de 2021 por videoconferência, Ricupero conta sobre sua trajetória de pesquisa no campo do pensamento político-social brasileiro e destaca como a universidade pública e o trabalho de pesquisa se transformaram nas últimas décadas. Enfatizando o caráter interdisciplinar de seu trabalho intelectual, reforça a pluralidade de objetos de interesse para a teoria política e aponta para o papel decisivo da área na crítica e no debate sobre as condições da democracia atual. O professor reflete também sobre o status específico do pensamento político produzido em um país periférico como o Brasil, indicando, na linha de Roberto Schwarz, que o ponto de vista periférico pode colocar em evidência aquilo que não se vê tão bem do centro do capitalismo.
Compounding Benefits of Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy for the Reduction of Major Cardiovascular Events: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Nelson , Woodward Mark , Huffman Mark D. , Rodgers Anthony
Published: April 2022

Background:

Mendelian randomization studies use genetic variants as natural experiments to provide evidence about causal relations between modifiable risk factors and disease. Recent Mendelian randomization studies suggest each mmol/L reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) sustained over a lifetime can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by more than half. However, these findings have not been replicated in randomized clinical trials, and the effect of treatment duration on the magnitude of risk reduction remains uncertain. The aim of this article was to evaluate the relationship between lipid-lowering drug exposure time and relative risk reduction of major cardiovascular events in randomized clinical trials.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials of statins, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors that report LDL-C levels and effect sizes for each year of follow-up. The primary end point was major vascular events, defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization. Hazard ratios during each year of follow-up were meta-analyzed using random-effects models.

Results:

A total of 21 trials with 184 012 patients and an average mean follow-up of 4.4 years were included. Meta-regression showed there was greater relative risk reduction in major vascular events with increasing duration of treatment (
P
<0.001). For example, each mmol/L LDL-C lowered was associated with a relative risk reduction in major vascular events of 12% (95% CI, 8%–16%) for year 1, 20% (95% CI, 16%–24%) for year 3, 23% (95% CI, 18%–27%) for year 5, and 29% (95% CI, 14%–42%) for year 7.

Conclusions:

The benefits of LDL-C lowering do not seem to be fixed but increase steadily with longer durations of treatment. The results from short-term randomized trials are compatible with the very strong associations between LDL-C and cardiovascular events seen in Mendelian randomization studies.
Human Coronary Plaque T Cells Are Clonal and Cross-React to Virus and Self
Authors: Chowdhury Roshni Roy , D’Addabbo Jessica , Huang Xianxi , Veizades Stefan , Sasagawa Koki , Louis David M. , Cheng Paul , Sokol Jan , Jensen Annie , Tso Alexandria , Shankar Vishnu , Wendel Ben Shogo , Bakerman Isaac , Liang Grace , Koyano Tiffany , Fong Robyn , Nau Allison N. , Ahmad Herra , Gopakumar Jayakrishnan , Wirka Robert , Lee Andrew S. , Boyd Jack , Woo Y. Joseph , Quertermous Thomas , Gulati Gunsagar Singh , Jaiswal Siddhartha , Chien Yueh-Hsiu , Chan Charles Kwok Fai , Davis Mark M. , Nguyen Patricia K.
Published: April 2022

Background:

Coronary artery disease is an incurable, life-threatening disease that was once considered primarily a disorder of lipid deposition. Coronary artery disease is now also characterized by chronic inflammation‚ notable for the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques containing immune cells in various states of activation and differentiation. Understanding how these immune cells contribute to disease progression may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Methods:

We used single-cell technology and in vitro assays to interrogate the immune microenvironment of human coronary atherosclerotic plaque at different stages of maturity.

Results:

In addition to macrophages, we found a high proportion of αβ T cells in the coronary plaques. Most of these T cells lack high expression of
CCR7
and
L-selectin
, indicating that they are primarily antigen-experienced memory cells. Notably, nearly one-third of these cells express the
HLA-DRA
surface marker, signifying activation through their TCRs (T-cell receptors). Consistent with this, TCR repertoire analysis confirmed the presence of activated αβ T cells (CD4<CD8), exhibiting clonal expansion of specific TCRs. Interestingly, we found that these plaque T cells had TCRs specific for influenza, coronavirus, and other viral epitopes, which share sequence homologies to proteins found on smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, suggesting potential autoimmune-mediated T-cell activation in the absence of active infection. To better understand the potential function of these activated plaque T cells, we then interrogated their transcriptome at the single-cell level. Of the 3 T-cell phenotypic clusters with the highest expression of the activation marker
HLA-DRA
, 2 clusters expressed a proinflammatory and cytolytic signature characteristic of CD8 cells, while the other expressed AREG (amphiregulin), which promotes smooth muscle cell proliferation and fibrosis, and, thus, contributes to plaque progression.

Conclusions:

Taken together, these findings demonstrate that plaque T cells are clonally expanded potentially by antigen engagement, are potentially reactive to self-epitopes, and may interact with smooth muscle cells and macrophages in the plaque microenvironment.
Need for Better and Broader Training in Cardio‐Obstetrics: A National Survey of Cardiologists, Cardiovascular Team Members, and Cardiology Fellows in Training
Authors: Bello Natalie A. , Agrawal Akanksha , Davis Melinda B. , Harrington Colleen M. , Lindley Kathryn J. , Minissian Margo B. , Sharma Garima , Walsh Mary Norine , Park Ki
Published: April 2022

Background

Team‐based models of cardio‐obstetrics care have been developed to address the increasing rate of maternal mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular clinician and trainee knowledge and comfort with this topic, and the extent of implementation of an interdisciplinary approach to cardio‐obstetrics, are unknown.

Methods and Results

We aimed to assess the current state of cardio‐obstetrics knowledge, practices, and services provided by US cardiovascular clinicians and trainees. A survey developed in conjunction with the American College of Cardiology was circulated to a representative sample of cardiologists (N=311), cardiovascular team members (N=51), and fellows in training (N=139) from June 18, 2020, to July 29, 2020. Knowledge and attitudes about the provision of cardiovascular care to pregnant patients and the prevalence and composition of cardio‐obstetrics teams were assessed. The widest knowledge gaps on the care of pregnant compared with nonpregnant patients were reported for medication safety (42%), acute coronary syndromes (39%), aortopathies (40%), and valvular heart disease (30%). Most respondents (76%) lack access to a dedicated cardio‐obstetrics team, and only 29% of practicing cardiologists received cardio‐obstetrics didactics during training. One third of fellows in training reported seeing pregnant women 0 to 1 time per year, and 12% of fellows in training report formal training in cardio‐obstetrics.

Conclusions

Formalized training in cardio‐obstetrics is uncommon, and limited access to multidisciplinary cardio‐obstetrics teams and large knowledge gaps exist among cardiovascular clinicians. Augmentation of cardio‐obstetrics education across career stages is needed to reduce these deficits. These survey results are an initial step toward developing a standard expectation for clinicians’ training in cardio‐obstetrics.
Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Preterm Infants
Authors: Christensen Rhandi , Krishnan Pradeep , deVeber Gabrielle , Dlamini Nomazulu , MacGregor Daune , Pulcine Elizabeth , Moharir Mahendranath
Published: April 2022

Background:

Neonatal cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) can lead to brain injury and neurodevelopmental impairments. Previous studies of neonatal CVST have focused on term infants, and studies of preterm infants are lacking. In this study, we examined the clinical and radiological features, treatment and outcome of CVST in preterm infants.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, consecutive cohort study of preterm infants (gestational age <37 weeks) with radiologically confirmed CVST. All magnetic resonance imaging/MRV and CT/CTV scans were re-reviewed to study thrombus characteristics and pattern of brain injury. Outcome was assessed by the validated pediatric stroke outcome measure at the most recent clinic visit.

Results:

Twenty-six preterm infants with CVST were studied. Of these, 65% were moderate-late preterm (32–37 weeks), 27% very preterm (28–32 weeks), and 8% extreme preterm (<28 weeks). Most (73%) were symptomatic at presentation with seizures or abnormal exam. Transverse (85%) and superior sagittal (42%) sinuses were common sites of thrombosis. Parenchymal brain injury was predominantly periventricular (35%) and deep white matter (31%) in location. Intraventricular hemorrhage occurred in 46%. Most infants (69%) were treated with anticoagulation. No treated infant (including eleven with pretreatment hemorrhage) had new or worsening post-treatment hemorrhage. Outcomes ranged from no deficits (50%), mild-moderate (25%), and severe (25%) impairment.

Conclusions:

In our sample of preterm infants with CVST, more than one-quarter were asymptomatic. White matter brain lesions predominated and one-half had neurological deficits at follow-up. Anticoagulation of preterm CVST in this small cohort appeared to be safe. Larger studies of preterm CVST are needed.
Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome: A Rare Case of Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Necessitating Bowel Resection
Authors: Shewmake Connor N. , Stephenson Krista J. , Bonasso Patrick C. , Odiase Elaine , Richter Gresham T. , Bhavaraju Avi V. , Dassinger Melvin S.
Published: April 2022

Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome is a congenital rarity that manifests as vascular malformations throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. With fewer than 300 cases reported, the etiology and clinical course is poorly understood; however, the literature suggests TEK mutations on chromosome 9 result in unregulated angiogenesis. We present the case of a young female treated for anemia of unknown etiology who presented in hemorrhagic shock due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage necessitating small bowel resection, with cutaneous, intestinal, hepatic, and lingual vascular malformations associated with a single somatic pathologic TEK mutation. Although uncommon, this case suggests that Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome should be considered in the differential of a patient with persistent anemia and cutaneous lesions, carrying the potential for multiple gastrointestinal vascular malformations progressing to hemorrhage necessitating operative management. Additionally, a severe phenotype can occur without a double-hit TEK mutation.
Management of Synthetic Mesh Infection With Open Resection and Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair Using Biosynthetic Prosthetic Material
Authors: Kyriakoulis Katia N. , Mallico Eric J.
Published: April 2022

Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is a common surgical operation with the prevailing complication of hernia recurrence. The development of diverse mesh materials has led to a lower hernia recurrence rate but poses concern for mesh infection. Featured is the case study of a patient who underwent laparoscopic recurrent VHR with utilization of biosynthetic mesh and removal of prior permanent synthetic mesh. During the post-operative course, the patient developed a seroma, cellulitis, and wound dehiscence. Despite these complications, the biosynthetic mesh was salvaged using conservative measures. The patient has been followed over the course of three years without hernia recurrence or other complications to date.
Prehospital Tourniquets Placed on Limbs Without Major Vascular Injuries, Has the Pendulum Swung Too Far?
Authors: Legare Timothy , Schroll Rebecca , Hunt John P. , Duchesne Juan , Marr Alan , Schoen Jonathan , Greiffenstein Patrick , Stuke Lance , Smith Alison
Published: April 2022

Background

Combat applications of tourniquets for extremity trauma have led to increased civilian prehospital tourniquet use. Studies have demonstrated that appropriate prehospital tourniquet application can decrease the incidence of arrival in shock without increasing limb complications. The aim of this study was to examine outcomes of prehospital tourniquet placement without definitive vascular injury.

Methods

Retrospective review was performed of a prospectively maintained database by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma from 29 trauma centers. Patients in this subset analysis did not have a significant vascular injury as determined by imaging or intra-operatively. Patients who received prehospital tourniquets (PHTQ) were compared to patients without prehospital tourniquets (No-PHTQ). Outcomes were amputation rates, nerve palsy, compartment syndrome, and in-hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 622 patients had no major vascular injury. The incidence of patients without major vascular injury was higher in the PHTQ group (n = 585/962, 60.8 vs n = 37/88, 42.0%, P < .001). Cohorts were similar in age, gender, penetrating mechanism, injury severity scores (ISS), abbreviated injury score (AIS), and mortality ( P > .05). Amputation rates were 8.3% (n = 49/585) in the PHTQ group compared to 0% (n = 0/37) in the No-PHTQ group. Amputation rates were higher in PHTQ than No-PHTQ with similar ISS and AIS ( P = .96, P = .59). The incidence of nerve palsy and compartment syndrome was not different ( P > .05).

Conclusions

This study showed a significant amount of prehospital tourniquets are being placed on patients without vascular injuries. Further studies are needed to elucidate the appropriateness of prehospital tourniquets, including targeted education of tourniquet placement.
Commitment to the “National” in Post-Conflict Countries: Public and Private Security Provision in Lebanon
Authors: Cammett Melani , Parreira Christiana , Kruszewska-Eduardo Dominika , Atallah Sami
Published: April 2022

A core function of contemporary states is to ensure the security of their citizens. Yet in many post-conflict settings, non-state actors provide security alongside the state, typically prioritizing their own ascriptive groups and potentially undercutting a sense of national political community. When do citizens prefer group-specific versus national security? While most studies focus on individual psychological factors, we argue that group-level characteristics also shape political preferences. Based on a conjoint experiment in Lebanon, we explore the relative appeal of group-specific versus national pledges to assure protection. We find that respondents view national security provision quite positively, while members of communities with stronger group-specific security simultaneously favor private provision. Individuals with closer ties to credible group security providers are also more likely to prefer those services. Citizens therefore do not see a clear trade-off between private and public protection, while group-specific legacies mediate heterogeneity in support for pluralist security provision.
Mental Fatigue Prior to Aerobic Exercise Reduces Exercise Pleasure and Negatively Affects Implicit Attitudes Toward Future Exercise
Authors: Pessoa Felipe de Azevedo , Pereira Lucas Camilo , de Oliveira Araújo Andressa , Oliveira Gledson Tavares Amorim , Pereira Daniel Carvalho , Elsangedy Hassan Mohamed
Published: April 2022

We investigated the effects of mental fatigue (MF) on affective responses during an aerobic exercise session at moderate intensity. We submitted 12 insufficiently active adults (50% women; M age = 24.9 years, SD = 3.0; M BMI = 24.3 kg/m2; SD = 2.6) to two 30-minute pre-exercise conditions: an MF condition (Stroop Color-Word task) and a control condition (watching a documentary) prior to their performance of 20 minutes of aerobic treadmill exercise at 40–59% of heart rate reserve. The minimum washout interval between conditions was two days. Perceived MF and motivation to perform physical exercise were assessed before and after conditions with a visual analog scale of 100 mm. We assessed participants’ affective and exertion responses with the Feeling Scale, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and heart rate during every two minutes of physical exercise. Implicit attitudes toward physical exercise were assessed by the Implicit Association Test before the MF and control conditions and after the physical exercise session. The participants in the MF condition reported lower pleasure ( M difference = −1.57, 95% CI = −2.64 to −0.50, d = 0.93, p = .008) and higher exertion (RPE) ( M difference = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.04 to 2.27, d = 0.66, p = .043) compared to those in the control condition. Participants who experienced MF also reported a more negative implicit attitude toward physical exercise than in the control condition ( β = −0.47, 95% CI= −0.73 to −0.21, d = 1.41, p < .001). While these findings should be cross-validated in subsequent research with a larger and more diverse participant sample, there appears to be value in minimizing pre-exercise mental fatigue to avoid negative MF effects on the exercisers’ affective experience.
The ‘Three RS’ in Malaysia’s Struggle for Constitutional Democracy
Authors: Shah Dian
Published: April 2022

Race, religion and royalty (the Three ‘Rs’) have been salient aspects of Malaysia’s constitutional struggle. These elements have defined the country’s constitutional settlements during the pre-independence constitution-making process, generated constitutional crises and continued to figure into day-to-day governance and constitutional practice. There have been instances where operation of and compromises around the Three Rs have facilitated constitution-building. Yet, more often than not, as this article illustrates, the constellation of these three forces have challenged the building and sustaining of a constitutional democracy. Since the historic political change in May 2018 in particular, the Three Rs have become even more significant in shaping the critical junctures in Malaysia’s constitutional journey. To illuminate a more comprehensive understanding of the role of race, religion and royalty in Malaysia’s struggle for constitutional democracy, this article explains how these elements have defined (and continued to define) controversies relating to the distribution of political power and the protection of fundamental rights. Fundamentally, these aspects implicate checks and balances and constraints on political power. This article also demonstrates the ways in which the struggle for constitutional democracy implicates a range of actors and interests: aside from individual citizens, there are the monarchy, the elected government, the courts and group (ethnic) interests. This article then draws on institutional and political explanations in accounting for Malaysia’s constitutional struggle. In particular, aside from changing political fundamentals, it argues that the Constitution provides the opportunity structure and institutional resources for the Three Rs to shape Malaysia's struggle for constitutional democracy.
Mapuche Transitions from Education to Work: Vulnerable Transitions and Unequal Outcomes
Authors: Castillo Javier , Webb Andrew , Biehl Andrés
Published: April 2022

This article investigates vulnerabilities in transitions from secondary and tertiary education to work among the indigenous Mapuche youth in Chile. The study draws from a 2014 social survey and qualitative in-depth interviews of indigenous students in secondary and higher education focused on the magnitude of accumulative disadvantages and the decision processes involved in their choice of future life-paths. Despite socioeconomic convergence with the non-Mapuche population, the results reveal the importance of urban economic conditions and previous educational disadvantages in shaping the aspirations of Mapuche youth.
Causal association pathways between fetuin-A and kidney function: a mediation analysis
Authors: Bassey Philip Etabee , Numthavaj Pawin , Rattanasiri Sasivimol , Sritara Piyamitr , McEvoy Mark , Ongphiphadhanakul Boonsong , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: April 2022

Objective

Body mass index (BMI), uric acid, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are risk factors for reduced kidney function and are associated with fetuin-A levels, but their causal pathways remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate this knowledge gap.

Methods

A repeated cross-sectional design was used to assess causal pathway effects of fetuin-A on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is mediated through BMI, uric acid, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

Results

Among 2305 participants, the mean eGFR at baseline decreased from 98.7 ± 23.6 mL/minute/1.73 m2 in 2009 to 92.4 ± 22.9 mL/minute/1.73 m2 in 2014. Fetuin-A was significantly associated with eGFR , suggesting that increasing fetuin-A levels predict a decrease in eGFR. Additionally, the indirect effect of fetuin-A on eGFR, as assessed through BMI, was also significant. The effects of fetuin-A on eGFR through other mediation pathways showed variable results.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a possible role of fetuin-A in the etiology of declining renal function through mediating body mass index, uric acid, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension via complex causal pathways. Further studies to clarify these mediated effects are recommended.
Offending Trajectories in Violent Offenders: Criminal History and Early Life Risk Factors
Authors: Tärnhäll André , Björk Jonas , Wallinius Märta , Gustafsson Peik , Hofvander Björn
Published: April 2022

The understanding of offending, and thus its possible prevention, is expanded through longitudinal studies on criminal trajectories depicting early life risk factors. This longitudinal study aimed to explore criminal trajectories, criminal histories, and early life risk factors in a cohort of violent offenders. A Swedish nationally representative cohort of male violent offenders ( n = 266), clinically assessed while imprisoned aged 18 to 25, was followed through national registers from age 15 to 25–34. Substantial differences in criminal histories between violent offenders and a matched comparison group ( n = 10,000) were demonstrated. Five trajectory groups were identified: four persisting and one desisting. Although differences were observed between persisting trajectory groups, a higher prevalence of early life risk factors was generally displayed compared to the desisting, especially in conduct problems and experiences of out-of-home placements. Neurocognitive ability and prevalence of ADHD and autism were similar across trajectories. Severe early life risks highlight the population’s need for early interventions.
The relationship between Motivation for Occupation and Pattern of Occupation scores of the MOHOST and types of discharge placement from a mental health rehabilitation unit
Authors: Wisniewski Victoria , Akintomide Gbolagade S
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Model of Human and Occupational Screening Tool (MOHOST) is a scale used to assess occupational functioning in mental health inpatients which can inform suitable post-discharge placements. However, there is little research on the relationship between scores on Motivation for Occupation (MO) and Pattern of Occupation (PO) subscales of the MOHOST and types of discharge placement.

Method

The records of all patients discharged over a 2-year period from a male psychiatric rehabilitation unit were examined. All patients had undergone MOHOST assessments; however, these scores were not a factor in their discharge placement selection. Analyses were done on types of discharge placements (transfer to another psychiatric unit or community discharge) versus predischarge scores in MO and PO of MOHOST.

Results

N = 20 and average length of stay was 23 months. There was positive correlation between MO and PO scores and discharge placements (rs = 0.66, p = 0.002; rs = 0.67 and p = 0.001, respectively). Using ordinal logistic regression, for each unit increase of negative score in PO, there was 0.68 increase in the log odds of more restrictive discharge placements, p = 0.008.

Conclusion

The study suggests that MOHOST is a useful tool in determining suitable placements for patients being discharged or transferred from psychiatric rehabilitation units.
Signature involved in immune-related lncRNA pairs for predicting the immune landscape of cervical cancer
Authors: Liu Xueting , Wang Zhao , Wang Le , Wang Ying , Wang Yuan , Yang Shanshan , Zhang Yunyan
Published: April 2022

Background

Immune-related long non-coding RNAs (irlncRNAs) are known to hold great promise as superior biomarkers for cervical cancer-related immunotherapeutic response and the tumor immune microenvironment. Here, we constructed a prognostic signature based on irlncRNA pairs (IRLPs).

Methods

The samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Genotype-Tissue Expression databases. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression was performed to construct the prognostic model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and nomogram were plotted to validate accuracy of the model. Next, we estimated the immune cell infiltration and the correlation between risk score and the expression of genes related to immune checkpoint. Finally, we calculated the score of the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithm and the half maximal inhibitory concentration of the chemotherapeutic agent to evaluate the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

Results

We constructed a prognostic signature that consisted of 11 irlncRNAs. The area under the curve values of the 1-, 3-, and 5-year ROC curves were 0.844, 0.891, and 0.871, respectively. The expression of CTLA-4, HAVCR2, IDO1, LAG3, and PDCD1 were negatively correlated with risk scores. The score of TIDE in the high-risk group was significantly higher than in the low-risk group ( P < 0.01). Patients in the low-risk subgroup were more sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents, such as axitinib and docetaxel, whereas patients in the low-risk subgroup were more sensitive to mitomycin C.

Conclusion

Our study highlighted the value of the 11 IRLPs signatures to predict the prognosis and the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapeutics for patients with cervical cancer.
The Role of the Media in the Fear of Crime: A Qualitative Study in the Portuguese Context
Authors: Silva Cynthia , Guedes Inês
Published: April 2022

The present study, using a Portuguese sample, is aimed at understanding how the media shapes the fear of crime experiences. Concretely, we explored how individuals interpret the content transmitted by the media and how these perceptions influence the fear of crime contextually situated. It was also our aim to explore if the area of residence (rural and urban), as well as certain sociodemographic characteristics (such as gender), were important in the way meanings are attributed to the media in experiences of insecurity. In total, 20 semi-structured interviews were undertaken (n = 12 women; 13 from rural areas and 7 from urban areas). Among the relevant results found in the present study, one of the conclusions we can highlight is that it is not possible to establish a clear relationship between media consumption and insecurity feelings. Indeed, media do not totally shape the fear of crime experiences, as a panoply of meanings has emerged, which makes their influence differential. Thus, aspects such as the sensationalism, the location of the reported crime, the realism of the news and the proximity to the event are examples of factors that emerged with great relevance in this investigation. In short, this study allowed the authors to reach a depth and diversity of meanings of insecurity, through several approaches that were the basis for their understanding and confirms the relevance of studying this theme from experiences and discourses using qualitative research.
Chitosan-platelet-rich plasma implants improve rotator cuff repair in a large animal model: Pilot study
Authors: Chevrier Anik , Hurtig Mark B , Lavertu Marc
Published: April 2022

Freeze-dried formulations of chitosan can be solubilized in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to form injectable implants that are used as an adjunct treatment during surgical repair of the rotator cuff. The purpose of the current study was to assess chitosan-PRP implant residency, test safety, and assess efficacy over standard-of-care controls in a sheep model of rotator cuff repair. The infraspinatus tendon was transected unilaterally and immediately repaired with suture anchors in 22 skeletally mature ewes. In treatment groups, formulations containing chitosan, trehalose, and calcium chloride were solubilized with autologous leukocyte-rich PRP and injected at the tendon-bone interface and on top of the repaired site (1 mL or 2 mL doses). Implant residency was assessed histologically at 1 day. Outcome measures included MRI assessment at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, histopathology and clinical pathology. Chitosan-PRP implants were resident at the injection site at 1 day and induced recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells. The tendon gap, which corresponds to the length of abnormally hyperintense tissue attached to the humeral head, was decreased by treatment with the 2 mL dose when compared to controls at 12 weeks on MRI images. Some histological features were improved by the 2 mL dose treatment compared to controls at 12 weeks. There was no treatment-specific effect on all standard safety outcome measures, which suggests high safety. This study provides preliminary evidence on the safety and efficacy of chitosan-PRP implants in a large animal model that could potentially be translated to a clinical setting.
Nondestructive testing of rails using nonlinear Rayleigh waves
Authors: Masurkar Faeez , Yelve Nitesh P , Tse Peter
Published: April 2022

The present research focuses on evaluating the dislocation-induced material nonlinearity in rails caused by falling of parapets or large rocks during an earthquake or land-slide and consequently appraising their health status using an amplitude-based nonlinear parameter based on Rayleigh wave propagation. The falling of parapets or large rocks onto the rail is simulated through a laboratory experiment. Several cases are considered here with impacts of varying intensities to demonstrate the capability of the nonlinear parameter in diagnosing such damages in the rails. It is found that for a pristine specimen, the first peak of the amplitude-based nonlinear parameter matches well with the physics-based nonlinear parameter, whereas there is a considerable deviation between the two for the specimen with impact damage. Moreover, the linear ultrasonic parameter is also evaluated for different states of damage for studying its effectiveness in diagnosing impact damages in rails. The results reveal that the nonlinear ultrasonic-based method proposed here is very sensitive and helps characterize the health status of the rails in a baseline-free manner.
Fires of resistance in Algerian discourse: A genealogy of a trope
Authors: Austin Guy , McKinnie Gemma
Published: April 2022

This article takes as its starting point the use of fire as a political metaphor by Algerians who participated in the Screening Violence research project; it emerged in these discussions as a trope of struggle and conflict in Algeria. In part, this political imaginary has been influenced by France, where fire has historically represented freedom and resistance to unjust powers. However, this inheritance has not been received passively in Algeria, and its irony in a colonial context contributes to a complex relationship with tropes of resistance in Algerian cultural and social discourse. We therefore trace a genealogy of the trope of fire which acknowledges the inevitable and significant contribution of the French political imaginary to the Algerian, but which also recognises the distinct cultural modes of resistance taken up by Algerian artists and political activists themselves, from the Algerian Revolution of 1954 to the Hirak protests of 2019.
Funding Research in Africa: Landscapes of Re-institutionalisation
Authors: Arvanitis Rigas , Mouton Johann , Néron Adeline
Published: April 2022

This article begins with an overview of recent and current trends in scientific output in Africa. The focus is on how global dynamics and foreign funding support are directly affecting structural aspects of scientific research. It examines the fundamental role of foreign programmes and new forms of academic cooperation in African science. This includes a discussion of multilateral or transcontinental agreements and local universities, the role of private philanthropy and public institutions, trends in domestic expenditure on research and innovation, and how these are linked to the recent positive upturn in scientific production in many African countries.
Central Bank Independence, Inflation, and Poverty in Africa
Authors: Gyeke-Dako Agyapomaa , Agbloyor Elikplimi Komla , Agoba Abel Mawuko , Turkson Festus , Abbey Emmanuel
Published: April 2022

This article discusses the extent to which central bank independence (CBI) can be used to mitigate the regressive nature of inflation. Using 44 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from the period 1970–2012, the article first examines whether CBI has any influence on inflation by distinguishing between legal independence and governor turnover rates. The evidence shows that CBI helps control inflation, and that inflation generally reduces poverty, and this effect is even stronger, in an environment of low CBI.

JEL Codes: E02, E58, E31, I32