bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dwelling in epistemic disobedience: A reply to Go
Authors: Meghji Ali
Published: December 2022

In Thinking Against Empire: Anticolonial Thought as Social Theory, Julian Go continues his vital work on rethinking and redirecting the discipline of sociology. Go’s piece relates to his wider oeuvre of postcolonial sociology – found in works such as his Postcolonial Thought and Social Theory (2016) as well as multiple journal articles on epistemic exclusion (Go 2020), Southern theory (Go 2016), metrocentrism (Go 2014), and the history of sociology (Go 2009). In this response article, my aim is to think alongside some of the central themes outlined in Go’s paper rather than offering a rebuttal of any sorts. In particular, I want to think through how the recent work on ‘decoloniality’ may play more of a central role in Go’s vision of sociology and social theory than he acknowledges. In doing so, I hope to engage in Go’s prodigious scholarship through centering discussions of the geopolitics of knowledge, double translation, and border thinking. Before proceeding to this discussion, I will offer a brief review of my reading of Go’s paper.
A social identity perspective on interoperability in the emergency services: Emergency responders' experiences of multiagency working during the COVID‐19 response in the UK
Authors: Davidson Louise , Carter Holly , Amlôt Richard , Drury John , Haslam S. Alexander , Radburn Matthew , Stott Clifford
Published: December 2022

Recent research has shown that multiagency emergency response is beset by a range of challenges, calling for a greater understanding of the way in which these teams work together to improve future multiagency working. Social psychological research shows that a shared identity within a group can improve the way in which that group works together and can facilitate effective outcomes. In the present study, 52 semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 strategic and/or tactical responders during the COVID‐19 pandemic to understand the possible role of shared identity in the multiagency response to COVID‐19 and whether this was linked to factors that facilitated or challenged interoperability. Findings show evidence of a shared identity at a horizontal intergroup level among responders locally. However, there was limited evidence for a shared identity at the vertical intergroup level between local and national responders. Three key factors linked to shared identity appeared to contribute to effective multiagency working. First, pre‐existing relationships with other responders facilitated the ease with which responders were able to work together initially. Second, a sense of ‘common fate’ helped bring responders together, and finally, group leaders were able to strategically reinforce a sense of shared identity within the group.
Multi‐center experience in an optimized right upper lobectomy surgical procedure in China
Authors: Mei Long‐Yong , Liu Wen‐Zhou , Xiu Yu‐Chi , Tao Shao‐Lin , Feng Yong‐Geng , Tan Qun‐You , Xu Shi‐Guang , Xian Lei , Deng Bo
Published: December 2022

Background

This multi‐center study was aimed at retrospectively evaluating the feasibility, safety, clinical outcomes, and surgical learning curve of an optimized procedure for right upper lobectomy (RUL), which is challenging because of the anatomical structures and features of this lobe.

Methods

This study included 45 RUL cases of robot‐assisted thoracoscopy (RATS) in a pilot cohort and 187 RUL cases of video‐assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) in three cohorts. A total of 121 and 111 patients underwent traditional and optimized RUL, respectively. The optimized surgical procedure was performed to consecutively transect the superior arterial trunk and bronchus, and finally disconnect the pulmonary vein and posterior ascending artery with interlobar fissures. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

Optimized RUL can be performed successfully by RATS or VATS. The optimized procedure yielded better clinical outcomes than the traditional procedure, including shorter operation times, less blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospital times, lower costs, and a lower likelihood of postoperative intermedius bronchial kinking. Additionally, for calcified interlobar lymph nodes, the optimized VATS group was less likely to be converted to thoracotomy than the traditional group. The skills required to perform optimized VATS RUL can be gained by surgeons after 12 to 15 cases. The two RUL procedures in the pilot cohort showed similar disease‐free survival.

Conclusions

The optimized RUL was safe, economical, and feasible, with a short learning curve and satisfactory disease‐free survival.
The association between adverse childhood experiences and treatment response for adults with alcohol and other drug use disorders
Authors: Borgert Benjamin , Morrison Deborah G. , Rung Jillian M. , Hunt Jason , Teitelbaum Scott , Merlo Lisa J.
Published: December 2022

Background and Objectives

Adverse events during childhood increase the risk for the development of substance use disorders (SUDs). This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and SUD treatment response.

Methods

This cohort analysis included data from longitudinal clinical assessments extracted from the records of 438 consenting individuals undergoing SUD treatment (63% male; 88.8% White). Mixed effects models evaluated the relationship between scores on the ACE questionnaire and indicators of treatment response (i.e., alcohol and drug abstinence self‐efficacy; symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder) for individuals with alcohol‐related (n = 332) and other drug‐related (n = 275) diagnoses, with some participants included in both groups.

Results

Treatment response varied as a function of ACEs, with the magnitude of differences varying across time in treatment. Relative to those with no ACE history, those who experienced ≥2 ACEs reported worse depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol/drug abstinence self‐efficacy at baseline, with many differences remaining at the 30‐day assessment. All differences abated by discharge, with the exception of PTSD symptoms among those in the drug use group with a history of ≥4 ACEs. Male gender and older age were generally associated with lower symptomology and higher abstinence self‐efficacy.

Discussion and Conclusions

Assessing ACE history early in SUD treatment may improve treatment planning and prognosis. Future studies should evaluate the role of trauma‐informed programming and individual interventions to improve treatment response.

Scientific Significance

This study demonstrates the association between adverse childhood experiences and symptom severity among patients across participation in SUD treatment.
Scalp metastasis of pulmonary blastoma—a rare entity: Cytomorphology with differential diagnoses
Authors: Shastri Malvika , Kundu Reetu
Published: December 2022

Background

Pulmonary blastomas are exceptionally rare tumours. These tumours behave aggressively, with a propensity to metastasise to the brain and mediastinum. A definitive diagnosis of pulmonary blastoma is challenging to obtain on cytomorphology alone.

Case Report

We herein describe a case of a 59‐year‐old female who presented with a scalp lesion. The patient was diagnosed to have pulmonary blastoma on histopathology of left lower lobectomy specimen. Fine needle aspiration cytology was done from this recently developed scalp swelling. Cytomorphology supplemented with immunocytochemistry on cell block confirmed the diagnosis of a metastatic pulmonary blastoma.

Conclusions

In a known case of primary pulmonary blastoma, any newly developing lesion at any anatomical site should be carefully evaluated for metastasis. If metastasis is needled and no previous histology is available, it carries a reasonable risk of erroneous interpretation. It is essential not to overlook often subtle biphasic malignant cells on the smears, which otherwise resemble other poorly differentiated tumours. Immunocytochemistry coupled with morphology is confirmatory.
Seeking contact: British horsemanship and stances toward knowing and being known by (Animal) others
Authors: McVey Rosie Jones
Published: December 2022

What is it like to know and be known by other creatures? And when do people place ethical importance on knowing or being known by other creatures in particular ways? This article brings ethnography of British equestrianism into dialogue with anthropological inquiries into the cultural variability of intersubjective understanding. I will show that riders’ desire for authentic mutual understanding with horses is part of their critical relationship with the concept of representation. At the same time, riders’ efforts to improve their perceptual “feel” in fact reinvigorate their requirement for a representational model of mind and a skepticism about their senses. To do justice to the distinctive experience of other‐mindedness that this brings about, I will argue that comparisons between the knowability of minds in different cultural contexts are best forged in terms of varied stances toward intersubjectivity, rather than in terms of varied ethical expressions of underlying universal intersubjective states.
“I feel terrible and need to exercise to find any sort of joy”: What COVID stay‐at‐home orders tell us about exercise as vitality politics and entertainment in the United States
Authors: Hejtmanek Katie Rose , Ocobock Cara
Published: December 2022

During COVID‐19 stay‐at‐home orders (SaHOs), people faced drastic shifts in their work and home lives. These shifts, in combination with the temporary closure of gyms and fitness centers, led to exercise‐routine disruption. We conducted a survey to assess how people were affected by SaHOs in terms of exercise‐routine change, feelings about exercise, perceived physical and mental health, as well as exercise‐routine plans once SaHOs were lifted. In this article, we examine why affluent white American women exercised before and during COVID‐19 SaHOs. The article focuses on the role of pleasure and entertainment as key components of exercise practices for these women. We found that changes in motivation reveal that exercise regimens are part of contemporary vitality politics, or current cultural and subjective desires and abilities to manipulate and optimize biological human processes, that include both health and entertainment. Therefore, we argue that exercise is a meaningful cultural, entertainment, and biopolitical activity.
Carbon pump dynamics and limited organic carbon burial during OAE1a
Authors: Bauer Kohen W. , McKenzie N. Ryan , Bottini Cinzia , Erba Elisabetta , Crowe Sean A.
Published: December 2022

Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) are conspicuous intervals in the geologic record that are associated with the deposition of organic carbon (OC)‐rich marine sediment, linked to extreme biogeochemical perturbations, and characterized by widespread ocean deoxygenation. Mechanistic links between the marine biological carbon pump (BCP), redox conditions, and organic carbon burial during OAEs, however, remain poorly constrained. In this work we reconstructed the BCP in the western Tethys Ocean across OAE1a (~120 Mya) using sediment geochemistry and OC mass accumulation rates (OCAcc). We find that OCAcc were between 0.006 and 3.3 gC m−2 yr−1, with a mean value of 0.79 ± 0.78 SD gC m−2 yr−1—these rates are low and comparable to oligotrophic regions in the modern oceans. This challenges longstanding assumptions that oceanic anoxic events are intervals of strongly elevated organic carbon burial. Numerical modelling of the BCP, furthermore, reveals that such low OC fluxes are only possible with either or both low to moderate OC export fluxes from ocean surface waters, with rates similar to oligotrophic (nutrient‐poor, <30 gC m−2 yr−1) and mesotrophic (moderate‐nutrients, ~50–100 gC m−2 yr−1) regions in the modern ocean, and stronger than modern vertical OC attenuation. The low OC fluxes thus reflect a relatively weak BCP. Low to moderate productivity is further supported by palaeoecological and geochemical evidence and was likely maintained through nutrient limitation that developed in response to the burial and sequestration of phosphorus in association with iron minerals under ferruginous (anoxic iron‐rich) ocean conditions. Without persistently high productivity, ocean deoxygenation during OAE1a was more likely driven by other physicochemical and biological factors including ocean warming, changes in marine primary producer community composition, and fundamental shifts in the efficiency of the BCP with associated effects and feedbacks.
Multiple sulphur isotope record of Paleoarchean sedimentary rocks across the Onverwacht Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa
Authors: Grosch Eugene G. , McLoughlin Nicola , Whitehouse Martin
Published: December 2022

This study presents multiple sulphur isotope (32S, 33S, 34S, 36S) data on pyrites from silicified volcano‐sedimentary rocks of the Paleoarchean Onverwacht Group of the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa. These rocks include seafloor cherts and felsic conglomerates that were deposited in shallow marine environments preserving a record of atmospheric and biogeochemical conditions on the early Earth. A strong variation in mass independent sulphur isotope fractionation (MIF‐S) anomalies is found in the cherts, with Δ33S ranging between −0.26‰ and 3.42‰. We explore possible depositional and preservational factors that could explain some of this variation seen in MIF‐S. Evidence for microbial activity is recorded by the c. 3.45 Ga Hooggenoeg Formation Chert (HC4) preserving a contribution of microbial sulphate reduction (−Δ33S and –δ34S), and a c. 3.33 Ga Kromberg Formation Chert (KC5) recording a possible contribution of microbial elemental sulphur disproportionation (+Δ33S and –δ34S). Pyrites from a rhyo‐dacitic conglomerate of the Noisy Formation do not plot along a previously proposed global Felsic Volcanic Array, and this excludes short‐lived pulses of intense felsic volcanic gas emissions as the dominant control on Archean MIF‐S. Rather, we suggest that the MIF‐S signals measured reflect dilution during marine deposition, early diagenetic modification, and mixing with volcanic/hydrothermal S sources. Given the expanded stratigraphic interval (3.47–3.22 Ga) now sampled from across the Barberton Supergroup, we conclude that large MIF‐S exceeding >4‰ is atypical of Paleoarchean near‐surface environments on the Kaapvaal Craton.
Comparison of an online versus conventional multidisciplinary collaborative weight loss programme in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Han Yun , Ye Xinhua , Li Xiaona , Yang Ping , Wu Yan , Chen Liye , Wu Haili , He Wenxia
Published: December 2022

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an online multidisciplinary weight loss management programme.

Methods

Between July 2016 and July 2017 this randomized controlled trial recruited patients in Nanjing, China who were living with type 2 diabetes mellitus and who were obese or overweight and randomized them to online versus conventional groups. All participants were managed by a multidisciplinary team. The experimental group was managed using the Why Wait WeChat Platform for Weight Reduction Management.

Results

There were 55 and 52 participants in the online and conventional groups, respectively. The decreases in fasting blood glucose (−4.26 vs. −2.99 mmol/L), 2‐h postprandial blood glucose (−4.48 vs. −2.68 mmol/L) and glycated haemoglobin (−22.11 vs. −6.21 mmol/mol) were more pronounced in the online compared to conventional group (all P < 0.05). After the intervention, self‐management ability parameters, including diet control, foot care and total score, were improved in the online group compared with the conventional group, as well as all indexes of quality of life (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The online multidisciplinary weight loss management programme improved blood glucose in obese or overweight patients living with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Self‐management ability parameters (including diet control, foot care and total score) and quality of life were improved in the online group compared with the conventional group.
Workforce challenges across Victorian medical oncology services
Authors: Collins Ian M. , Blum Rob , Segelov Eva , Parente Phillip , Underhill Craig
Published: December 2022

Background

Cancer incidence is growing, with increasing treatment options and durations. This has led to an increase workload on the current oncology workforce. The global pandemic has increased this pressure further.

Aims

To determine the current medical oncology workforce in Victoria, current shortfalls and future anticipated shortfalls beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

A self‐reported, cross‐sectional observational study of all current adult Victorian cancer services in June 2020 examining workforce, workload and early effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Results

The current average workload of 242 new patients per full‐time equivalent consultant in medical oncology across Victoria. This is higher than optimal to deliver a safe and efficient cancer service. The significant variation in workforce between sites highlights the areas in need of most urgent resource allocation. Use of safe prescribing practises such as electronic chemotherapy prescribing are not universal but urgently needed.

Conclusions

The medical oncology workforce in Victoria is inadequate to meet current and future demands. This needs to be addressed urgently to avoid an adverse impact on cancer measures and quality standards. Better, standardised data collection is needed to allow for ongoing measures of workforce activity. Novel workforce solutions will also need to be implemented in the short and medium term in the face of global workforce shortages.
The physical health nurse consultant and mental health consumer: An important therapeutic partnership
Authors: Tabvuma Tracy , Stanton Robert , Happell Brenda
Published: December 2022

People diagnosed with mental illness (hereon referred to as consumers) experience a disproportionately lower life expectancy of up 30 years compared to the general population. Systemic issues such as diagnostic overshadowing and stigma from healthcare professionals have inhibited the development of positive therapeutic partnerships that enable consumers to seek and engage support for their physical health concerns. Consumers have called for healthcare professionals to skillfully develop and prioritize therapeutic partnerships whilst coordinating and providing physical healthcare. The aim of this qualitative descriptive research was to explore consumer views and experiences of their interactions with a specialist mental health nursing role, the Physical Health Nurse Consultant. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 consumers from a large public Community Mental Health Service in the Australian Capital Territory. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Therapeutic partnerships were an overarching theme identified from the data and included three sub‐themes: personal attributes of the Physical Health Nurse Consultant; behaviour change engagement strategies; and impact of the therapeutic partnership. Consumers described the personal and professional attributes of the Physical Health Nurse Consultant that enabled the establishment and maintenance of their highly valued therapeutic partnership. This therapeutic partnership was perceived to positively impact their personal and clinical outcomes. With increasing support from consumers, clinical practice settings should move towards embedding a Physical Health Nurse Consultant role in routine practice. Further research exploring the co‐development of health behaviour change goals and, barriers and facilitators experienced by the consumers regarding the Physical Health Nurse Consultant is required to further role development.
Ancient vicariance is reinforced by adaptive divergence in the southern beech: Contributions from geogenomics
Authors: Fasanella Mariana , Mathiasen Paula , Juri Gabriela , Díaz Dayana G. , Hasbún Rodrigo , Premoli Andrea C.
Published: December 2022

Aim

Geogenomics seeks to understand geological processes linked to lineage divergence. However, the mechanisms that conserve ancient signals in spite of gene flow are still unclear. In the southern beech, the deep lineage divergence produced by vicariant events is associated with ancient marine transgressions. We hereby evaluate the hypothesis that this divergence is maintained by diversifying selection.

Location

Southern Argentina and Chile.

Taxon

Nothofagus dombeyi.

Methods

The lineage divergence by means of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), principal coordinate analysis, assignment tests and multiple matrix regression analyses were assessed using chloroplast DNA and neutral and outlier single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Several environmental variables were used to characterize potential within‐species niche structuring and genotype–environment associations.

Results

Two deep‐rooted latitudinally structured lineages resulted from cpDNA, the northern cluster being more genetically diverse than the southern one. Of the total of 2943 SNPs, 33 identified as outliers and produced two genetic clusters. Neutral SNPs yielded no structure by AMOVA, whereas higher (>75%) FST values were obtained for cpDNA and outlier SNPs. Precipitation variables were mostly associated with population clusters and suggested two climatic niches, consisting of cold and dry in the south and more variable precipitation, temperature and soil conditions in the north. Associations of genetic distance with environment and geography suggested isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐ecology or isolation‐by‐environment effects.

Main conclusions

Ancient lineage divergence in N. dombeyi, originally driven by vicariance, has been maintained by diversifying selection under distinct environmental conditions that also define distinct within‐species niches. Deeply rooted phylogeographical breaks can be conserved in continuously distributed species in the absence of current geographical barriers. Yet, physical gradients exert differential selective pressures, which are maintained in the face of potential gene flow. As a result, selection can lead to geographically localized and differentially adapted groups of populations that can be detected by a combination of traditional phylogeographical and novel genomic methods.
Modifying enzyme replacement therapy – A perspective
Authors: Schaible Philipp
Published: December 2022

Several diseases are caused by the lack of functional proteins, including lysosomal storage diseases or haemophilia A and B. Patients suffering from one of these diseases are treated via enzyme replacement therapies to restore the missing protein. Although this treatment strategy prevents some disease symptoms, enzyme replacement therapies are very expensive and require very frequent infusions, which can cause infusion adverse reactions and massively impair the quality of life of the patients. This review proposes a technology to sustainably produce proteins within the patient to potentially make frequent protein‐infusions redundant. This technology is based on blood circulating immune cells as producers of the needed therapeutic protein. To ensure a stable protein concentration over time the cells are equipped with a system, which induces cell proliferation when low therapeutic protein levels are detected and a system inhibiting cell proliferation when high therapeutic protein levels are detected.
Leadership and cooperation in growing teams
Authors: Eisenkopf Gerald , Kölpin Torben
Published: December 2022

We study how the growth of teams affects leadership effectiveness and intragroup cooperation. We put experimental participants in two teams. In each team, the members voluntarily contribute to a club good. In one of the two teams, the members observe the contribution of a randomly chosen leader before they decide themselves. Two treatments allow for migration between the teams. In one of them, participants control access to their team with a voting process. By design, participants can achieve the efficient outcome only if they all move into one team. We compare the results with a leaderless setting as well as with four treatments which vary team size exogenously. The results show that high contributions of leaders encourage higher per‐capita contributions of their followers which foster migration into their teams. In turn, larger teams experience even more courageous leadership and higher contributions, but the coordination effect diminishes. Nevertheless, the dismissal of potential newcomers in the treatment with voting suggests that team members see a trade‐off between team size and contributions. They sacrifice economic benefits from potential entrants to maintain intrateam cooperation.
Across the highest mountain on earth: discordant phylogeographic patterns and recent dispersal of Tibetan stone loaches (Triplophysa) in the Himalayas
Authors: Hu Jiaxin , Zhao Jie , Sui Xiaoyun , Zhu Ren , He Dekui
Published: December 2022

Phylogeographic congruence among co‐distributed taxa is regarded as an inherent inference to vicariance events. Nonetheless, incongruent patterns of contemporary lineage divergence among taxa indicated that species differ in their response to common past events. To investigate the role of past events, ecological traits and lineage diversification time in shaping the contemporary phylogeographic patterns, comparative analyses were conducted for Tibetan stone loaches in the Himalayas using three gene markers and two ecological traits (depth of caudal peduncle in their length and presence/absence of posterior chamber of the air bladder). By a thorough sampling in two flanks of the Himalayas, the authors detected that phylogenetic breaks were spatially discordant and divergences of populations were also temporally asynchronous in co‐distributed loaches. Estimated divergence time using fossil‐calibrated node dating indicated that the Tibetan stone loaches colonised into the south flank of the Himalayas until the Pleistocene. The demographic expansions were also disconcerted between populations in north and south flanks, or east and west Himalayas. Ongoing gene flows between populations in north and south sides implied that the Himalayas do not strictly impede dispersal of cold‐adapted species. The results highlight that the quaternary climatic oscillation, in conjunction with ecological traits and lineage diversification time, shaped contemporary phylogenetic patterns of stone loaches in the Himalayas and provide new insights into the biodiversity and composition of species in the Himalayas and surrounding region.
Jaboticaba powders production by freeze‐drying: Influence of octenyl succinic anhydride‐modified starch concentrations over anthocyanins and physical properties
Authors: da Silva Moura Milena , da Silva Gomes da Costa Beatriz , Giaconia Michele Amendoeira , de Andrade Rafael Ramos , Braga Anna Rafaela Cavalcante , Braga Matheus Boeira
Published: December 2022

This research aimed to evaluate the influence of the modified starch with octenyl succinic anhydride (MS) on anthocyanins content and the physical properties of the jaboticaba peel freeze‐dried powders. The formulations were obtained by mixtures of jaboticaba peel pulp and different MS content (10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%, w/w). The powders were characterized by physical properties, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy using the Fourier transform (FTIR), and anthocyanins content and retention by HPLC‐DAD. DSC analysis showed an increase in the glass transition temperature of the powders with an increase in the MS content (from −10.26°C to 53.40°C). Three anthocyanins were identified and quantified: delphinidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside (main anthocyanin present in the samples), and peonidin‐3‐O‐glucoside. The retention of anthocyanins increased significantly with increasing MS content (from 18.0% to 58.0%). Overall, a positive effect of the MS content in the physical and physical–chemical characteristics of jaboticaba peel pulp powders could be observed.
Analysis of 3D elemental distribution in nanomaterials: Towards higher throughput and dose efficiency
Authors: Skorikov Alexander , Batenburg Kees Joost , Bals Sara
Published: December 2022

Many advanced nanomaterials rely on carefully designed morphology and elemental distribution to achieve their functionalities. Among the few experimental techniques that can directly visualise the 3D elemental distribution on the nanoscale are approaches based on electron tomography in combination with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Unfortunately, these highly informative methods are severely limited by the fundamentally low signal‐to‐noise ratio, which makes long experimental times and high electron irradiation doses necessary to obtain reliable 3D reconstructions. Addressing these limitations has been the major research question for the development of these techniques in recent years. This short review outlines the latest progress on the methods to reduce experimental time and electron irradiation dose requirements for 3D elemental distribution analysis and gives an outlook on the development of this field in the near future.
Bolstering the rural physician workforce in underserved communities: Are Rural Residency Planning and Development Programs finding the sweet spot?
Authors: Fraher Erin , Page Cristen P. , Hawes Emily M. , Galloway Evan , Pathak Shweta , Tomola Lauren , Holmes George M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Programs, compare the characteristics of counties with and without RRPD programs, and identify rural places where future RRPD programs could be developed.

Methods

The study sample comprised 67 rural sites training residents in 40 counties in 24 US states. Descriptive statistics were used to describe RRPD programs and logistic regression to predict the probability of a county being an RRPD site as a function of population, primary care physicians (PCP) per 10,000 population, and the social vulnerability index (SVI) compared to a control sample of nonmetro counties without RRPD sites.

Findings

Most RRPD grantees (78%) were family medicine programs affiliated with medical schools (97%). RRPD counties were more populous (P<.01), had a higher population density (P<.05), and a higher percent of the non‐White or Hispanic population (P = .05) compared to non‐RRPD counties. Both higher population (P<.001) and PCP ratio (P = .046) were strong predictors, while SVI (P = .07) was a weak predictor of being an RRPD county.

Conclusions

RRPD sites appear to represent a “sweet spot” of rural counties that have the population and physician supply to support a training program but also are relatively more socially vulnerable with high‐need populations. Additional counties fitting this “sweet spot” could be targeted for funding to address health disparities and health workforce maldistribution.
Periodic leg movements during sleep and iron status in infants with prematurity, Down syndrome and Prader–Willi syndrome
Authors: DelRosso Lourdes M. , Mindell Jodi , Bruni Oliviero , Mogavero Maria P. , Ferri Raffaele
Published: December 2022

Sleep disturbances including bedtime problems and night awakenings are common during infancy. Polysomnography during the first years of life is performed mainly to rule out sleep‐disordered breathing; however, sleep‐related movement disorders can constitute a significant contributor to sleep disruption in this age group. Almost no studies have investigated the presence of periodic limb movements during sleep and underlying iron deficiency in infants, especially in those born preterm or with an underlying genetic syndrome. In this retrospective study we included infants 3–24 months referred for polysomnography for snoring or frequent nocturnal awakenings. All children had bloodwork (ferritin and haemoglobin) conducted within 3 months of the overnight sleep study. We studied 79 infants, including 31 (39.2%) full‐term without diagnosis, 10 (12.7%) born premature, 16 (20.3%) with Down syndrome, 15 (19.0%) with Prader–Willi syndrome, and the remaining seven (8.9%) had various disorders. Compared with those with Down syndrome, Prader–Willi syndrome and full‐term infants, those with prematurity showed a statistically significant elevated periodic limb movement index and lower ferritin levels than the other groups. Both ferritin (r = −0.18) and haemoglobin (r = −0.30) were negatively correlated with periodic limb movement index; however, this correlation reached statistical significance only for haemoglobin. Iron deficiency is associated with increased periodic leg movements during sleep in infants. Infants with prematurity had higher periodic limb movement index and lower ferritin levels than infants with Down syndrome, Prader–Willi syndrome or without diagnosis.
Immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma: How does underlying liver disease influence therapeutic strategy and outcomes?
Authors: Roth Gael S. , Villeret François , Decaens Thomas , Merle Philippe , Nahon Pierre
Published: December 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with up to 90% of HCC cases occurring in the setting of underlying cirrhosis. Therapeutic landscape for advanced HCC has dramatically changed in recent years with the advent of immunotherapy, including several combinations. Data suggest that the surrounding liver milieu may influence tumour response. In addition, different aetiologies of HCC and their effects on the host liver may impact response to immunotherapy. However, to date, guidelines do not take into account this parameter to guide therapeutic selection, and phase III trials are likewise performed in patients irrespective of HCC aetiology. Moreover, most clinical trial data are collected in highly selected patients with preserved liver function (defined as Child‐Pugh class A) and controlled portal hypertension, which does not accurately reflect routine clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the influence of liver disease aetiology on the response to immunotherapy in patients with advanced HCC. We also discuss the safety and efficacy of various immunotherapeutic agents in Child‐Pugh B patients to determine if these treatments are beneficial in this vulnerable patient population.
Left ventricular pacing in the treatment of pediatric cardiac dysfunction caused by idiopathic complete left bundle branch block
Authors: Li Xiaomei , Li Jinghao , Jin Yongqiang , Jiang He , Cui Jian , Zhang Yi , Li Meiting , Zhou Huiming
Published: December 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of transthoracic epicardial dual‐chamber pacemaker implantation in the treatment of cardiac dysfunction caused by idiopathic complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) in children.

Methods

Nine children diagnosed with cardiac dysfunction due to idiopathic CLBBB were included in this study. All patients underwent transthoracic epicardial dual‐chamber pacemaker implantation. Cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography during the follow‐up. Additionally, intraventricular synchronization parameters were assessed using two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).

Results

Nine children (mean age, 3.0 ± 2.6 years) were included in this study. The median follow‐up duration was 2 (interquartile range, 1–3) years. The cardiac function of all patients recovered to normal levels within 1 year postoperatively. The postoperative QRS duration on electrocardiography (142 ± 21 ms) was significantly shorter than that at baseline (106 ± 12 ms) (p < .05). Cardiac dyssynchrony in patients who manifested preoperatively achieved complete correction after pacemaker implantation. The comparison of preoperative and postoperative (last follow‐up visit) synchronization parameters were as follows: longitudinal standard deviation of the time to peak strain, 99.0 ± 41.9 versus 36.8 ± 5.0 ms (p = .004); delay time of peak longitudinal strain, 252.2 ± 131.4 versus 35.0 ± 22.9 ms (p = .002); and longitudinal systolic dyssynchrony index, 2.8 ± 0.8% versus 1.0 ± 0.3% (p = .001), respectively.

Conclusion

Transthoracic epicardial dual‐chamber pacemaker implantation (with left atrial sensing and left ventricular single‐site pacing) can be used for the treatment of cardiac dysfunction caused by idiopathic CLBBB in children.
Serial Cross‐Sectional Observations of Sun‐Protective Behaviors at an Annual Outdoor Motorsport Event in Tropical Queensland, Australia
Authors: Dexter Ben , Smith Annika , King Rachel , Downs Nathan J. , Nikles Catherine Jane , Parisi Alfio V. , Ho Yik‐Hong , Harrison Simone Lee
Published: December 2022

Skin cancer, the most prevalent cancer in Caucasians residing at low latitudes, can primarily be prevented by avoiding overexposure to sunlight. Serial cross‐sectional observations were conducted at an outdoor motorsport event held in Townsville, Queensland each July (Southern winter) to determine whether sun‐protection habits changed over time. Most (71.1%) of the 1337 attendees observed (97.6% lightly pigmented skin, 64.0% male) wore a hat (any style shading the face), while few (18.5%) wore three‐quarter or full‐length sleeves. While hat‐wearing rates (any style) were similar in 2009 (326, 72.6%) and 2013 (625, 70.4%), the use of sun‐protective styles (wide‐brimmed/bucket/legionnaires) decreased from 29.2% to 18.6% over the same period, primarily because the use of sun‐protective hats halved (from 28.7% to 14.0%) among females, while decreasing from 29.4% to 21.1% in males. Although relatively few individuals wore sun‐protective (three‐quarter‐length or full‐length) sleeves regardless of year (OR = 0.117, P < 0.0001), encouragingly, the use of sun‐protective sleeves more than doubled between 2009 (10.5%) and 2013 (22.5%). Interestingly females, albeit the minority, at this sporting event were less likely to wear a hat (OR = 0.473, P < 0.0001) than males. These findings highlight the need for continued momentum toward skin cancer primary prevention through sun protection with a dedicated focus on outdoor sporting settings.
An opinion on BlueCAM an Australian blue carbon method to estimate climate change mitigation benefits of coastal wetland restoration by Lovelock et al. (2022)
Authors: Gallagher John Barry
Published: December 2022

BlueCAM is an Australian coastal wetland restoration methodology for estimating atmospheric warming abatement. However, BlueCAM is incomplete and contains conceptual and formulation errors. Conceptually, sequestration may be understated by not accounting for an increase in animal biomass and baseline ecosystems as heterotrophic carbon sources. Or, more likely, sequestration services are significantly overestimated by not considering: (1) remineralization of allochthonous carbon, supplied from surrounding ecosystems; (2) the subtraction of a notable intrinsically recalcitrant allochthonous carbon fraction; (3) whether baseline ecosystems are autotrophic carbon sinks; and (4) the reduction in air–sea flux during periods of submersion. Erroneously, BlueCAM: (1) implies that any remains of labile allochthonous carbon should be subtracted from stocks, not just the recalcitrant fraction; and (2) does not embed additional warming from CH4 emissions within components of net ecosystem production. Taken together, these errors are likely to greatly overestimate both wetland sequestration and warming abatement services.
Statistics in Times of Increasing Uncertainty
Authors: Richardson Sylvia
Published: December 2022

The statistical community mobilised vigorously from the start of the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, following the RSS's long tradition of offering our expertise to help society tackle important issues that require evidence-based decisions. This address aims to capture the highlights of our collective engagement in the pandemic, and the difficulties faced in delivering statistical design and analysis at pace and in communicating to the wider public the many complex issues that arose. I argue that these challenges gave impetus to fruitful new directions in the merging of statistical principles with constraints of agility, responsiveness and societal responsibilities. The lessons learned from this will strengthen the long-term impact of the discipline and of the Society. The need to evaluate policies even in emergency, and to strive for statistical interoperability in future disease surveillance systems is highlighted. In my final remarks, I look towards the future landscape for statistics in the fast-moving world of data science and outline a strategy of visible and growing engagement of the RSS with the data science ecosystem, building on the central position of statistics.
Do green policies produce green jobs?
Authors: Woods Neal D. , Kang Jiyoon , Lowder Morgan A.
Published: December 2022

Objective

We examine the relationship between clean energy policies and green job growth.

Methods

Using a set of meta‐regression analyses, we assess the green job creation performance of a wide variety of policies in the American states.

Results

Our findings indicate that renewable portfolio standards and public benefit funds are systematically associated with increases in green jobs, although the effects of other policy tools are ambiguous at best. Effect estimates in the existing literature are significantly driven by how the dependent and core independent variables are measured.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings suggest that some policies may be an effective component of an energy‐based economic development strategy, but that for others a more robust evidence base is needed in order to clarify their effects.
Monitoring of sustainable land management using remotely sensed vegetation cover and variable tolerable soil erosion targets across New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Gray Jonathan M. , Leys John F. , Yang Xihua , Zhang Mingxi
Published: December 2022

The monitoring of land management practices is vital for the protection of soil resource and the environment. Here, we present a new approach to monitor sustainable land management using widely available remotely sensed data, such as MODIS fractional vegetation cover data. The method is based on the concept of maintaining sufficient vegetation cover to prevent hillslope water erosion beyond tolerable soil erosion targets. The targets were based on long‐term natural erosion rates plus a small constant and are spatially and temporally variable, not static as in most reported studies to date. Where vegetation cover is more than that required to prevent nontolerable erosion under normal conditions for that calendar month, the site (pixel) is deemed to be managed sustainably. Monthly indices are then combined to form a yearly sustainable land management index (SLMI), presented as raster maps with a spatial resolution of 100 m. We explored this new method through case studies over New South Wales (NSW), Australia, over the period 2010 to 2021, with a particular examination of 2020. Results were further stratified by land uses and natural resource management regions, which revealed useful data and trends. The method is offered as an example of the potential use of readily available vegetation cover data to quantitatively assess and monitor levels of sustainable land management across landscapes. We believe it overcomes the limitations of previous methods to monitor vegetation cover and land management from remote‐sensed data alone. Other users are encouraged to adapt the broad approach to meet local requirements.
DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR DRYER HYBRID PHOTOVOLTAIC THERMAL SYSTEM
Authors: Mohd Azmi Mohd Syahriman , Abdul Majid Zafri Azran , Ruslan Mohd Hafidz
Published: December 2022

A solar dryer hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system has been designed, built and its performance has been studied. This research aims to develop a stand-alone solar dyer system, portable and less maintenance. This system consists of three main parts; PV/T system with configuration-Z thermal absorber plate, multi-direction solar collector with cross absorber plate and drying chamber. Solar thermal collector which was designed in the system is called a multi-direction solar collector because the solar radiation does not get the heat through the upper part but also on the lower sides. This situation will then increase the amount of heat that will absorb by the absorber plate. The cross absorber plate will be used in a multi-direction solar collector because it can be assembled row by row. Six sets of cross absorber plates are used in this system. PV/T airflow uses configuration-Z absorber plate which is placed under the photovoltaic (PV) module. The amount of heat produced from the PV/T configuration-Z is used as the pre-heat before the hot air flows to the multi-direction solar collector. While electric energy from PV is used to operate the ventilation fan. The solar dryer hybrid PV/T system tested its effectiveness in the field under the daily solar radiation. The total efficiency generated from PV/T configuration-Z system is in the range of 35% to 52%. For the multi-direction solar collector system, the output range was generated between 32.0 °C to 46.6 °C, whereas the thermal efficiency is in the range of 50% to 70%.
HIGH TURBIDITY AND COD REMOVAL IN RIVER WATER USING LOW DOSAGE PLANT-BASED TACCA LEONTOPETALOIDES FLOCCULANT (TBPF) FOLLOWED BY ACTIVATED CARBON TREATMENT
Authors: Idris Juferi , Jonius Bryan Donovan , Lius Fergie Rikan , Mohd Makhtar Nurul Shuhada , Husen Rafidah
Published: December 2022

Pollution in river water affects human, plant and animal health and activities, and its removal using chemical coagulants is a huge concern. This study aims to reduce turbidity and COD pollutants in river water through coagulation-adsorption process by using Tacca leontopetaloides biopolymer flocculant (TBPF) and powder activated carbon (PAC). In coagulation experiment, TBPF dosages were varied to evaluate the effect on turbidity and COD removal in river water by using Bioblock flocculator followed by adsorption process by adding PAC. The results found that at 200 mg/L of TBPF dosage with 2000 mg/L of PAC, the maximum turbidity and COD removal were obtained at 49% and 81%, respectively. The final turbidity and COD loads were 4.2 NTU and 9.3 mg/L, respectively, which were below the standard limit set for CLASS IIB provided by the National Water Quality Standards of Malaysia (NWQSM). High turbidity and COD removal using low dosage of environmental friendly plant-based TBPF-PAC through coagulation-adsorption process in this study has a great potential for river water treatment, particularly at the domestic area.
INFLUENCE OF CHICKEN EGGSHELL POWDER AS AN ALTERNATIVE COAGULANT ON THE YIELD AND TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TOFU
Authors: Nguyen Van T. A. , Nguyen Vuong D. , L. P. T. Quoc
Published: December 2022

Daily consumption of chicken eggs produces a vast number of eggshells byproducts which are a rich source of calcium salt. This paper investigated the potential of eggshell powder from eggshell byproducts as an alternative coagulant in the tofu preparation process. The eggshell powder was successfully obtained and analyzed with calcium salt (CaCO3) of 74.7% followed by calcium of 17.48%. Liquid nigari as a coagulant was evaluated and showed better tofu yield (143.24 ± 1.68 g/ 100 g) at 2% of addition to the soybean milk. The tofu prepared with 2% liquid nigari and 0.25% eggshell powder showed a higher yield (154.79 ± 3.56 g/100 g) as well as the improvement of texture profile of resulting tofu with hardness of 19.1 ± 2.02 N, cohesiveness of 0.26, and springiness of 13.5 ± 0.06 mm. The studied tofu was obviously observed to have better textural characteristics than two samples of tofu prepared by traditional methods. The result suggested that eggshell powder could be a promising alternative coagulant for tofu preparation.