bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Allocation of Hybrid Renewable Energy System in Distribution Network using Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Rathore Arun , Kumar Anupam , Shukla Sunil Kumar , Patidar Narayan Prasad
Published: April 2023

The main focus of this article is the optimal allocation of wind turbines, solar PV and storage in 33 bus radial distribution system. The arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA) was employed in this work for the optimal sizing of wind turbine and solar PV units with batteries in 33 bus distribution networks. The 1 year period is divided into multiple time segments, and each time segment is evaluated independently. For each time slot solar irradiance and wind speed are generated using suitable probability distribution function. Sensitivity analysis was done to find potential buses that might be placed to reduce computation time and search space. The Backward-Forward sweep technique was used to conduct load flow analysis. For the sake of stability, a reasonable penetration level is selected. The overall energy loss is minimized by the AOA optimization method under equality and inequality constraints. The suggested technique was tested on 33 buses, and it was observed that correct sizing and placement of DG units results in a significant decrease in losses with improved voltage profile.
Effects of Asphalt Mixture Constituents on the Recycled Binder Contribution
Authors: Alvis Maria Aparicio , Pape Sonja , Xue Lei Gabriel , Castorena Cassie
Published: April 2023

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) are incorporated into some asphalt mixtures produced today. The use of recycled asphalt materials (RAM) in asphalt mixtures encompasses engineering challenges pertaining to uncertainty in the proportion of the recycled binder that is in contact with and blends with the virgin binder in the asphalt mixture, termed recycled binder contribution (RBC) here. Recent research shows that agglomerations of RAM particles are the main cause of partial RBC. These agglomerations prevent recycled binder from interacting with the virgin binder. However, current practices generally assume complete RBC and a detailed understanding of the role of asphalt mixture constituents on RBC does not at present exist. The use of softer binders, extenders, and recycling agents has been proposed in high-RAM-content mixtures to restore recycled binder stiffness and embrittlement. However, the effects of asphalt binder variables as well as RAM type, source, and content on RBC is at present poorly understood. This paper aims to investigate the effects of asphalt mixture constituents on the RBC in asphalt mixtures using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) tracer-based microscopy analysis. It is found that the virgin binder, RAM type, and source significantly influence RBC in asphalt mixtures. However, RAP age level and content as well as additives are found to have only marginal impacts on RBC.
Subjective Versus Objective: Divergency Between Subjective Walkability and Walk Score During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Meng Si'an , Yang Yizhao , Lewis Rebecca
Published: April 2023

Walk scores are used to evaluate accessibility by walking from a location to various meaningful destinations. Their validity remains contested because the widely available walk scores from the Walk Score® company are typically constructed using objectively measured origin–destination distances, which may be inconsistent with people’s spatial perceptions and even irrelevant to destinationless recreational walking trips. This study examines the divergency between objective walkability measured as walk score and subjective walkability assessed by perceived accessibility. Using data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted spatial autocorrelation and multi-level regression analyses. Findings suggest that characteristics of both location and people affect the divergency between subjective–objective walkability. Regardless of their individual socioeconomic characteristics, respondents tend to match their subjective walkability assessment with the walk score better when they live in denser and older neighborhoods where more people may walk for utilitarian purposes. On the other hand, respondents with greater beliefs in environmental policies evaluate walkability in better alignment with walk score, regardless of their locational characteristics. The findings suggest that the main reasons for the subjective–objective divergency may lie in people using recreational walking for walkability assessment and their lack of lived experiences of utilitarian walking. Planners and policymakers should be mindful of the objective–subjective walkability divergency when using walk scores to support strategies and actions to improve walkability.
Influence of weave arrangements on mechanical characteristics of cotton and bamboo woven fabric reinforced composite laminates
Authors: Aruchamy Karthik , Mylsamy Bhuvaneshwaran , Palaniappan Sathish Kumar , Subramani Sampath Pavayee , Velayutham Thirumurugan , Rangappa Sanjay Mavinkere , Siengchin Suchart
Published: April 2023

Due to the increasing demand for environmentally safe products, the use of composites manufactured from natural fibres has become one of the most widely researched subjects lately. In this present study, the influence of weave designs on the mechanical characteristics of bio-based cotton, bamboo and cotton/bamboo fabric reinforced textile epoxy composites is presented. The textile composites were prepared by compression moulding process with different fabric weight ratio of 70:30; 65:35; 60:40; 55:45 and 50:50. The composites were tested for interlaminar shear, flexural, compressive, tensile and impact strength as per ASTM standards. Compared to other weave design composite laminates, 45 wt.% loading of cotton and bamboo textile composite achieved the greatest results for all the tests in a simple weave pattern. The scanning electron microscopy results of the fractured samples exhibited superior interfacial bonding between the fabric and matrix, as evidenced by the presence of significantly reduced fibre bend, fibre pullout, tearing and crack. The prepared natural fibre composites (cotton/bamboo) can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to man-made materials that aid in pollution management. They are also less expensive, have higher mechanical characteristics and use less energy in the manufacturing process.
The Soils of Black Folk: W.E.B. Du Bois’s Theories of Environmental Racialization
Authors: Bhardwaj Ankit
Published: April 2023

Sociologists have canonized W.E.B. Du Bois as a theorist of race but have neglected his engagement with environmental themes. Not only was he concerned with ecology, such as the health of soils and water, but environmental themes also figured in his explanations of racism. Du Bois prefigured contemporary scholarship on environmental racism, detailing colonial capitalism’s uneven distribution of environmental benefits—such as natural resources—and harms—such as flooding and pollution. Moreover, Du Bois had novel insights on the role of environmental entities in shaping the adoption of racism, a process I term environmental racialization. He demonstrates how struggles over land led workers to pursue racism rather than solidarity. He argues that capitalist planters adopted racism to blame laborers for degraded soils. Du Bois is one of sociology’s earliest environmental theorists, uniquely illuminating how environment-society relations shape racism.
Psychosocial Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Nephrotic Syndrome: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Aier Alemsungla , Pais Priya , Raman Vijaya
Published: April 2023

Background:

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most commonly diagnosed kidney diseases in childhood, with a high relapse rate.

Aim:

This study was designed to assess emotional and behavioural problems, temperament, family environment, and evaluate the health-related quality of life in children with NS.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in South India. A purposive sampling technique was used. A sample of 32 children between ages 6 and 12 years with NS—steroid-sensitive (infrequent relapsers, frequent relapsers, or those with steroid-dependent) and steroid-resistant—for more than 6 months duration and managed by the Pediatric Nephrology department were recruited. The control group of 30 healthy children was matched for age and gender. The assessment was conducted using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL 4.0), Malhotra Temperament Schedule, and Family Environment Scale. Data obtained was examined using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results:

On the SDQ, 34.4% of children with NS indicated a total score within the clinical range. Children with NS had an overall lower score on the QOL scale ( P < .003). It was found that the SRNS subtype had poor scores on SDQ ( P < .023) and QOL ( P < .017). The temperament of children with NS did not differ from those of healthy children. The families with NS scored lower on organization ( P < .042) and control ( P < .006) subscales.

Conclusion:

Children with NS have a risk of emotional and behavioural problems. It appears that children with NS have a poor quality of life. Families of children with NS were less organized and low in control. Findings indicate the need for routine psychological evaluation and intervention as they will impact the course and outcome of NS.
The Lived Experience of Middle-Aged Saudi Patients With End-Stage Chronic Renal Disease on Hemodialysis Treatment
Authors: Alzahrani Naif S. , Almarwani Abdulaziz Mofdy , Alhowaymel Fahad , Alharbi Hanan F.
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

More than 20,000 patients with chronic renal disease are receiving hemodialysis treatment in Saudi Arabia. Approximately, 57.4% of nurses in Saudi are expatriates. However, these nurses may not have sufficient cultural knowledge, which may affect perception of nursing care. Our purpose was to understand the lived experiences of middle-aged Saudi Arabian hemodialysis patients.

Method:

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2021. Data were analyzed using axial coding.

Results:

Eleven patients aged 32 to 60 years participated. Two themes and three subthemes were identified: (a) hemodialysis’s negative consequences (travel restriction, social isolation, and low responsibilities toward families) and (b) level of support (family support, nurses’ support, and governmental support).

Discussion:

Hemodialysis patients find travel and social engagement difficult. Furthermore, they cannot fully meet their family responsibilities due to fatigue and long hemodialysis hours. Health care providers should consider integrating these findings to deliver optimal holistic care.
Biokinetic Evaluation of Hallux Valgus during Gait: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rosemberg Dov Lagus , Gustafson Jonathan A. , Bordignon Glaucia , Bohl Daniel D. , Leporace Gustavo , Metsavaht Leonardo
Published: April 2023

Background:

Foot pathologies can affect the kinetic chain during gait, leading to altered loading at other joints that can lead to subsequent pathologies. Although hallux valgus is the most common foot disease, little has been discussed about the biokinetic effects of hallux valgus on the foot and lower limb. This systematic review evaluated the kinematic, kinetic, and pedobarographic changes of the hallux valgus foot compared to a healthy one.

Methods:

Several electronic databases were searched up to January 2022, including only cross-sectional studies with clearly defined isolated hallux valgus diseases and healthy groups. Two investigators independently rated studies for methodological quality using the NIH Study Quality Assessment Tool for cross-sectional studies. Kinetic data were extracted, including temporal data, kinematics of the foot joint, kinematics of the proximal lower limb, and pedobarography. We did meta-analyses tests with a random effects model using the metafor package in R.

Results:

Hallux valgus patients walk slower compared to a disease-free control group −0.16 m/s (95% CI −0.27, −0.05). Hallux valgus patients exhibited significantly reduced coronal plane motion of the hindfoot-shank during preswing 1.16 degrees (95% CI 0.31, 2.00). Hallux valgus patients generated less force in the hallux region 33.48 N (95% CI 8.62, 58.35) but similar peak pressures in the hallux compared to controls. Hallux valgus patients generated less peak pressure at the medial and lateral hindfoot as compared to controls: 8.28 kPa (95% CI 2.92, 13.64) and 8.54 kPa (95% CI 3.55, 13.52), respectively.

Conclusion:

Although hallux valgus is a deformity of the forefoot, the kinematic changes due to the pathology are associated with significant changes in the range of motion at other joints, underscoring its importance in the kinetic chain. This is demonstrated again with the changes of peak pressure. Nevertheless, more high-quality studies are still needed to develop a fuller understanding of this pathology.
Mentor training for junior faculty: a brief evaluation report from the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance
Authors: McGee Robin E , Blumberg Henry M , Ziegler Thomas R , Ofotokun Ighovwerha , Bhatti Pamela T , Paulsen Douglas F , Quarshie Alexander , Somanath Payaningal R , Comeau Dawn L
Published: April 2023

To provide a foundation for mentoring, junior faculty participated in a mentor training workshop informed by the Mentoring Clinical and Translational Researchers curriculum. The goal was to develop skills and behaviors that engender more rewarding and inclusive mentoring practices. Attendees responded to baseline and follow-up surveys assessing perceived mentoring skills. Follow-up surveys included closed- and open-ended questions about the value and satisfaction of the training, and intended behavior changes. Junior faculty respondents (n = 39) reported significantly higher overall mentoring skills after the training (t = −2.6, p = 0.012) with a medium effect size (Cohen’s D = 0.59). Domains with statistically significant improvement from baseline to follow-up included aligning mentor–mentee expectations and assessing understanding. Thirty-eighty (97%) found the training valuable, and 32 (82%) indicated they would change mentoring-related behaviors because of the training. Intended behavior changes described in open-ended responses aligned with mentoring skills assessed (e.g., aligning expectations). An additional competency domain of evaluating mentoring relationships was also described. A mentor training workshop for junior faculty appeared to contribute to changes in mentoring skills and intended behaviors. Mentor training has the potential to enhance mentorship, which is critical to strengthening a diverse pipeline of clinical and translational science researchers.
Characterizing musical vulnerability: Toward a typology of receptivity and susceptibility in the secondary music classroom
Authors: MacGregor Elizabeth H
Published: April 2023

Although teachers and researchers frequently acknowledge that music education can benefit pupils’ academic achievement, health and well-being, and social development, classroom music-making can have long-lasting, detrimental impacts. Individuals’ experiences of failure, disappointment, and exclusion in the music classroom highlight an urgent need for music education to be reframed by an understanding of “musical vulnerability”: individuals’ inherent and situational openness to being affected—positively or negatively—by the semantic and somatic properties of music-making. Drawing on existing vulnerability studies, I evaluate how classroom music-making can foster both positive receptivity and negative susceptibility, depending on its delineation of identity and physical embodiment. I then present reductive analyses of phenomenologically-informed interviews in which 12 secondary music teachers described their past experiences of being pupils, and their present experiences of teaching pupils, in music classrooms in the United Kingdom. Using excerpts from their observations of teaching pupils, I describe how interactions between individuals’ interpersonal and personal vulnerabilities—including personality, musical, and neurological differences—affected occasions of musical receptivity and susceptibility. As individuals negotiated conflicting musical expectations, they sometimes fostered fruitful resilience but sometimes encountered profound resignation. I draw on these findings to construct a preliminary typology of musical vulnerability and emphasize the need for future research into proactive differentiation in the music classroom.
Adjusting to the “new normal”: How were mental health and self-care affected in patients with diabetes mellitus 1 year into the COVID-19 crisis? A longitudinal study
Authors: Alessi Janine , Jaeger Eduarda Herscovitz , de Oliveira Giovana Berger , Erthal Isadora Nunes , Teixeira Julia Belato , Scherer Gabriela DLG , de Carvalho Taíse Rosa , Schaan Beatriz D , Telo Gabriela H
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to assess the long-term effect of the pandemic on mental health and self-care parameters in patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. After 18 months of pandemic, 118 participants remained in the study (mean age of 56.6 ± 13.4 years, 66.7% were women). We observed no change in the scores for mental health disorders screening. Regarding self-care, patients with type 1 diabetes showed an improvement in the adherence score compared to those found at the beginning of the pandemic (variation + 3.5 (−6.0 to +15.8) points, p = 0.02), and also compared to those with type 2 diabetes. Although the pandemic have negatively affected many people’s mental health, especially in those with chronic diseases, our results show that patients with diabetes may have developed good coping and adaptive strategies to maintain diabetes control and symptom pattern of mental health disorders over the course of the pandemic.
Paradiplomacy as nation-building: The politics of Scotland’s international development policy (1999–2022)
Authors: Dellepiane Sebastian , Reinsberg Bernhard
Published: April 2023

Why do substate actors engage in foreign affairs even if endowed with limited formal powers? How are these activities institutionalised and legitimised? This article addresses these questions by examining a critical case: the rise of Scotland’s international development cooperation. The spotlight is put on the domestic sources of foreign policy formation. Our core argument is that the politics of nation-building underpins both the ambition and the increased distinctiveness of the Scottish approach to development. This nation-building effort is mainly reflected in the emergence of an assertive narrative: ‘Scotland as a good global citizen’. Another core insight is the strong articulation between domestic and international representations. The external projections of the Scottish Government mirror the domestic agenda. Our article places the striking Scottish case in analytical and comparative perspective.
Arts and culture engagement and mortality: A population-based prospective cohort study
Authors: Jensen Anita , Pirouzifard Mirnabi , Lindström Martin
Published: April 2023

Aims:

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between having visited the theatre/cinema and an arts exhibition during the past year and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and other-cause mortality.

Methods:

The 2008 public health postal survey in Scania, Sweden, was distributed to a stratified random sample of the adult population (18–80 years old). The participation rate was 54.1%, and 25,420 participants were included in the present study. The baseline 2008 survey data were linked to cause-of-death register data to create a prospective cohort with 8.3-year follow-up. Associations between visit to the theatre/cinema, visit to an arts exhibition and mortality were investigated in survival (Cox) regression models.

Results:

Just over a quarter (26.5%) had visited both the theatre/cinema and an arts exhibition during the past year, 36.6% only the theatre/cinema, 4.9% only an arts exhibition and 32% neither of the two. Not visiting the theatre/cinema during the past year was associated with higher all-cause and CVD mortality. Not visiting an arts exhibition was associated with higher all-cause and other-cause mortality. The combination of having visited neither the theatre/cinema nor an arts exhibition during the past year was associated with higher all-cause, CVD and other-cause mortality.

Conclusions:

There is an association between attending arts and culture activities and a reduced risk of CVD and other-cause mortality but not cancer mortality, although model imperfections are possible.
Sickness absence among migrant and non-migrant care workers in Finland: A register-based follow-up study
Authors: Olakivi Antero , Kouvonen Anne , Koskinen Aki , Kemppainen Laura , Kokkinen Lauri , Väänänen Ari
Published: April 2023

Aims:

This study aimed to compare the sickness absence (SA; over 10 days) rates of migrant and non-migrant care workers in Finland.

Methods:

Two cohorts were randomly sampled from nationwide registers and analysed together in a three-year follow-up design (2011–2013, 2014–2016). The pooled data consisted of 78,476 care workers, of whom 5% had a migrant background. Statistical methods included cross-tabulations and Poisson regression modelling.

Results:

Thirty-five percent of the Finnish-born care workers had at least one SA during the follow-up. Care workers from the post-2004 EU countries (30%, at least one SA), Russia, the Former Soviet Union and the Balkan states (25%) and the Global South and East (21%) had fewer episodes of SA than the Finnish-born care workers. The two latter groups also had lower SA rates after we controlled for occupation, gender, age, income and region of residence. Care workers from Western Europe and the Global North (36%) had higher SA rates than the Finnish-born care workers.

Conclusions:

The following explanations were discussed: population-level health differences – migrants from lower-income non-EU countries are generally healthier than the Finnish-born population (due to, e.g., the ‘healthy migrant effect’); discrimination in recruitment and employment – migrants from lower-income non-EU countries need to be healthier than Finnish-born jobseekers to gain employment (in the care sector or more broadly); and sickness presenteeism – migrants from lower-income non-EU countries underuse their right to sickness allowance (due to, e.g., job insecurity). It is likely that these mechanisms affect migrants differently depending on, for example, their countries of origin and social status in Finland.
Crisis and Utopia: André Gorz and the end of work
Authors: Granter Edward , Aroles Jeremy
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we are concerned with the role of André Gorz in the development of the concept of the end of work. We draw from Gorz’s stance on automation, utopia, capitalism and labour to reflect on the directions of the end of work debate, leaning towards Gorz’s invitation to repoliticize the end of work. While Gorz’s writings predate the rise of the gig economy, he presaged many of the developments we are currently witnessing. Even if the end of work is not in sight, we argue that it remains nonetheless a useful concept to help us cultivate possibilities and a sense of difference. Finally, it is our intention to highlight that while Gorz’s work received less attention than other scholars broadly associated with critical examinations of capitalism, his scholarship holds the potential to reinvigorate, or rejuvenate, debates pertaining to the end of work as well as the future of work.
Introduction: Celebrating the life and work of André Gorz
Authors: Granter Edward , Gilloch Graeme , Aroles Jeremy , Abbinnett Ross
Published: April 2023

In this introduction, we thank those who supported and contributed to our special issue of Classical Sociology, on the work and life of André Gorz. We then provide a sketch of Gorz’s place in intellectual history. Along the way, we explain some of our motivations for editing the special issue, then move on to a discussion of our contributors’ papers. We end with a reiteration of our goals for the issue, and with thanks once more to those who helped make it happen.
Victimization in Juvenile Sexual Assault Legislation: A Critical Content Analysis of State Laws in the United States of America
Authors: Osuna Amanda Isabel , Garcia Krystal , Fallik Seth Wyatt , Markevitch Taylor
Published: April 2023

Although research has been conducted on the risks and effects of juvenile sexual assault, there is a gap in our knowledge surrounding juvenile sexual assault and how the law discusses victims. The goal of this endeavor is to provide a systematic summary of juvenile sexual assault statutes in the United States of America. In pursuit of this objective, a content analysis of the sexual assault and consent state laws of the United States of America was performed. Four themes emerged, including laws that sought to (1) conceptualize juvenile sexual assault victimization, (2) offer evidentiary standards in juvenile sexual assault cases, (3) assess the seriousness and punishment of juvenile sexual assault, and (4) provide services for juveniles who have been sexually victimized. Within these themes, legislation was inconsistent from one state to another. From these findings, however, we encourage legislative bodies to offer greater specificity in their laws, re-assess the seriousness of this phenomenon, and express greater support for victims of child sexual assault.
Hybrid regimes and narrative legitimacy during economic crises: Resiliency narratives of Egypt’s economic crisis
Authors: Hinck Robert S , Cooley Skye C
Published: April 2023

This study advances a theory of resiliency narratives to hybrid regimes by proposing a continuum mapping a democratic, hybrid and modern authoritarian narrative structure based on its directionality and informational content during economic crises. Using Egypt’s 2016 economic crisis as a case study, we examine Egyptian and Russian native language media reporting. The results show that Egyptian media provide coherent narratives of economic resiliency devoid of ideological messaging, with attribution of blame placed on domestic causes more than international, providing support to the hybrid regimes’ differentiated narrative structures.
Relationship Between Caffeine Consumption and Young Athletes’ Comorbidities, Exercise-Related Symptoms, and Baseline Electrocardiogram
Authors: Farber Jason , Dikdan Sean , Ruge Max , Johnson Drew , Shipon David
Published: April 2023

Background:

Caffeine consumption causes diverse physiologic effects that can affect athletes both positively and negatively. There is a lack of research investigating the long-term effects of caffeine intake on exercise and on overall cardiovascular health in young athletes.

Hypothesis:

Certain characteristics such as age, body mass index (BMI), race, and medical diagnoses are associated with increased caffeine use, and there is a relationship between caffeine consumption and symptoms during exercise and cardiovascular abnormalities in young athletes.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

This study utilized the HeartBytes National Youth Cardiac Registry to collect data related to demographics, caffeine use, and physical examination and electrocardiogram (ECG) findings of 7425 12- to 20-year-olds (60.6% male, 39.4% female) who attended a Simon’s Heart cardiac screening event between 2014 and 2021. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used for analysis.

Results:

Persons who consumed caffeine were more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.43; CI, 1.15-1.76]; P < 0.01) and more likely to have a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (aOR, 1.69; CI, 1.27-2.25]; P < 0.01) compared with nondrinkers. After controlling for age, gender, race, and BMI, there were no significant differences in symptoms during exercise (aOR, 1.27; CI, 0.97-1.66; P = 0.08) or abnormal ECG findings (OR, 0.93; CI, 0.66-1.31; P = 0.70) between those who consume caffeine and those who do not.

Conclusion:

Caffeine consumption was associated with increased BMI and increased likelihood of having ADHD; however, caffeine use overall was not associated with increased risk of symptoms during exercise or ECG abnormalities.

Clinical Relevance:

Whereas caffeine consumption overall did not increase risk of exercise-related symptoms, soda drinkers were at higher risk for symptoms during exercise, and coffee drinkers were at higher risk of syncope with exercise. Prospective studies with longitudinal follow-up and more specific outcomes data is the next step in qualifying the impact of caffeine on young athletes.
Inhibition of Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase Suppressed Cartilage Degradation and Synovial Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Experimental Osteoarthritis
Authors: Wu Xiaoxin , Sun Antonia RuJia , Crawford Ross , Xiao Yin , Wang Yanping , Prasadam Indira , Mao Xinzhan
Published: April 2023

Objective

Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the osteoarthritis (OA) pathology but how this influence OA disease progression is unclear. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a potent proinflammatory lipid mediator generated from arachidonic acid through the sequential activities of 5-lipoxygenase, 5-lipoxygenase–activating protein, Leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) and its downstream product LTB4. The aim of this study is to investigate the involvement and the potential therapeutic target of the LTB4 pathway in OA disease progression.

Design

Both clinical human cartilage samples ( n = 7) and mice experimental OA models ( n = 6) were used. The levels of LTA4H and leukotriene B4 receptor 1 were first examined using immunostaining in human OA/non-OA cartilage and mice experimental OA models. We also determined whether the LTA4H pathway was associated with cartilage degeneration and synovitis inflammation in OA mice models and human articular chondrocytes.

Results

We found that both LTA4H and LTB4 receptor (BLT1) were highly expressed in human and mice OA cartilage. Inhibition of LTA4H suppressed cartilage degeneration and synovitis in OA mice model. Furthermore, inhibition of LTA4H promoted cartilage regeneration by upregulating chondrogenic genes expression such as aggrecan ( ACAN), collagen 2A1 ( COL2A1), and SRY-Box transcription factor 9 ( SOX9).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the LTA4H pathway is a crucial regulator of OA pathogenesis and suggest that LTA4H could be a therapeutic target in combat OA.
Efficacy and safety of damoctocog alfa pegol prophylaxis in patients ⩾40 years with severe haemophilia A and comorbidities: post hoc analysis from the PROTECT VIII study
Authors: Reding Mark T. , Pabinger Ingrid , Holme Pål Andrè , Maas Enriquez Monika , Mancuso Maria Elisa , Lalezari Shadan , Miesbach Wolfgang , Di Minno Giovanni , Klamroth Robert , Hermans Cedric
Published: April 2023

Background:

Advances in treatment have enabled patients with haemophilia A to live longer and therefore may be subjected to comorbidities associated with ageing, in addition to disease-associated morbidities. There have been few reports to date on efficacy and safety of treatment specifically in patients with severe haemophilia A and comorbidities.

Objective:

To explore the efficacy and safety of damoctocog alfa pegol prophylaxis in patients with severe haemophilia A aged ⩾40 years with comorbidities of interest.

Design:

A post hoc analysis of data from the phase 2/3 PROTECT VIII study and its extension.

Methods:

Bleeding and safety outcomes were analysed in a subgroup of patients aged ⩾40 years with ⩾1 comorbidity receiving damoctocog alfa pegol (BAY 94-9027; Jivi®) prophylaxis.

Results:

Thirty-four patients with severe haemophilia A were included in this analysis, with a mean age of 49.4 years at time of enrolment. The most prevalent comorbidities were hepatitis C ( n = 33; chronic, n = 23), hepatitis B ( n = 8) and hypertension ( n = 11). Four patients had human immunodeficiency virus. All received damoctocog alfa pegol prophylaxis for the entire study [median (range) time in study = 3.9 (1.0–6.9) years]. During the main study and extension, median total annualised bleeding rates (ABRs) (Q1; Q3) were 2.1 (0.0; 5.8) and 2.2 (0.6; 6.0), respectively; median joint ABRs were 1.9 (0.0; 4.4) and 1.6 (0.0; 4.0), respectively. Mean adherence with prophylaxis schedule was greater than 95% throughout the study. No deaths or thrombotic events were reported.

Conclusion:

Efficacy, safety and adherence of damoctocog alfa pegol were confirmed in patients aged ⩾40 years with haemophilia A and one or more comorbidities, with data for up to 7 years supporting its use as a long-term treatment option in this group.
Precision Ecologic Medicine: Tailoring Care to Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change
Authors: DeVoe Jennifer E. , Huguet Nathalie , Likumahuwa-Ackman Sonja , Bazemore Andrew , Gold Rachel , Werner Leah
Published: April 2023

As recent extreme weather events demonstrate, climate change presents unprecedented and increasing health risks, disproportionately so for disadvantaged communities in the U.S. already experiencing health disparities. As patients in these frontline communities live through extreme weather events, socioeconomic and health stressors are compounded; thus, their healthcare teams will need tools to provide precision ecologic medicine approaches to their care. Many primary care teams are taking actionable steps to bring community-level socioeconomic data (“community vital signs”) into electronic medical records, to facilitate tailoring care based on a given patient’s circumstances. This work can be extended to include environmental risk data, thus equipping healthcare teams with an awareness of clinical and community vital signs and making them better positioned to mitigate climate impacts on health. For example, if healthcare teams can easily identify patients who have multiple chronic conditions and live in an urban heat island, they can proactively arrange to “prescribe” an air conditioner, heat pump, and/or air purifier. Or, when a severe storm/heat event/poor air quality event is predicted, they can take preemptive steps to get help to patients at high medical and socioeconomic risk, rather than waiting for them to arrive in the emergency department. Advances in health information technologies now make it technically feasible to integrate a wealth of publicly-available community-level data into EMRs. Efforts to bring this contextual data into clinical settings must be accelerated to equip healthcare teams to provide precision ecologic medicine interventions to their patients.
An Introspective Analysis of Inclusive Growth in Africa, With an Eminence on the Influence of Governance and Financial Development Interaction
Authors: Li Kaodui , Nketia Easmond Baah , Kong Yusheng , Appiah Michael
Published: April 2023

The study considered the relationship between the interaction of financial development with all six distinct governance indicators from the world development indicators, as well as a combination of them, and inclusive growth in 48 African economies from 2000 to 2019. The countries were classified into low-income countries and middle-income countries. The models were then estimated with Panel Quantile Regression with Fixed Effects estimations, and Dumitrescu & Hurlin causality tests after going through robust econometric tests. From the outcome, the interaction of financial development with corruption control is essential for inclusive growth in only middle-income countries. The interaction of financial development with political stability and the absence of violence/terrorism, and the interaction of financial development and governance in general are relevant to inclusive growth in Africa as a whole and middle-income countries. However, the interaction of financial development with voice and accountability, and the interaction of financial development with rule of law are relevant to inclusive growth in all country groupings.

JEL: G20; F62; R50
Twin Premature Infants With Riboflavin and Biotin Deficiency Presenting With Refractory Lactic Acidosis, Rash, and Multiorgan Failure During Prolonged Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Adie Mohammad Amin , Martes Gomez Maria , Yom Jessica , Durand Manuel , Wertheimer Fiona , McGowan Rachel , Yano Shoji , Ramanathan Rangasamy
Published: April 2023

We are reporting monochorionic, diamniotic twin premature infants born at 25 weeks and 6 days gestation with riboflavin (vitamin B2) and biotin (vitamin B7) deficiency, while on prolonged total parenteral nutrition (TPN) during vitamin shortage. They presented initially with skin rash, lactic acidosis, and thrombocytopenia. Both twins progressed to severe respiratory failure, severe lactic acidosis, with refractory vasodilatory shock, pancytopenia, ischemic bowel injury, acute kidney injury, liver injury, and capillary leak syndrome leading to death of twin A. The surviving twin B was diagnosed with riboflavin and biotin deficiency that presented with abnormal metabolic work up suggestive of maple syrup urine disease, glutaric acidemia type 2, and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Twin B was started on riboflavin and biotin supplementation at 41 days of life, with rapid improvement in clinical findings and laboratory abnormalities within days of starting biotin and riboflavin supplementation. He was discharged home in stable condition at 49 weeks of postmenstrual age.
Comparing Individual Versus Team Decision-Making Using Simulated Exercises in a Master of Public Health Program
Authors: Sibbald Shannon L. , Campbell Nicole , Flores-Sandoval Cecilia , Speechley Mark
Published: April 2023

In line with the complex modern health care system and the increasing importance of interprofessional teams, a powerful strategy to facilitate the acquisition of essential teamwork skills and expose students to complex decision-making processes is learning in teams. The purpose of our study was to obtain empirical evidence of superior decision-making by teams versus individuals in two simulated decision-making exercises conducted 4 months apart. We collected quantitative data from three cohorts of Master of Public Health students to determine if teams make better decisions than individuals (“team effect”) between September and January. Students completed simulated emergency survival exercises requiring them to make correct decisions individually and then as teams. Decision quality was determined by comparison to survival experts’ decisions. We calculated the “team effect” as the gain or loss of mean individual versus group scores across 10 learning teams per cohort for fall and winter exercises. All three cohorts had a consistently small average team effect in September and a much larger team effect in January. Our study showed consistent improvements in decision-making after students had worked in teams for 4 months. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential benefit of incorporating team learning into a public health curriculum and the importance of strategies to teach teamwork in health education. Using simulation in health education and promoting team learning activities can help prepare students for interprofessional collaboration, a part of the demanding public health landscape. These results might help convince students of the benefits of teamwork, facilitate collaborative decision-making, and enhance the learning experience.
Orbital Dynamics and Efficacy of Retrobulbar Anesthesia With and Without Hyaluronidase in Vitreoretinal Surgery
Authors: Harris Emily N. , Riemann Nathaniel C. , Burk Ana G. , Harris William E. , Chachare Deepali Y. , Riemann Christopher D.
Published: April 2023

Purpose: To compare retrobulbar anesthesia injection (RAI) with hyaluronidase and without hyaluronidase in vitreoretinal surgery using clinical efficacy measures and orbital manometry (OM). Methods: This prospective randomized double-masked study enrolled patients who had surgery using an 8 mL RAI with or without hyaluronidase. Outcome measures were clinical block effectiveness (akinesia, pain scores, need for supplemental anesthetic or sedative medications) and orbital dynamics assessed by OM before and up to 5 minutes after RAI. Results: Twenty-two patients received RAI with hyaluronidase (Group H+), and 25 received RAI without hyaluronidase (Group H−). Baseline characteristics were well matched. No differences in clinical efficacy were found. OM showed no difference in preinjection orbital tension (4 ± 2 mm Hg in both groups) or calculated orbital compliance (0.6 ± 0.3 mL/mm Hg, Group H+; 0.5 ± 0.2 mL/mm Hg, Group H−) ( P = .13). After RAI, the peak orbital tension was 23 ± 15 mm Hg in Group H+ and 24 ± 9 mm Hg in Group H− ( P = .67); it declined more rapidly in Group H+. Orbital tension at 5 minutes was 6 ± 3 mm Hg in Group H+ and 11 ± 5 mm Hg in Group H− ( P = .0008). Conclusions: OM showed faster resolution of post-RAI orbital tension elevation with hyaluronidase; however, there were no clinically evident differences between groups. Thus, 8 mL RAI with or without hyaluronidase is safe and can achieve excellent clinical results. Our data do not support the routine use of hyaluronidase with RAI.
Welcome to Country: Geographical valuations and devaluations of First Nations’ presence on Country in Australia
Authors: Randell-Moon Holly
Published: April 2023

First Nations’ custodianship of Country has provided incalculable benefits to Australia. Geographical devaluation of this custodianship has been central to settler colonial and later governmental economic and development policy that worked/s to remove First Nations from Country. Indeed, the negation of First Nations sovereignties to extract value from the environment for non-Indigenous dividends underpins the development and operation of state-directed economic activity in Australia. As a result, how First Nations are valued, or not, is tied to cultural, political and economic ideas about First Nations’ presence on Country. Welcome to Country ceremonies exemplify the complexities associated with geographical valuations of First Nations’ presence. Such ceremonies incentivise labour demands for Elder and older First Nations to enact language and culturally specific custodianship even as broader non-Indigenous institutions are hostile to self-determined development and Indigenous sovereignties. The article provides a theoretical account of the geographical valuations and modelling tendencies with respect to First Nations economic development that focus on the state as the key interlocutor. Where scholarship draws attention to the role of the state as recognising the cultural rather than economic dimension of First Nations activities, Welcome to Country ceremonies demonstrate the importance of regional and local scales of First Nations sovereign practices. First Nations and Elder capacities to perform these ceremonies are both a normalised and under-considered element of regional development activities. Welcome to Country constitutes an important case site for understanding the complex interactions between First Nations axiologies and non-Indigenous geographical valuations.
Impact of a Co-curricular Poverty Simulation on Pharmacy Students’ Socioeconomic and Patient Advocacy Attitudes and Beliefs
Authors: Kelsch Michael P. , Thompson Sara , Skoy Elizabeth
Published: April 2023

Background: Pharmacists are well-positioned to assist patients facing poverty with financial and well-being resource navigation. Pharmacy educators must find avenues for students that foster awareness of applicable challenges encountered by economically disadvantaged patients. Objective: This study examines the impact of a poverty simulation on pharmacy students’ socioeconomic and patient advocacy attitudes and beliefs. Methods: Third year professional pharmacy students participated in the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS). Students were asked to voluntarily complete a survey prior to and following their participation. The survey was based upon a combination of 3 previously validated survey tools: Attitudes Toward Poverty (ATP) scale, Medical Student Attitudes Toward the Underserved (MSATU), and the Locus of Control Scale (LCS). Students also responded to open-ended questions postsimulation. Results: Forty of the 74 students completed both the presimulation and postsimulation surveys. Significant changes were seen in a matched sample analysis for 17 of 49 survey questions. Prominent differences (decreasing agreement) came from the statements: “An able-bodied person collecting welfare is ripping off the system” and “Welfare makes people lazy”; and increasing agreement that “I feel personally responsible for providing medical care to the needy.” Open-ended survey responses reflected a greater understanding of time and effort needed to locate and navigate available resources, and challenges such as adhering to medication regimens due to inability to pay. Conclusion: A poverty simulation, such as CAPS, is an effective method to encourage pharmacy students to reflect on their future impact toward patients facing the challenges of poverty. The shift in students’ attitudes and beliefs on various measures revealed that the simulation had an impact on altering perceptions for those with low socioeconomic status.
World Music Pedagogy and Building Empathy in Early Childhood
Authors: Watts Sarah H.
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of one music teacher (the researcher) and two intact classrooms of 3- to 6-year-old children who engaged in world music lessons as a pathway to developing empathy. Participants in each of the two classes engaged in a 30-minute world music lesson once per week for 8 weeks, and each lesson included a different musical culture. Data sources for this study included semi-structured interviews with early childhood center directors and teachers. Further data included transcripts and video recordings of class sessions, researcher field notes, childcare center curriculum documents, and planning documents. Findings indicated that this world music-based approach was successful in generating curiosity about the world, making empathetic connections with others, navigating new and different sounds and experiences with respect, and inviting children into the role of expressing empathy.