bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Modern Omnidirectional Precise Shadowing Techniques Versus Ray Tracing
Authors: Kobrtek Jozef , Milet Tomas , Tóth Michal , Herout Adam
Published: December 2021

This paper presents an in depth comparison of state‐of‐the‐art precise shadowing techniques for an omnidirectional point light. We chose several types of modern shadowing algorithms, starting from stencil shadow volumes, methods using traversal of acceleration structures to hardware‐accelerated ray‐traced shadows. Some methods were further improved – robustness, increased performance; we also provide the first multi‐platform implementations of some of the tested algorithms. All the methods are evaluated on several test scenes in different resolutions and on two hardware platforms – with and without dedicated hardware units for ray tracing. We conclude our findings based on speed and memory consumption. Ray‐tracing is the fastest and one of the easiest methods to implement with small memory footprint. The Omnidirectional Frustum‐Traced Shadows method has a predictable memory footprint and is the second fastest algorithm tested. Our stencil shadow volumes are faster than some newer algorithms. Per‐Triangle Shadow Volumes and Clustered Per‐Triangle Shadow Volumes are difficult to implement and require the most memory; the latter method scales well with the scene complexity and resolution. Deep Partitioned Shadow Volumes does not excel in any of the measured parameters and is suitable for smaller scenes. The source codes of the testing framework have been made publicly available.
Brain stimulation: a therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurological disorders
Authors: Camacho‐Conde Jose Antonio , Gonzalez‐Bermudez Maria del Rosario , Carretero‐Rey Marta , Khan Zafar U.
Published: December 2021

Brain stimulation has become one of the most acceptable therapeutic approaches in recent years and a powerful tool in the remedy against neurological diseases. Brain stimulation is achieved through the application of electric currents using non‐invasive as well as invasive techniques. Recent technological advancements have evolved into the development of precise devices with capacity to produce well‐controlled and effective brain stimulation. Currently, most used non‐invasive techniques are repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), whereas the most common invasive technique is deep brain stimulation (DBS). In last decade, application of these brain stimulation techniques has not only exploded but also expanded to wide variety of neurological disorders. Therefore, in the current review, we will provide an overview of the potential of both non‐invasive (rTMS and tDCS) and invasive (DBS) brain stimulation techniques in the treatment of such brain diseases.
A low‐investment, high‐impact approach for training stronger and more confident graduate student science writers
Authors: Druschke Caroline Gottschalk , Karraker Nancy , McWilliams Scott R. , Scott Al , Morton‐Aiken Jenna , Reynolds Nedra , Finan Elaine , Lofgren Ingrid E.
Published: December 2021

Scientists in applied fields, including conservation biology, face increasing expectations to communicate their research across multiple audiences. As environmental issues become more complex, the need for scientists to clearly communicate with other scientists, managers, stakeholders, tribes, the public, and policy makers becomes ever critical. Despite this need, students in graduate science programs receive limited direct instruction in writing and little training in writing for audiences outside of academia or in different genres. To that end, we developed an interdisciplinary program that incorporates rhetorical theory and writing intensive pedagogy to train graduate science students to write more effectively across genres. During the pilot testing in the first year of this broader, multiyear program, we evaluated changes in the writing practices and confidence of participants as writers and scientists who completed a low‐investment, two‐workshop sequence that highlighted habitual writing, peer review, and writing for multiple audiences and multiple genres. In just six contact hours, we documented significant increases in students' reporting maintaining a more consistent writing routine and writing environment, revising multiple drafts for writing projects, and being willing to have work reviewed by peers or mentors. Upon completion of both workshops, students reported an increase in their confidence as writers. The development of comprehensive graduate writing programs can be costly and time intensive, but our evaluation demonstrates that significant gains in writing capacity and confidence as writers were made by graduate science students with even a low level of investment. We urge graduate science faculty in all Science Technology Engineering Math disciplines to consider how they might offer this two‐workshop sequence or similar low‐investment interventions that will build writing capacity and confidence as writers and scientists in graduate students.
An efficient cardiovascular disease detection model based on multilayer perceptron and moth‐flame optimization
Authors: Ahmadian Sajad , Jalali Seyed Mohammad Jafar , Raziani Saeid , Chalechale Abdolah
Published: December 2021

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in recent decades, which are increasing due to changes in people's lifestyles. Their treatment has high costs and a long treatment process. Therefore, predicting such diseases can provide care, and prevention services and treatment programs can be very useful to increase the quality of life and reduce the cost of treatment and the risk of death for patients. Various artificial neural network (ANN) techniques and machine learning (ML) algorithms can be used as efficient and reliable methods to automatically analyze and detect the hidden patterns of patient medical records data collected through medical examinations related to cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network is employed as a supervised learning approach to detect cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, we propose a modified version of moth‐flame optimization algorithm named as MMFO which is used to achieve the optimal values of weights and biases in the MLP to speed‐up the training process and provide more accurate predictions. The effectiveness of the proposed method is assessed according to performing extensive experiments on three cardiovascular disease datasets from the UCI repository, and its performance is compared with different state‐of‐the‐art classification approaches. The results reveal that the proposed method performs better than other models in terms of all medical datasets.
Time‐course changes in liver functional reserve after successful sofosbuvir/velpatasvir treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis
Authors: Atsukawa Masanori , Tsubota Akihito , Kondo Chisa , Toyoda Hidenori , Nakamuta Makoto , Takaguchi Koichi , Watanabe Tsunamasa , Hiraoka Atsushi , Uojima Haruki , Ishikawa Toru , Iwasa Motoh , Tada Toshifumi , Nozaki Akito , Chuma Makoto , Fukunishi Shinya , Asano Toru , Ogawa Chikara , Abe Hiroshi , Kato Keizo , Hotta Naoki , Shima Toshihide , Matsuura Kentaro , Mikami Shigeru , Tachi Yoshihiko , Fujioka Shinichi , Okubo Hironao , Shimada Noritomo , Tani Joji , Morishita Asahiro , Hidaka Isao , Moriya Akio , Tsuji Kunihiko , Akahane Takehiro , Okubo Tomomi , Arai Taeang , Kitamura Michika , Morita Kiyoshi , Kawata Kazuhito , Tanaka Yasuhito , Kumada Takashi , Iwakiri Katsuhiko ,   KTK49 Liver Study Group
Published: December 2021

Aim

Direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) are currently available even for patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Reportedly, hepatic functional reserve improved in the short term after achievement of sustained virologic response (SVR). We aimed to clarify the outcomes after achievement of SVR in patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were treated by DAAs in real‐world clinical practice.

Methods

A prospective, multicenter study of 12‐week sofosbuvir/velpatasvir was conducted in 86 patients with decompensated cirrhosis, who were evaluated for 48 weeks post‐treatment.

Results

The cohort included 8 patients with Child–Pugh class A, 56 with B, and 22 with C. The proportion of Child–Pugh class A patients increased from 9.1% at baseline to 44.1% at 48 weeks post‐treatment, while that of class B and C patients decreased from 66.2% to 35.1% and from 24.7% to 14.3%, respectively. Among the patients with Child–Pugh class B and C, univariate analysis identified low total bilirubin, Child–Pugh score, Child–Pugh class B, ALBI score, and high serum albumin as factors associated with improvement to Child–Pugh class A. The optimal cut‐off value of the factors for predicting improvement to Child–Pugh class A were 1.4 mg/dl for total bilirubin, 2.9 g/dl for serum albumin, 8 points for Child–Pugh score, and −1.88 for ALBI score.

Conclusion

Achievement of SVR with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir improved the liver functional reserve at 12 weeks post‐treatment and maintained the stable effects until 48 weeks post‐treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Specifically, the patients with less advanced conditions had the likelihood of improving to Child–Pugh class A at 48 weeks post‐treatment.
Cardio‐ankle vascular index of increased arterial wall stiffness is associated with neurocognitive impairment in well‐controlled HIV
Authors: Kaewpoowat Quanhathai , Rerkasem Amaraporn , Rerkasem Kittipan , Robertson Kevin R. , Aita Stephen L. , Roth Robert M. , Yasri Saowaluck , Choovuthayakorn Janejit , Ausayakhun Somsanguan , Supparatpinyo Khuanchai , Robbins Nathaniel M.
Published: December 2021

Objectives

HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) despite widespread use of combined antiretroviral therapy (ART). Vascular disease contributes to the pathogenesis of HAND, but traditional vascular risk factors do not fully explain the relation between vascular disease and HAND. A more direct measure of vascular dysfunction is needed. This cross‐sectional study tested whether the cardio‐ankle vascular index (CAVI), a novel method to assess arterial stiffness, is associated with HAND among PLWH.

Methods

Participants included 75 non‐diabetic adults with well‐controlled HIV from an outpatient HIV clinic. We assessed the relation between CAVI and neurocognitive impairment (NCI). The latter was primarily characterized by the Frascati criteria and secondarily (post hoc) using the Global Deficit Score (GDS). Logistic regression models tested whether high CAVI (≥ 8) was independently associated with NCI when controlling for potential confounders.

Results

Participants (Mage = 45.6 ± 8.3 years; 30.1% male) had few traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (hypertension, n = 7; dyslipidaemia, n = 34; body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, n = 12; smoking history, n = 13; 2.2% mean 10‐year risk of CVD or stroke). Twelve (16%) participants had high CAVI, which was independently associated with meeting Frascati criteria for NCI [n = 39, odds ratio (OR) = 7.6, p = 0.04], accounting for age, education, gender, income, CD4 nadir, recent CD4 and traditional CVD risk factors. High CAVI was also associated with NCI as reflected by higher GDS (OR = 17.4, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Cardio‐ankle vascular index is a promising measure of vascular dysfunction that may be independently associated with NCI in relatively healthy PLWH. Larger studies should test the utility of CAVI in predicting NCI/decline in PLWH.
Retrospective evaluation of an observational cohort by the Central and Eastern Europe Network Group shows a high frequency of potential drug–drug interactions among HIV‐positive patients receiving treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)
Authors: Lakatos Botond , Kowalska Justyna , Antoniak Sergii , Gokengin Deniz , Begovac Josip , Vassilenko Anna , Wasilewski Piotr , Fleischhans Lukas , Jilich David , Matulionyte Raimonda , Kase Kerstin , Papadopoulus Antonios , Rukhadze Nino , Harxhi Arjan , Hofman Sam , Dragovic Gordana , Vasyliev Marta , Verhaz Antonija , Yancheva Nina , Oprea Cristiana ,   the Euroguideliness in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group
Published: December 2021

Objectives

The aim of this international multicentre study was to review potential drug–drug interactions (DDIs) for real‐life coadministration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐specific medications.

Methods

The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe Network Group initiated a retrospective, observational cohort study of HIV‐positive patients diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire and DDIs were identified using the University of Liverpool's interaction checker.

Results

In total, 524 (94.1% of 557) patients received cART at COVID‐19 onset: 117 (22.3%) were female, and the median age was 42 (interquartile range 36–50) years. Only 115 (21.9%) patients were hospitalized, of whom 34 required oxygen therapy. The most frequent nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone was tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) with lamivudine or emtricitabine (XTC) (79.3%) along with an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) (68.5%), nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) (17.7%), protease inhibitor (PI) (13.7%) or other (2.5%). In total, 148 (28.2%) patients received COVID‐19‐specific treatments: corticosteroids (15.7%), favipiravir (7.1%), remdesivir (3.1%), hydroxychloroquine (2.7%), tocilizumab (0.6%) and anakinra (0.2%). In total, 62 DDI episodes were identified in 58 patients (11.8% of the total cohort and 41.9% of the COVID‐19‐specific treatment group). The use of boosted PIs and elvitegravir accounted for 43 DDIs (29%), whereas NNRTIs were responsible for 14 DDIs (9.5%).

Conclusions

In this analysis from the Central and Eastern European region on HIV‐positive persons receiving COVID‐19‐specific treatment, it was found that potential DDIs were common. Although low‐dose steroids are mainly used for COVID‐19 treatment, comedication with boosted antiretrovirals seems to have the most frequent potential for DDIs. In addition, attention should be paid to NNRTI coadministration.
The effects of experimentally manipulated social status and subjective social status on physical activity among Hispanic adolescents: An RCT
Authors: Lee Alexandra M. , Huo Tianyao , Miller Darci , Gurka Matthew J. , Thompson Lindsay A. , Modave François P. , Hong Young‐Rock , Pavela Gregory , Cardel Michelle I.
Published: December 2021

Background

Low objective socioeconomic status (SES) and subjective social status (SSS), one's perceived social rank, are associated with obesity. This association may be due, in part, to social status‐related differences in energy expenditure. Experimental studies are needed to assess the extent to which SES and SSS relate to energy expenditure.

Objective

Assess the effects of experimentally manipulated social status and SSS on moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour.

Methods

One hundred thirty‐three Hispanic adolescents aged 15–21 were randomized to a high or low social status position, facilitated through a rigged game of Monopoly™. SSS was assessed with MacArthur Scales. Post‐manipulation 24‐h MVPA and sedentary behaviour were assessed via accelerometry. Analyses were conducted with general linear regression models.

Results

Experimentally manipulated social status did not significantly affect the total time spent in MVPA or sedentary behaviour; however, identifying as low SSS was significantly associated with less MVPA (p = 0.0060; 18.76 min less).

Conclusions

Tewnty‐four‐hour MVPA and sedentary behaviour are not affected by an acute experimental manipulation of social status. However, low SSS, independent of SES, was associated with clinically significant differences in MVPA. SSS may be a better predictor of MVPA than SES among Hispanic adolescents, potentially influencing obesity, and other health‐related outcomes.
Enfin entendus? L'expression des travailleurs dans le cadre du Fair Food Program
Authors: MIERES Fabiola , MCGRATH Siobhán
Published: December 2021

Le Fair Food Program constitue un mécanisme permettant aux travailleurs agricoles de faire entendre leur voix de façon collective au sein des chaînes de valeur. Il met ainsi à l'honneur un modèle de responsabilité sociale qui dépend des travailleurs, plutôt que des entreprises. Les autrices détaillent les grandes composantes de ce système adaptable en montrant comment il a permis de répondre aux problèmes d'une population de travailleurs agricoles migrants spécifique aux États‐Unis. L'étude de cas prouve le potentiel du programme, qui semble capable de remédier aux atteintes aux droits des travailleurs sur les marchés du travail transnationaux et pourrait être reproduit dans d'autres contextes.
Modeling and solving the endpoint cutting problem
Authors: Cuellar‐Usaquén Daniel , Palacio Alejandro , Ospina Emilia , Botero Marcelo , Álvarez‐Martínez David
Published: December 2021

The material cutting process consists of two NP‐hard problems: first, it is necessary to find the optimal cutting pattern to minimize the waste area. Second, it is necessary to find the cutting sequence over the plate to extract the pieces in the shortest possible time. The structure of the cutting path problem can vary according to the technology used in the process. In industries where material can be considered a commodity, the cutting path is decisive due to the need to operate economically and efficiently. These types of minimization demand exact models that use nonconventional formulation techniques in search of computational efficiency and for heuristic processes to be specialized so that a good solution is guaranteed. In this paper, three different approaches were proposed. First, a novel and accurate formulation was presented based on a network flow structure. Second, a reactive GRASP algorithm with solution filtering was designed, using seven operators executed under two randomly selected local search philosophies. Finally, four warm‐start variants were designed hybridizing the GRASP algorithm subprocedures with the exact model. The approaches are compared through benchmarking; for this, a set of instances composed of cutting patterns taken from the solution of classical instances of the two‐dimensional cutting problem was created and made available. The obtained results show that all three approaches solve the problem successfully. Additionally, the computing time is analyzed, illustrating the pros and cons of each approach. Given the cutting path, including the quality of the pieces is left as a future work proposal.
Aesthoecology and Its Implications for Art and Design Education: Examining the Foundations
Authors: Hall Emese , Turner Chris
Published: December 2021

Aesthoecology can be described as an ‘onto‐epistemology’ which fuses a theory of being with a theory of knowledge and deals with the affective, connected and temporal aspects of education. Where the aesthetic aspect of aesthoecology – appearance and feelings/ sensation – concerns the affective domain, the ecological aspect – spaces, places and relationships – concerns connectedness. In our title, ‘foundations’ refers both to the foundations of aesthoecology and the foundations of art and design education. We highlight the implications of aesthoecology for the art and design education of young children, as elsewhere we consider its implications for higher education. Below, we explain aesthoecology in detail; identify some of aesthoecology’s implications for art and design education; and apply these to an examination of current English early years education policy. There is much room for improvement here, thus, in the spirit of Rancière, we invite aesthoecologically informed dissensus.
Nurses' strengths use and turnover intention: The roles of job crafting and self‐efficacy
Authors: Chu Xixi , Zhang Lihua , Li Mengyi
Published: December 2021

Aims

Based on conservation of resources theory, the study aimed to investigate how nurses' strengths use affects their turnover intention and its potential mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Design

The study adopted a time‐lagged research design.

Methods

The study was conducted from October 2019 to January 2020, with a sample of 234 registered nurses in a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. The study used bootstrapping to test the hypotheses.

Results

Strengths use had a significant negative effect on turnover intention, and job crafting completely mediated the relationship between strengths use and turnover intention. Furthermore, self‐efficacy positively moderated the direct relationship between strengths use and job crafting and the indirect relationship between strengths use and turnover intention via job crafting.

Conclusion

The study is the first to examine the relationships among nurses' strengths use and turnover intention, demonstrating that the activation and accumulation of work resources through job crafting can effectively reduce nurses' turnover intention. Additionally, by emphasizing the moderating effect of self‐efficacy, the study contributes to finding a way for hospitals to enhance the effectiveness of nurses' strengths use in terms of increased job crafting and reduced turnover intention.

Impact

Nurse managers should help nurses identify their strengths to improve their strengths use, provide nurses with more freedom to craft their jobs and take actions to build nurses' self‐efficacy and positive expectations about their jobs.
The Legal Architecture of the Economic Responses to COVID‐19: EMU beyond the Pandemic*
Authors: Fabbrini Federico
Published: December 2021

This article analyses from a law and policy perspectives the measures adopted by the European Union (EU) to address the devastating economic effects of COVID‐19, assessing their implications for Europe's economic and monetary union (EMU). The article first sets the background by exploring the main features of EMU before COVID‐19. Subsequently, it examines the multiplicity of policies deployed by the EU institutions to contain the socio‐economic damages of the pandemic – including, most crucially, the EU recovery fund "Next Generation EU" – and underlines their transformative effect on the EU architecture of economic governance. As the article argues, the responses to COVID‐19 have produced a significant rebalancing of EMU, bridging the asymmetry between EU monetary and economic policy. Finally, the article considers whether the COVID‐19‐related responses are likely to be only temporary, or rather a new normal for EMU, and sheds light on further constitutional adaptations which are needed to sustain this unprecedented transfer of fiscal power to the EU level.
An Introduction: “Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and Domestic Politics: Policy Coordination in the EU from the European Semester to the Covid‐19 Crisis”*
Authors: D'Erman Valerie , Verdun Amy
Published: December 2021

The Next Generation EU (NGEU) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) encompassed the European Semester. To understand how and why this happened we apply different theoretical approaches so as to emphasize different aspects of this process. The contributions in this collection discuss three main questions: (1) Is the Semester successfully implemented in the domestic arena? (2) Do domestic institutions and stakeholders play a crucial role in the success (or lack thereof) of the Semester? (3) What lessons can we learn from past economic policy coordination for the challenges ahead? In answering these questions, one's lens needs to be focused at both the EU and the domestic levels. Various factors play a role: solidarity, mutual understanding, relations between the ‘South’ and the ‘North’, questions about democracy, the rule of law, the interaction between economic and social issues, and even the need to address the climate crisis (the Green Deal).
Non‐coding RNAs underlying the pathophysiological links between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer: A systematic review
Authors: Dehghanian Fariba , Azhir Zahra , Khalilian Sheyda , Grüning Björn
Published: December 2021

Type 2 diabetes is known as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC). Various genetic and environmental factors cause both these global chronic diseases. The mechanisms that define their relationships are complex and poorly understood. Recent studies have implicated that metabolic abnormalities, including hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, could lead to cell damage responses, cell transformation, and increased cancer risk. Hence, these kinds of abnormalities following molecular events could be essential to develop our understanding of this complicated link. Among different molecular events, focusing on shared signaling pathways including metabolic (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) and mitogenic (MAPK) pathways in addition to regulatory mechanisms of gene expression such as those involved in non‐coding RNAs (miRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs) could be considered as powerful tools to describe this association. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer would help us to find a new research area for developing therapeutic and preventive strategies. For this purpose, in this review, we focused on the shared molecular events resulting in type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer. First, a comprehensive literature review was performed to determine similar molecular pathways and non‐coding RNAs; then, the final results were discussed in more detail.
Association between fat mass index, fat‐free mass index and hemoglobin A1c in a Japanese population: The Tohoku Medical Megabank Community‐based Cohort Study
Authors: Takase Masato , Nakamura Tomohiro , Hirata Takumi , Tsuchiya Naho , Kogure Mana , Itabashi Fumi , Nakaya Naoki , Hamanaka Yohei , Sugawara Junichi , Suzuki Kichiya , Fuse Nobuo , Uruno Akira , Kodama Eiichi N , Kuriyama Shinichi , Tsuji Ichiro , Kure Shigeo , Hozawa Atsushi
Published: December 2021

Aims/Introduction

Fat mass and fat‐free mass affect glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and blood glucose levels, respectively. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the fat mass index and fat‐free mass index with HbA1c.

Materials and Methods

We carried out a cross‐sectional study that included 3,731 men and 9,191 women aged ≥20 years, living in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, who were not treated for diabetes. The fat mass index and fat‐free mass index were calculated as fat mass and fat‐free mass divided by the height squared, respectively. The indices were classified into sex‐specific quartiles and combined into 16 groups. An analysis of covariance was used to assess associations between the combined fat mass index and fat‐free mass index with HbA1c adjusted for potential confounders. The linear trend test was carried out by stratifying the fat mass index and fat‐free mass index, entering the number as a continuous term in the regression model.

Results

In multivariable models, a higher fat mass index was related to higher HbA1c levels in men and women in all fat‐free mass index subgroups (P < 0.001 for linear trend). When we excluded the participants who had been identified as having diabetes, the fat‐free mass index was also related to higher HbA1c levels in most fat mass index subgroups (P < 0.05 for linear trend).

Conclusions

Fat mass index was positively related to HbA1c levels. The fat‐free mass index was also related to HbA1c levels when we excluded participants who had been identified as having have diabetes.
Colonoscopy utilization and outcomes in older adults: Data from the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry
Authors: Calderwood Audrey H. , Tosteson Tor D. , Walter Louise C. , Hua Peiying , Onega Tracy
Published: December 2021

Background

Colonoscopy is frequently performed in older adults, yet data on current use, and clinical outcomes of and follow‐up recommendations after colonoscopy in older adults are lacking.

Methods

This was an observational study using the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry of adults age ≥65 years undergoing colonoscopy for screening, surveillance of prior polyps, or evaluation of symptoms. The main outcomes were clinical findings of polyps and colorectal cancer and recommendations for future colonoscopy by age.

Results

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 42,611 colonoscopies, of which 17,527 (41%) were screening, 19,025 (45%) surveillance, and 6059 (14%) for the evaluation of symptoms. Mean age was 71.1 years (SD 5.0), and 49.3% were male. The finding of colorectal cancer was rare (0.71%), with the highest incidence among diagnostic examinations (2.4%). The incidence of advanced polyps increased with patient age from 65–69 to ≥85 years for screening (7.1% to 13.6%; p = 0.05) and surveillance (9.4% to 12.0%; p < 0.001). Recommendations for future colonoscopy decreased with age and varied by findings at current colonoscopy. In patients without any significant findings, 85% aged 70–74 years, 61.9% aged 75–79 years, 39.1% aged 80–84 years, and 27.4% aged ≥85 years (p < 0.001) were told to continue colonoscopy. Among patients with advanced polyps, 97.2% aged 70–74 years, 89.6% aged 75–79 years, 78.4% aged 80–84 years, and 66.7% aged ≥85 years were told to continue colonoscopy (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Within this comprehensive statewide registry, clinical findings during colonoscopy varied by indication and increased with age. Overall rates of finding advanced polyps and colorectal cancer are low. Older adults are frequently recommended to continue colonoscopy despite advanced age and insignificant clinical findings on current examination. These data inform the potential benefits of ongoing colonoscopy, which must be weighed with the low but known potential immediate and long‐term harms of colonoscopy, including cost, psychological distress, and long lag time to benefit exceeding life expectancy.
Roles of MEM1 in safeguarding Arabidopsis genome against DNA damage, inhibiting ATM/SOG1‐mediated DNA damage response, and antagonizing global DNA hypermethylation
Authors: Wang Qianqian , La Yumei , Xia Huihui , Zhou Shaoxia , Zhai Zhaoyu , La Honggui
Published: December 2021

Arabidopsis methylation elevated mutant 1 (mem1) mutants have elevated levels of global DNA methylation. In this study, such mutant alleles showed increased sensitivity to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). In mem1 mutants, an assortment of genes engaged in DNA damage response (DDR), especially DNA‐repair‐associated genes, were largely upregulated without MMS treatment, suggestive of activation of the DDR pathway in them. Following MMS treatment, expression levels of multiple DNA‐repair‐associated genes in mem1 mutants were generally lower than in Col‐0 plants, which accounted for the MMS‐sensitive phenotype of the mem1 mutants. A group of DNA methylation pathway genes were upregulated in mem1 mutants under non‐MMS‐treated conditions, causing elevated global DNA methylation, especially in RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM)‐targeted regions. Moreover, MEM1 seemed to help ATAXIA‐TELANGIECTASIA MUTATED (ATM) and/or SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1) to fully activate/suppress transcription of a subset of genes regulated simultaneously by MEM1 and ATM and/or SOG1, because expression of such genes decreased/increased consistently in mem1 and atm and/or sog1 mutants, but the decreases/increases in the mem1 mutants were not as dramatic as in the atm and/or sog1 mutants. Thus, our studies reveals roles of MEM1 in safeguarding genome, and interrelationships among DNA damage, activation of DDR, DNA methylation/demethylation, and DNA repair.
Spontaneous disseminated T‐cell lymphoma in a buff‐headed capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos)
Authors: Pereira Asheley Henrique Barbosa , Maruyama Fernanda Harumi , Dutra Valéria , Moreira Silvia Bahadian , Pissinatti Alcides , Ubiali Daniel Guimarães
Published: December 2021

Reports of spontaneous hematopoietic neoplasms in Platyrrhines species are scarce. We present the gross, histological, and immunohistochemical findings of disseminated T‐cell lymphoma in a male 25‐year‐old Sapajus xanthosternos kept in a Brazilian conservation center. No molecular evidence of betaherpesvirus or gammaherpesvirus was associated with the occurrence of this neoplasm.
Mitigating the detrimental effect of skeuomorphism on gambling behavior
Authors: Meng Matthew D. , Leary R. Bret
Published: December 2021

Skeuomorphism is a design style that retains superfluous aspects in modern designs. A strong proponent of skeuomorphism is the gambling industry, with many digital games appearing similar to physical games (e.g., barrels “spinning” on digital slot machines), even though these elements serve no functional purpose. Despite the extensive use of skeuomorphs in modern gambling interfaces, little research has examined their link to gambling behavior and, in particular, their potential negative effects on well‐being. Through three studies, the current research finds evidence that skeuomorphic design elements (vs. flat design) can increase amount gambled in games of pure chance, an effect that is moderated by locus of control (i.e., internals show a greater effect). Further, highlighting the uncontrollability of skeuomorphic games significantly reduces intended amount bet, thus impacting well‐being. Implications of these findings for consumers, advocacy groups, policy makers, and marketers are discussed.
Bank compliance with national transaction account standards: Evidence from a mid‐western metropolitan area
Authors: Birkenmaier Julie , Huang Jin , Balu Alana
Published: December 2021

Increasing the fully banked population is related to the availability of affordable bank accounts. This study investigates the factors that are associated with bank response to voluntary national bank account standards for an affordable transaction account. We also examine the degree to which account information is available from bank websites. Account feature data were collected from public bank websites and bank tellers (N = 108) in a mid‐western metropolitan area. Results suggest that most banks offer an account that meets the majority of the standards. On average, bank websites are missing information about eight (44%) of the voluntary standards. There is weak evidence to suggest that bank asset size is associated both with the number of standards met and the numbers of standards about which a viewer cannot assess from information on their website. Practice and policy implications of the voluntary standards on the availability of affordable transaction accounts are discussed.
Cushing's syndrome caused by intra‐adrenocortical adrenocorticotropic hormone in a dog
Authors: Soler Arias Elber A. , Castillo Víctor A. , Louiset Estelle , Lefebvre Herve
Published: December 2021

A 13‐year‐old Labrador retriever was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome (CS) caused by primary bilateral nodular adrenocortical hyperplasia with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) expression. The pituitary origin of CS was ruled out by suppression of plasma ACTH concentration and absence of a proliferative lesion on histological evaluation of the pituitary gland using periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS) staining, reticulin staining, and immunostaining for ACTH. A pheochromocytoma also was found at necropsy examination. On histological evaluation of both adrenal glands, at the junction of the fascicular and glomerular zones, multiple cell clusters distributed in both hyperplastic adrenal cortices expressed ACTH, whereas the pheochromocytoma cells did not. These results indicate that a disease similar to primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia in humans also occurs in dogs, with intra‐adrenocortical expression of ACTH, glucocorticoids excess, and clinical signs of CS. Therefore, the term ACTH‐independent could be inappropriate in some cases of bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia and suppressed plasma ACTH concentration in dogs.
Longitudinal, 5‐year long‐term outcomes for urinary continence and quality of life after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy in Japanese patients
Authors: Hikita Katsuya , Honda Masashi , Shimizu Ryutaro , Teraoka Shogo , Kawamoto Bunya , Yumioka Tetsuya , Tsounapi Panagiota , Iwamoto Hideto , Morizane Shuichi , Takenaka Atsushi
Published: December 2021

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal 5‐year long‐term outcomes for urinary continence and quality of life (QOL) after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), particularly nerve‐sparing.

Methods

Among patients who underwent RARP between October 2010 and October 2015, postoperative urinary symptoms were retrospectively examined using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐Short Form (ICIQ‐SF), QOL index, and number of pads used. Patients were divided into nerve‐sparing and non‐nerve‐sparing groups, and all data were evaluated before and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after surgery.

Results

After propensity score matching, 47 patients each were included in the two groups. No significant difference in the IPSS or QOL index was seen between groups. The IPSS and QOL index showed an increase in the first month after RARP, but at 6 months, values were lower than preoperative levels and then slowly improved. Pad‐free rates at 5 years after surgery were 93.6% and 80.1% in the nerve‐sparing and non‐nerve‐sparing groups, respectively (P = .029). ICIQ‐SF scores were significantly improved in the nerve‐sparing compared with the non‐nerve‐sparing group at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. After 12 months, no significant changes were identified until 60 months.

Conclusions

In this study, nerve‐sparing had a strong impact on urinary continence in the early postoperative period. After 12 months, urinary continence remained stable until 60 months.
Optimal fund menus
Authors: Cvitanić Jakša , Hugonnier Julien
Published: December 2021

We study the optimal design of a menu of funds by a manager who is required to use linear pricing and does not observe the beliefs of investors regarding one of the risky assets. The optimal menu involves bundling of assets and can be constructed from the solution to a calculus of variations problem that optimizes over the indirect utility that each type receives. We provide a complete characterization of the optimal menu and show that the need to maintain incentive compatibility leads the manager to offer funds that are inefficiently tilted towards the asset that is not subject to the information friction.
Searching for “the usual suspects”: The role of discretion and target group constructions in the frontline of policy implementation
Authors: Nørup Iben , Jacobsen Betina
Published: December 2021

This study investigates the implementation of preventive policy targeting children. Based on longitudinal survey data we analyze how frontline workers assign meaning to core concepts of the policy and categorize the children and in this light how their exercise of discretion affects policy implementation. Many studies problematize the effects of limiting the discretion in the frontline. We identify a case where the policy is highly ambiguous, the definitions of target groups, core concepts, or central goals are vague, and the general steering of the frontline is not characterized by a lack of discretion but a lack of organizational boundaries to shape the discretion. This expands not only the policymaking role of the frontline but also becomes a barrier to developing a stronger preventive effort. The findings give nuanced insight into how organizational boundaries affect the discretion and target group construction in the frontline during frontline implementation of welfare policies.
Challenges with pediatric anesthesia and intraoperative ventilation of the child in the resource‐constrained setting
Authors: Ndikontar Kwinji Raymond , Evans Faye , Gray Rebecca M.
Published: December 2021

The systemic challenges in providing safe anesthesia, including safe ventilation, to children in resource‐constrained settings are many. For anesthesia providers caring for children, the lack of appropriate equipment, inadequate anesthesia workforce and deficiencies in postoperative care are especially difficult. The clinical decisions made by anesthesia providers around when and how to ventilate a child for surgery are influenced by all of these factors and can result in patient management which may vary significantly from that in a high‐resource setting. This educational review considers the intraoperative ventilation of a small child in a resource‐constrained setting and discusses specific challenges and context‐sensitive solutions.
Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Copper(II) and Phosphate Ions from Aminopyrene Derivatives
Authors: Asavasuthiphan Voravin , Nuisin Roongkan , Kraiya Charoenkwan , Sukwattanasinitt Mongkol , Rashatasakhon Paitoon
Published: December 2021

Three derivatives of 1‐aminopyrene are functionalized with 2‐picolyl and 2‐picolinyl groups and are tested as fluorescent sensors for metal ions. The target compounds are successfully synthesized in yields of 50–90% and characterized by 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and HRMS. The compound with an amino picolyl group (P1) exhibits an excellent selectivity toward Cu(II) ion as the fluorescent signal shifts from 433 to 630 nm. From a fluorescence titration experiment, the limit of detection for Cu(II) ion is estimated as 0.19 µm. The fluorescence spectral shift by Cu(II) ion is reliant on the use of acetonitrile as a co‐solvent, and the results from cyclic voltammetry and UV‐Vis spectroscopy suggest that the sensing mechanism involves a coordination complex between the P1, acetonitrile and Cu(II) ion. Furthermore, this P1‐Cu complex can also be used as a selective fluorescent sensor for PO43− ion with a detection limit of 0.44 µm.
Non-Reversible Parallel Tempering: A Scalable Highly Parallel MCMC Scheme
Authors: Syed Saifuddin , Bouchard-Côté Alexandre , Deligiannidis George , Doucet Arnaud
Published: December 2021

Parallel tempering (PT) methods are a popular class of Markov chain Monte Carlo schemes used to sample complex high-dimensional probability distributions. They rely on a collection of N interacting auxiliary chains targeting tempered versions of the target distribution to improve the exploration of the state space. We provide here a new perspective on these highly parallel algorithms and their tuning by identifying and formalizing a sharp divide in the behaviour and performance of reversible versus non-reversible PT schemes. We show theoretically and empirically that a class of non-reversible PT methods dominates its reversible counterparts and identify distinct scaling limits for the non-reversible and reversible schemes, the former being a piecewise-deterministic Markov process and the latter a diffusion. These results are exploited to identify the optimal annealing schedule for non-reversible PT and to develop an iterative scheme approximating this schedule. We provide a wide range of numerical examples supporting our theoretical and methodological contributions. The proposed methodology is applicable to sample from a distribution π with a density L with respect to a reference distribution π0 and compute the normalizing constant ∫Ldπ0. A typical use case is when π0 is a prior distribution, L a likelihood function and π the corresponding posterior distribution.
Adolescent Health Series: Engagement with young people as partners in health research: Four case studies from Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Doyle Aoife M. , Dziva Chikwari Chido , Majozi Nomathamsanqa , Simwinga Musonda , Mayingire Gracious R. , Simbeye Kelvin , Dringus Stefanie , Bernays Sarah
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Existing health services for young people (YP)(10–24 years), which are predominantly designed for but not with young people, often do not meet YP’s needs. The 2018 Global Consensus Statement on meaningful adolescent and youth engagement affirms that YP have a fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in all matters that affect their lives. We present four case studies from three countries in sub‐Saharan Africa as practical examples of the engagement of young people as partners in health research. We critically reflect on best practices to inform and guide the increasing adoption of collaborative approaches.

Methods

We developed a narrative summary of each case study through review of study documentation and discussions with research staff and young people. A youth engagement framework was used to describe partnership activities according to the following dimensions: purpose, process, positioning, perspective, power relations, place and protection. We reflected on innovative practices used, overall level of participation achieved and strategies to address ethical, logistical and/or financial barriers.

Results

In all case studies, we found evidence of engagement activities that aligned with the Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Youth Engagement. However, access to participation was often uneven and despite efforts, marginalised young people continue to have insufficient opportunities to engage. Furthermore, although young people had some opportunity to influence the research methods, many of the key design decisions had been determined prior to their involvement. In our case studies, researchers had built in insufficient opportunities to evaluate the level and impact of youth engagement.

Conclusions

We therefore recommend early involvement of young people in the research process so that they can contribute to setting the research agenda, the design of planned studies and thus increase the scope of their engagement from the beginning. Youth engagement activities need to be evaluated from the perspective of all stakeholders including young people themselves with a focus on opportunities to engage, the level of engagement achieved and impact of engagement. From the beginning, researchers should provide space for learning, and involve young people in encouraging critical reflection of what does not yet work, as well as what does, to enable improvements.
Investigation of Influential Parameters on Oil/Water Interfacial Tension During Low-Salinity Water Injection
Authors: Khalili Hossein , Fahimpour Jalal , Sharifi Mohammad , Isfehani Zoha Dalal
Published: December 2021

Injecting low-salinity water has proved to be an efficient displacement process in oil reservoirs, owing to its ability to modify the properties at the fluid-rock and fluid-fluid interfaces in favor of mobilizing more oil. In this regard, reduction of interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water is one of the key controlling parameters. It is suspected that the asphaltene constituents of the oil and type of water ions are responsible for such a reduction in IFT. In this study, systematic experimental investigations were carried out to scrutinize the influence of brine salinity, asphaltene concentration, and temperature on IFT. Single and multi-component brines, which in particular compose of NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 salts, and two synthetic oils with 1 and 10 wt% asphaltene content were used at temperatures ranging from 25 to 80 °C. The results showed that the presence of salt in the solution can alter the distribution of polar components at the oil-brine interface due to the electrostatic effects, which in turn would change IFT of the system. IFT also decreased when temperature increased from 25 to 80 °C; however, the level of changes was strongly depended on the brine type, salinity level, and asphaltene content. The results also demonstrated that the crude oil with the higher asphaltene concentration experiences higher IFT reduction when is contacted with the low-salinity water. The new findings from this study will improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms for low salinity water flooding in oil reservoirs.