bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clashing Gender in the Age of Transnational Infrastructural Capitalism: The Vocational Education and Subject Making of China's Future Workers
Authors: Koo Anita , Pun Ngai
Published: August 2024

Accompanying the “China Dream” as a symbol of the advent of Chinese transnational infrastructural capitalism, a new project of subject making is emerging: an increasing number of Chinese youth, especially those from working-class backgrounds, have entered the expanded urban vocational education system for training as future workers. As a national project attempting to (re)invent educated, skilled labor subjects to serve the state goal of industrial upgrading, vocational education is geared toward entrance into the labor market, producing valuable “marketable subjects” specifically for the enhancement of the export manufacturing sector and a new service sector now increasingly extending to overseas markets. Engaging in a participatory action project in vocational schools between 2016 and 2019, this article’s authors studied students’ learning experiences and examined how the larger structural, political, economic, and cultural forces shape the girls’ and boys’ educational and occupational decisions. To understand the subject making of young Chinese workers, the concept of “clashing gender” is used to illustrate how gender plays a central yet conflicted role, torn between forces of state, market, school, and individual desire, during these young people’s years of vocational training. The article thus illustrates how the postsocialist state’s linking of China’s new economic sectors into the circuits of transnational capitalism produces intimately gendered and subjective effects for working-class youth.
Continuity and Disjuncture: The Translocal-Transnational Experiences of Chinese Skilled Trade Workers in Western Australia
Authors: Gong Qian , Wu Huan
Published: August 2024

Research on transnational migration from China since the 1990s has focused on stories about highly educated, skilled migrants. Little research has been done about the transnational migration of skilled trade workers who moved from China to Western countries. This article endeavors to analyze the experiences of this cohort through a case study of skilled trade workers who migrated to the state of Western Australia (WA) from China in the early 2000s. The life trajectories of these workers saw them migrate from villages to cities in China and then from Chinese cities to WA. By conducting semistructured in-depth interviews with eleven skilled trade workers, this study has found that trade workers’ translocal and transnational experiences should be viewed as a continuous process with both consistencies and discontinuities between the two scales of mobility. International migration strengthens the economic capital of these workers in their new context. Although the sense of social status disparity in internal migration is reduced, the language barrier becomes more salient. The workers have developed a dependence on bonding social capital by using social media to maintain their social networks in their host and home countries. These migration narratives demonstrate new modes of transnational mobility emerging from China’s rise on the global stage and the fluidity and mutability of class identities and personal capital in transnational migration.
Caught between Two Transnationalisms: Mainland Chinese Students’ Emotional Conflicts in Recent Hong Kong Protests
Authors: Song Lin , Liu Shih-Diing
Published: August 2024

This article discusses minor transnationalism in China through a case study of mainland students’ emotional conflicts in the recent Hong Kong protests. Examining the emotional representations and experiences of mainland students through analysis of media texts and interviews, the article explains how their experiences are a product of tensions between two competing Chinese transnationalisms in Hong Kong against a backdrop of China’s rise. Further unpacking the ways in which mainland students negotiate both nationalist and localist politics through their cross-border mobility, the article reflects on the possibility of a minor transnational positionality that decenters statist configurations of identity. It argues that the case of mainland students in Hong Kong illuminates how a hybridized political subject could emerge amid the effects of the new, Sino-centric version of Chinese transnationalism.
From Golden Venture to Golden Visas: The Reenchantment of Culture and Flexible Citizenship in a Nativist World
Authors: Nyíri Pál , Beck Fanni
Published: August 2024

Since the 1980s, China has become the source of a new type of international migration. In the liberal world of the 1990s, Chinese migrants became the epitome of “flexible citizenship” aimed at maximizing economic advantages. In the postliberal world of which a powerful, affluent, and repressive China is a key player, however, middle-class migrants increasingly leave China to pursue a better life defined in nonmaterial terms such as cultural authenticity, environmental purity, social solidarity, and individual freedom. As a new wave of middle-class migrants relocates to semiperipheral European destinations like Hungary, they seek refuge from the pressures of a society they see as polluted, competitive, and overly materialistic. Counterintuitively, some of these aspirations chime in with nativist ideologies espoused by the populists in their chosen homes.
China Anxiety: Deracializing Debates about Housing and Education
Authors: Ho Christina , Rogers Dallas , Nelson Jacqueline
Published: August 2024

The rise of China and the rapid expansion of its middle class are having far-reaching impacts around the world. In Australia all manner of economic, social, and political issues are now infused with an anxiety about Chinese influence. This article explores two arenas that have to date received less public attention: the role of Chinese migrants and Chinese capital in Australian housing and education. In Australia and elsewhere, there is growing competition for desirable places in both the housing and education markets. In this competition, “Chinese” individuals are often seen as being “too successful.” In housing, the “Chinese” are successful in making strategic real estate purchases. In education, Chinese migrants’ children dominate enrollments in high-performing selective schools, and perform disproportionately well in standardized tests. In both areas, public debates have included expressions of anxiety and resentment at “others” taking up valuable positions in these increasingly competitive markets. This article documents how the growth of new Chinese mobilities, in the form of people and capital, has been enabled by Australian government policies attempting to engage with a rising China. In the process, however, these new mobilities have generated anxieties about “locals” being left behind. These anxieties reflect larger-scale concerns about the shifting world order, with the Chinese ascension threatening the dominance of Western powers, as well as concerns about new class formations locally.
Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization for “Trial-Ineligible” Chronic Subdural Hematomas
Authors: Ma Li , Hoz Samer S. , Doheim Mohamed F. , Fadhil Ali , Sultany Abdullah , Al-Bayati Alhamza R. , Nogueira Raul G. , Lang Michael J. , Gross Bradley A.
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

The benefit of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) in the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) has been recently demonstrated in a series of clinical trials. Whether MMAE benefits “trial-ineligible” patients remains elusive. We thus sought to explore the potential benefit of MMAE in neurologically stable (modified Rankin Scale ≤3) patients with “trial-ineligible” CSDHs because of large size: Thickness >15 mm and/or midline shift ≥5 mm.

METHODS:

A prospectively maintained database was reviewed to identify trial-ineligible CSDHs undergoing standalone MMAE. Surgical rescue rate, hematoma resolution, and neurological deterioration after hematoma progression were evaluated and compared with trial-eligible counterparts. Effect sizes were adjusted for demographic, clinical, and radiological features using multivariable regression.

RESULTS:

Of 150 standalone MMAE procedures, 92 (61%) were performed in “trial-ineligible” cases: 41% with CSDH thickness >15 mm, 21% with midline shift ≥5 mm, and 38% with both. The surgical rescue rate was 7.6% in the trial-ineligible cohort. Over a median follow-up of 62.5 days, 88.9% cases achieved satisfactory hematoma resolution (≥50% in thickness); 76% had satisfactory resolution at 90-day follow-up. Antithrombotic resumption was a risk factor for surgical rescue (adjusted odds ratio 9.64 [95% CI, 1.33-69.74]; P = .02). Surgical rescue and hematoma resolution did not significantly differ between trial-ineligible and trial-eligible cohorts (P = .87 for surgical rescue rate and P = .85 for hematoma resolution rate).

CONCLUSION:

This study emphasizes the considerable prevalence of potentially “trial-ineligible” patients with CSDHs because of large size that may still benefit from standalone MMAE.
A change in cis-regulatory logic underlying obligate versus facultative muscle multinucleation in chordates
Authors: Johnson Christopher J. , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Haifeng , Shang Renjie , Piekarz Katarzyna M. , Bi Pengpeng , Stolfi Alberto
Published: August 2024

Vertebrates and tunicates are sister groups that share a common fusogenic factor, Myomaker (Mymk), that drives myoblast fusion and muscle multinucleation. Yet they are divergent in when and where they express Mymk. In vertebrates, all developing skeletal muscles express Mymk and are obligately multinucleated. In tunicates, Mymk is expressed only in post-metamorphic multinucleated muscles, but is absent from mononucleated larval muscles. In this study, we demonstrate that cis-regulatory sequence differences in the promoter region of Mymk underlie the different spatiotemporal patterns of its transcriptional activation in tunicates and vertebrates. Although in vertebrates myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) such as MyoD1 alone are required and sufficient for Mymk transcription in all skeletal muscles, we show that transcription of Mymk in post-metamorphic muscles of the tunicate Ciona requires the combinatorial activity of MRF, MyoD and Early B-cell Factor (Ebf). This macroevolutionary difference appears to be encoded in cis, likely due to the presence of a putative Ebf-binding site adjacent to predicted MRF binding sites in the Ciona Mymk promoter. We further discuss how Mymk and myoblast fusion might have been regulated in the last common ancestor of tunicates and vertebrates, for which we propose two models.
Adaption and psychometric evaluation of the Hindi version of Neck Disability Index in the rural population of Northern India: A cross cultural study
Authors: Sidiq Mohammad , Ramachandran Arunachalam , Janakiraman Balamurugan , Kashoo Faizan Zaffar , Chahal Aksh , Singh Janvhi , Almotairi Yousef , Almotairi Abdul Aziz , Miraj Mohammad , CH Sai Jaya Prakash , Vajrala Krishna Reddy , Muthukrishnan Ramprasad , Kandakurti Praveen Kumar
Published: August 2024

Background To ensure the validity and therapeutic utility of the Neck disability index (NDI) scale, translations, cultural adaptations and psychometric evidence is necessary. This study aimed to address the absence of a suitable and validated Hindi version of the NDI for the rural population. The specific objectives were to translate, adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly developed Hindi version of the NDI. Methods Following guidelines provided by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, the original English NDI scale was cross-culturally adapted into Hindi. The adaptation process included translations (forward and backward), expert committee review, pre-testing and cognitive debriefing with 30 individuals experiencing chronic non-specific neck pain. The outcome of this process was the creation of the Hindi version of the NDI, termed NDI-Hi. Subsequently, NDI-Hi was administered to 211 participants with neck pain from multiple centers for psychometric testing. The evaluation involved test-retest reliability over a 48-hour interval, factor analysis, assessment of internal reliability measures, and criterion-related validity by comparing it with the NPAD-Hindi version. Results The NDI-Hi version exhibited favorable psychometric properties, including good test-retest reliability with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.87. Internal consistency of the scale was high, indicated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) of 0.96. The standard error of measurement (SEM) was determined to be 2.58, and the minimal detectable change (MDC) was calculated to be 7.15. Furthermore, the NDI-Hi showed significant correlation with the NPAD-Hindi version, with a correlation coefficient (rho) of 0.86, and a p-value of less than 0.001. Conclusions The NDI-Hi demonstrated validity and reliability as an outcome tool for assessing neck disability. It can be effectively utilized in clinical practice and research settings involving Hindi-speaking individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain. The adapted scale is particularly well-suited for the rural Northern Indian Hindi-speaking population.
Trends of machine learning for dental caries research in Southeast Asia: insights from a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Hasan Faizul , Setia Budi Hendrik , Yuliana Lia Taurussia , Sujarwadi Mokh
Published: August 2024

Background Dental caries is a common chronic oral disease, posing a serious public health issue. By analyzing large datasets, machine learning shows potential in addressing this problem. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore emerging topics, collaborations, key authors, and research trends in Southeast Asia related to the application of machine learning in dental caries management. Methods A comprehensive selection using the Scopus database to obtain relevant research, covering publications from inception to July 2024 was done. We employed the Bibliometric approaches, including co-authorship networks, yearly publishing trends, institutional and national partnerships, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and citation analysis, for the collected data. To explore the visualization and network analysis, we employed the tools such as VOSviewer and Bibliometrix in R package. Results The final bibliometric analysis included 246 papers. We found that Malaysia became the top contributor with 59 publications, followed by Indonesia (37) and Thailand (29). Malaysia had the highest Multiple Country Publications (MCP) ratio at 0.407. Top institutions including the Universiti Sains Malaysia led with 39 articles, followed by Chiang Mai University (36) and the National University of Singapore (30) became the leader. Co-authorship analysis using VOSviewer revealed six distinct clusters. A total of 1220 scholars contributed to these publications. The top 10 keywords, including ‘human’ and ‘dental caries,’ indicated research hotspots. Conclusion We found growing evidence of machine learning applications to address dental caries in Southeast Asia. The bibliometric analysis highlights key authors, collaborative networks, and emerging topics, revealing research trends since 2014. This study underscores the importance of bibliometric analysis in tackling this public health issue.
The impact of social deprivation on development and progression of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Casey Caoimhe , Buckley Claire M , Kearney Patricia  M , Griffin Matthew D , Dinneen Sean  F , Griffin Tomas  P
Published: August 2024

Introduction Diabetes is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease. Social deprivation is recognised as a risk factor for complications of diabetes, including diabetic kidney disease. The effect of deprivation on rate of decline in renal function has not been explored in the Irish Health System to date. The objective of this study is to explore the association between social deprivation and the development/progression of diabetic kidney disease in a cohort of adults living with diabetes in Ireland. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study using an existing dataset of people living with diabetes who attended the diabetes centre at University Hospital Galway from 2012 to 2016. The variables included in this dataset include demographic variables, type and duration of diabetes, clinical variables such as medication use, blood pressure and BMI and laboratory data including creatinine, urine albumin to creatinine to ratio, haemoglobin A1c and lipids. This dataset will be updated with laboratory data until January 2023. Individual’s addresses will be used to calculate deprivation indices using the Pobal Haase Pratschke (HP) deprivation index. Rate of renal function decline will be calculated using linear mixed-effect models. The relationship between deprivation and renal function will be assessed using linear regression (absolute and relative rate of renal function decline based on eGFR) and logistic regression models (rapid vs. non-rapid decline).
Gendered stereotype content for people with a nonbinary gender identity
Authors: Klysing Amanda , Gustafsson Sendén Marie , Renström Emma , Lindqvist Anna
Published: August 2024

Background Gender stereotypes about women and men have a complementary structure, where women and men are seen as high/low in feminine characteristics and low/high in masculine characteristics. These stereotypes are related to representation within social roles, where beliefs about social role occupation influences which characteristics are associated with women or men. It is not known how people with gender identities that do not fit a binary structure are stereotyped. The current study provides a first step towards addressing this gap. Methods Swedish participants (N = 152) reported descriptive stereotype content (positive/negative feminine/masculine personality characteristics) and estimations of representation within domestic and occupational social roles for people with a nonbinary gender identity for the past, present, and future in a between-groups design. Stereotype content for the past included a higher degree of feminine compared to masculine characteristics, but ratings for the present and future showed no differentiation between femininity and masculinity. Results People with a nonbinary gender identity were believed to more frequently occupy feminine compared to masculine social roles for all time points; this was especially pronounced for occupational social roles. The theorised connection between social role occupation and stereotype content did not emerge: degree of positive masculinity and femininity correlated positively with representation in masculine domestic and occupational roles respectively, but positive femininity was negatively correlated with representation in feminine occupational roles. Conclusions These results indicate that stereotypes about people with a nonbinary gender identity do not show the same complementary pattern or reliance on social roles as gender stereotypes about women and men, but that there is a feminine bias in perceptions of social role occupation for people with a nonbinary gender identity.
The road to recovery: bumpy, but worth it
Authors: Perry Karl
Published: August 2024

This patient story is the fourth instalment of Karl Perry's series, reflecting on his journey with cardiac disease. In this article, Karl describes the process of recovery after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, including the highs and lows of his physical and mental journey.
Bringing Froebel back from the past
Authors: Willis Richard
Published: August 2024

Richard Willis, visiting professor at the University of South Wales, shares more about the work of educationalist Dr Lynn McNair OBE, and her impact on early years education in Scotland and elsewhere, over the last 30 years.
‘Can I have a career in early years if I'm neurodiverse?’
Authors: Windridge Michelle
Published: August 2024

Michelle Windridge, lecturer in Education at University College Birmingham, shares tips and advice for neurodiverse students who are studying and preparing for a career in the early years sector.
The Nimble Annual Giving Program: A Responsive Approach to Fundraising
Authors: Pelletier Marianne M. , Duke Gregory E.
Published: August 2024

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence has disrupted all sectors of the fundraising industry, from text scraping social media and just-in-time prospect management to machine drafted stewardship letters. However, annual giving programs still tend to solicit on a set schedule instead of in response to constituent behaviors, a habit that puts a solicitation into the hands of a prospect not at the time that the prospect is most likely to give but at a random time (and using a random method) in the prospect’s giving year. This paper will explore methods for creating an annual giving program that meets the challenge set forth by Penelope Burk in her book Donor Centered Fundraising by exploring artificial intelligence and forecasting techniques that may improve annual giving results by presenting an ask at the time a prospective donor is thinking—and feeling good—about the nonprofit. In this paper, we hope to provide an avenue for making the shifts to a nimble annual giving program that speaks to both the data scientists and the annual giving staff at an organization. We further aim to identify and interview nonprofits in education, healthcare, and cause- or arts-focused organizations that are using some of these tools and the results from doing so.
Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography based on tandem interferometry with a focus-tunable lens
Authors: Latriglia Flora , Ogien Jonas , Dubois Arnaud
Published: August 2024

This article introduces an innovative line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) system based on tandem interferometry, featuring a focus-tunable lens for dynamic focusing. The principle of tandem interferometry is first recalled, and an analytical expression of the interferometric signal detected is established in order to identify the influence of key experimental parameters. The LC-OCT system is based on a Linnik-type imaging interferometer with a focus-tunable lens for focus scanning, coupled to a Michelson-type compensating interferometer using a piezoelectric linear translation stage for coherence plane scanning. The system achieves axial and lateral image resolutions of approximately 1 µm over the entire imaging depth (400 µm), in line with conventional LC-OCT. Vertical section images (B-scans) of skin acquired at 14.3 fps reveal distinguishable structures within the epidermis and dermis. Using refocusing and stitching, images of a tissue phantom were obtained with an imaging depth superior to 1.4 mm. The system holds promise for LC-OCT miniaturization, along with enhanced imaging speed and extended imaging depth.
Dual-ring resonator design for enhanced thermal isolation and optical performance
Authors: Dede Ercan M. , Wang Jiahui , Schmalenberg Paul D. , Rodrigues Sean P. , Fan Shanhui
Published: August 2024

We report on the design of a dual-ring resonator for enhanced thermal isolation between rings and associated improved optical performance. Two 20 µm diameter silicon (Si) ring resonators, each embedded in silicon dioxide (SiO2) and having a semi-circular arc-shaped overclad heater, are spaced apart by 200 nm as a base configuration. The optimization of the topology of a surrounding 4 µm deep custom air trench results in a 10.3°C increase in the steady-state average temperature of a specified heated ring relative to the thermal performance of the baseline structure. An additional thermal isolation trench between rings in combination with a thermally conductive overlay structure is also investigated and shown to provide further enhanced anisotropic heat flow control and device transient response. From an optical perspective, the custom trench plus thermal overlay strategy for heat transfer enhancement reduces the throughput at the device drop port by −3.36 dB across the double-ring structure and produces a 37% larger difference between ring resonances when comparing performance with a simply heated, non-etched device design.
Passive rectification of the polarization of fluorescence light by photon recycling
Authors: Boissonneault William , Toubou Bah Souleymane , Galstian Tigran
Published: August 2024

We demonstrate a method of passive polarization rectification for a fluorescence emission that is excited by a blue light emitting diode (LED). More than 77% of chaotically polarized fluorescence light is converted into a linear polarized state, compared to only 39% when using a commercial plastic polarizer. We think that the proposed approach will enable significant energy savings and additional functionalities in applications, such as projectors and displays.
Efficient mass manufacturing of high-density, ultra-low-loss Si3N4 photonic integrated circuits
Authors: Ji Xinru , Ning Wang Rui , Liu Yang , Riemensberger Johann , Qiu Zheru , Kippenberg Tobias J.
Published: August 2024

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) offer significant advantages over traditional silicon photonics, including low loss and superior power handling at optical communication wavelength bands. To facilitate high-density integration and effective nonlinearity, the use of thick, stoichiometric Si3N4 films is crucial. However, when using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to achieve high optical material transparency, Si3N4 films exhibit large tensile stress on the order of GPa, leading to wafer cracking that challenges mass production. Methods for crack prevention are therefore essential. The photonic Damascene process has addressed this issue, attaining record low-loss Si3N4 PICs, but it lacks control of the waveguide height, leading to large random variations of waveguide dispersion and unpredictable spectrum responses of critical functional devices such as optical couplers. Conversely, subtractive processes achieve better dimension control but rely on techniques unsuitable for large-scale production. To date, an outstanding challenge is to attain both lithographic precision and ultra-low loss in high-confinement Si3N4 PICs that are compatible with large-scale foundry manufacturing. Here, we present a single-step deposited, DUV-based subtractive method for producing wafer-scale ultra-low-loss Si3N4 PICs that harmonize these necessities. By employing deep etching of densely distributed, interconnected trenches into the substrate, we effectively mitigate the tensile stress in the Si3N4 layer, enabling direct deposition of thick films without cracking and substantially prolonged storage duration. A secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis reveals that these deep trenches simultaneously serve as gettering centers for metal impurities, in particular copper, thereby reducing the absorption loss in Si3N4 waveguides. Lastly, we identify ultraviolet (UV)-radiation-induced damage that can be remedied through a rapid thermal annealing. Collectively, we develop ultra-low-loss Si3N4 microresonators and 0.5-m-long spiral waveguides with losses down to 1.4 dB/m at 1550 nm with high production yield. This work addresses the long-standing challenges toward scalable and cost-effective production of tightly confined, low-loss Si3N4 PICs as used for quantum photonics, large-scale linear and nonlinear photonics, photonic computing, and narrow-linewidth lasers.
Professionelle Softwareentwicklung mit Low Code optimieren – eine Fallstudie
Authors: Baumgarten Christoph , Endl Rainer , Stich Silvan
Published: August 2024

Die Fähigkeit, benötigte Softwareapplikationen effizient bereitstellen zu können, ist für Unternehmen heute ein kritischer Erfolgsfaktor. Gefragt sind signifikante Produktivitätsfortschritte für die professionelle Applikationsentwicklung; einen Lösungsansatz hierzu versprechen sog. Low-Code-Plattformen. Die vorliegende Fallstudie vergleicht zwei mit Low Code durchgeführte Softwareentwicklungsprojekte. Ausgehend von den Low-Code-getriebenen erwartbaren Optimierungspotenzialen wird analysiert, welche Einflussfaktoren eine gelungene Realisierung dieser Potenziale in den Projekten sicherstellen. Eruierte Einflussfaktoren sind: die adäquate Verwendung plattformseitig angebotener Abstraktionsebenen, die Nutzung Low-Code-spezifischer Zusammenarbeitsformen, eine strategische Plattformpositionierung, die Vermeidung statischer Anwendungsszenarien, ein internes Citizen Development auf Anbietendenseite und die richtige Plattformwahl.
scRNMF: An imputation method for single-cell RNA-seq data by robust and non-negative matrix factorization
Authors: Qian Yuqing , Zou Quan , Zhao Mengyuan , Liu Yi , Guo Fei , Ding Yijie
Published: August 2024

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful tool in genomics research, enabling the analysis of gene expression at the individual cell level. However, scRNA-seq data often suffer from a high rate of dropouts, where certain genes fail to be detected in specific cells due to technical limitations. This missing data can introduce biases and hinder downstream analysis. To overcome this challenge, the development of effective imputation methods has become crucial in the field of scRNA-seq data analysis. Here, we propose an imputation method based on robust and non-negative matrix factorization (scRNMF). Instead of other matrix factorization algorithms, scRNMF integrates two loss functions:L2loss and C-loss. TheL2loss function is highly sensitive to outliers, which can introduce substantial errors. We utilize the C-loss function when dealing with zero values in the raw data. The primary advantage of the C-loss function is that it imposes a smaller punishment for larger errors, which results in more robust factorization when handling outliers. Various datasets of different sizes and zero rates are used to evaluate the performance of scRNMF against other state-of-the-art methods. Our method demonstrates its power and stability as a tool for imputation of scRNA-seq data.
Intersecting social-ecological vulnerabilities to and lived experiences of sexually transmitted infections among Syrian refugee women in Lebanon: A qualitative study
Authors: Fahme Sasha Abdallah , Chehab Sara , Logie Carmen Helen , Mumtaz Ghina , Fitzgerald Daniel , Downs Jennifer Alzos , DeJong Jocelyn , Sieverding Maia
Published: August 2024

Conflict-affected women and girls living in protracted forced displacement settings are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Yet, little is known about the risk factors for and lived experiences of STIs in complex humanitarian settings, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where STIs have long been understudied. This qualitative study adapts the social ecological model to characterize the multi-level risks for and lived experiences of STIs among Syrian refugee women resettled in an urban refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon. Adopting a community-based sampling strategy, community health workers, who were refugee women from the camp, recruited and conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 30 adult Syrian refugee women. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach and thematically organized according to the levels of the social ecological model. We identified a confluence of individual, interpersonal, community-based, and societal vulnerabilities to STIs, including extreme poverty and insecurity, patriarchal gender norms, stigma, sexual exploitation and trafficking, poor healthcare accessibility, intimate partner violence, including marital rape, transactional sex, sexual harassment, social isolation, and internalized stigma. Participants described experiencing bothersome symptoms and sequelae of advanced and untreated STIs in the setting of limited access to health services and challenges with engaging their partners in STI treatment, largely due to STI stigma. These novel findings suggest dynamic, interrelated social and health disparities across all social ecological levels influencing refugee women’s sexual health, including their risk of STIs. Comprehensive, multi-sectorial interventions, which transcend traditional public health methods and which adopt a sexual well-being approach, are urgently needed to address systemic and intrapersonal violence against refugee women, examine and mitigate the burden of STIs, and ensure sexual justice and health equity in this protracted forced displacement setting.
Evolving trends in neuropsychological profiles of post COVID-19 condition: A 1-year follow-up in individuals with cognitive complaints
Authors: Grunden Nicholas , Calabria Marco , García-Sánchez Carmen , Pons Catalina , Arroyo Juan Antonio , Gómez-Ansón Beatriz , Estévez-García Marina del Carmen , Belvís Roberto , Morollón Noemí , Cordero-Carcedo Mónica , Mur Isabel , Pomar Virginia , Domingo Pere
Published: August 2024

Cognitive difficulties are reported as lasting sequelae within post COVID-19 condition. However, the chronicity of these difficulties and related factors of fatigue, mood, and perceived health have yet to be fully determined. To address this, the current longitudinal study aimed to clarify the trends of cognitive test performance and cognitive domain impairment following COVID-19 onset, and whether hospitalization influences outcomes. 57 participants who reported subjective cognitive difficulties after confirmed COVID-19 infection were assessed at baseline (~6 months post COVID-19) and follow-up (~15 months later) visits. Assessments included measures across multiple cognitive domains and self-report questionnaires of fatigue, mood, and overall health. Analyses were conducted in three stages: at the test score level (raw and adjusted scores), at the cognitive domain level, and stratified by hospitalization status during infection. Results at the test-score level indicate that cognitive performance remains relatively stable across assessments at the group level, with no significant improvements in any adjusted test scores at follow-up. Cognitive domain analyses indicate significant reductions in attention and executive functioning impairment, while memory impairment is slower to resolve. On self-report measures, there was a significant improvement in overall health ratings at follow-up. Finally, those hospitalized during infection performed worse on timed cognitive measures across visits and accounted for a larger proportion of cases with short-term and working memory impairment at follow-up. Overall, our findings indicate that cognitive difficulties persist both at test score and cognitive domain levels in many cases of post COVID-19 condition, but evidence suggests some improvement in global measures of attention, executive functioning and overall self-rated health. Furthermore, an effect of hospitalization on cognitive symptoms post COVID-19 may be more discernible over time.
Green Synergy: Interplay of corporate social responsibility, green intellectual capital, and green ambidextrous innovation for sustainable performance in the industry 4.0 era
Authors: Zahid Zohaib , Zhang Jijian , Shahzad Muhammad Asim , Junaid Muhammad , Shrivastava Archana
Published: August 2024

This study delves into the interconnections among corporate social responsibility, green intellectual capital, green ambidextrous innovation, and sustainable performance, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0 and sustainability. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted, and a sample of 317 small and medium enterprises was collected. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling in Smart-PLS v4, the findings reveal a significant relationship between corporate social responsibility and sustainable performance, with green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation serving as mediating factors. Moreover, the study highlights the moderating role of Industry 4.0 among green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation with sustainable performance. These findings may guide the managers in designing and implementing CSR strategies beyond compliance and contributing to competitive advantage through green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation for business success in the era of Industry 4.0.
Health-related quality of life and hypertension in people with HIV on long-term antiretroviral therapy in Uganda
Authors: Batte Charles , Semulimi Andrew Weil , Mukisa John , Nakabuye Mariam , Nidoi Jasper , Mukunya David , Ratanshi Rosalind Parkes , Castelnuovo Barbara , Lamorde Mohammed , Meya David , Checkley William , Kalyesubula Robert , Siddharthan Trishul , Babigumira Joseph B.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The presence of hypertension could reduce the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with HIV (PWH). Yet, literature describing the HRQoL of PWH who have hypertension in Uganda is scarce making the design of locally adapted interventions cumbersome. In our study, we compared HRQoL scores of people with HIV with and without hypertension on long term antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Uganda.

Methods

We recruited 149 PWH with hypertension and 159 PWH without hypertension in the long-term ART cohort at an urban clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Data on socio-demographics were collected using an interviewer designed questionnaire while data on the World Health Organisation clinical stage viral load and CD4 count as well as ART duration were extracted from clinic electronic database and a generic EuroQol -5D- 5L (EQ-5D- 5L) and Medical Outcome Study (MOS-HIV) questionnaire used to collect HRQoL data. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics while inferential statistics were used to determine associations between key variables and HRQoL. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare HRQoL between groups of interest.

Results

One hundred ninety (61.7%) participants were female. PWH who had hypertension were older (Mean ± SD: 53.7 ± 8.3 vs 49.9 ± 8.6, p value <0.001) than those without hypertension. Participants with hypertension had lower overall median health utility scores (0.71 (0.33–0.80) vs 0.80 (0.44–0.80), p value = 0.029) and mean physical health score (48.44 ± 10.17 vs 51.44 ± 9.65, p value < 0.001) as opposed to those without hypertension. Hypertension (p value = 0.023), high income status, >70,000 UGX, (p value = 0.044), disclosure of the HIV status of the participants to their partner (p value = 0.026), and current history of smoking (p value = 0.029) were associated with low HRQoL scores.

Conclusion

Among people with HIV, those with hypertension had lower HRQoL compared to those without. This calls for inclusion of quality-of-life assessment in the management of PWH who have been diagnosed with hypertension to identify those at risk and plan early interventions.
Characterizing primary transcriptional responses to short term heat shock in Down syndrome
Authors: Cardiello Joseph F. , Westfall Jessica , Dowell Robin , Allen Mary Ann
Published: August 2024

Heat shock stress induces genome-wide changes in transcription regulation, activating a coordinated cellular response to enable survival. We noticed many heat shock genes are up-regulated in blood samples from individuals with trisomy 21. We characterized the immediate transcriptional response to heat shock of two lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from brothers with and without trisomy 21. The trisomy 21 cells displayed a more robust heat shock response after just one hour at 42°C than the matched disomic cells.
Prevalence and genotypes of Chlamydia psittaci in birds and related workers in three cities of China
Authors: Hou Ling , Jia Jing , Qin Xincheng , Fang Ming , Liang Shengnan , Deng Jianping , Pan Bei , Zhang Xiangyuan , Wang Bin , Mao Conglin , Cheng Lihong , Zhang Jie , Wang Chunhui , Ming Xuewei , Qin Tian
Published: August 2024

Chlamydia psittaci—a zoonotic pathogen in birds—may be transmitted to humans, causing severe respiratory disease. Individuals working in or living near poultry farms are highly susceptible to C. psittaci infection. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and genotypes of C. psittaci in poultries and humans in three cities of China by collecting fecal samples from different poultry species and throat swab samples and serum samples from workers in poultry farms and zoos. These samples were screened by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting C. psittaci ompA. The positive samples were subjected to PCR amplification and sequencing of ompA. The strains detected in the samples were genotyped on the basis of the phylogenetic analysis of ompA sequences. In total, 3.13% (40/1278) poultry fecal samples were positive in the qPCR assay, whereas 3.82% (6/157) of throat swab samples and 42.59% (46/108) of serum samples from the workers were positive in the qPCR and indirect fluorescent antibody assays, respectively. The strains detected in the 32 poultry samples and 6 human samples were genotyped as type A, indicating that the workers were infected with C. psittaci that originated in poultry birds in farms. Additionally, eight peacocks showed strains with the genotype CPX0308, which was identified in China for the first time. Elucidating the distribution of C. psittaci in animals and poultry-related workers may provide valuable insights for reducing the risk of C. psittaci infection within a population.
Mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events after glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist initiation in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and type 2 diabetes: A population-based study
Authors: Karacabeyli Derin , Lacaille Diane , Lu Na , McCormick Natalie , Xie Hui , Choi Hyon K. , Aviña-Zubieta J. Antonio
Published: August 2024

Objective

To assess the risk of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and type 2 diabetes newly initiating glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1-RAs) versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is).

Methods

We performed a population-based cohort study using administrative health data from British Columbia. Patients with an IMID (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic disease, ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease) and type 2 diabetes who newly initiated a GLP-1-RA or DPP-4i between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2021 were identified using ICD-9/10 codes. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included MACE and its components (i.e., cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke). Cox proportional hazard regressions were used with propensity score overlap weighting. The analysis was repeated in age- and sex-matched adults without IMIDs.

Results

We identified 10,855 adults with IMIDs and type 2 diabetes who newly initiated a GLP-1-RA or DPP-4i. All-cause mortality rate was lower among initiators of GLP-1-RAs compared to initiators of DPP-4is, with a weighted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31–0.75) and rate difference (RD) of -9.4 (95% CI, -16.0 to -2.7) per 1000 person-years. Rate of MACE was also lower with GLP-1-RA exposure (HR 0.66 [0.50–0.88], RD -10.5 [-20.4 to -0.8]). Effect sizes were similar in adults without IMIDs.

Conclusion

In patients with IMIDs and type 2 diabetes, GLP-1-RA exposure is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and MACE compared to a cardioneutral active comparator.
Fruit-In-Sight: A deep learning-based framework for secondary metabolite class prediction using fruit and leaf images
Authors: Krishnan Neeraja M. , Kumar Saroj , Panda Binay
Published: August 2024

Fruits produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites of great economic value. Analytical measurement of the metabolites is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. Additionally, metabolite concentrations vary greatly from tree to tree, making it difficult to choose trees for fruit collection. The current study tested whether deep learning-based models can be developed using fruit and leaf images alone to predict a metabolite’s concentration class (high or low). We collected fruits and leaves (n = 1045) from neem trees grown in the wild across 0.6 million sq km, imaged them, and measured concentration of five metabolites (azadirachtin, deacetyl-salannin, salannin, nimbin and nimbolide) using high-performance liquid chromatography. We used the data to train deep learning models for metabolite class prediction. The best model out of the seven tested (YOLOv5, GoogLeNet, InceptionNet, EfficientNet_B0, Resnext_50, Resnet18, and SqueezeNet) provided a validation F1 score of 0.93 and a test F1 score of 0.88. The sensitivity and specificity of the fruit model alone in the test set were 83.52 ± 6.19 and 82.35 ± 5.96, and 79.40 ± 8.50 and 85.64 ± 6.21, for the low and the high classes, respectively. The sensitivity was further boosted to 92.67± 5.25 for the low class and 88.11 ± 9.17 for the high class, and the specificity to 100% for both classes, using a multi-analyte framework. We incorporated the multi-analyte model in an Android mobile App Fruit-In-Sight that uses fruit and leaf images to decide whether to ‘pick’ or ‘not pick’ the fruits from a specific tree based on the metabolite concentration class. Our study provides evidence that images of fruits and leaves alone can predict the concentration class of a secondary metabolite without using expensive laboratory equipment and cumbersome analytical procedures, thus simplifying the process of choosing the right tree for fruit collection.
Multifactorial model of predictors of the development of depressive disorders in multiple sclerosis: a prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Gubskaia K. V. , Malygin Yа. V. , Aleksandrova A. Yu.
Published: August 2024

Up to 50% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are affected by depression.

Objective: to develop a multifactorial model of predictors of depression in MS, considering sociodemographic, clinicopsychopathological and clinicofunctional characteristics.

Material and methods. 157 patients with MS and depression were analyzed. The control group consisted of 100 MS patients without depression. The observation period was 10 years. The following scales were used: Beck, MFI-20, Spielberger-Hanin, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, PASAT test, EDSS. We performed an MRI scan, and identified significant stressful events, the type of MS, clinically isolated and radiologically isolated syndromes, concomitant diseases and the use of MS disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). The diagnosis of depression was made according to the ICD-10 criteria. Multivariate models were developed using analysis of variance and multiple linear regression equation.

Results. A multifactorial model of predictors for the development of depression with a high multiple correlation value (r=0.85) was proposed. Factors with pronounced influence on the development of depression were: high rate of progression of MS (Beta=0.879), highly active course of MS (Beta=0.876), asthenia 89.6±1.1 points on the MFI-20 scale with an increase of 1.48% per year (Beta=0.784). Significant factors were: localization of lesions in the frontal, temporal regions of the right hemisphere (Beta=0.742), reactive anxiety 56±2.64 points on the SpielbergerKhanin scale with an increase of 1.89 % per year (Beta=0.682), increase in the area of lesions in the brain by 1.83 % per year (Beta=0.618), multiple lesions in the brain (Beta=0.591). Statistically significant predictors with less influence on the development of depression were: female gender, secondary education, living alone, significant stressful events in the past, autoimmune diseases, depression before the development of MS, depression in close relatives, pain syndrome (6–8 points on VAS). Cognitive impairment, increase in PASAT score of 2.87% per year, body mass index with an increase of 1.61% per year, clinically isolated and radiologically isolated syndromes before the development of MS, age of onset of MS, age of onset of depression, disability indicator according to EDSS, type of MS, comorbidity and medication use are not predictors of depression in MS.

Conclusion. A high rate of MS progression, a very active course of MS, an increase in asthenia on the MFI-20 scale, localization of lesions in the frontal and temporal regions of the right hemisphere and an increase in reactive anxiety were identified as important predictors of depression in MS.