bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Deep‐Learning Framework for Analysing Students’ Review in Higher Education
Authors: Ngwira Blessings , Gobin-Rahimbux Baby , Sahib Nuzhah Gooda
Published: March 2023

As part of continuous process improvements to teaching and learning, the management of tertiary institutions requests students to review modules towards the end of each semester. These reviews capture students’ perceptions about various aspects of their learning experience. Considering the large volume of textual feedback, it is not feasible to manually analyze all the comments, hence the need for automated approaches. This study presents a framework for analyzing students’ qualitative reviews. The framework consists of four distinct components: aspect‐term extraction, aspect‐category identification, sentiment polarity determination, and grades’ prediction. We evaluated the framework with the dataset from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). A sample size of 1,111 reviews was used. A microaverageF1‐score of 0.67 was achieved using Bi‐ LSTM‐CRF and BIO tagging scheme for aspect‐term extraction. Twelve aspect categories were then defined for the education domain and four variants of RNNs models (GRU, LSTM, Bi‐LSTM, and Bi‐GRU) were compared. A Bi‐GRU model was developed for sentiment polarity determination and the model achieved a weightedF1‐score of 0.96 for sentiment analysis. Finally, a Bi‐LSTM‐ANN model which combined textual and numerical features was implemented to predict students’ grades based on the reviews. A weightedF1‐score of 0.59 was obtained, and out of 29 students with “F” grade, 20 were correctly identified by the model.
Seizures as a Struggle between Life and Death: An Existential Approach to the Psychosocial Impact of Seizures in Candidates for Epilepsy Surgery
Authors: Bauer Prisca R. , Bronnec Marie L.A. , Schulze-Bonhage Andreas , Altenmüller Dirk-Matthias , Fuchs Thomas
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Mental health comorbidities such as depression and anxiety are common in epilepsy, especially among people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who are candidates for epilepsy surgery. The Psychology Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy advised that psychological interventions should be integrated into comprehensive epilepsy care. Methods: To better understand the psychological impact of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in epilepsy surgery candidates, we analysed interviews with this subgroup of patients using Karl Jaspers’ concept of limit situations, which are characterised by a confrontation with the limits and challenges of life. These are especially chance, randomness, and unpredictability, death and finitude of life, struggle and self-assertion, guilt, failure, and falling short of one’s aspirations. Results: In 43 interviews conducted with 15 people with drug-resistant epilepsy who were candidates for epilepsy surgery, we found that these themes are recurrent and have a large psychosocial impact, which can result in depression and anxiety. For some people, epileptic seizures appear to meet the criteria for traumatic events. Conclusion: Understanding epilepsy and seizures as existential challenges complements the neurobiological explanations for psychological comorbidities and can help tailor psychological interventions to the specific needs of people with epilepsy, especially those who are candidates for surgical treatment.
Definitive Liver Radiotherapy for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma with Extrahepatic Metastases
Authors: De Brian , Upadhyay Rituraj , Liao Kaiping , Kumala Tiffany , Shi Christopher , Dodoo Grace , Abi Jaoude Joseph , Corrigan Kelsey L. , Manzar Gohar S. , Marqueen Kathryn E. , Bernard Vincent , Lee Sunyoung S , Raghav Kanwal P.S. , Vauthey Jean-Nicolas , Tzeng Ching-Wei , Tran Cao Hop S. , Lee Grace , Wo Jennifer , Hong Theodore S , Crane Christopher H , Minsky Bruce D. , Smith Grace L. , Holliday Emma B. , Taniguchi Cullen M. , Koong Albert C. , Das Prajnan , Javle Milind , Ludmir Ethan B. , Koay Eugene
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Tumor-related liver failure (TRLF) is the most common cause of death in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Though we previously showed that liver radiotherapy (L-RT) for locally advanced ICC is associated with less frequent TRLF and longer overall survival (OS), the role of L-RT for patients with extrahepatic metastatic disease (M1) remains undefined. We sought to compare outcomes for M1 ICC patients treated with and without L-RT. Methods: We reviewed ICC patients that found to have M1 disease at initial diagnosis at a single institution between 2010 and 2021 who received L-RT, matching them with an institutional cohort by propensity score and a National Cancer Database (NCDB) cohort by frequency technique. The median biologically effective dose was 97.5 Gy (interquartile range 80.5–97.9 Gy) for L-RT. Patients treated with other local therapies or supportive care alone were excluded. We analyzed survival with Cox proportional hazard modeling. Results: We identified 61 patients who received L-RT and 220 who received chemotherapy alone. At median follow-up of 11 months after diagnosis, median OS was 9 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 8–11) and 21 months (CI: 17–26) for patients receiving chemotherapy alone and L-RT, respectively. TRLF was the cause of death more often in the patients who received chemotherapy alone compared to those who received L-RT (82% vs. 47%; p = 0.001). On multivariable propensity score-matched analysis, associations with lower risk of death included duration of upfront chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.82; p = 0.005) and receipt of L-RT (HR: 0.40; p = 0.002). The median OS from diagnosis for NCDB chemotherapy alone cohort was shorter than that of the institutional L-RT cohort (9 vs. 22 months; p < 0.001). Conclusion: For M1 ICC, L-RT associated with a lower rate of death due to TRLF and longer OS versus those treated with chemotherapy alone. Prospective studies of L-RT in this setting are warranted.
CAPN1 (Calpain1)-Dependent Cleavage of STIM1 (Stromal Interaction Molecule 1) Results in an Enhanced SOCE (Store-Operated Calcium Entry) in Human Neonatal Platelets
Authors: Berna-Erro Alejandro , Ramesh Girish , Delgado Elena , Corbacho Antonio J. , Ferrer-Marín Francisca , Teruel Raul , Granados María P. , Rosado Juan A. , Redondo Pedro C.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Altered intracellular Ca
2+
homeostasis in neonatal platelets has been previously reported. This study aims to examine the changes in the Ca
2+
entry through the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) mechanism in neonatal platelets.

Methods:

Human platelets from either control women, mothers, and neonates were isolated and, following, were fixed after being treated as required. Platelet samples were analyzed by Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and MALDITOF/TOF. Ca
2+
homeostasis was also determined. Culture cells were used as surrogated of platelets to overexpress the proteins of interest to reproduce the alterations observed in platelets.

Results:

Altered TG (thapsigargin)-evoked SOCE, alternative molecular weight form of STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1; s-STIM1 [short STIM1 isoform (478 aa)], around 60 kDa) and overexpression of SARAF (SOCE-associated regulatory factor) were found in neonatal platelets as compared to maternal and control women platelets. s-STIM1 may result due to CAPN1 (calpain1)-dependent processing, as confirmed in platelets and MEG01 cells by using calpeptin and overexpressing CAPN1, respectively. In HEK293 (STIM1 and STIM2 [stromal interaction molecule 2] double knockout) cells transfected either with c-STIM1 (canonical STIM1 [685 aa]), s-STIM1 (478), STIM1B (540), and CAPN1 overexpression plasmids, we found s-STIM1 and c-STIM1, except in cells overexpressing s-STIM1 (478) that lacked CAPN1 target residues. These results and the in silico analysis, lead us to conclude that STIM1 is cleaved at Q496 by CAPN1. Ca
2+
imaging analysis and coimmunoprecipitation assay using MEG01 and HEK293 cells overexpressing SARAF together with s-STIM1 (478) reported a reduced slow Ca
2+
–dependent inactivation, so reproducing the Ca
2+
-homeostasis pattern observed in neonatal platelets.

Conclusions:

CAPN1 may cleave STIM1 in neonatal platelets, hence, impairing SARAF coupling after SOCE activation. s-STIM1 may avoid slow Ca
2+
–dependent inactivation and, subsequently, results in an enhanced TG-evoked SOCE as observed in neonatal platelets.
Transformers for Tabular Data Representation: A Survey of Models and Applications
Authors: Badaro Gilbert , Saeed Mohammed , Papotti Paolo
Published: March 2023

In the last few years, the natural language processing community has witnessed advances in neural representations of free texts with transformer-based language models (LMs). Given the importance of knowledge available in tabular data, recent research efforts extend LMs by developing neural representations for structured data. In this article, we present a survey that analyzes these efforts. We first abstract the different systems according to a traditional machine learning pipeline in terms of training data, input representation, model training, and supported downstream tasks. For each aspect, we characterize and compare the proposed solutions. Finally, we discuss future work directions.
Generative Spoken Dialogue Language Modeling
Authors: Nguyen Tu Anh , Kharitonov Eugene , Copet Jade , Adi Yossi , Hsu Wei-Ning , Elkahky Ali , Tomasello Paden , Algayres Robin , Sagot Benoît , Mohamed Abdelrahman , Dupoux Emmanuel
Published: March 2023

We introduce dGSLM, the first “textless” model able to generate audio samples of naturalistic spoken dialogues. It uses recent work on unsupervised spoken unit discovery coupled with a dual-tower transformer architecture with cross-attention trained on 2000 hours of two-channel raw conversational audio (Fisher dataset) without any text or labels. We show that our model is able to generate speech, laughter, and other paralinguistic signals in the two channels simultaneously and reproduces more naturalistic and fluid turn taking compared to a text-based cascaded model.1,2
Legal Mobilisation by Women with Disabilities in Indonesia
Authors: Dewi Yogi Paramitha
Published: March 2023

Women with disabilities have experienced double marginalisation. As women, they remain marginalised by patriarchal culture and religious conservatism, and as persons with disabilities, their participation in social, political, economic, and cultural life has been constrained by the state and society’s barriers. Even though Indonesia has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the marginalisation of women with disabilities remains an important issue. In this context, by applying a qualitative method, this article addresses the question of how women with disabilities mobilise existing legal and institutional resources to pursue empowerment. It finds that in the process of legal mobilisation, they employ three different strategies: advocacy from above, advocacy from within, and advocacy from below, through which a better condition has been achieved but the challenges for further empowerment remain in place.
A Transition from Win-Win to “Win-Lose” Outcome in Africa’s Trade with China: A Case of In-depth Assessment of Kenya’s Exports
Authors: Onjala Joseph
Published: March 2023

Like a handful other African countries, Kenya has a thriving bilateral economic relations with China. Kenya provides a convenient entry point for Chinese merchandise imports into the Eastern and Southern Africa. Notwithstanding various bilateral trade pacts, the imbalance, China is keen to paint its relationship with Kenya as one of win-win with mutual benefit. In this analysis, we examine the competitiveness of the major disaggregated merchandise export products by Kenya to China. Applying a computed normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA), our findings show the scores to be generally low. The scores illuminate significant differences in the performance of merchandize export products to China. “Win-win” outcome is not tenable given the glaringly narrow scope of the export products. Kenya’s own export supply capacity remains very low for the products being traded. Even if Kenya was able to exploit all the export potential with China, future trade imbalance is only likely to be exacerbated in favor of China.
The Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) Greek Epigraphy Project and the Revolution in Greek Epigraphy
Authors: Iversen Paul A.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the history, purpose and importance of the Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) Greek Epigraphy Project are discussed.
Learning Islam “ala Gaza”: Palestinian Shaykhs as Figures of Religious Authority in Indonesian Palestine Solidarity Practices
Authors: Wolf Silvia Ilonka
Published: March 2023

In recent years a variety of activities have emerged in Indonesia that invite Palestinian shaykhs as figures of religious authority. These practices are a by-product of humanitarian initiatives carried out by Muslim solidarity organizations of the Tarbiyya movement. Analyzing these practices through the lens of Muslim cosmopolitanism, I argue that they reflect a cosmopolitan patriotism, in which the umma and the nation are mutually constitutive frameworks of belonging. Mobilizing Indonesians for the Palestinian cause, while teaching them Qurʾan memorization skills that Gazans are believed to exceptionally possess, serves to create a pious generation as envisioned by the Tarbiyya movement.
Microstructural and Statistical Investigation on Dissimilar Friction Stir Spot Welding of Austenitic and Ferritic Stainless-Steels
Authors: Aljebur Abdaala Abdulmuhsen Habib , Mostafapour Amir , Ebrahimpour Ali
Published: March 2023

The increasing use of austenitic and ferritic stainless steel sheets, especially in the power plant industry, highlights the importance of research into the mechanical and metallurgical properties of these joints. Friction stir spot welding of these sheets was investigated using full-factorial
experimental design. Considering the three main parameters of rotational speed, plunge depth and dwell time, each of which had three levels, led to 27 tests. The highest strength (6400 N) was related to sample number 8 with parameters 900 rpm, 2.7 mm and 20 s and this sample was selected for
microstructural studies. The metallurgical properties of this sample were investigated and the microstructures of heat affected zone, thermos-mechanically affected zone and stir zone were extracted. Thermomechanical changes during the process and especially dynamic recrystallization in the
stir zone due to heat application and severe plastic deformation by the process reduce the grain size, which in turn increases the bond strength. Using analysis of variance, it was found the direct effect of rotational speed and plunge depth on the lap shear strength is significant. The interaction
effect of rotational speed and plunge depth and also, rotational speed and dwell time on the response were significant.
Role of Ocean Advections during the Evolution of the Pacific Meridional Modes
Authors: Shu Qi , Zhang Yu , Amaya Dillon J. , Larson Sarah M. , Kosaka Yu , Yang Jun-Chao , Lin Xiaopei
Published: March 2023

The Pacific meridional modes (PMMs) are the leading ocean–atmosphere coupled modes in the subtropical northeastern (NPMM) and southeastern (SPMM) Pacific, respectively, and have been suggested to be key precursors to equatorial Pacific variability. Previous studies pointed out that both NPMM- and SPMM-related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are primarily driven by net surface heat flux variations during their equatorward evolution. However, whether oceanic heat advective processes would play a role during the evolution remains unclear. To address this issue, we perform an ocean mixed layer heat budget analysis based on observations and three ocean reanalysis datasets, and then reveal the effect of ocean advections on the evolution by comparing a fully coupled dynamic ocean model (DOM) to a slab ocean model (SOM). Our results suggest that for the NPMM evolution, ocean advections—primarily by anomalous meridional Ekman heat advections driven by mean and anomalous zonal wind stresses—play a damping role in the south of the NPMM. Thus, the NPMM SST anomalies appear to instead exhibit a poleward shift, although still freely propagating westward from the preceding boreal winter to the following summer. This finding challenges the traditional view that the NPMM propagates equatorward through the wind–evaporation–SST feedback. For the SPMM evolution, ocean advections play a damping role in the center of the SPMM from boreal spring to summer, as well as an intensification role in the southwest Pacific during summer. However, the effect of the intensification on the SPMM evolution is hard to determine due to the strong simulation bias of the SPMM evolution in the DOM.

Significance Statement

While it is known that both NPMM- and SPMM-associated SST anomalies are primarily driven by net surface heat flux variations during their evolution, whether ocean advections would play a role remains unknown. Here, we show that ocean advections play a role in the evolution of both PMMs. In particular, for the NPMM evolution, ocean advections play a damping role in the south of the NPMM center, causing a tendency for the NPMM to be displaced northward. The role of ocean advection challenges the prevailing notion that the NPMM simply evolves equatorward through the wind–evaporation–SST feedback.
Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Intervention Acceptance on Hospital Length of Stay
Authors: Hurtado Daniel , Varela Mario , Juarez Alejandra , Nguyen Y-Nha , Nhean Salin
Published: March 2023

Background: Inappropriate antibiotic use is a major public health concern. Excessive exposure to antibiotics results in the proliferation of multidrug-resistant bacteria, increase in potentially avoidable adverse drug reactions, healthcare utilization, and cost. Currently, systematic reviews and controlled trials assessing the effects of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) on hospital length of stay (LOS), mortality, and cost-savings are conflicting. Some studies reported a significant cost-savings driven by shorter hospital LOS while the others found no effect and, in some cases, prolonged LOS. Shortening the time to appropriate therapy and reducing unnecessary days of therapy have been shown to reduce hospital LOS. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prescriber acceptance to ASP interventions on hospital LOS. Methods: Between January 2018 and December 2019, 764 charts were retrospectively reviewed for patients who received antimicrobial treatment and in whom an ASP intervention was performed. Patients were allocated into 2 groups: those whose ASP interventions were accepted and those whose were rejected. Provider responses were then documented within 24 hours of being communicated. The primary outcome was hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission rates and inpatient antimicrobial duration of therapy (DOT). Results: There were 384 patients with an accepted ASP intervention and 380 with a denied intervention. Baseline characteristics were similar between both groups, except for a difference in the types of intervention performed ( P < 0.001). The median hospital LOS for patients in the accepted intervention group was 6.5 days compared to 7 days in the rejected intervention group ( P = 0.009). Antimicrobial DOT was also shorter in the accepted intervention group (5 vs 7 days; P < 0.001). There was no difference in 30-day readmission rates ( P = 0.98). Conclusion: Prescriber acceptance to ASP interventions decreases hospital LOS and antimicrobial DOT without affecting 30-day readmission rates.
Significant Published Articles in 2022 for Pharmacy Nutrition Support Practice
Authors: Dickerson Roland N. , Bingham Angela L. , Canada Todd W. , Neander Chan Lingtak , Petrea Cober M. , Cogle Sarah V. , Tucker Anne M. , Kumpf Vanessa J.
Published: March 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to assist the pharmacist engaged in nutrition support therapy in staying current with pertinent literature. Methods: Several clinical pharmacists engaged in nutrition support therapy compiled a list of articles published in 2022 considered important to their clinical practice. The citation list was compiled into a spreadsheet where the author participants were asked to assess whether the article was considered important to nutrition support pharmacy practice. A culled list of publications was then identified whereby at least 5 out of the 8 author participants considered the article to be important. Guideline and consensus papers, important to practice but not ranked, were also included. Results: A total of 162 articles were identified; 8 from the primary literature were voted by the group to be of high importance. An additional 10 guidelines, position, recommendation, or consensus papers were also identified. The top-ranked articles from the primary literature were summarized and a narrative regarding its implications to pharmacy nutrition support practice were provided. Conclusion: We recommend that pharmacists engaged in nutrition support therapy be familiar with these articles as it pertains to their practice.
Sensitivity analysis methodology to identify the critical material properties that affect the open hole strength of composites
Authors: Sasikumar Aravind , Turon Albert , Cózar Ivan R , Vallmajó Oriol , Casero Jorge Camacho , De Lozzo Matthias , Abdel-Monsef Said
Published: March 2023

Aeronautical industries are concerned about generating efficient and cost-effective statistical design allowables of composite laminate responses. Within this framework of uncertainty quantification and management (UQ & M), accounting for the various uncertainties is crucial to calculate the design allowables which, in turn, adds confidence to the design and certification process. In this context, as a precursor to UQ & M, we establish a global sensitivity analysis framework to identify the material properties that influence the laminate responses. In this study, an open hole tensile (OHT) test configuration is considered. In a first step, sensitivity analysis based on an analytical model is performed using Sobol, FAST, and Morris methods, whereas in a second step, sensitivity analysis based on a detailed 3D finite element model (FEM) incorporating damage is performed using Morris. The paper compares different sensitivity approaches in terms of computational cost and results. Further, different case studies (varied notched hole sizes, width-to-diameter ratios, laminate stacking sequences, etc.) are performed to study how the sensitive parameters vary for different configurations. The study identified the Morris method, along with the selected hyper parameters, as being suitable for FEM based sensitivity analysis due to its low computational cost. Five material properties (out of 23) were identified as influencing the open hole laminate tensile strength. Using the FE simulations performed for the Morris analysis, a first estimation of the design allowables (A and B basis values) on the OHT strength is also presented. The results from this paper contribute to the next step of UQ&M, where only the identified sensitive material properties can be considered for detailed experimental characterization or for building meta models to calculate the design allowables. A framework like this, complements experimental campaign to reduce the associated costs and knock-down factors, thus shortening the certification process.
Variation in State-Level Mammography Use, 2012 and 2020
Authors: Howard David H. , Tangka Florence K.L. , Miller Jacqueline , Sabatino Susan A.
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

Mammography is a screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. Uptake in screening use in states can be influenced by Medicaid coverage and eligibility policies, public health outreach efforts, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–funded National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. We described state-specific mammography use in 2020 and changes as compared with 2012.

Methods:

We estimated the proportion of women aged ≥40 years who reported receiving a mammogram in the past 2 years, by age group, state, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, using 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. We also compared 2020 state estimates with 2012 estimates.

Results:

The proportion of women aged 50-74 years who received a mammogram in the past 2 years was 78.1% (95% CI, 77.4%-78.8%) in 2020. Across measures of socioeconomic status, mammography use was generally lower among women who did not have health insurance (52.0%; 95% CI, 48.3%-55.6%) than among those who did (79.9%; 95% CI, 79.3%-80.6%) and among those who had a usual source of care (49.4%; 95% CI, 46.1%-52.7%) than among those who did not (81.0%; 95% CI, 80.4%-81.7%). Among women aged 50-74 years, mammography use varied across states, from a low of 65.2% (95% CI, 61.4%-69.0%) in Wyoming to a high of 86.1% (95% CI, 83.8%-88.3%) in Massachusetts. Four states had significant increases in mammography use from 2012 to 2020, and 8 states had significant declines.

Conclusion:

Mammography use varied widely among states. Use of evidence-based interventions tailored to the needs of local populations and communities may help close gaps in the use of mammography.
Mechanical Properties and Damage Behaviours of Polyurethane Composites Reinforced With BNNP and MWCNT Hybrid Nanoparticles
Authors: Bahtiyar Gülay , Ekrem Mürsel , Ünal Bayram , Ak Safa
Published: March 2023

In recent years, with increasing engineering applications, structural adhesives have played an increasingly important role in joining both metallic and non-metallic components. Polyurethane is frequently used in the adhesive industry due to its morphological structure, versatile material, and excellent matrix material. In addition, by doping polyurethane with single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes and boron nitride nanoplates materials, the mechanical properties of the polyurethane adhesive can be further increased. This study aimed to increase the mechanical properties of PU (thermoset polyurethane), which is frequently used in adhesively bonded joints by addition of MWCNT (multi-walled carbon nanotubes), BNNP (boron nitride nanoplates). For this purpose, nanoparticles synergistic interaction was investigated by adding a mass of 0.25%, 0.35%, and 0.45% MWCNT into PU, which was reinforced by 0.5% BNNP before. Samples mechanical properties were determined by tensile test according to ASTM D638-10 standard, flexure test according to ASTM D790-02 standard, and Shore D test according to ASTM D2240 standard. All sample test results were graphed, and each graph was compared. Also, broken surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the damage mechanism of nanoparticles.
An α7 nAChR approach for the baseline-dependent modulation of deviance detection in schizophrenia: A pilot study assessing the combined effect of CDP-choline and galantamine
Authors: Choueiry Joëlle , Blais Crystal M. , Shah Dhrasti , Smith Dylan , Fisher Derek , Labelle Alain , Knott Verner
Published: March 2023

Background:

Cognitive operations including pre-attentive sensory processing are markedly impaired in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) but evidence significant interindividual heterogeneity, which moderates treatment response with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists. Previous studies in healthy volunteers have shown baseline-dependency effects of the α7 nAChR agonist cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline) administered alone and in combination with a nicotinic allosteric modulator (galantamine) on auditory deviance detection measured with the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potential (ERP).

Aim:

The objective of this pilot study was to assess the acute effect of this combined α7 nAChR-targeted treatment (CDP-choline/galantamine) on speech MMN in patients with SCZ ( N = 24) stratified by baseline MMN responses into low, medium, and high baseline auditory deviance detection subgroups.

Methods:

Patients with a stable diagnosis of SCZ attended two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and counter-balanced testing sessions where they received a placebo or a CDP-choline (500 mg) and galantamine (16 mg) treatment. MMN ERPs were recorded during the presentation of a fast multi-feature speech MMN paradigm including five speech deviants. Clinical measures were acquired before and after treatment administration.

Results:

While no main treatment effect was observed, CDP-choline/galantamine significantly increased MMN amplitudes to frequency, duration, and vowel speech deviants in low group individuals. Individuals with higher positive and negative symptom scale negative, general, and total scores expressed the greatest MMN amplitude improvement following CDP-choline/galantamine.

Conclusions:

These baseline-dependent nicotinic effects on early auditory information processing warrant different dosage and repeated administration assessments in patients with low baseline deviance detection levels.
Patterns of cytokine and chemokine expression in peripheral blood of patients with COVID-19 associated with disease severity
Authors: Trifonova Iva , Ngoc Kim , Nikolova Maria , Emilova Radoslava , Todorova Yana , Gladnishka Teodora , Christova Iva
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Cytokine dysregulation has been proposed as one of the main culprits for severe COVID-19 and poor prognosis. We examined the parallel presence of lymphopoietic, proinflammatory, Th1, Th2, regulatory cytokines, and chemokines in the serum of 47 patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 and evaluated the association between cytokine concentrations and disease severity.

Methods

A multiplex quantitative cytokine analysis ProcartaPlex™ immunoassay was applied, using the LuminexTM 200X detection system (Invitrogen).

Results

The concentrations of twelve cytokines: IL-18, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha; IL-21; IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-22; IL-10, IL-1RA; IL-7 and IFN-alpha were consistently elevated in the studied serum samples. All examined chemokines—Eotaxin, GRO-alpha, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, SDF-1alpha, and RANTES, were detectable in all studied groups, confirming their importance in mediating the adaptive immune response regardless of disease severity. The serum concentrations of six mediators: IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-18, IL-10, IL-8, and IP-10, showed statistically significant differences among the groups with different disease severity. IL-6, IL-1beta, and IL-10 were more significantly elevated in severe cases while milder symptoms were associated with lower levels of IL-8 and IP-10.

Conclusion

Overall, the studied chemokines demonstrated an associated production in acute COVID-19 infection. A strong correlation was observed between the Th1 mediators IL-18 and IL-10 and the proinflammatory IL-6 in the severe COVID-19 group. Our results indicated that severe COVID-19 was characterized by a dysregulated cytokine pattern whereby the Th1 immune response is outweighed by the immunoregulatory response, while inhibitory signals cannot balance the hyperinflammatory response.
All power to the reviewers: British sociology under two-level supervision of the Research Excellence Framework
Authors: Wieczorek Oliver , Münch Richard , Schubert Daniel
Published: March 2023

Our study investigates the impact of the British Research Assessment Exercise in 2008 and Research Excellence Framework in 2014 on the diversity and topic structure of UK sociology departments from the perspective of habitus-field theory. Empirically, we train a Latent Dirichlet allocation on 819,673 abstracts stemming from the journals in which British sociologists submitted at least one paper in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 or Research Excellence Framework 2014. We then employ the trained model on the 4822 papers submitted in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 and 2014. Finally, we apply multiple factor analysis to project the properties of the departments in the topic space. Our topic model uncovers generally low levels of research diversity. Topics with global reach related to political elites, demography, knowledge transfer, and climate change are on the rise, whereas locally constrained research topics on social problems and different dimensions of social inequality get less prevalent. Additionally, some of the declining topics are getting more aligned to elite institutions and high ratings. Furthermore, we see that the associations between different funding bodies, topics covered, and specialties among sociology departments changed from 2008 to 2014. Nonetheless, topics aligned to different societal elites are found to be associated with high Research Assessment Exercise/Research Excellence Framework scores, while social engineering topics, postcolonial- and cultural-related, as well as more abstract topics are related to lower Research Assessment Exercise/Research Excellence Framework scores.
Scientometric analysis of the development of plastic packaging considering the circular economy and clean technologies: A review
Authors: Lima Tulio Cícero Haas , Machado Enio Leandro , de Cassia de Souza Schneider Rosana
Published: March 2023

Plastics are alternatives to enable the distribution of industrialized products, especially food. Packaging is versatile and of great importance for the conservation of products. However, plastic packaging impacts the environment and calls for a clean technology and circular economy approach to mitigate the damage. A scientometric analysis of the relationship between plastic packaging production and the circular economy was reviewed based on the premise that research is intrinsically linked to clean technologies. VosViewer software was used to conduct the analysis, and the revision was conducted for discussion and relationship building. We concluded that there is a gap regarding the connection between the circular economy and clean technologies with plastic packaging. The development of technologies that adapt plastic packaging to the circular economy is rarely discussed. To make plastic packaging more environmentally attractive, technologies based on eco-design are necessary to achieve an alternative scenario associated with a more sustainable circular economy.
Trust, cooperation, and the tradeoffs of reciprocity
Authors: Haynes Kyle , Yoder Brandon K.
Published: March 2023

This article demonstrates that foreign policies of reciprocity entail previously unrecognized tradeoffs. The conventional wisdom in international relations holds that reciprocating another state's cooperative and non-cooperative actions can simultaneously promote cooperation and allow states with compatible preferences to build trust. We present a model that synthesizes recent work on signaling and cooperation to identify a tension between the goals of building long-term trust and inducing short-term cooperation. Specifically, a receiver's highly reciprocal strategy generates strong incentives for hostile senders to behave cooperatively, which reduces the credibility of cooperation as a signal of benign intentions. Conversely, a less reciprocal strategy increases the credibility of senders’ cooperative signals, but forgoes the benefits of short-term cooperation with hostile states. Thus, uncertain receivers often face a tradeoff between inducing cooperation and eliciting credible signals. We illustrate these tradeoffs in pre-First World War British foreign policy, and highlight the article's policy implications for contemporary US–China relations.
Adherence to Hepatitis C Treatment Among Underserved Patients With Substance Use Disorder in a Pharmacist-led Treatment Model
Authors: McKenzie Anthony J. , Noble Brie N. , Herink Megan C. , Viehmann Megan M. , Furuno Jon P.
Published: March 2023

Background

Treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) may improve hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment outcomes by providing additional contact with health care professionals to support patient engagement. Objective: We describe a pharmacist-led HCV treatment model and assessed the effect of MOUD on adherence to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in an underserved patient population. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults (age≥18 years) treated for HCV infection with DAAs at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Portland, Oregon, between March 1, 2019, and March 16, 2020. Patients were followed to 12 weeks to assess adherence to DAAs by MOUD status. Results: Among 59 eligible patients, 16 (27%) were prescribed MOUD. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients who did and did not receive MOUD. Adherence to DAAs was overall high and not significantly different between the groups (median: 98.5% vs median: 100%; P = .06). Five patients missed at least one dose due to an adverse drug effect and two of these patients discontinued HCV therapy due to these effects. Conclusion: Adherence to HCV therapy was nearly 100% among underserved patients in a pharmacist-led HCV treatment model and did not differ by MOUD engagement.
Bilateral chancre of the tongue: An unusual presentation of primary syphilis
Authors: Singh Sushma , Poonia Kavita , Bansal Shivani , Kapatia Gargi
Published: March 2023

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. A characteristic lesion of primary syphilis is chancre. It can develop over genital or extra genital sites, depending on the site of contact with the infectious agent. Cases of oral syphilis have been on the rise in the previous two decades, probably because of the involvement of the oral cavity in sexual practices. We here report an unusual case of primary syphilis who presented with a painless indurated oral ulcer over the lateral borders of the tongue.
Deployable linear and spiral array structures based on a Kresling-inspired mechanism with integrated scissor arms
Authors: Bentley Christopher S , Harne Ryan L
Published: March 2023

Recent developments have shown that spatial structures devised from origami or low-dimensional rigid linkage mechanisms can be used to construct deployable arrays for antennas or satellites. Yet, some of these structures are limited to deployment in fixed planes or directions, or do not define straightforward processes for deployment. To surmount these limitations, this research introduces a reconfigurable single-degree-of-freedom spatial structure devised from a Kresling-inspired mechanism with integrated scissor arms. Analytical models are constructed to demonstrate compaction, deployment, and acoustic wave guiding capabilities of the proposed, modular structure. The influences of the geometric parameters on compaction, deployment, and scissor arm orientation are also explored, and reveal modular scissor arm behavior and large deployment-to-compaction area ratios. The acoustic wave guiding capabilities of the Kresling-inspired scissor structure are exemplified via a structure using spiral scissor arms, thereby proposing a novel concept for the construction of deployable wave guiding arrays. Experimental studies with model arrays complement the analytical findings of both the geometric reconfigurations and wave guiding functionality. Finally, out-of-plane configurations are depicted to demonstrate the three-dimensional shape change capabilities of the Kresling-inspired scissor structure. The results in this study encourage broader exploration of the interfaces between origami inspired structures and rigid linkage mechanisms.
Depression as an Embodied Experience: Identifying the Central Role of the Body in Meaning-Making and Identity Processes
Authors: Orphanidou Maria , Kadianaki Irini , O’Connor Cliodhna
Published: March 2023

Α significant part of the psychological research on mental health and illness is interested in how the body can impact one’s mental health. This impact is primarily explored using a biomedical framework, in studies that examine the body’s role in the emergence of a mental illness, the ways it can signify the presence of an illness (i.e. physical symptoms) and, finally, its role in the treatment process. Within this literature, the body is conceptualised as an object that can be diagnosed and treated. The current study approaches the body as a subject in the experience of depression. Specifically, it demonstrates that the experience of depression is embodied and that the body mediates meaning-making and identity processes. Using qualitative findings from eight interviews with Greek-Cypriot adults diagnosed with depression, we demonstrate that participants make sense of depression through their bodies, as a painful, uncomfortable and agonising experience. Further, we discuss how the struggle to regain control over the body, experienced as hijacked by depression, leads to a disrupted relation with the self and the world that expands beyond the idea of the loss of self, as described in the literature. Theoretical and clinical implications are examined.
Enterobacter cloacae Infection After Surgical Treatment of Ankle Fractures, a Multicenter Observational Study
Authors: García Cardona Carlos , Bernaus Johnson Martí Carles , Martínez Ros Javier , Hernández-Gonzalez Nerea , Auñon Rubio Álvaro , Anglès Crespo Francesc , Arteagoitia-Colino Iraia , Coifman-Lucena Ismael , Esteban-Moreno Jaime , Moral Escudero Encarnación , Gómez García Lucía , Nóvoa Martínez Ricardo , Ortega Columbrans Ana , Veloso Duran Margarita , Font-Vizcarra Lluís
Published: March 2023

Background:

Infection is one of the challenging complications after open reduction and internal fixation for ankle fractures. Previously published case series conclude that Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequent causative microorganism. An unexpected increase in Enterobacter cloacae infections after this surgery was observed in a preliminary analysis of data at the promoting center of the study. In traumatology, its incidence has been reported in chronic osteomyelitis, prosthetic infections, septic osteoarthritis, open fractures in children and adults, and fractures other than the ankle. Because of this unexpected finding, we decided to perform this study to analyze the demographic and microbiological variables of acute osteosynthesis infection after ankle fracture and determine the distinctive features of the patients with E cloacae infection.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective multicenter study including 4 university hospitals. All patients diagnosed with acute osteosynthesis infection after ankle fracture fixation between January 2015 and December 2018 were included. We analyzed demographic data, type of fracture, surgical technique, and microorganisms responsible for the infection. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis of the variables. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed to compare patients with E cloacae infection to patients with infection caused by other microorganisms.

Results:

A total of 65 patients were included. A predominance of polymicrobial infections (24.62%), followed by infections caused by S aureus (23.07%) and E cloacae (23.07%) was observed. When E cloacae isolated in polymicrobial infections were added, the incidence of E cloacae as a causative microorganism increased to 32.3%. Patients with E cloacae infection were older (64/53, P = .008) and had a higher requirement of negative-pressure therapy after surgical debridement (71%/40%, P = .017).

Conclusion:

A high incidence of E cloacae infections was observed. Patients with E cloacae infection were generally older and required a higher use of negative-pressure therapy after debridement.

Level of Evidence:

Level V, mechanism-based reasoning.
Early Childhood Teachers’ Emergent Literacy Data Practices
Authors: Schachter Rachel E. , Yeomans-Maldonado Gloria , Piasta Shayne B.
Published: March 2023

Despite a growing focus on access to and use of emergent literacy assessment in early childhood, little is known about early childhood teachers’ data practices and their associations with children's emergent literacy skills. A questionnaire was used to confirm and elaborate findings from prior qualitative work (Schachter & Piasta, 2022) investigating U.S. teachers’ emergent literacy data practices. We focused on how teachers gathered data (data gathering), what they learned from those data (data knowledge), and how they used those data in their practice (data use) along with associations between the practices and children's emergent literacy skills. Overall, teachers reported engaging in multiple data practices, often with high levels of knowledge about children's emergent literacy skills. A small set of data practices, related to data gathering and data knowledge, were associated with children's emergent literacy skills. However, there were also some unexpected negative associations between children's outcomes and teachers’ data practices.
Radiation therapy for pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation: A case series and literature review
Authors: Liu Cassie , Carmicheal Joseph , Baine Michael J. , Zhang Chi
Published: March 2023

Pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation (PPTID) is a rare, primary tumor of the pineal gland. Due to its rarity, there is no consensus on optimal therapeutic strategies or standard characterization of the tumor’s behavior. Here, we report 2 new cases of PPTID and an extensive review of the literature involving the use and extent of radiation therapy. Patient 1 is a 54-year-old male who presented with PPTID and drop metastases in the spinal cord, received cranial spinal irradiation (CSI), and experienced recurrence 3.5 years after treatment. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) helped the patient into remission for 9 months. Patient 2 is a 32-year-old male with a local PPTID at presentation who went on to receive surgical resection followed by focused adjuvant radiation therapy to the pineal tumor bed. He then presented 6 years after treatment with extensive disseminated recurrence and died due to leptomeningeal disease (LMD) about 4 years after recurrence. The available literature on PPTID is limited and reported cases of LMD with ongoing follow-up in PPTID are scarce. Our report adds to the current known PPTID cases, contributing to the information available regarding prognosis and treatment response. Although an optimal therapeutic strategy for PPTID still cannot be determined, data from the literature suggest that utilizing radiation therapy in patients with low-risk disease and gross total resections as well as the use of upfront CSI have the potential to improve patient progression and survival outcomes.