bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis on Molecular Targets and Mechanisms of Aidi Injection Treating of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhang Weizhou , Peng Wenpan , Li Yehui , Pan Tingyu , Feng Fanchao , Xu Jie , Zhou Xianmei
Published: December 2022

Background. Aidi injection (ADI) is a compound preparation injection of Chinese herbs used to treat patients of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism of ADI in the treatment of NSCLC by using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods. The related targets of ADI and NSCLC were obtained from multiple databases. The network diagram of disease-drug-components-targets (DDCT) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed to screen key targets. Then, the key targets and main signaling pathways were screened by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Next, in order to validate the results of network pharmacology, expression analysis and survival analysis of key genes were performed. Finally, we carried out the technology of molecular docking to further validate the accuracy of the above results. Results. A total of 207 targets of ADI and 5282 targets of NSCLC were obtained finally. Through the construction of DDCT and PPI network diagrams, 28 key targets were finally obtained. The results of the KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that multiple signaling pathways were associated with NSCLC, which included the MAPK signaling pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The key genes in the signaling pathway mainly include TP53, CASP3, MMP9, AKT1, PTGS2, and MAPK1. The results of differently expressed analysis of key genes showed that TP53, CASP3, MMP9, AKT1, PTGS2, and MAPK1 had statistical differences in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) compared with normal tissue

p
<
0.001

. In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the expression of TP53, CASP3, MMP9, AKT1, and PTGS2 had statistical differences compared with normal tissue

p
<
0.001

, while the expression of MAPK1 had no statistical difference

p
>
0.05

. The results of survival analysis of key genes showed that AKT1, MAPK1, CASP3, MMP9, TP53, and PTGS2 had statistical differences in the OS or RFS of NSCLC patients

p

<

0.05

. In addition, the results of molecular docking indicated that the key genes and the main components have good docking activity. Conclusions. This study revealed the potential mechanism of ADI in the treatment of NSCLC with multipathways and multitargets and provided a scientific basis for the in-depth study of ADI in the treatment of NSCLC.
Association between Hypodontia and Angle’s Malocclusions among Orthodontic Patients in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Gupta Sanjay Prasad , Dahal Samarika , Goel Khushboo , Bhochhibhoya Amar , Rauniyar Shristi
Published: December 2022

Background. Disturbances during the early tooth development stages may result in the congenital absence of teeth. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between hypodontia and Angle’s malocclusions. Materials and Methods. The sample comprised 601 orthodontic patients’ pretreatment records (242 men and 259 women), selected from the achieved orthodontic records. Developmental anomalies of teeth affecting the number were examined on dental panoramic radiographs. Based on Angle’s classification, pretreatment dental casts were assessed and classified into different classes of malocclusion. The relationship between hypodontia and different classes of malocclusion was evaluated using the chi-square test. Results. The prevalence of tooth agenesis was 7.48%, that is, 45 out of 601 samples. There were a total of 72 (0.42%) missing teeth, excluding the third molars. The most frequent missing tooth was the maxillary lateral incisor (35, 48.61%), followed by the mandibular lateral incisor (14, 19.44%), the mandibular central incisor (6, 8.33%), the mandibular second premolar (5, 6.294%), and the maxillary second premolar (4, 5.55%). Hypodontia was more common in the upper jaw. Although hypodontia was mostly seen in Class I malocclusion patients (7.87%), followed by Class II malocclusion patients (6.99%) and least in Class III malocclusion patients. However, there was no significant difference in hypodontia among different classes of malocclusions (p = 0.352). Conclusion. The most frequently missing tooth was the maxillary lateral incisor, followed by lateral and central mandibular incisors and mandibular second premolars, while excluding the third molars. The present study did not find any association between various types of malocclusions and hypodontia.
Hemoperfusion for Clinically Suspected Organophosphate and Carbamate Poisoning in Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Omar Shahed , Sooka Praveer Navin , Khoza Siyabonga , Van Rooyen Martin Charles , Mashamba Lushavhana , Madi S’fisosikayise , Mathivha Lufuno Rudo , George Jaya Anna
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Organophosphate poisoning occurs frequently, and despite treatment, increased severity and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been observed. We hypothesized that early hemoperfusion/hemadsorption (HA) therapy would change the clinical course of the disease. Methods: We performed a prospective, open, randomized controlled study at an academic ICU. Adult patients referred for an acute cholinergic toxidrome were screened. Patients meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized to standard of care (SoC) or HA therapy plus SoC, which included 2 6-h cycles of HA 12 h apart beginning within the first 24 h of ICU admission. The primary outcome was a comparison of ICU length of stay (LOS). Results: There were no significant baseline differences between the groups. The median ICU LOS was 6.5 days (IQR 4.5–10) in the HA group compared to 8 days (IQR 3.5–17) for the control group, p = 0.58. Among patients with an excess ICU LOS ≥7 days, the median ICU LOS was significantly shorter for the HA group, 10 days (IQR 8–12) compared to 17 days (IQR 14–22) for the control group, p = 0.001, resulting in a cost saving of EUR 7308 per patient. Duration (8 days vs. 13.5 days) and cumulative dosage (316 mg vs. 887 mg) of atropine among patients with excess ICU LOS were significantly lower in the HA group compared to the SoC group, respectively. A similar reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation (HA = 6 days vs. SoC = 15 days, p = 0.001) was found. The combination of day 28 mortality and severe complications was lower in the HA group (10%, n = 2/20) compared to the SoC group (42%, 14/33) p = 0.01. Conclusion: HA therapy resulted in significant cost savings driven by a reduced LOS among patients with excess ICU LOS ≥7 days. This therapy was also associated with a significant reduction in the combination of day 28 mortality and severe complications including cardiac arrest, organ dysfunction, reintubation, and tracheostomy.
Serum Calciprotein Monomers and Chronic Kidney Disease Progression
Authors: Tiong Mark K. , Holt Stephen G. , Ford Martin L. , Smith Edward R.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Elevated levels of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with progression of CKD. FGF23 inhibits proximal tubular phosphate reabsorption, raising phosphate concentrations in the tubular fluid of functioning nephrons, predisposing to spontaneous precipitation of calcium phosphate crystals and resultant tubular injury. Calciprotein monomers (CPM) form spontaneously in biological fluids when clusters of calcium phosphate ions are bound by the liver-derived glycoprotein fetuin-A. Serum CPM are elevated in CKD and are postulated to trigger FGF23 secretion. CPM are also readily filtered at the glomerulus into the tubular fluid, suggesting that higher CPM levels could be associated with progression of CKD via FGF23-mediated increased phosphate load but also through direct effects in the proximal tubule. Methods: ACADEMIC was a prospective observational study of 200 stable outpatients with CKD stages 3 and 4. Participants were followed until commencement of dialysis or death. In this study, we examined a sub-cohort of 189 participants who had baseline serum available for measurement of CPM. Cox proportionate hazard regression models were used to examine the association between CPM and a composite kidney disease outcome (commencement of dialysis or reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] >30%). Linear regression models were used to examine the association between CPM and annualized eGFR slope. Results: Relative to the lowest tertile, the highest tertile of CPM was associated with increased risk of the composite kidney disease outcome in univariate models and after sequential adjustment for conventional risk factors for progression of CKD (adjusted hazard ratio 4.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.91, 9.33, p < 0.001). Natural log-transformed CPM was also inversely associated with eGFR slope in univariate and multivariate adjusted models (adjusted β-coefficient −1.66, 95% CI: −3.10, −0.22, p = 0.024). In exploratory mediation analysis, the association between serum CPM and eGFR slope was partially mediated by iFGF23; however, the majority of the association was direct and independent of the iFGF23 pathway. Conclusion: Elevated levels of CPM are associated with the progression of CKD. This association was partially mediated via FGF23, consistent with recent evidence that FGF23 predisposes to spontaneous precipitation of calcium phosphate crystals leading to tubular injury. However, serum CPM also appeared to have a direct association with eGFR slope, raising the possibility that CPM may also be associated with progression of CKD through additional pathways.
Challenges Waiting for an Adult with DSD
Authors: Nowotny Hanna Franziska , Reisch Nicole
Published: December 2022

Background: Disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) comprise a heterogeneous group of inborn conditions where the individual’s sex chromosomes, gonads, and/or anatomical sex are discordant. Since the Chicago Consensus Conference in 2005, multidisciplinary care has been implemented in specialised paediatric tertiary care centres and clinical practice has substantially changed towards a more holistic approach. Summary: Psychological support has become a key factor in the management of DSD. After paediatric care, one of the main challenges is the transition of patients to expert care in adulthood. Patients frequently experience difficulties in accessing specialised medical care in adulthood, resulting in loss to follow-up affecting the patients’ physical and psychological health as well as quality of life. Clinical features and long-term outcomes are highly variable in most DSD conditions. Although medical care has improved, morbidity and mortality are increased in all conditions. A particular challenge in the care of DSD patients in adulthood is optimisation of fertility potential. Ideally, this is addressed already in adolescence and requires close interaction of not only paediatricians and adult endocrinologists but also urologists, andrologists or gynaecologists, and psychologists. Key Messages: This review addresses issues relating to transition of DSD care from the paediatric to adult care as well as health-related challenges in adulthood in DSD.
Assessment of Beneficiaries’ Satisfaction with Access to Health Care and Barriers within the Health Delivery System in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alqutub Sulafa Tarek
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Health care system navigation and communication with the providers are the barriers to health care access. Recently, a new health care model with the provider’s reform mechanism was introduced in Saudi Arabia. The national goal of financial reform is to provide Saudi nationals, residents, and visitors with timely access to health care. This study aimed to assess the long-term beneficiaries’ satisfaction with access to health care and explore the influencing factors and barriers, including cost and communication with the providers and probable solutions. Methods: In this cross-sectional self-administered online survey, we used the validated “6A,” namely, affordability, acceptability, adequacy, accessibility, availability, and awareness (30 items) of perceived access to health care questionnaire. The primary outcome variable was the overall satisfaction with access to health care among the long-term beneficiaries and caregivers. Demographic variables were used as predictors of the level of satisfaction. Results: A total of 118 health care long-term beneficiaries completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the participants was 49 years. Most participants were beneficiaries from the Ministry of Health (n = 62; 52.5%). Only 42 participants (35.6%) reported a high level of satisfaction. Low satisfaction level was mainly reported by non-Saudi, retired males living in big cities. Similarly, those who paid the health care services in cash reported a significantly low level of satisfaction. Moreover, the level of satisfaction was significantly associated with insurance coverage. Discussion: The first application of the “6A” perceived access to health care questionnaire in Saudi Arabia identified that 35.6% were poorly satisfied with access to health care. However, the rate is lower than that reported in six European countries, which ranged from 53% to 55%. Since after 4 years of health reform, payment methods for health services were identified as a significant predictor of variation in the mean scores of accesses to health care. Further national-level studies exploring access to health care are needed on long-term beneficiaries who are retired and those who live in rural and remote areas. In future health sector reform and health system research, addressing unaffordable to pay services is required.
Clinical Outcomes of Prolonged Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Jialing , Li Han , Wang Shixiang
Published: December 2022

Background: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not established in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Objective: In this meta-analysis, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of long duration DAPT compared with short duration DAPT in CKD patients after PCI. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase to identify studies assessing the effect of DAPT duration in CKD patients with PCI. Endpoints included all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), death or myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, and bleeding. Event rates were compared with a random-effects model expressed by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Six studies were included. CKD patients with extended DAPT duration were at a lower risk of mortality (OR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.11–1.77), MACE (OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.17–1.51), mortality or MI (OR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10–1.40), and stroke (OR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05–1.56). However, there was no significant difference in revascularization and bleeding events between the two groups. Mortality was higher in patients with dialysis or drug-eluting stent comparing short- to long-term DAPT. Conclusions: Prolonged DAPT might decrease the risk of mortality, MACE, and stroke in patients with CKD without any significant difference in bleeding or revascularization. Additional studies are required to determine whether long-term DAPT could be considered for most CKD patients after PCI.
Pilot Study to Gain First Indications for the Impact of a 3-Month’s Oral Intake of a Sucrosomial Iron Supplement on Hemoglobin in Iron-Deficient Blood Donors
Authors: Torreiter Patrick Paul , Drexler-Helmberg Camilla , Schimetta Wolfgang , Krakowitzky Petra , Helmberg Wolfgang , Schlenke Peter
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Regular whole blood donors often suffer from iron deficiency (ID) or iron deficiency anemia due to the loss of 200–300 mg of iron with each donation. Hemoglobin (Hb) as donor eligibility criterion reflects iron stores only poorly. ID in blood donors is typically prevented or treated with orally administered ferrous salts, which frequently cause gastrointestinal side effects. A high daily oral iron dose is counterproductive due to hepcidin upregulation. Oral sucrosomial iron (sucriron) is encapsulated ferric pyrophosphate that may be an option for blood donors due to its supposed high bioavailability and good tolerability. Methods: This monocentric single-cohort pilot study included fifty whole blood donors (divided into premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men) who did not meet Hb donation criteria. Participants aged 18–65 years with ferritin <30 ng/mL and venous Hb <12.5 g/dL in women and Hb <13.5 g/dL in men received oral sucriron (30 mg iron) for 90–120 days. Primary endpoints were the increase of Hb and ferritin. Results: Forty-seven participants completed the study. With the limitation that no control group was included, there was a substantial overall median increase of 0.94 g/dL Hb and 4.97 ng/mL ferritin (standardized on 90 days of iron intake). These value improvements were likewise observed in each of the subgroups. sucriron was very well tolerated, with almost no gastrointestinal side effects identified. Conclusion: A clear increase of Hb and ferritin was observed after the intake of sucriron, so it may be a reasonable and useful alternative to traditional oral iron therapy. The ease of administration, pleasant taste, dietary supplement status, and, most importantly, good tolerability highlight the value of sucriron supplementation.
Analysis of the Optic Nerve Head Microcirculation Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and the Upstream Macrocirculation Using Color Doppler Imaging in Low-Tension and High-Tension Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Hou Wenbo , Feng Jun , Chen Jie , Li Xin , Yang Guiping , Sun Xuguang
Published: December 2022

Introduction: The aim of the study was to analyze the optic nerve head (ONH) microcirculation using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and the upstream macrocirculation using color Doppler imaging (CDI) in low-tension and high-tension glaucoma (LTG and HTG, respectively). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 67 eyes of 67 HTG patients, 55 eyes of 55 LTG patients, and 42 eyes of 42 healthy controls. We recorded the complete ophthalmological examination, visual fields, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ONH vessel density (VD) measured using OCT-A, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) measured using CDI. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range) and compared using t test or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. Pearson χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparisons, as appropriate. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between variables. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The ONH VD and RNFL thickness were considerably lower in glaucomatous eyes than in healthy eyes (both p < 0.001). Compared with the HTG group, the LTG group had lower VD in the peripapillary region (p = 0.027). Compared with the healthy group, the HTG group had lower PSV (p = 0.029 and = 0.023, respectively), lower EDV (p = 0.023 and <0.001, respectively), and higher RI (p = 0.019 and = 0.006, respectively) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and central retinal artery (CRA). The LTG group had lower PSV (p = 0.015 and <0.001, respectively) and EDV (p = 0.047 and = 0.001, respectively) of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and CRA. The LTG group had lower PSV of CRA than the HTG group (p = 0.034). In glaucomatous eyes, peripapillary VD had a significant association with the mean defect (p < 0.001) and RNFL thickness (p < 0.001), but not with the other CDI indices (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: The ONH microcirculation and upstream macrocirculation of the large arteries exhibited differences in the blood flow characteristics between the LTG and HTG groups. These differences may improve our understanding of glaucoma. There was no correlation between the characteristics of the ONH microcirculation and the upstream macrocirculation of large vessels in the LTG and HTG groups.
Effects of a 2-Year Early Childhood Vitamin D3 Intervention on Tooth Enamel and Oral Health at Age 6–7 Years
Authors: Arponen Heidi , Waltimo-Sirén Janna , Hauta-alus Helena H. , Tuhkiainen Mikaela , Sorsa Timo , Tervahartiala Taina , Andersson Sture , Mäkitie Outi , Holmlund-Suila Elisa
Published: December 2022

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare the effects of a 30 µg/day versus 10 µg/day vitamin D supplementation, given during the two first years of life, on oral health at the age of six to 7 years. Methods: In 2013–2016, we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial from age 2 weeks to 2 years of daily vitamin D3 supplementation (10 vs. 30 µg), including 975 healthy infants. For the present follow-up study at age 6–7 years, a sample of 123 children underwent oral examination by investigators blinded to the intervention group. Tooth enamel defect and caries findings, oral rinse active matrix metalloproteinase-8 levels, and tooth eruption were recorded. The intervention groups were compared with χ2 and Mann-Whitney U tests. Associations of the oral health outcomes were evaluated with correlation analysis and logistic regression. Results: Of the children (median age 7.4 years, 51% boys), 56% belonged to the 30 µg intervention group. Developmental defect of enamel (DDE) was found in 39% of the children in the 10 µg intervention group and in 53% of the 30 µg group (p = 0.104). In total, 94% of children were vitamin D sufficient (25[OH]D ≥50 nmol/L) and 88% had caries-free teeth. No associations were found between vitamin D intervention group in infancy and oral health or the presence of DDE. Conclusion: Daily supplementation with 10 µg vitamin D3 in the Northern Hemisphere seems adequate in healthy children younger than 2 years in ensuring good oral health at early school age.
Career and Professional Development for Young Oncologists
Authors: Mair Maximilian J. , Cardone Claudia , Connolly Liz , Kfoury Maria , Lambertini Matteo , Lim Jonathan , Mariamidze Elene , Matikas Alexios , Pihlak Rille , Punie Kevin , Oing Christoph , Sánchez-Bayona Rodrigo , Sobczuk Pawel , Zhu Hongcheng , Berghoff Anna S. , Amaral Teresa
Published: December 2022

Young oncologists around the globe face many challenges when it comes to their career and professional development. Aspects such as time management, work-life balance, career progression, and educational opportunities are only some of them. Professional societies have identified these challenges in this professional group and designed programs to tackle them specifically. The importance of this strategy cannot be overstated, as young oncologists, defined by most societies as oncologists under 40 years of age, compose almost 50% of the oncology workforce. On the other hand, recent surveys have shown that many young oncologists are considering alternative career paths due to burnout issues aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of all other challenges. The virtual setting that has been forcedly introduced into our professional life has shortened distances between professionals and might have contributed to more accessible access to information and opportunities that some young oncologists could not profit from due to their traveling constraints. On the other hand, this virtual setting has shown us the asymmetries in opportunities for these professionals. Knowledgeable of all this, we summarize in this article some of the career and professional development offers available to all young oncologists, which we consider could help them deal with current and future challenges.
Cost-Effectiveness of Endovascular Treatment in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke With Mild Prestroke Disability: Results From the HERMES Collaboration
Authors: Ospel Johanna M. , Kunz Wolfgang G. , McDonough Rosalie V. , van Zwam Wim , Pinckaers Floor , Saver Jeffrey L. , Hill Michael D. , Demchuk Andrew M. , Jovin Tudor G. , Mitchell Peter , Campbell Bruce C.V. , White Phil , Muir Keith , Achit Hamza , Bracard Serge , Brown Scott , Goyal Mayank ,   for the HERMES Investigators
Published: December 2022

Background:

The clinical and economic benefit of endovascular treatment (EVT) in addition to best medical management in patients with stroke with mild preexisting symptoms/disability is not well studied. We aimed to investigate cost-effectiveness of EVT in patients with large vessel occlusion and mild prestroke symptoms/disability, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 1 or 2.

Methods:

Data are from the HERMES collaboration (Highly Effective Reperfusion Evaluated in Multiple Endovascular Stroke Trials), which pooled patient-level data from 7 large, randomized EVT trials. We used a decision model consisting of a short-run model to analyze costs and functional outcomes within 90 days after the index stroke and a long-run Markov state transition model (cycle length of 12 months) to estimate expected lifetime costs and outcomes from a health care and a societal perspective. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and net monetary benefits were calculated, and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed.

Results:

EVT in addition to best medical management resulted in lifetime cost savings of $2821 (health care perspective) or $5378 (societal perspective) and an increment of 1.27 quality-adjusted life years compared with best medical management alone, indicating dominance of additional EVT as a treatment strategy. The net monetary benefits were higher for EVT in addition to best medical management compared with best medical management alone both at the higher (100 000$/quality-adjusted life years) and lower (50 000$/quality-adjusted life years) willingness to pay thresholds. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed decreased costs and an increase in quality-adjusted life years for additional EVT compared with best medical management only.

Conclusions:

From a health-economic standpoint, EVT in addition to best medical management should be the preferred strategy in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion and mild prestroke symptoms/disability.
A Survey on Cross-Lingual Summarization
Authors: Wang Jiaan , Meng Fandong , Zheng Duo , Liang Yunlong , Li Zhixu , Qu Jianfeng , Zhou Jie
Published: December 2022

Cross-lingual summarization is the task of generating a summary in one language (e.g., English) for the given document(s) in a different language (e.g., Chinese). Under the globalization background, this task has attracted increasing attention of the computational linguistics community. Nevertheless, there still remains a lack of comprehensive review for this task. Therefore, we present the first systematic critical review on the datasets, approaches, and challenges in this field. Specifically, we carefully organize existing datasets and approaches according to different construction methods and solution paradigms, respectively. For each type of dataset or approach, we thoroughly introduce and summarize previous efforts and further compare them with each other to provide deeper analyses. In the end, we also discuss promising directions and offer our thoughts to facilitate future research. This survey is for both beginners and experts in cross-lingual summarization, and we hope it will serve as a starting point as well as a source of new ideas for researchers and engineers interested in this area.
An End-to-End Contrastive Self-Supervised Learning Framework for Language Understanding
Authors: Fang Hongchao , Xie Pengtao
Published: December 2022

Self-supervised learning (SSL) methods such as Word2vec, BERT, and GPT have shown great effectiveness in language understanding. Contrastive learning, as a recent SSL approach, has attracted increasing attention in NLP. Contrastive learning learns data representations by predicting whether two augmented data instances are generated from the same original data example. Previous contrastive learning methods perform data augmentation and contrastive learning separately. As a result, the augmented data may not be optimal for contrastive learning. To address this problem, we propose a four-level optimization framework that performs data augmentation and contrastive learning end-to-end, to enable the augmented data to be tailored to the contrastive learning task. This framework consists of four learning stages, including training machine translation models for sentence augmentation, pretraining a text encoder using contrastive learning, finetuning a text classification model, and updating weights of translation data by minimizing the validation loss of the classification model, which are performed in a unified way. Experiments on datasets in the GLUE benchmark (Wang et al., 2018a) and on datasets used in Gururangan et al. (2020) demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Empedocles the Wandering Daimōn and Trusting in Mad Strife
Authors: Tor Shaul
Published: December 2022

This article argues that Empedocles’ trust in Strife (DK31 B115.14 = LM22 D10.14) is not, as the prevailing interpretation has it, only a past misjudgement and failure. Rather, trust in Strife still, and to his own lament, infects Empedocles’ mind and informs his life. This detail then offers a fresh perspective on Empedocles’ self-conception and on how, through the daimōn’s cosmic peregrinations, Empedocles raises and pursues questions of agency and responsibility. Furthermore, it sheds light on Empedocles’ understanding of his own ethical standing: common assumptions to the contrary notwithstanding, he does not see himself as an unqualifiedly successful embodiment of his own ideals.
Affective Citizenship in Brexit Britain: EU Citizens’ Responses to Emotional Governance
Authors: Barrios Aquino Marianela
Published: December 2022

Brexit has exacerbated the importance of understanding the affective dimension of citizenship for EU citizens residing in the southeast of England after the UK’s 2016 referendum on membership of the EU. The state’s emotional governance, manifested in citizenship policies and the naturalisation process, reveals a complex understanding of belonging and exclusion in the context of intra-EU mobility. In this essay I focus on how naturalisation requirements establish the emotions that new citizens should feel and the impact this has on their representation of citizenship. This analysis focuses on three out of thirty-four semi-structured interviews conducted in 2017 with EU citizens at different stages of the naturalisation process. Findings show that the political context emphasises the emotional elements of naturalisation in a context of political instability. I conclude that participants’ accounts reveal their resistance to the way the state attempts to govern through emotions. This resistance serves as an indicator of emotional governance in Brexit Britain.
Students, academic reading and information literacy in a time of COVID
Authors: Secker Jane , Tilley Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

Reports on a panel discussion held at LILAC 2022 on student academic reading during the COVID-19 pandemic. Draws on data from two surveys, but also discusses the implications of this research for teachers and information literacy (IL) practitioners. In summary, students carried out almost all their academic reading in electronic format, due to the restrictions in place. However, in common with research conducted prior to the pandemic, their preferences for reading in print format remained. Students also report doing less of their assigned readings, feeling more tired as well as reporting other negative health benefits from excess use of screens and devices. The study has implications for librarians, learning developers and for academic staff assigning course readings to students. Ongoing research in this area is recommended.
A Hierarchical Dissection of Multiscale Forcing on the Springtime Mesoscale Convective Systems in the United States
Authors: You Zhenyu , Deng Yi
Published: December 2022

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) play a key role in regulating variability in the U.S. water and energy cycle. Here a hierarchical dissection of the multiscale forcing of springtime MCSs is carried out through a two-step classification process. Hierarchical clustering is first applied to spatiotemporally evolving upper-tropospheric height fields to reveal large-scale forcing patterns of MCSs. Five distinct forcing patterns (clusters) are identified with three being “remotely forced” and two associated with “local growth.” The upper-level troughs associated with these forcing patterns create broad envelopes downstream within which large-scale ascent and MCS genesis tend to occur. Further classification of MCSs based on MCS track locations reveals that local dynamic and thermodynamic forcing determines the precise locations of MCS genesis in the envelope created by large-scale forcing. Specifically, MCSs often occur near surface fronts in warm sectors of surface low pressure systems and are accompanied by low-level kinematic and moisture convergence driven by low-level jets (LLJs). Nearly 50% of spring MCSs are associated with potential instability realized through frontal lifting, and the highest probability of MCS genesis is seen with an environmental CAPE of ∼1400 J kg−1 and CIN of ∼150 J kg−1. The positive trend of the U.S. MCS genesis frequency observed in recent decades is found to be driven by the cluster of MCSs forced at large scale by the Pacific storm track. Regression analysis further suggests that the growing phase of the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) modulates the associated MCS large-scale forcing and is ultimately responsible for the positive MCS trend.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to provide a systematic classification of multiscale forcing factors triggering mesoscale convective system development over the United States. These storms are very active in spring and often lead to intense rainfall and other weather hazards such as lightning, hail, and tornadoes. They play a key role in the U.S. hydrological cycle and have been occurring more frequently over the past several decades. Our study reveals the detailed characteristics of atmospheric forcing leading to these storms. Such information lays theoretical grounds for designing prediction schemes of warm season severe weather and provides guidance for model development to improve climate models’ simulation and long-term projection of these storms.
Sensitivity of MPI-ESM Sea Level Projections to Its Ocean Spatial Resolution
Authors: Wickramage Chathurika , Köhl Armin , Jungclaus Johann , Stammer Detlef
Published: December 2022

The dependence of future regional sea level changes on ocean model resolution is investigated based on Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM) simulations with varying spatial resolution, ranging from low resolution (LR), high resolution (HR), to eddy-rich (ER) resolution. Each run was driven by the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 5-8.5 (fossil-fueled development) forcing. For each run the dynamic sea level (DSL) changes are evaluated by comparing the time mean of the SSP5-8.5 climate change scenario for the years 2080–99 to the time mean of the historical simulation for the years 1995–2014. Respective results indicate that each run reproduces previously identified large-scale DSL change patterns. However, substantial sensitivity of the projected DSL changes can be found on a regional to local scale with respect to model resolution. In comparison to models with parameterized eddies (HR and LR), enhanced sea level changes are found in the North Atlantic subtropical region, the Kuroshio region, and the Arctic Ocean in the model version capturing mesoscale processes (ER). Smaller yet still significant sea level changes can be found in the Southern Ocean and the North Atlantic subpolar region. These sea level changes are associated with changes in the regional circulation. Our study suggests that low-resolution sea level projections should be interpreted with care in regions where major differences are revealed here, particularly in eddy active regions such as the Kuroshio, Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Gulf Stream, and East Australian Current.

Significance Statement

Sea level change is expected to be more realistic when mesoscale processes are explicitly resolved in climate models. However, century-long simulations with eddy-resolving models are computationally expensive. Therefore, current sea level projections are based on climate models in which ocean eddies are parameterized. The representation of sea level by these models considerably differs from actual observations, particularly in the eddy-rich regions such as the Southern Ocean and the western boundary currents, implying erroneous ocean circulation that affects the sea level projections. Taking this into account, we review the sea level change pattern in a climate model with featuring an eddy-rich ocean model and compare the results to state-of-the-art coarser-resolution versions of the same model. We found substantial DSL differences in the global ocean between the different resolutions. Relatively small-scale ocean eddies can hence have profound large-scale effects on the projected sea level which may affect our understanding of future sea level change as well as the planning of future investments to adapt to climate change around the world.
A Long-Term Simulation of Land Surface Conditions at High Resolution over Continental China
Authors: Ji Peng , Yuan Xing , Shi Chunxiang , Jiang Lipeng , Wang Guoqing , Yang Kun
Published: December 2022

With the improvement of meteorological forcings and surface parameters, high-resolution land surface modeling is expected to provide locally relevant information. Yet, its added value over the state-of-the-art global reanalysis products requires long-term evaluations over large areas, given uneven climate warming and significant land cover change. Here, the Conjunctive Surface–Subsurface Process version 2 (CSSPv2) model, with a reasonable representation of runoff generation, subgrid soil moisture variability and urban dynamics, is calibrated and used to perform a 6-km resolution simulation over China during 1979–2017. Evaluations against observations at thousands of stations and several satellite-based products show that the CSSPv2 has 67%, 29%, and 15% lower simulation errors for snow depth, evapotranspiration (ET), and surface and root-zone soil moisture, respectively, than nine global products. The median Kling–Gupta efficiency of the streamflow for 83 river basins is 0.66 after bulk calibrations, which is 0.38 higher than that of global datasets. The CSSPv2 also accurately simulates urban heat islands (UHIs) and the patterns and magnitudes of long-term snow depth, ET, and soil moisture trends. However, the global products do not detect UHIs and overestimate the trends (or show opposite trends) of snow depth and ET. Sensitivity experiments with coarse-resolution forcings and surface parameters reveal that advanced model physics and high-resolution surface parameters are vital for improved simulations of snow depth, ET, soil moisture, and UHIs, whereas high-resolution meteorological forcings are critical for modeling long-term trends. Our research emphasizes the substantial added value of long-term high-resolution land surface modeling to present global products at continental scales.

Significance Statement

Highly heterogeneous changes of terrestrial water and energy require kilometer-scale land surface information for the adaptation. High-resolution land surface modeling has been regarded as a promising approach to provide locally relevant information, but most applications are limited to a small region or a short period. By performing sets of 6-km resolution simulations over China during 1979–2017 with the Conjunctive Surface–Subsurface Process version 2 land model, here we show that high-resolution modeling has 15%–67% lower simulation errors of snow depth, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture than nine global products, and the improvement is mainly attributed to the advances in model physical parameterizations and high-resolution surface parameters. Our results emphasize the great added value of kilometer-scale land surface modeling at continental scales.
Teaching the Arts in testing times: A Western Australian perspective on COVID impacts
Authors: Paris Lisa F , Lowe Geoffrey M , Gray Christina , Perry Angela , Warwick Lara
Published: December 2022

Expert secondary Arts teachers are highly trained specialists well versed in face-to-face individual and group teaching pedagogies. Given the highly personalised nature of Arts teaching practice, the shift to online teaching resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns presented many with challenges for which they had little or no formal training. Many teachers felt stressed, isolated and unsure about where to turn for help. As there are demonstrated links between stress and attrition, it is important to reflect upon the experiences of these teachers with the aim of developing future mitigation strategies. The research reported here synthesises the online teaching experiences of 15 expert Arts specialists in Western Australia and revealed that being a digital native was not in itself sufficient to ameliorate online teaching challenges. Rather, the study found that teachers with deep pedagogical practice knowledge and a reflexive/flexible approach fared better than those with high levels of technology familiarity. The importance of collegiality and mentoring in an online setting, along with a reappraisal of teaching priorities emerged as key findings and serve as a timely reminder of the importance of collaboration, especially in testing times.
Quality Indicators of Secondary Data Analyses in Special Education Research: A Preregistration Guide
Authors: Lombardi Allison R. , Rifenbark Graham G. , Taconet Ashley
Published: December 2022

Secondary data analyses occur when new analyses are proposed for existing data. Although they are prevalent in special education research, there is little guidance on how to prepare secondary data analyses studies. Preregistration of secondary data analyses studies provides a nice opportunity and structure for fellow researchers to share innovative questions and analytic approaches to existing data sets as well as increase transparency. In this manuscript, we (a) describe quality indicators of secondary data analyses consistent with open science practices and (b) provide applied examples of these indicators from a sampling of published studies based on two iterations of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2 and NLTS2012) with the overall goals to provide guidance to authors and peer reviewers and promote collaboration among fellow researchers engaged in secondary analyses for a range of purposes.
Control strategy research of electric vehicle thermal management system based on MGA-SVR algorithm
Authors: Yan Wei , Li Mei-Jing , Mei Na , Qu Chun-Yan , Wang Yuan , Liu Li-Ping
Published: December 2022

The thermal management system is one of the important assemblies that ensure the secure operation of electric vehicles (EVs). Using intelligent algorithms to optimize the control strategy of the thermal management system can reduce energy consumption under the premise of effective heat dissipation of EVs. This paper attempts to construct the control strategy of EV thermal management system by coupling the modified genetic algorithm (MGA) and support vector regression (SVR). Firstly, the double-population adaptive mutation method and a novel optimization process are adopted to obtain MGA. Afterward, the performance of MGA is verified by four benchmark functions compared with three typical algorithms, which are genetic algorithm (GA), double-population genetic algorithm (DPGA), and quantum genetic algorithm (QGA). The results demonstrate that the accuracy and stability of MGA are obviously better than the other three algorithms. Secondly, MGA is applied to modify parameters of SVR kernel function, and the accuracy of MGA-SVR algorithm is verified by the Auto-MPG and Computer Hardware data sets. The mean square deviations of the SVR algorithm test set are 0.0186 and 0.0806, respectively, and the mean square deviations of the MGA-SVR algorithm test set are 0.0099 and 0.0054, respectively, which fully shows that MGA-SVR have more accurate forecasting capabilities. Finally, the thermal management system model of EV is built by the one-dimensional simulation software KULI. Under the Chinese working condition, fan speed which meets the cooling requirements of the motor and controller is obtained from the KULI model, and the database is constructed. Then, MGA-SVR is trained by database and employed to predict fan speed under the Chinese working condition and obtain control strategy of the thermal management system. Compared with traditional control strategy, the thermal management system based on MGA-SVR control strategy can not only meet the radiating requirements, but also effectively reduce the power consumption of fans.
‘I Was Here Before You’: Politics of Belonging in A1 Villagised Farms of Zimbabwe
Authors: Ncube Senzeni , Marewo Malvern Kudakwashe
Published: December 2022

The Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) of 2000 redistributed land previously owned by White farmers to the majority Black Zimbabweans. In understanding the dynamics of land ownership, various studies have been conducted, and these highlight autochthonous claims to land based on attachment to graves and ancestral sites and contestations around them. However, non-ancestral claims to belonging have received limited attention. This article examines tensions between two groups of A1 villagised farms using empirical qualitative data from a case study in Bubi District. The article presents new forms of claims and contestations to autochthony and belonging in fast-track farms.
Selection of piezoeloectric material and fiber volume fraction to maximize the electrical power produced by macro-fiber composite energy harvesters
Authors: Mallouli Marwa , Chouchane Mnaouar
Published: December 2022

A piezoelectric Macro fiber composite (MFC) materials developed in the last decade found widespread applications such as vibration sensing, actuation and structural health monitoring. Unlike conventional ceramic piezoelectric materials (PZT), these composites show many advantages such as flexibility, reliability and high actuation capacity. However, increasing their energy harvesting capabilities still remains a challenge. Modeling and simulation of electrical energy harvesters using MFC patches provide a mean for geometrical optimization and appropriate choice of the MFC composite. This paper proposes a linear analytical model for prediction of the electro-mechanical response of bimorph harvesters using MFC patches. Homogenization technique is used to describe the equivalent piezoelectric properties of the composite structure of the MFC patch. This paper investigates the effect of the volume fraction of the fibers and the material choice of the piezoelectric fibers and epoxy matrix on the generated electrical power. It has been found that an increased fiber volume fraction causes a decrease of the voltage, the power and the velocity amplitudes for a range of load resistance. However, an increase in the fiber volume fraction FVF is achieved by an increase of the current amplitude for a range of load resistance. Maximum amount of power is generated by the bimorph MFC harvester for an FVF of 86% which corresponds to the reference configuration. The piezoelectric fiber material has a significant influence on the output power. In fact, the SONOX-P502 generated the greatest electrical power. However, the material of the matrix has a negligible effect on the generated power.