bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cannabinoid Receptor-2 agonist AM1241 Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rats via Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway
Authors: Zhang Mingxiao , Tian Qingxin , Liu Jianlong
Published: August 2024

Objective: The cannabinoid receptor-2 agonist AM1241 exhibits notable cardioprotective effects against myocardial infarction, positioning it as a promising therapeutic candidate for cardiovascular disease. This study explores AM1241’s protective role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and its association with the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Methods: In an established Sprague-Dawley rat IR model, AM1241’s impact on cardiac injury was assessed through echocardiography, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, and histological analysis. H9c2 cells underwent hypoxia-reoxygenation, with AM1241’s influence on cell viability determined by the CCK-8 assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured using the DCFH-DA assay, and Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expressions were evaluated through immunofluorescence and Western blot. Results: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) increased infarct size, inflammatory cell presence, oxidative and nitrosative stress, impaired cardiac function, and elevated apoptosis rates. AM1241 mitigated these effects, enhancing cell viability, reducing ROS production, and upregulating Nrf2 and HO-1 expression. The antioxidant effect of AM1241 was inhibited by ML385 intervention. Conclusions: AM1241 attenuates oxidative stress, alleviates MIRI, and activates the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic strategy for MIRI.
Galectin-3 and Soluble CD146 Identify Cardiorenal Injuries in Severe Burn Patients: A Biomarker-Based Approach
Authors: Boutin Louis , Soussi Sabri , Garcia Lavello Angèle , Masson Fron Elisabeth , Deniau Banjamin , Legrand Matthieu , Blot-Chabaud Marcel , Figueroa Stefanny Muriel , Chadjichristos Christos Envangelos , Azibani Feriel , Dépret Fançois
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and myocardial injury (MI) are severe conditions in patients with severe burn injury, and combination of both is even worst and is called the cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). Identifying a distinct cardiorenal phenotype could significantly enhance the management of these patients. Galectin-3 (Gal3) and soluble CD146 (sCD146) are biomarkers for renal and cardiac injuries. This study aims to assess the occurrence and reliability of these biomarkers in recognizing CRS in individuals who have been severely burn. Methods: This study is a single-center prospective proof-of-concept study involving patients with severe burn injuries. Plasma samples for Gal3 and sCD146 measurements were collected daily during the initial 7 days following admission. CRS was defined after 24 h of admission by the association of AKI stage 1 or more (KDIGO definition) and MI defined on high sensitive troponin (hsTnT) (variation >20% baseline value or absolute value >40 ng/mL). Results: Forty patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Thirty-eight patients had CRS. The pooled values of Gal3 or combination of Gal3 and sCD146 values following 7 days after admission were associated with CRS with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.145 (95% CI: 1.081–1.211), p < 0.001, and 1.147 (95% CI: 1.085–1.212), p < 0.001, respectively. Gal3 values at admission (D0) had a predictive performance for CRS with an AUC of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.63–0.93), and this performance improved when using the combination of Gal3 and sCD146 values at admission (D0), with an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.66–0.96). Gal3 levels during the first 7 days were associated with patients experiencing AKI and no MI, with an OR of 1.129 (95% CI: 1.065–1.195), p < 0.001, and MI without AKI with an OR of 1.095 (95% CI: 1.037–1.167), p < 0.001. sCD146 alone was not associated with AKI without MI or MI without AKI and was poorly associated with CRS. Conclusion: In severely burned patients, CRS is a frequent and severe condition. Gal3 values during the first 7 days following admission were associated with CRS. The use of sCD146 with Gal3 improved prediction performance for CRS identification. The use of such biomarkers to identify CRS is important and needs to be confirmed in other studies.
Xylene-Free Papanicolaou Staining
Authors: Dhende Suhas , Pathuthara Saleem , Uke Maya , Deodhar Kedar
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Xylene (XL) is the most commonly used clearing agent in Papanicolaou staining. XL is hazardous and toxic chemical and prolonged exposure to XL can cause many ill-health effects. The health risk due to XL can be minimized by substituting XL with less hazardous clearing reagents such as Pine Oil (PO), Eucalyptus oil (EO), or Limonene (LM). The objective of this study was to compare the clearing ability, staining quality, preservation of morphology, physical properties, and cost of XL, PO, EO, and LM. Methods: Four smears were prepared from each of 50 serous effusions and were subjected to Papanicolaou stain. Out of four smears, one each was exposed to clearing specifically with XL (control), PO (test), EO (test), and LM (test). Test smears were compared with control for clearing, staining and morphology; graded as excellent, good or fair and further scored as 3, 2, 1, and the quality index (QI) was calculated. Statistical analysis was performed and the p value was calculated. In addition, the physical properties and cost of all the reagents were compared. Results: QI was 0.96 for both XL and PO, whereas 0.92 and 0.54 for EO and LM, respectively. Compared to XL, the quality of staining, clearing and morphology of PO and EO were statistically not significant, whereas the difference was statistically significant with LM (p = 0.005). Physical properties such as volatility, flammability, miscibility with alcohol and DPX and the refractive indices of all the reagents were almost similar and all were recyclable. Odor was pungent for XL and EO but was pleasant for PO and LM. The cost was less for PO as compared to others. Conclusion: PO was a natural, less hazardous, less toxic, and economical clearing agent and can be considered as a substitute for XL.
Teoremas de Tales, da bissetriz e Apolônio: teoria, construções e problemas olímpicos
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Linares Juan López
Published: August 2024

Os teoremas de Tales e da Bissetriz e as circunferências de Apolônio são pilares fundamentais para o estudo da Geometria. Este material didático foi utilizado durante algumas das aulas do curso "Geometria Olímpica com GeoGebra'' para professores de Matemática do Ensino Fundamental e Médio de todo o Brasil. O texto conta com 80 figuras que facilitam acompanhar a resolução. Todas têm como complemento links para os gráficos interativos no site do GeoGebra e, vários, a resolução em vídeo do YouTube. A discussão é organizada em cinco capítulos: Fundamentos; Circunferências de Apolônio e Pontos Isodinâmicos; Construções, exercícios e desafios; Problemas resolvidos de olimpíadas internacionais; Problemas propostos. O diferencial na utilização do GeoGebra está baseado na disponibilidade gratuita do software, tanto online como aplicativos para computadores e celulares. As construções geométricas podem ser feitas de forma dinâmica, onde exploram-se diversas configurações de um mesmo problema. O GeoGebra serve tanto como calculadora gráfica e numérica, utilizada para a verificação, como ferramenta para a apresentação, passo a passo, de uma demonstração rigorosa. O GeoGebra também convida o leitor a interagir, a pôr as mão na massa.
Abstract 4574: Validation of Early Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Krawczeski Catherine D , Devarajan Prasad , Nguyen Mai , Kathman Thelma , Wang Zhu , Parikh Chirag
Published: August 2024

Body:
Previous high-throughput proteomic analysis using SELDI-TOF-MS (

JASN

17
:
49A
,
2006

) identified three urinary proteins, namely α1-microglobulin (A1M), α1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), and albumin (Alb), that were over-expressed at 2 hr after cardiac surgery in subjects who subsequently developed acute kidney injury (AKI). In order to validate the potential role of these biomarkers in clinical AKI, we prospectively collected serial urine samples at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hr after initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass from pediatric patients undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. The biomarkers were measured by a standard clinical laboratory platform (Dade-Behring BN Prospec).

Results:
365 patients were enrolled with a mean age of 3.5 ± 4.5 years. 53% were males. 135 (37%) of patients developed AKI (50% increase in serum creatinine from baseline). In this group, 46% showed moderate AKI (100% increase in serum creatinine) and 5% displayed severe AKI (dialysis requirement). AKI based on serum creatinine was diagnosed at 2.2 ± 0.74 days after surgery. In contrast, the mean concentrations of all three biomarker proteins were significantly different at very early time points after surgery for various severities of AKI (Table 1

). The performance (area under ROC curve) of all three biomarkers peaked at 6 hr after surgery with accuracies of 86% (A1M), 90% (AAG), and 79% (Alb). The quartiles of biomarker values at 6 hr were also prognostic for peak serum creatinine, duration of AKI, and length of hospital stay (all p<0.001).

Conclusion:
A1M, AAG, and Alb represent excellent early biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of AKI after cardiac surgery.

This research has received full or partial funding support from the American Heart Association, AHA Great Rivers Affiliate (Delaware, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania & West Virginia).

Urinary Biomarkers After Cardiac Surgery
Changing the “Meaning of Place” Within a Hospital: The Impact of Establishing an Art Gallery on Esthetic Experience, Restorativeness, Affective Commitment, and Work Engagement of Healthcare Personnel
Authors: Scrima Fabrizio , Nonnis Marcello , Mura Alessandro Lorenzo , Foddai Elena , Rioux Liliane , Fornara Ferdinando
Published: August 2024

For a long time, care environments have been characterized as "inhuman," with their place meaning linked to illness and suffering. This study aims to analyze the shift in the meaning of the hospital space, investigating the impact of a permanent art gallery in a hospital's Gynecology Department on employees' well-being. Employing a quasi-experimental design, a final sample of 116 hospital employees (81 in the control group and 74 in the experimental group) completed self-report measures before and after the installation. Three self-report measurements were conducted at approximately 45-day intervals. The intervention resulted in an immediate increase in aesthetic experience, confirming an emotional involvement. Additionally, the art gallery demonstrated delayed positive effects on restorativeness after 45 days, positively affecting affective commitment and work engagement. These findings highlight the potential of art interventions in healthcare settings to enhance employees' well-being, suggesting implications for organizational design and employee satisfaction.
Camouflaging, internalized stigma, and mental health in the general population
Authors: Ai Wei , Cunningham William A. , Lai Meng-Chuan
Published: August 2024

Background:

Camouflaging, the strategies that some autistic people use to hide their differences, has been hypothesized to trigger mental health ramifications. Camouflaging might reflect ubiquitous impression management experiences that are not unique to autistic people and similarly impact the mental health of non-autistic people.

Aims:

We first examined whether individuals in the general population camouflage and manage impressions while experiencing mental health repercussions, and how gender and neurodivergent traits modified these associations. We then assessed how camouflaging and impression management arose from internalized stigma, and their inter-relationships in shaping mental health outcomes.

Methods:

Data were collected from 972 adults from a representative U.S. general population sample, with measures pertaining to camouflaging, impression management, mental health, internalized stigma, and neurodivergent traits. Multivariate hierarchical regression and moderated mediation analyses were used to address the two research aims.

Results:

Both camouflaging and self-presentation (a key component of impression management) were associated with mental health presentations in the general population, which overlapped with those previously reported in autistic people. These associations were more pronounced in women compared with men and were of different directions for individuals with higher autistic traits versus higher ADHD traits. Internalized stigma might be a key stressor that could elicit camouflaging and impression management through social anxiety, which in turn might lead to adverse mental health outcomes.

Conclusions:

These findings advance the conceptual clarity and clinical relevance of camouflaging and impression management across social and neurodiverse groups in the general population. The ramifications of camouflaging and impression management underscore the need to alleviate internalized stigma for better mental health across human groups.
Cultural adaptation of a trauma-informed mind-body intervention for survivors of human trafficking
Authors: Cordisco Tsai Laura , Namy Sophie , Domingo Carmina Charmaine G , Carlson Catherine
Published: August 2024

In this Voices from Practice article, we present the process for adapting a 12-week mind-body group mental health intervention from development and implementation in Uganda for implementation with human trafficking survivors in the Philippines. We summarize key steps in the intervention adaptation process, outlining recommendations for other social work practitioners interested in culturally adapting community mental health interventions. This Voices from Practice piece provides guidance to social workers regarding an intentional and client-centered approach to adaptation of interventions across cultural contexts.
Sex of an Observer Effects on Adults’ Motor, Cognitive, and Affective Dart-Shooting Performance
Authors: Mnif Maha , Chikh Soufien , Watelain Eric , Jarraya Mohamed
Published: August 2024

Men and women are characterized by specific physiological, cerebral and emotional characteristics, as well as by the differing nature of their gestures and behaviors. Here, we examined the effects of an observer’s sex on motor, cognitive and affective behaviors during dart-shooting. We compared men and women’s kinematic and affective parameters when perfoming alone or when performing in the presence of an observer of a different sex. We found a sex effect on motor and cognitive performance in interaction with participants’ emotional states. We observed improved accuracy and reaction time in men compared to women, which we attributed to (a) differences in emotional sensitivities between the two sexes and (b) men’s superiority on precision tasks linked to men’s higher proportion of cerebral white matter. Our findings also suggested a sex difference in the social effect of an observer’s sex on motor and cognitive performance. Although there was no effect on affective aspects of performance, emotional state seemed to interact strongly with this social effect.
Conflict, Borderlands and Displacement: The Persistent and Escalating Crisis in Northwest India
Authors: Chauhan Abha
Published: August 2024

Borderlands are the geographical spaces or zones around a territorial border between nations. Defined by the borders that create and maintain the nation–state, the borderlands are the sites in the making, continually moulded, transformed or reconstructed by the social actors inhabiting them. Going beyond the boundary lines, borderlands encapsulate a much broader area where the impact of happenings at the border is felt and reverberated. Borderlands are of different types. They are classified as ‘alienated’ when dominated by conflict, hostility, insecurity and instability, as in parts of northwest India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) since 1947–1948. The border between India and Pakistan in J&K called the ‘Line of Control’ (LoC), is a de facto and not an international boundary and remains contested, disturbed, militarised and controlled. The borderlands surrounding it have witnessed many wars, war-like situations and displacement of people with several socio-economic ramifications. The post-colonial state tried to settle these conundrums of border-making but got entangled in the persistent and escalating crisis of intractable border disputes. The state and the media reconstructed and reproduced the rhetoric of nationalism and national security, sustaining the conflict and border entanglements. This paper argues for an alternative discourse to understand the crises of conflict based on people’s lived experiences, border formation and displacement in the wake of the partition of India and thereafter.
Highly efficient sweat transmission of double-layer variable pore textile for human healthcare and comfort regulation
Authors: Fang Xueming , Dong Zhijia , Ma Pibo
Published: August 2024

Healthcare medical textiles require local microclimate control over sweat transmission and evaporation. However, existing strategies mainly focus on complicating the preparation process or sacrificing breathability and comfort. Herein, we design a lightweight and scalable knitted fabric featuring a double-layer structure consisting of hydrophilic ultrafine polyester and hydrophobic conventional yarns to achieve high moisture transport. These fabrics displayed an ideal directional water transport ability (one-way moisture transport capacity 718%) and anti-regurgitation compared with common cotton fabric. By distributing pores within the textile structure, these fabrics additionally exhibited beneficial water evaporation and heat dissipation. Simultaneously, the theoretical calculation verified that while the bottom layer has increased fiber density and looping area, fabrics are conductive to unidirectional moisture transport. These findings highlight the potential of variable pore knitted textile for personal sweat management, healthcare comfort regulation, and the relief of global energy issues.
Effect and mechanism of the opening area on the shielding effectiveness of an electromagnetic shielding garment
Authors: Wang Xiuchen , Kang Miaomiao , Wang Yajing , Liu Zhe
Published: August 2024

The opening area has an important effect on the overall protective performance of electromagnetic shielding (EMS) garments, but its mechanism and influencing laws are not clear. In this paper, a semi-anechoic chamber is adopted to construct a testing system, and a tying and covering method is proposed to test the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the garment with different parameters of opening area. Combined with electromagnetic theory, experimental results are analyzed, and influence laws and mechanisms of the opening area on the overall SE of the garment are discovered. Based on this, some new ideas for designing and evaluating EMS garment are proposed. We conclude that the opening area has a reducing effect on the SE of the garment in the frequency range of 1–3 GHz. The larger the size of the opening area, the more obvious the effect is. When reaching a certain size, the value of overall SE reaches zero or can even be negative, resulting in a significant decrease in the protective performance of the garment or even complete loss of its protective effect. The distance between the opening and the test point has a significant influence on the SE of the garment: the closer the distance, the greater the influence is. The opening closest to the testing point has a decisive effect on the overall SE of the garment. The style of opening area has a significant influence on the SE of the garment: pleated or inclined shape can improve the SE. Based on the above rules, a multi-index comprehensive weighted testing evaluation method for an EMS garment that fully considers the influence proportion of each opening is proposed, providing a scientific reference for the design, production, testing, and evaluation of EMS garments.
Bringing Deep Reading Back in: How Concept Mapping Enhances Student Learning
Authors: Hsu Yen-Ting , López Ricoy Ana
Published: August 2024

Sociology instructors widely recognize writing as an effective tool for deep learning. However, we argue that deep reading is a prerequisite for effective thinking through writing. To support this argument, we highlight the potential of deep reading teaching techniques, such as concept mapping, to empower students to master class readings and enhance their writing skills. We collected data from a concept map-based review session designed to prepare students for a short-essay final exam in an introductory sociology class. Utilizing ordinary least squares regression analysis, we found that participants scored significantly higher than nonparticipants, with an average increase of six points in the final exam. To illustrate this finding, we purposefully sampled two students who greatly benefited from the intervention. Evaluating their writing using the VALUE rubrics from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, we observed similar improvements in reading comprehension skills but uneven progress in analytical skills. We discuss how these findings challenge structural barriers and enhance equity.
our bodies, our choices: reproductive justice and social embodiment
Authors: Olney Charles
Published: August 2024

Feminist scholars of reproductive justice argue for a broader model of politics organised around embodied experience. But to fully express the intersectional politics of reproductive justice, more attention must be given to the social function of embodiment—the ways that bodily markers create associative communities among strangers. This shared form of embodiment establishes connections that exceed the intimate relationship of a specific pregnancy. In particular, foetal embodiment manifests via communities with vested interest in the social meaning of life. These communities are affected, albeit indirectly, by reproductive choices and are therefore valid subjects of concern for reproductive justice. I develop the argument by focusing on disability, a specific form of embodiment where control over reproductive life is exercised not merely via state regulation of choice but also through social reproduction of normality. Engaging with foetal embodiment poses genuine risks—given popular arguments that link coercive regulations to the idea of ‘foetal personhood’. But these risks must be faced if reproductive justice is to be a truly intersectional project.
‘Yeah, embrace your anger. Fuck them.’: using feminist collaborative autoethnography and an ethics of care to (re)imagine our position as disabled women in academic spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
Authors: Rutter Nikki , Pilson Anna , Yeo Emma
Published: August 2024

In this article, we argue that a Slow Feminism, which evolves through the slow but consistent support of other women that is embedded in care, compassion and constructive challenge against patriarchal expectations, is essential for the future of feminist praxis within higher education. This work emerged from our coming together to reflect-on-action on our experiences as disabled, women, postgraduate researchers in different disciplines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling ‘othered’ by and invisible to hierarchal structures, we sought to understand our individual challenges through a collective lens. Relational ethics and a praxis of care in line with feminist epistemology underpinned our systematic ‘feminist collaborative autoethnography’, whereby we critically engaged with individual reflections and together in online meetings to interpret shared social, emotional and structural challenges. In this article, we draw on our experiences sharing this data through poetry, during the stage of our collaborative project in which we utilised ‘poems’ to identify the challenges of being a disabled woman navigating higher education, and the resistance we employed individually, and collectively, in support of one another. Through this process, we challenged the neoliberal, patriarchal and oppressive systems that we are forced to engage with daily and our own complicity in them. Using our individual, collective and overlapping voices, whereby we recognise the tensions and supportive narratives created by and within our research conversations, we identify that feminist activism and feminist futures are not solely a response to extreme events.
towards inclusivity: Dalit women’s representation in contemporary Telugu cinescapes
Authors: Nadamala Bhagya Shree , Tripathi Priyanka
Published: August 2024

Cinema acts as a cultural product, a medium of expression and a source of popular entertainment; usually it appears to conscientiously genuflect to upper-caste dictums. Since its inception, Telugu cinema, or Tollywood, the third-largest film industry in India, has produced various caste-based films like Gudavalli Ramabrahmam’s Malapilla (1938), Kasinadhuni Vishwanath’s Kalam Marindhi (1972) and K. Balachander’s Rudraveena (1988), amongst others. In the discourse surrounding caste, the ‘Dalit woman question’ and its representation is either consciously ignored or erased, and thus, it stands enfolded in upper-caste reformist politics. This article analyses the representation of Dalit women in select Telugu films produced at significant sociopolitical junctures of contemporary times. These films mark a significant departure from the stereotypical representation of Dalit women as submissive and portray them as women with voices. Within the larger framework of feminist activism and human rights discourse, we see Dalit women protagonists in these films with an agentic space of their own. In the Indian context, where equality and no discrimination are constitutional rights, the films under discussion, Srikanth Addala’s Narappa (2021) and Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), are an appropriate intervention to showcase the inclusivity of Dalit women in the larger scheme of Indian feminism. This study employs critical textual and frame analysis to read selected Telugu films as cultural texts with Dalit feminist consciousness embedded within them.
Mobilising Affect for Public Art: Affective practices in voluntary organising
Authors: Lüthy Christina
Published: August 2024

Voluntary organising frequently relies on affective intensities to direct organisational efforts. However, it is not well understood how these intensities are cultivated across time and different contexts to engage and coordinate heterogeneous actors. By applying a practice approach to affect, this paper proposes the concept of affective practices to theorise how affect is mobilised in materially driven (inter)actions to shape actions and relationalities around organisational goals. The analysis of ethnographic data from a long-term public art project reveals that four affective practices – enticing, envisioning, attending and asserting – are pivotal to sustaining the distributed process of voluntary organising. The sense of fascination, enthusiasm, care and discomfort that these affective practices mobilise instigates participation, support, acceptance and compliance from diverse partners, volunteers and the local public. Contributing to the affective turn in practice theory, the paper theorises how affective processes are cultivated as situative accomplishments in an ongoing and translocal organisational process, highlighting the important role played by the vibrant presence of matter in affective practices. Additionally, the study expands our understanding of how an interplay of affective intensities engages and aligns diverse individuals and groups in voluntary organising by fostering coalitional moments in the organisational process.
‘The way they treat us reflects how they see us’: Aspects contributing to social inequities in people with visual disability, a qualitative study
Authors: Hernandez Padilla Martha Liliana , Arias Valencia Samuel Andres
Published: August 2024

People with visual disabilities encounter multiple barriers in their life experiences, placing them at a social disadvantage compared to sighted individuals. These barriers manifest in a limited access to and exercise of their rights, situations perceived as unfair or inequitable. The present research aimed to understand how inequities are configured in people with visual disabilities, based on practices and perceptions of fairness/unfairness and their expression in relation to access to material goods and services. An instrumental ethnographic case study was conducted within a community-based institution in Bucaramanga, Colombia, focusing on rehabilitation and social inclusion processes for individuals with visual disabilities and their families. Twenty-two semistructured interviews and 37 participant observation exercises were carried out and documented in a field diary. The emerging categories were (1) the family can be an obstacle or an aid in overcoming social injustices; (2) visual disability is a label, it is in the environment, in the way society recognizes it; and (3) from social exclusion to willingly-given inclusion. Our results indicate that inequities are configured primarily in relation to how people close to those with visual disabilities perceive and act towards them, constituting scenarios of cultural injustice (non-recognition). Part of the meanings and practices that people uphold are based on the view of a body considered outside the canon of normality and the non-recognition of a full citizenship, conditioning discriminatory (such as charity and infantilization), stigmatizing and excluding practices. The inclusion of this population group is mediated by the sensibility of the sighted other, a situation that conditions that the access and full enjoyment of rights is a matter of will.
Is the alarm on deception ringing too loudly? The effects of different forms of misinformation warnings on risk perceptions of misinformation exposure
Authors: Hameleers Michael
Published: August 2024

Misinformation is widely regarded as an undermining force to European democracies. Yet, to date, empirical research shows that the amount of misinformation people encounter is rather low, and not in proportion to the strong alarming messages spread throughout society. In this light, current interventions that pre-bunk misinformation by using warning messages may disproportionally prime suspicion and result in inflated estimates of misinformation. To assess whether messages that pre-bunk misinformation result in disproportionate risk perceptions related to inaccurate or false information, and to explore the effectiveness of alternative interventions, this article relied on an online between-subjects experiment in the Netherlands ( N = 437). Our main findings indicate that exposure to a media literacy intervention does not result in higher first- or third-person risk perceptions related to misinformation exposure. However, a warning message that emphasizes the identification of reliable news while contextualizing the threats of misinformation significantly lowers perceived misinformation salience. As an important implication of our findings, we suggest that pre-bunking interventions should relativize the threats of misinformation by facilitating the recognition of honest and reliable information as an alternative path to help people identify reliable information.
Model-predicted brain temperature computational imaging by multimodal noninvasive functional neuromonitoring of cerebral oxygen metabolism and hemodynamics: MRI-derived and clinical validation
Authors: Jiang Miaowen , Cao Fuzhi , Zhang Qihan , Qi Zhengfei , Gao Yuan , Zhang Yang , Song Baoyin , Wu Chuanjie , Li Ming , Xu Yongbo , Zhang Xin , Wang Yuan , Wei Ming , Ji Xunming
Published: August 2024

Brain temperature, a crucial yet under-researched neurophysiological parameter, is governed by the equilibrium between cerebral oxygen metabolism and hemodynamics. Therapeutic hypothermia has been demonstrated as an effective intervention for acute brain injuries, enhancing survival rates and prognosis. The success of this treatment hinges on the precise regulation of brain temperature. However, the absence of comprehensive brain temperature monitoring methods during therapy, combined with a limited understanding of human brain heat transmission mechanisms, significantly hampers the advancement of hypothermia-based neuroprotective therapies. Leveraging the principles of bioheat transfer and MRI technology, this study conducted quantitative analyses of brain heat transfer during mild hypothermia therapy. Utilizing MRI, we reconstructed brain structures, estimated cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption parameters, and developed a brain temperature calculation model founded on bioheat transfer theory. Employing computational cerebral hemodynamic simulation analysis, we established an intracranial arterial fluid dynamics model to predict brain temperature variations across different therapeutic hypothermia modalities. We introduce a noninvasive, spatially resolved, and optimized mathematical bio-heat model that synergizes model-predicted and MRI-derived data for brain temperature prediction and imaging. Our findings reveal that the brain temperature images generated by our model reflect distinct spatial variations across individual participants, aligning with experimentally observed temperatures.
The art, science and technology studies movement: An essay review
Authors: Horst Maja
Published: August 2024

This is a review essay based primarily on the 2021 Routledge Handbook of Art, Science, and Technology Studies, edited by Hannah Star Rogers, Megan K. Halpern, Dehlia Hannah, and Kathryn de Ridder-Vignone. It focuses particularly on the use of art for public engagement with science and technology and it also draws upon the following books: Dialogues Between Artistic Research and Science and Technology Studies (2023), edited by Henk Borgdorff, Peter Peters, and Trevor Pinch, Making Art Work: How Cold War Engineers and Artists Forged a New Creative Culture (2020) by Patrick McCray, and Art, Science, and the Politics of Knowledge (2022), by Hannah Star Rogers.
International Headache Society global practice recommendations for the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine
Authors: Puledda Francesca , Sacco Simona , Diener Hans-Christoph , Ashina Messoud , Al-Khazali Haidar M. , Ashina Sait , Burstein Rami , Liebler Eric , Cipriani Andrea , Chu Min Kyung , Cocores Alexandra , Dodd-Glover Freda , Ekizoğlu Esme , Garcia-Azorin David , Göbel Carl , Goicochea Maria Teresa , Hassan Amr , Hirata Koichi , Hoffmann Jan , Jenkins Bronwyn , Kamm Katharina , Lee Mi Ji , Ling Yu-Hsiang , Lisicki Marco , Martinelli Daniele , Monteith Teshamae S. , Ornello Raffaele , Ozge Aynur , Peres Mario , Pozo-Rosich Patricia , Romanenko Volodymyr , Schwedt Todd J. , Souza Marcio Nattan P. , Takizawa Tsubasa , Terwindt Gisela M. , Thuraiaiyah Janu , Togha Mansoureh , Vandenbussche Nicolas , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Yu Shengyuan , Tassorelli Cristina
Published: August 2024

Background

In an effort to improve migraine management around the world, the International Headache Society (IHS) has here developed a list of practical recommendations for the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine. The recommendations are categorized into optimal and essential, in order to provide treatment options for all possible settings, including those with limited access to migraine medications.

Methods

An IHS steering committee developed a list of clinical questions based on practical issues in the management of migraine. A selected group of international senior and junior headache experts developed the recommendations, following expert consensus and the review of available national and international headache guidelines and guidance documents. Following the initial search, a bibliography of twenty-one national and international guidelines was created and reviewed by the working group.

Results

A total of seventeen questions addressing different aspects of acute migraine treatment have been outlined. For each of them we provide an optimal recommendation, to be used whenever possible, and an essential recommendation to be used when the optimal level cannot be attained.

Conclusion

Adoption of these international recommendations will improve the quality of acute migraine treatment around the world, even where pharmacological options remain limited.
Association of Serum Biochemical Biomarker Profiles of Joint Tissue Inflammation and Cartilage Metabolism With Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis-Related Symptoms at 12 Months After ACLR
Authors: Lisee Caroline , Obudzinski Sarah , Pietrosimone Brian G. , Alexander Creighton R. , Kamath Ganesh , Longobardi Lara , Loeser Richard , Schwartz Todd A. , Spang Jeffrey T.
Published: August 2024

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament injury and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are risk factors for symptomatic posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). After ACLR, individuals demonstrate altered joint tissue metabolism indicative of increased inflammation and cartilage breakdown. Serum biomarker changes have been associated with tibiofemoral cartilage composition indicative of worse knee joint health but not with PTOA-related symptoms.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to determine associations between changes in serum biomarker profiles from the preoperative sample collection to 6 months after ACLR and clinically relevant knee PTOA symptoms at 12 months after ACLR. It was hypothesized that increases in biomarkers of inflammation, cartilage metabolism, and cartilage degradation would be associated with clinically relevant PTOA symptoms after ACLR.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Individuals undergoing primary ACLR were included (N = 30). Serum samples collected preoperatively and 6 months after ACLR were processed to measure markers indicative of changes in inflammation (ie, monocyte chemoattract protein 1 [MCP-1]) and cartilage breakdown (ie, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein [COMP], matrix metalloproteinase 3, ratio of type II collagen breakdown to type II collagen synthesis). Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score surveys were completed at 12 months after ACLR and used to identify participants with and without clinically relevant PTOA-related symptoms. K-means cluster analyses were used to determine serum biomarker profiles. One-way analyses of variance and logistic regressions were used to assess differences in Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscale scores and clinically relevant PTOA-related symptoms between biomarker profiles.

Results:

Two profiles were identified and characterized based on decreases (profile 1: 67% female; age, 21.4 ± 5.1 years; body mass index, 24.4 ± 2.4) and increases (profile 2: 33% female; age, 21.3 ± 3.2 years; body mass index, 23.4 ± 2.6) in sMCP-1 and sCOMP preoperatively to 6 months after ACLR. Participants with profile 2 did not demonstrate differences in knee pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports function, or quality of life at 12 months after ACLR compared to those with profile 1 ( P = .56-.81; η2 = 0.002-0.012). No statistically significant associations were noted between biomarker profiles and clinically relevant PTOA-related symptoms (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.23-6.33).

Conclusion:

Serum biomarker changes in MCP-1 and sCOMP within the first 6 months after ACLR were not associated with clinically relevant PTOA-related symptoms.
Decomposition and Dynamics of Unit Labor Costs in a Context of International Fragmentation of Production: Evidence from the German Automotive Sector
Authors: Gracia Santos Manuel , Montanyá Miguel , Paz María J.
Published: August 2024

Conventional analysis has sought to explain the determinants of price competitiveness by way of national factors, but given the current degree of international fragmentation of production, a more holistic perspective needs to be explored. This document develops a specific proposal that permits the indicator on vertically integrated unit labor costs (VIULCs) to be broken down into its fundamental components; also, the evolution of this indicator is explored for the German automotive sector, to determine which component might best elucidate the evolution of the VIULCs. The results show a decrease in VIULCs deriving from the German sector as well as from its suppliers, confirming the relevant effects of outsourcing and offshoring strategies. Moreover, wage restraint among suppliers coupled with productivity gains are found to explain the overall reduction in VIULCs.

JEL classification: P16, F15, F23,
Economics Peer-Review: Problems, Recent Developments, and Reform Proposals
Authors: Siemroth Christoph
Published: August 2024

This article contributes to the debate on reforming the peer-review process in the economics profession. It examines the current state of peer-review in economics, surveys the relevant literature, and identifies several problems and solutions. Problems to be discussed are referee overreach and excessive revisions, strategic refereeing and conflicts of interest, prestige bias and other discrimination, and the noisy outcome of peer-review. It recommends several solutions for reform. First, enforce referee guidelines that referee reports must explicitly separate their suggestions into essential and optional, with 3 essential maximum. Second, let authors award the best referee report. Third, adopt conflict of interest policies for referees and punish non-disclosure. Fourth, use double-blind refereeing. Fifth, make better use of prior reports from other journals. Sixth, pay referees for prompt reports. A discussion of the role of editors highlights additional issues that deserve a debate in the profession.
Exploring the Interpersonal Functions of Negation in Science Writing Across 35 Years
Authors: Wang Huiyu , Wei Ying , Yao Mingxin
Published: August 2024

Researchers’ investment in reader engagement includes the construction of an appealing abstract. While numerous studies have been conducted on abstracts’ rhetorical features, scant empirical attention has been paid to negation use in academic writing. The current study seeks to narrow the research gap from a general and diachronic perspective by adopting an interpersonal model of negation. We found that while not, no, and little tend to be the commonly used negative markers in Science abstracts, little increased diachronically but decreased for not and no. Functionally, writers prefer to use interactive negations and employ relatively more negative markers that function as consequence (interactive dimension) and hedging (interactional dimension) in their abstracts. Finally, we discuss the possible reasons for such results as well as their pedagogical implications.
Do high drug prices fund pharmaceutical innovation?
Authors: Lazonick William , Tulum Öner
Published: August 2024

Pharmaceutical companies claim that they need high drug prices to generate sufficient profits to invest in innovation. While this claim can be valid in principle, it is contradicted by the extent to which “Big Pharma” companies in the United States (US) distribute profits to shareholders in the form of cash dividends and stock buybacks. For 2013-2022, the 14 US-based pharmaceutical companies in the S&P 500 Index paid out 54% of net income as dividends and another 51% as buybacks. Incentivizing senior corporate executives to allocate resources in this financialized manner is, as we document, their stock-based compensation. In effect, these companies use high stock prices to boost stock yields at the expense of investing in innovation and compensating workers and taxpayers who make value-creating contributions to the corporation. Given the prominence of US-based pharmaceutical corporations in Canada, we explain how their financialization results in high Canadian drug prices and underinvestment in pharmaceutical research and development in Canada.
The Saskatchewan Caregiver Experience Study: Support Priorities of Caregivers of Older Adults
Authors: Hall Steven , Rohatinsky Noelle , Holtslander Lorraine , Peacock Shelley
Published: August 2024

Background

Population aging is a global phenomenon. Many older adults living with chronic conditions rely on family and friend caregivers. The growing demand for family and friend caregivers underscores the necessity for adequate and effective support services.

Purpose

The Saskatchewan Caregiver Experience Study sought to gather the perspectives of caregivers of older adults and set priorities for caregiver support.

Methods

An online survey with open-ended questions was employed in this qualitative descriptive study. In this manuscript, we present our findings from the survey question: “What do you think is most important for support in your caregiving role? In other words, what are your top priorities for support?”

Findings

This survey question received n = 352 responses, evenly distributed across Saskatchewan in urban-large (33%), urban-small/medium (32%), and rural (35%) settings. Support priorities of Saskatchewan caregivers were found to be access to help when they need it; an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on; assistance in optimizing the care recipient's health; having healthcare professionals that care; and improved policies, legislations, and regulations.

Conclusion

Services and interventions that assist caregivers are more likely to be accessed and utilized when caregivers are given the opportunity to identify their own support priorities. This study has the potential to inform health and governmental systems to support caregivers of older adults provincially within Saskatchewan, nationally in Canada, and in a global context.
Deepening our understanding: Collaboration through online peer-to-peer participatory action research with children
Authors: Mreiwed Hala , Wright Laura H. V. , Butler Kate ,   Bhavya,   Isabel,   Miyar,   Siobhán,   Sumira
Published: August 2024

Child-led research is growing globally, yet there are still limitations for children’s leadership in all phases of research. This article, co-written with adult and child researchers, examines child-led research undertaken online with 9 children from Ontario and Quebec over a one-year period. The article explores the process of participating in and collaborating on an online peer-to-peer participatory action research project from the brainstorming stage to recruitment, design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of knowledge. While much literature exists on older children and youth leading research, this research provides a unique contribution to the literature on the possibilities of creating space for children ages 11 to 14 to lead research. This article finds that the child researchers most valued: (1) Play and fun; (2) Engaging in new experiences; and (3) Learning. The article concludes that child-led research is feasible, and it can create better research and provide a transformative opportunity for child and adult researchers.
MicroCT analysis reveals insights into the beginning of rice domestication in the Lower Yangtze during the 10th millennium BP
Authors: An Ting , Zhang Zhiheng , Zheng Yunfei , Peng Yu , Wang Jiajing , Jiang Leping , Liu Xinyi , Jones Martin K.
Published: August 2024

The Lower Yangtze valley is widely recognized as the earliest center of rice agriculture. The process of rice domestication, based on the morphology of spikelet bases, has been traced between 9000 and 5000 BP. However, the domestication status of rice before 9000 BP remains a subject of debate due to the near absence of macrobotanical remains in the region. This research aims to address this gap by investigating rice impressions and inclusions found in ceramic sherds from Shangshan site, the earliest Neolithic site in the Lower Yangtze valley. Utilizing microCT analysis, this study examined 184 impressions of Oryza sp. spikelet bases from ceramics sherds, generating the most extensive database of rice remains dating to the early Shangshan phase. The results offer valuable insights into the early onset of rice domestication in the Lower Yangtze during the 10th millennium BP. This study represents a pioneering use of microCT analysis of ceramic sherds with early plant impressions.