bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The time race and time signification in the reform era
Authors: Chu Julia Lui , Pan Zhongdang
Published: April 2009

This study reports a field study of movie theaters in a large Chinese city. Interpreting the evidence on the changing physical attributes of theater auditoriums and theater managers’ discursive practices in making these changes, we show that movie theaters express a society’s common-sense ideas of time. These ideas are the collective beliefs and hermeneutic readings of the historic moment of China’s modernization which movie-going activities in part constitute. Emerging from our analysis are three theses that constitute the cultural dynamics of China’s modernization process: the universal flow of time providing inspiration for change and routes to search for the criteria of modernity, shifting definitions of public and private time as an indication of the changing relationship between the state and society, and the sociogeographic specificity of time as a framework for social actors’ strategic reasoning.
Tabloidization, journalism and the possibility of critique
Authors: Turner Graeme
Published: April 2009

This article responds to what is regarded as a widespread critique of the phenomenon of tabloidization in television news and current affairs. Arguing that this is a phenomenon which cultural studies has found difficulty in critiquing - at least partly due to cultural studies’ populist heritage - this article sets out to suggest what kind of role cultural criticism should play in the analysis of contemporary television news and current affairs programming.
Intellectuals and popular television in China
Authors: Yi Wang
Published: April 2009

Expectations was a popular TV serial which caused a sensation in China in the early 1990s. By examining Expectations as a cultural phenomenon, this article questions the role of intellectuals in cultural transformation and reconstruction when the cultural space (market) in China has become more and more commercialized. Will it have the consequence of moving the intellectuals from a position of being cultural leaders or cultural defenders towards a more marginal social position - even out of the ‘popular sphere’? Is the effort that intellectuals put in, in the past decade, for Chinese modernization really tenable at the end of the 20th century? More pointedly, in what way can the ideals of Chinese intellectuals be genuinely workable when popular culture seems to expand indefinitely and when the elite culture promoted by intellectuals is no longer relevant? The issues are by no means new, yet the need for a coherent answer becomes increasingly urgent, particularly as the relationship between intellectuals and popular culture unfolds.
Women’s experiences of leisure
Authors: Martinson Anna M. , Schwartz Nancy , Vaughan Misha Walker
Published: April 2009

To understand issues involved in designing entertainment technology for women, we conducted a preliminary study of the leisure practices of earlier adopting women. Fourteen women kept track of their leisure activities for one week and were interviewed about definitions of leisure, contexts of leisure activities, and the role of technology in their leisure. Four dimensions underlie the participants’ understandings and use of leisure: activities performed alone, versus with others; a primary versus secondary focus; integration versus segmentation; and stimulation versus recuperation. These women rarely used computer-based technologies for leisure. Findings suggest that women might make more use of computer-based technology for leisure if it was designed to fit into existing routines of leisure activity. We propose ways that these findings could inform the design and content of entertainment technologies for women.
Domestic ‘zealotry’ and press discourse: Kevorkian's euthanasia incident
Authors: Turow Joseph , Caplan Arthur L. , Bracken John S.
Published: April 2009

The manner in which press outlets cover the convergence of the explicitly sensational and the explicitly ideological holds political and social implications. Does a startling or shocking domestic incident that the US press labels as zealotry catalyze the nation's news outlets to explore a wide range of views about the issues involved and their public relevance? This article addresses this matter by examining print media coverage of a videotaped euthanasia that was broadcast by the popular news magazine program 60 Minutes. The findings raise questions about the ability of incidents such as these to push the mainstream press to look beyond zealotry to the social context surrounding it.
Doing double duty
Authors: Berkowitz Dan
Published: April 2009

This study draws on journalistic discourse about the death of Princess Diana to frame everyday newswork as cultural ritual, and show how some kinds of newswork serve to maintain and restore the core tenets of the culture's beliefs. The study focuses on the ritual of paradigm repair and its particular case employed in what-a-story newswork.
The primes of our times?
Authors: Domke David , Perlmutter David , Spratt Meg
Published: April 2009

Claims by political and news elites about the influence of visual images are far more common than actual evidence of such effects. This research attempts to gain insight into the ‘power’ of visual images, specifically those that accompany lexical–verbal messages in the press. We argue that the widely held notion that vivid images often drive public opinion is overly simplistic; in contrast, we posit that images most often interact with individuals' existing understandings of the world to shape information processing and judgments. With this in mind, we conducted an experiment in which news coverage was systematically altered – as including a famous photograph widely attributed great influence, or not – within otherwise constant information environments. Findings suggest that visual news images (a) influence people's information processing in ways that can be understood only by taking into account individuals' predispositions and values, and (b) at the same time appear to have a particular ability to ‘trigger’ considerations that spread through one's mental framework to other evaluations.
Consuming Kitchens
Authors: Southerton Dale
Published: April 2009

The role that consumption might play in processes of identity formation has been subject to much recent sociological debate. This article explores four principles of kitchen consumption orientations that were described by three groups (differentiated by levels of economic and cultural resources) who live in an English new town. The varying meanings applied to kitchen usage are also explored. It is argued that the similarity of kitchen tastes and the meanings applied to its usage within the three groups cast doubt over theories that suggest consumption and identity formation are increasingly free from normative group constraints. In conclusion it is argued that association within locality-based ‘taste communities’ acted to confirm shared tastes which respondents mapped onto generic social categorizations of class, a confirmation made possible through varying degrees of sociability within local contexts.
‘Hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother’
Authors: Sommer Ulrike
Published: April 2009

This article examines at the scope for agency in the early Neolithic central European Linearbandkeramik culture (5600-4800 BC). It discusses whether a lack of development in certain areas of material culture should be interpreted as evidence of a stable lebenswelt (life-world), where change is simply unimaginable, or if this in contrast provides evidence for mechanisms actively preventing stylistic change, thus representing a state of orthodoxy, according to Bourdieu.

I demonstrate how the different rates of development in different areas of material culture can be linked to the respective ideological importance of these objects, and how these change through time.
Frontier Crossings
Authors: Allan Michael
Published: April 2009

This article examines the process of intercultural learning in an international school, particularly the role played by peer-group interaction. It identifies the affective as well as cognitive processes involved, and highlights the importance of cultural dissonance in a model intercultural learning that shows how multiculturalism can be achieved, but also how the intermediate outcomes of ethnocentrism, adaptation and assimilation often result.
Structural Health Monitoring of Innovative Canadian Civil Engineering Structures
Authors: Mufti Aftab A.
Published: April 2009

ISIS Canada (Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures) is a Federally Funded Network of Centers of Excellence dedicated to civil engineering research with a focus on fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) and integrated fibre optic sensing (FOS) technologies. Over the next eight years, ISIS Canada intends to significantly change the design and construction of civil engineering structures throughout the world. For changes in design and construction to be accepted, it is mandatory that the innovative structures be monitored. In the process, ISIS will strive to bring about widespread use of new technologies for infrastructure projects.
A Measure of Semantic Category Clustering in Free-Listing Tasks
Authors: Robbins Michael C. , Nolan Justin M.
Published: April 2009

A measure of semantic category (subset) clustering in free lists is presented that has several advantages over other cluster measures: (1) it is independent of interitem distances; (2) it expresses the degree of clustering of semantic subsets within a list, and overall, as proportions of a maximum that ranges from 0 to 1; and (3) this ratio can be used to compare the degree of clustering within semantic subsets in the same list, overall, and across lists, despite list inequalities in the number of items or subsets. An example of the measure's use is illustrated here from a study of laterality in American kinship.
Problematic Success: An Account of Top-Down Participatory Action Research with Women with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Low Jacqueline , Shelley Julia , O'Connor Mary
Published: April 2009

This article focuses on the problems encountered while conducting participatory action research (PAR) with women with multiple sclerosis (MS). The term top-down means that the target population was defined and the research design was generated by a research team composed of academics and social services management rather than a grassroots group composed of women with MS. Overall, the research was a success; however, in the authors' experience, top-down–initiated PAR resulted in a number of problems including problematic assumptions, ambiguous relationships, and conflict. Inherent in top-down PAR designs are structural imbalances between professionals and nonprofessionals that are antithetical to the emancipatory philosophy and goals of PAR, imbalances that persist despite a researcher's commitment to PAR philosophy.
A Multidimensional Scaling Stress Evaluation Table
Authors: Sturrock Kenneth , Rocha Jorge
Published: April 2009

This article presents a probability table for the evaluation of stress values generated by multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedures employing stress formula 1. This table is based on the probability distribution of stress values from 587,200 random similarity matrices of different sizes processed to yield results for several dimensions.
Development of Local Program Theory: Using Theory-Oriented Evaluation to Make a Difference
Authors: Sielbeck-Bowen Kathryn A.
Published: April 2009

The aim of this article is to explicate the local program theory of an adolescent pregnancy and parenting program using a mix of methods. By bracketing these methods, local program theory is developed and subsequently used to distinguish between the validity of program theory and the validity of program implementation. Theory is then used as a tool to construct a model of how the program is supposed to work. This is followed by an assessment of the extent to which the program's theories are actually implemented in the field. The intent of using a mix of methods during this process is to gather an extensive, intensive, and comprehensive view of program case managers' thoughts about their work. Analysis is based on the evaluator's recognition of patterns of meaning that contribute to an enhanced contextual and theoretical understanding of the overall effectiveness of this program.
Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Health Research with Minority Elders: Lessons from a Study of Dementia Caregiving
Authors: Weitzman Patricia Flynn , Levkoff Sue E.
Published: April 2009

The merits of combining qualitative and quantitative methods are well known. While used often in evaluation research, a combined methods approach is rarely used in health studies with minority elders. This approach can be particularly useful for overcoming theoretical and recruitment problems specific to health research with minority elders. A cross-cultural study of family caregiving for demented-affected elders is presented to show how issues of rigor, theory building, language, and cultural adaptation of diagnostic tools can be effectively dealt with using combined methods. Specifically, the authors found qualitative data valuable in ensuring the cultural appropriateness of quantitative measures and in confirming causal relationships to which quantitative data pointed. They also found applying quantitative data collection techniques to qualitative data collection to be useful in theory building and in overcoming some of the reliability problems associated with qualitative data.
The Consensus Group Technique in Social Research
Authors: List Dennis
Published: April 2009

The Consensus Group Technique is a new method for carrying out qualitative research in small groups. It was designed particularly for use in participative research, by which relatively untrained moderators may obtain more reliable data than is possible in these circumstances with focus groups. The principle of consensus groups is almost the opposite from the principle of surveys: In consensus groups, instead of using questions with fixed wording and determining the distribution of multiple-choice answers, a criterion level of agreement is set (usually around 75%) and statements are modified to determine whether the criterion level can be met.
The Response of Workers to Wages in Tournaments
Authors: Maloney Michael T. , McCormick Robert E.
Published: April 2009

The authors examine labor supply using 1,426 responses of individual runners to prizes in open invitational foot races. The data are used to decompose the overall market response of higher prizes into two components based on the basic tournament model. First, an entry effect exists in which higher wages attract more highly skilled runners to participate. Second, the spread between prizes incites runners individually to work harder. This second effect is detected across the entire sample and for individuals measured against their own average performance. The authors also examine the supply elasticities between the sexes. As a group, women respond more to higher wages than men in both the entry and individual effort dimensions. Also, the more concentrated the prize money in a race, the higher the revealed effort level by the runners. The authors find that the tournament nature of competition has important incentive effects.
Stochastic Frontiers and the Temporal Structure of Managerial Efficiency in English Soccer
Authors: Dawson Peter , Dobson Stephen , Gerrard Bill
Published: April 2009

This article provides estimates of technical efficiency for a panel of managers in English soccer’s Premier League for the period 1992 to 1998. In contrast to other studies of sporting team production, efficiency is estimated at the level of the individual manager rather than the club. Fixed and random effects models are used to generate managerial efficiency scores assuming that efficiency is both time invariant and time varying. The efficiency rankings of the different time invariant models are very similar. In contrast, the temporal structure and the estimation procedures of the time-varying models produce very different results. There is evidence that managerial efficiency has fallen over the sample period.
The Many Dimensions of Competitive Balance
Authors: Sanderson Allen R.
Published: April 2009

Discussions of competitive imbalance use Major League Baseball as a focal point, and proposed remedies center on redistributions of revenues from well-heeled owners to financially strapped franchises. However, there are also many additional aspects in sports that do not involve allocations of economic resources directly but nevertheless affect outcomes and balance among competitors. All leagues and associations have to confront the fundamental issue of relative strengths between adversaries. To create some semblance of balance and ensure the integrity of play, they place constraints on the competitive process and respond to technological changes that threaten to disrupt the current environment, including the use of performance-enhancing inputs. Although we extol the virtues of natural athletes and level playing fields with regard to skill development, ensuring evenly matched contests, and comparing performances over time, there are arguably no consistent, objective standards we can employ. Imbalance is an inherent, intractable part of all competitions.
Music Television and the Invention of Youth Culture in India
Authors: Juluri Vamsee
Published: April 2009

MTV is often associated with concerns about global cultural homogenization and the spread of a rebellious youth culture. However, the political economy of satellite television in postliberalization India has ensured the construction of a music television audience that is neither antinational nor antielder. On the basis of a reception study of music television in India, this article argues that audiences construct a sense of generational, national, and global identity in a manner that calls for a deeper understanding of cultural imperialism and audience reception. The findings of this study suggest that although the emerging youth culture in India does not seem confrontational in generational or national terms, it is not so much a case of audience resistance as that of co-optation by global hegemonic forces.
Performing the Real
Authors: Corner John
Published: April 2009

This article places Big Brother in the context of shifts in factual television's forms and functions. Having identified some of the distinctive features of Big Brother's construction of telereality, it reviews the category of “documentary” across some of its dominant modes. The current emphasis on formats that divert as much as they inform or question is given particular attention, and the wider social and cultural coordinates of this trend are noted. The possibility that we are moving into a “postdocumentary” culture is posed. This is a culture in which many conventional elements of documentary will continue to develop, but in a radically changed setting—economic and cultural—for all audiovisual documentation.
The Red, the White and the Blue
Authors: Caspi Dan , Adoni Hanna , Cohen Akiba A. , Elias Nelly
Published: April 2009

The two waves of immigration to Israel from the former Soviet Union, in the 1970s and the 1990s, have created the largest (over one million people) and most distinct cultural and linguistic ethnic community. Russian-speaking immigrants soon developed their own cultural institutions and attained significant political power. Rising communication needs led to the swift development of Russian media, including radio, television and over one hundred newspapers and periodicals, which fulfill a dual function: preserving one's former identity and ties to the old country while addressing newly created problems of acculturation, thereby reflecting contradictory trends of segregation and integration typical of migrant communities. This article explores the characteristics of the Russian broadcast and print media in Israel during their golden age and analyzes their social and cultural context by relating to two factors: the structural position of the Russian cultural minority as a voluntary `returning Diaspora', and the type of cultural field developed by this type of minority.
How to scaffold the contractile ring for a safe cytokinesis – lessons from Anillin-related proteins
Authors: Paolo D'Avino Pier
Published: April 2009

The ingression of a cleavage furrow separates the two daughter cells at the end of cell division. In many organisms this furrow ingression is driven by the assembly and contraction of actomyosin filaments, forming a contractile ring. To achieve a successful cytokinesis, these actomyosin filaments need to be assembled in an organized manner. For this purpose, a network of cytoskeletal proteins is built at the cleavage site to act as a scaffold for actomyosin filaments and to connect them to the plasma membrane. The Drosophila melanogaster protein Anillin, and its related proteins in other organisms, has a pivotal role in the organization of this scaffold in many species, ranging from yeast to humans. Recent studies indicate that Anillin-related proteins interact not only with the structural components of the contractile ring, but also with the signalling factors that control their dynamics. In addition, Drosophila Anillin connects the actomyosin ring to the spindle microtubules through its interaction with the RacGAP component of the centralspindlin complex. Here I review the structures and functions of Anillin and Anillin-related proteins in various model systems, and aim to highlight both the common and distinctive features of these essential organizers of the molecular machinery that drives furrow ingression.
Transient Overexpression of Sonic Hedgehog Alters the Architecture and Mechanical Properties of Trabecular Bone
Authors: Kiuru Maija , Solomon Jason , Ghali Bassem , van der Meulen Marjolein , Crystal Ronald G , Hidaka Chisa
Published: April 2009

Bone formation and remodeling involve coordinated interactions between osteoblasts and osteoclasts through signaling networks involving a variety of molecular pathways. We hypothesized that overexpression of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a morphogen with a crucial role in skeletal development, would stimulate osteoblastogenesis and bone formation in adult animals in vivo. Systemic administration of adenovirus expressing the N-terminal form of Shh into adult mice resulted in a primary increase in osteoblasts and their precursors. Surprisingly, however, this was associated with altered trabecular morphology, decreased bone volume, and decreased compressive strength in the vertebrae. Whereas no change was detected in the number of osteoclast precursors, bone marrow stromal cells from Shh-treated mice showed enhanced osteoclastogenic potential in vitro. These effects were mediated by the PTH/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) pathway as evidenced by increased sensitivity to PTH stimulation and upregulation of the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PPR). Together, these data show that Shh has stimulatory effects on osteoprogenitors and osteoblasts in adult animals in vivo, which results in bone remodeling and reduced bone strength because of a secondary increase in osteoclastogenesis.
BARHL2 Differentially Regulates the Development of Retinal Amacrine and Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Ding Qian , Chen Hui , Xie Xiaoling , Libby Richard T. , Tian Ning , Gan Lin
Published: April 2009

Through transcriptional regulations, the BarH family of homeodomain proteins play essential roles in cell fate specification, cell differentiation, migration, and survival.Barhl2, a member of theBarhgene family, is expressed in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), amacrine cells (ACs), and horizontal cells. Here, to investigate the role ofBarhl2in retinal development,Barhl2-deficient mice were generated. Analysis of AC subtypes inBarhl2-deficient retinas suggests thatBarhl2plays a critical role in AC subtype determination. A significant reduction of glycinergic and GABAergic ACs with a substantial increase in the number of cholinergic ACs was observed inBarhl2-null retinas.Barhl2is also critical for the development of a normal complement of RGCs.Barhl2deficiency resulted in a 35% increase in RGCs undergoing apoptosis during development. Genetic analysis revealed thatBarhl2functions downstream of theAtoh7–Pou4f3regulatory pathway and regulates the maturation and/or survival of RGCs. Thus, BARHL2 appears to have numerous roles in retinal development, including regulating neuronal subtype specification, differentiation, and survival.
Modulation of Skeletal Muscle Insulin Signaling With Chronic Caloric Restriction in Cynomolgus Monkeys
Authors: Wang Zhong Q. , Floyd Z. Elizabeth , Qin Jianhua , Liu Xiaotuan , Yu Yongmei , Zhang Xian H. , Wagner Janice D. , Cefalu William T.
Published: April 2009

OBJECTIVE

Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to retard aging processes, extend maximal life span, and consistently increase insulin action in experimental animals. The mechanism by which CR enhances insulin action, specifically in higher species, is not precisely known. We sought to examine insulin receptor signaling and transcriptional alterations in skeletal muscle of nonhuman primates subjected to CR over a 4-year period.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

At baseline, 32 male adult cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were randomized to an ad libitum (AL) diet or to 30% CR. Dietary intake, body weight, and insulin sensitivity were obtained at routine intervals over 4 years. At the end of the study, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed and skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) was obtained in the basal and insulin-stimulated states for insulin receptor signaling and gene expression profiling.

RESULTS

CR significantly increased whole-body insulin–mediated glucose disposal compared with AL diet and increased insulin receptor signaling, i.e., insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, insulin receptor phosphorylation, and IRS–associated PI 3-kinase activity in skeletal muscle (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.01, respectively). Gene expression for insulin signaling proteins, i.e., IRS-1 and IRS-2, were not increased with CR, although a significant increase in protein abundance was noted. Components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, i.e., 20S and 19S proteasome subunit abundance and 20S proteasome activity, were significantly decreased by CR.

CONCLUSIONS

CR increases insulin sensitivity on a whole-body level and enhances insulin receptor signaling in this higher species. CR in cynomolgus monkeys may alter insulin signaling in vivo by modulating protein content of insulin receptor signaling proteins.
Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: Maher Toby M.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) consists of a group of pulmonary disorders characterized by inflammation and/or fibrosis of the lung parenchyma associated with progressive dyspnea that frequently results in end-stage respiratory failure. In the US, ILD affects approximately 650 000 people and causes approximately 25 000 to 30 000 deaths per year.

Observations

The most common forms of ILD are idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which accounts for approximately one-third of all cases of ILD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, accounting for 15% of ILD cases, and connective tissue disease (CTD), accounting for 25% of ILD cases. ILD typically presents with dyspnea on exertion. Approximately 30% of patients with ILD report cough. Thoracic computed tomography is approximately 91% sensitive and 71% specific for diagnosing subtypes of ILDs such as IPF. Physiologic assessment provides important prognostic information. A 5% decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) over 12 months is associated with an approximately 2-fold increase in mortality compared with no change in FVC. Antifibrotic therapy with nintedanib or pirfenidone slows annual FVC decline by approximately 44% to 57% in individuals with IPF, scleroderma associated ILD, and in those with progressive pulmonary fibrosis of any cause. For connective tissue disease–associated ILD, immunomodulatory therapy, such as tocilizumab, rituximab, and mycophenolate mofetil, may slow decline or even improve FVC at 12-month follow-up. Structured exercise therapy reduces symptoms and improves 6-minute walk test distance in individuals with dyspnea. Oxygen reduces symptoms and improves quality of life in individuals with ILD who desaturate below 88% on a 6-minute walk test. Lung transplant may improve symptoms and resolve respiratory failure in patients with end-stage ILD. After lung transplant, patients with ILD have a median survival of 5.2 to 6.7 years compared with a median survival of less than 2 years in patients with advanced ILD who do not undergo lung transplant. Up to 85% of individuals with end-stage fibrotic ILD develop pulmonary hypertension. In these patients, treatment with inhaled treprostinil improves walking distance and respiratory symptoms.

Conclusions and Relevance

Interstitial lung disease typically presents with dyspnea on exertion and can progress to respiratory failure. First-line therapy includes nintedanib or pirfenidone for IPF and mycophenolate mofetil for ILD due to connective tissue disease. Lung transplant should be considered for patients with advanced ILD. In patients with ILD, exercise training improves 6-minute walk test distance and quality of life.
Associations Between Surrogate Markers and Clinical Outcomes for Nononcologic Chronic Disease Treatments
Authors: Wallach Joshua D. , Yoon Samuel , Doernberg Harry , Glick Laura R. , Ciani Oriana , Taylor Rod S. , Mooghali Maryam , Ramachandran Reshma , Ross Joseph S.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Surrogate markers are increasingly used as primary end points in clinical trials supporting drug approvals.

Objective

To systematically summarize the evidence from meta-analyses, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and pooled analyses (hereafter, meta-analyses) of clinical trials examining the strength of association between treatment effects measured using surrogate markers and clinical outcomes in nononcologic chronic diseases.

Data sources

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adult Surrogate Endpoint Table and MEDLINE from inception to March 19, 2023.

Study Selection

Three reviewers selected meta-analyses of clinical trials; meta-analyses of observational studies were excluded.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Two reviewers extracted correlation coefficients, coefficients of determination, slopes, effect estimates, or results from meta-regression analyses between surrogate markers and clinical outcomes.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Correlation coefficient or coefficient of determination, when reported, was classified as high strength (r ≥ 0.85 or R2 ≥ 0.72); primary findings were otherwise summarized.

Results

Thirty-seven surrogate markers listed in FDA’s table and used as primary end points in clinical trials across 32 unique nononcologic chronic diseases were included. For 22 (59%) surrogate markers (21 chronic diseases), no eligible meta-analysis was identified. For 15 (41%) surrogate markers (14 chronic diseases), at least 1 meta-analysis was identified, 54 in total (median per surrogate marker, 2.5; IQR, 1.3-6.0); among these, median number of trials and patients meta-analyzed was 18.5 (IQR, 12.0-43.0) and 90 056 (IQR, 20 109-170 014), respectively. The 54 meta-analyses reported 109 unique surrogate marker–clinical outcome pairs: 59 (54%) reported at least 1 r or R2, 10 (17%) of which reported at least 1 classified as high strength, whereas 50 (46%) reported slopes, effect estimates, or results of meta-regression analyses only, 26 (52%) of which reported at least 1 statistically significant result.

Conclusions and Relevance

Most surrogate markers used as primary end points in clinical trials to support FDA approval of drugs treating nononcologic chronic diseases lacked high-strength evidence of associations with clinical outcomes from published meta-analyses.
Antihypertensive Medication and Fracture Risk in Older Veterans Health Administration Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Dave Chintan V. , Li Yongmei , Steinman Michael A. , Lee Sei J. , Liu Xiaojuan , Jing Bocheng , Graham Laura A. , Marcum Zachary A. , Fung Kathy Z. , Odden Michelle C.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Limited evidence exists on the association between initiation of antihypertensive medication and risk of fractures in older long-term nursing home residents.

Objective

To assess the association between antihypertensive medication initiation and risk of fracture.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a retrospective cohort study using target trial emulation for data derived from 29 648 older long-term care nursing home residents in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) from January 1, 2006, to October 31, 2019. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2021, to November 11, 2023.

Exposure

Episodes of antihypertensive medication initiation were identified, and eligible initiation episodes were matched with comparable controls who did not initiate therapy.

Main Outcome and Measures

The primary outcome was nontraumatic fracture of the humerus, hip, pelvis, radius, or ulna within 30 days of antihypertensive medication initiation. Results were computed among subgroups of residents with dementia, across systolic and diastolic blood pressure thresholds of 140 and 80 mm Hg, respectively, and with use of prior antihypertensive therapies. Analyses were adjusted for more than 50 baseline covariates using 1:4 propensity score matching.

Results

Data from 29 648 individuals were included in this study (mean [SD] age, 78.0 [8.4] years; 28 952 [97.7%] male). In the propensity score–matched cohort of 64 710 residents (mean [SD] age, 77.9 [8.5] years), the incidence rate of fractures per 100 person-years in residents initiating antihypertensive medication was 5.4 compared with 2.2 in the control arm. This finding corresponded to an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.42 (95% CI, 1.43-4.08) and an adjusted excess risk per 100 person-years of 3.12 (95% CI, 0.95-6.78). Antihypertensive medication initiation was also associated with higher risk of severe falls requiring hospitalizations or emergency department visits (HR, 1.80 [95% CI, 1.53-2.13]) and syncope (HR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.30-2.19]). The magnitude of fracture risk was numerically higher among subgroups of residents with dementia (HR, 3.28 [95% CI, 1.76-6.10]), systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher (HR, 3.12 [95% CI, 1.71-5.69]), diastolic blood pressure of 80 mm Hg or higher (HR, 4.41 [95% CI, 1.67-11.68]), and no recent antihypertensive medication use (HR, 4.77 [95% CI, 1.49-15.32]).

Conclusions and Relevance

Findings indicated that initiation of antihypertensive medication was associated with elevated risks of fractures and falls. These risks were numerically higher among residents with dementia, higher baseline blood pressures values, and no recent antihypertensive medication use. Caution and additional monitoring are advised when initiating antihypertensive medication in this vulnerable population.
A 24-Year-Old Man With Spastic Ataxia and Hypodontia
Authors: Marien Lissa , Tsitsi Panagiota , Cypers Gert
Published: April 2024

A 24-year-old man presented with progressive gait instability, marked spinal cord atrophy, and dental radiography showing the absence of several elements, microdontia, and taurodontia. What is your diagnosis?
Study on clinical features and factors related to long‐term outcomes of antibody‐negative autoimmune encephalitis
Authors: Han Binhong , Dai Yuwei , Peng Jian , Yuan Tianxiang , Yin Qing , Yang Li
Published: April 2024

Objective

To delineate the clinical characteristics of antibody‐negative autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and to investigate factors associated with long‐term outcomes among antibody‐negative AE.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with antibody‐negative AE were recruited from January 2016 to December 2022 at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. The study assessed the long‐term outcomes of antibody‐negative AE using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and the Clinical Assessment Scale in Autoimmune Encephalitis (CASE). Predictors influencing long‐term outcomes were subsequently analyzed. External validation of RAPID scores (refractory status epilepticus [RSE], age of onset ≥60 years, ANPRA [antibody‐negative probable autoimmune encephalitis], infratentorial involvement, and delay of immunotherapy ≥1 month) was performed.

Results

In total, 100 (47 females and 53 males) antibody‐negative AE patients were enrolled in this study, with approximately 49 (49%) experiencing unfavorable long‐term outcomes (mRS scores ≥3). Antibody‐negative AE was subcategorized into ANPRA, autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE), and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Psychiatric symptoms were prevalent in LE and ANPRA subtypes, while weakness and gait instability/dystonia were predominant in the ADEM subtype. Higher peak CASE scores (odds ratio [OR] 1.846, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.163–2.930, p = 0.009) and initiating immunotherapy within 30 days (OR 0.210, 95% CI: 0.046–0.948, p = 0.042) were correlated with long‐term outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis returned that the RAPID scores cutoff of 1.5 best discriminated the group with poor long‐term outcomes (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 56.9%).

Interpretation

The ANPRA subtype exhibited poorer long‐term outcomes compared to LE and ADEM subtypes, and early immunotherapy was crucial for improving long‐term outcomes in antibody‐negative AE. The use of RAPID scoring could aid in guiding clinical decision making.
Motor band sign is specific for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and corresponds to motor symptoms
Authors: Zejlon Charlotte , Sennfält Stefan , Finnsson Johannes , Connolly Bryan , Petersson Sven , Granberg Tobias , Ingre Caroline
Published: April 2024

Objective

Magnetic resonance imaging can detect neurodegenerative iron accumulation in the motor cortex, called the motor band sign. This study aims to evaluate its sensitivity/specificity and correlations to symptomatology, biomarkers, and clinical outcome in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Methods

This prospective study consecutively enrolled 114 persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 79 mimics referred to Karolinska University Hospital, and also 31 healthy controls. All underwent 3‐Tesla brain susceptibility‐weighted imaging. Three raters independently assessed motor cortex susceptibility with total and regional motor band scores. Survival was evaluated at a median of 34.2 months after the imaging.

Results

The motor band sign identified amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with a sensitivity of 59.6% and a specificity of 91.1% versus mimics and 96.8% versus controls. Higher motor band scores were more common with genetic risk factors (p = 0.032), especially with C9orf72 mutation, and were associated with higher neurofilament light levels (std. β 0.22, p = 0.019). Regional scores correlated strongly with focal symptoms (medial region vs. gross motor dysfunction, std. β −0.64, p = 0.001; intermediate region vs. fine motor dysfunction, std. β −0.51, p = 0.031; lateral region vs. bulbar symptoms std. β −0.71, p < 0.001). There were no associations with cognition, progression rate, or survival.

Interpretation

In a real‐life clinical setting, the motor band sign has high specificity but relatively low sensitivity for identifying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Associations with genetic risk factors, neurofilament levels and somatotopic correspondence to focal motor weakness suggest that the motor band sign could be a suitable biomarker for diagnostics and clinical trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Concrete structure assembly technology based on 3D intelligent image analysis
Authors: Cao Limei , Song Xiao
Published: April 2024

At present, there is no standard practice for temporary connection of component installation. How to make temporary connections to components more efficient and accurate is the key to the construction of cast‐in‐place connection parts in concrete prefabricated buildings. In order to improve the assembly technology of concrete structures, this paper combines three‐dimensional intelligent image analysis technology for simulation, analyzes and compares several common electronic image stabilization algorithms, discusses the video image stabilization technology based on gray projection method in detail, and gives experimental results. Moreover, this paper analyzes and compares common moving target tracking algorithms, such as feature‐based tracking, region matching‐based tracking, dynamic contour‐based tracking, and 3D model‐based tracking. In addition, this paper studies the target tracking algorithm based on the Camshift algorithm, and constructs the assembly model of the intelligent concrete structure with the support of the algorithm. Through experimental verification, it is known that the performance distribution of the concrete structure assembly model based on 3D intelligent image analysis in experimental evaluation is between [81, 89], the experimental study shows that the concrete structure assembly model based on 3D intelligent image analysis can effectively improve the assembly effect of concrete structure.
Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites by Vertical Fiber Laying Combined with Material Extrusion 3D Printing
Authors: Li Zengchan , Wang Wenqing , Gao Xiong , Shen Chujing , Wang Gang , He Rujie
Published: April 2024

3D printing is reported in the fabrication of continuous carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (Cf/SiC CMCs), however, there are layer defects in the 3D printed materials, manifested as weak mechanical properties between layers. Therefore, it is essential and urgent to study how to improve the mechanical properties of 3D printed Cf/SiC CMCs at the layers. In this article, a novel processing technique which combined vertical fiber laying method with material extrusion (ME) 3D printing is proposed to manufacture Cf/SiC CMCs. A self‐developed 3D printing fixed‐axis rotating lifting synchronizer is adopted. The vertical fiber laying of continuous carbon fibers (Cf) in Z‐direction is introduced into the X−Y printing plane. Five cycles of precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) are performed to achieve the densification of Cf/SiC CMCs. The effects of Cf bundle numbers on the flexural strength and fracture work of Cf/SiC CMCs are studied. The best performing composite is Cf/SiC CMC with six bundles, and the maximum flexural strength and fracture work is 63.84 ± 6.62 MPa and 1291.99 ± 161.39 J m−3, respectively. Compared with pure SiC, the fracture work of Cf/SiC CMC with 6 bundles Cf is increased by 2.54 times.
Fully Polymeric Conductive Hydrogels with Low Hysteresis and High Toughness as Multi‐Responsive and Self‐Powered Wearable Sensors
Authors: Wang Weiyi , Guo Pengshan , Liu Xin , Chen Meijun , Li Jinghua , Hu Zhigang , Li Guangda , Chang Qi , Shi Kunming , Wang Xinling , Lei Kun
Published: April 2024

High mechanical strength, excellent toughness, low hysteresis, and robust resilience are of great importance for stretchable conductive hydrogels (CHs) to heighten their reliabilities for self‐powered sensing applications. However, it still remains challenging to simultaneously obtain the mutually exclusive performances. Herein, an intrinsically conductive and adhesive hydrogel is fabricated by one‐step radical polymerization of acrylamide (AAm), three hydroxy groups together clustered‐N‐[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]acrylamide (THMA), and cationic 1‐Butyl‐3‐Vinylimidazolium Bromide (ILs) dissolved in core‐shell structurally dispersed PEDOT:PSS (PP) solution. Owing to abundant clustered hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions between PILs chains and anionic PSS shells, and polymer chain entanglements, the CHs feature superior mechanical properties with a high tensile strength (0.25 MPa), fracture strain (1015%), fracture toughness (1.22 MJ m‐3), fracture energy of 36.5 kJ m‐2 and extremely low hysteresis (5%), and display excellent resilience and fatigue resistance. As a result, the CHs indicate excellent sensing properties with a gauge factor up to 10.46, a broad sensing range of strain (1‐900%) and pressure (0.05‐100 kPa), and fast responsive rate, thus qualifying for monitoring reliably and accurately large and tiny human movements in daily life. Moreover, the hydrogel‐assembled triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) exhibit excellent and stable electrical output performances, which are greatly promising in self‐powered flexible wearable electronics.
Thinning Solution‐proceed 2D Te for p‐ and n‐channel Junction Field Effect Transistor with High Mobility and Ideal Subthreshold Slope
Authors: Zhu Lingyu , Zhang Jielian , Chen Xinhao , Bu Nabuqi , Zheng Tao , Gao Wei , Li Fei , Zhao Yiming , Sun Yiming , Li Shasha , Huo Nengjie , Li Jingbo
Published: April 2024

Two‐dimensional non‐layered tellurene (Te) can serve as a promising candidate in transistor applications because of its high carrier mobility and air stability. However, it is still quite challenging in aspect of ultra‐thin channel and gate‐control ability in conventional metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor architecture. This work proposes a facile thinning strategy for solution‐proceed Te flakes and fabricates a junction field‐effect transistor (JFET) architecture, that has well addressed the above‐mentioned two issues. Through a mild oxidative thinning process, the post‐growth Te flakes are thinned from bulk to few‐layer, guaranteeing the highly efficient electrostatic doping as a transistor channel. Then, a four‐terminal JFET‐based on p‐Te and n‐ReS2 is designed, achieving a multifunctional integration of rectification diode, p‐ and n‐channel transistor in one single device. By accessing different contact scheme, the ReS2/Te p‐n diode is explored with a rectification ratio of 103, the p‐channel JFET exhibits a high hole mobility of 317.6 cm2V−1s−1, ideal low subthreshold swing of 84 mV dec−1. While the n‐channel JFET is obtained with electron mobility of 67.6 cm2 V−1s−1 and SS of 229 mV dec−1. Both p‐ and n‐channel devices showcase clear saturation characteristic with ultra‐small pinch‐off voltage (≈0.4 V), which is crucial for low‐power logical and integrated circuit applications.
Engineering Ion Conduction Nanodomain Spacing and Interface Environment for Ultrastable All‐Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Liu Sucheng , Liu Mingdong , Du Li , Song Huiyu , Cui Zhiming
Published: April 2024

Block copolymer electrolytes are of great interest due to the combination merits of ion conduction and mechanical strength. However, there lacks a comprehensive understanding on the role of nanodomain spacing in ion‐dipole coordinating environment and interface environment. Herein, the lithium salts with varied binding energy are chosen to tune nanodomain spacing in Polyether‐block‐Polyamide (PEO‐PA) polymer. Spectra characterizations in combination with molecular dynamic simulations systematically demonstrate adding LiFSI salts with lower binding energy contributes to forming larger PEO nanodomain spacing and clarifies the relationship between nanodomain spacing and ion‐dipole coordinating environment as well as interface environment. The larger PEO nanodomain spacing in LiFSI doping PEO‐PA electrolytes (AEOF) creates a loosely Li+‐EO group coordinating environment and improves pristine interface contact. In addition, the formation of solid‐electrolyte interphase rich in LiF and Li3N enhances interfacial stability. Therefore, the ionic conductivity of AEOF electrolytes is significantly improved. Furthermore, the Li||AEOF||Li cells exhibit extraordinary cycling life over 10000 h (416 days) at 0.1 mA cm−2 with a capacity of 0.1 mAh cm−2. This study provides a new insight into the ion‐dipole coordinating environment and interface environment, which benefits the theory‐guided design of all‐solid‐state polymer electrolytes.