bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economizing comparative Poisson clinical trials of multiple experimental treatments by testing against the same control
Authors: Chiarappa Joseph A , Hoover Donald R , Pedley Alison
Published: June 2023

Comparative Poisson trials of an experimental treatment versus a control typically condition on the total number of events that occur across both arms (Design A). Inference is based on the binomial distribution. Recently, an approach termed Design C to compare K experimental treatments to the same control was introduced. Under Design C without curtailment, the trial continues until a prespecified number of events occur in the control arm, leading to inference based on the negative multinomial distribution. The question remains of how advantageous it is to conduct one Design C trial comparing K experimental treatment arms to the same control arm as opposed to conducting K separate Design A trials each comparing one experimental treatment arm to a different control arm. This paper, therefore, compares the expected number of subjects to enroll for the two designs under uncurtailed and curtailed settings. The designs are evaluated when the null hypothesis and various assumptions for the alternative hypothesis hold. We simulate a variety of combinations for the Type 1 error, power, and ratio of the incidence rate of events in the experimental treatment to control arms. Design C frequently offers significant savings in terms of sample size relative to Design A.
Drivers of WACR-Repo Rate Spread: An Empirical Analysis of India
Authors: Kalsie Anjala , Yadav Ashutosh
Published: June 2023

The spread between the policy rate and operating target rate of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has consequences on the transmission of monetary policy signals. Using weekly data from 2011 to 2020 (504 observations), the study employs variants of General Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedastic model to comprehensively analyse the factors that drive this spread. Besides the factors retrieved from the literature, this study also gauges the impact of COVID-19 on the spread and its volatility. The results indicate that the spread is significantly impacted by its lag, volume of transactions in the counterpart markets, distribution pattern of the liquidity by the central bank, foreign market intervention, liquidity adjustment facility (LAF), currency in circulation and reserve requirement while market expectations and government cash balances are found to be non-significant. Besides, announcement effect of COVID and changes in key rates are found to be significant. The results of Exponential GARCH do not find significant asymmetry in response to positive and negative shocks on the spread. Volatility in the spread is comparatively more responsive to its lags than to the market shocks.
Studies on intramedullary nailing over 40 years by science mapping method
Authors: Horoz Levent , Cakmak Mehmet Fevzi
Published: June 2023

Background and objective

As the amount of knowledge in literature continues to increase. Seeing research as a whole and determining its development and direction has become increasingly difficult. To overcome this challenge, new methods are needed. Among the methods developed, bibliometric methods that allow for evaluating research models from different perspectives and identifying collaborations stand out. This article it is aimed to identify the main research themes and trends, highlight the gaps in the literature, and explore the potential for research in this field.

Methods

Bibliometric analyses are conducted in databases that contain high-quality data. In this regard, the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) was chosen in our study. The search was covered the years between 1982–2022. A total of 2556 articles. In our research, articles were examined in two sections. The first section provides an overview of articles on the intramedullary nailing. In the second stage, content analyses were conducted.

Results

A total of 2556 articles were published in 352 journals. The total number of authors is 8992, and the average citation per article is 18.87. The United States, China, and England are the top three countries. Based on the H-index most influential authors are Schemitsch EH and Bhandari M. The Injury-International Journal of the Care of the Injured journal has published 10.44% of all articles.

Conclusion

Our study sheds light on the 40-year development dynamics of intramedullary nailing.
Are Surprise Questions and Probabilistic Questions by Nurses Useful in Home Palliative Care? A Prospective Study
Authors: Suh Sang-Yeon , Yoon Seok-Joon , Lin Cheng-Pei , Hui David
Published: June 2023

Background: Surprise questions (SQs) are used as screening tools in palliative care. Probabilistic questions (PQs) are more accurate than temporal predictions. However, no study has examined the usefulness of SQs and PQs assessed by nurses. Objectives: To examine the accuracy of nurses’ SQ and PQ assessments in patients with advanced cancer receiving home palliative care. Design: A prospective single-center cohort study. Setting/Subjects: Adult patients with advanced cancer who received palliative care at home in South Korea between 2019 and 2020. Measurements: Palliative care specialized nurses were asked the SQ, “Would you be surprised if the patient died in a specific timeframe?” and PQ, “What is the probability that this patient will be alive (0 to 100%) within a specific timeframe?” at the 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-week timeframes at enrollment. We calculated the sensitivities and specificities of the SQs and PQs. Results: 81 patients were recruited with 47 days of median survival. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy (OA) of the 1-week SQ were 50.0, 93.2, and 88.9%, respectively. The accuracies for the 1-week PQ were 12.5, 100.0, and 91.3%, respectively. The 6-week SQ showed sensitivity, specificity, and OA of 84.6, 42.9, and 62.9%, respectively; the accuracies for the 6-week PQ were 59.0, 66.7, and 63.0%, respectively.

Conclusion: The SQ and PQ showed acceptable accuracy in home palliative care patients. Interestingly, PQ showed higher specificity than SQ at all timeframes. The SQ and PQ assessed by nurses may be useful in providing additional prognostic information for home palliative care.
Detection of Nine Oncogenes Amplification in Lung and Colorectal Cancer Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Samples using Combined Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Script and Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Bontoux Christophe , Guyard Alice , Lupo Audrey , Diallo Karim , Rebah Khedidja , Hercent Agathe , Guenzi Edouard , Cros Jérome , Lamoril Jérome , Leroy Karen , Theou-Anton Nathalie
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Gene copy number variations have theranostic impact and require reliable methods for their identification. We aimed to evaluate the reliability of combined next-generation sequencing (NGS) and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) method for gene amplification evaluation.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective multicentric observational study. MET/ERBB2 amplifications were assessed in patients with lung or colorectal carcinoma (cohort A), from 2016 to 2020, by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)/immunohistochemistry (IHC), NGS and ddPCR. NGS-based script and ddPCR were then used to detect amplifications of 7 additional oncogenes ( EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, PIK3CA) in a cohort of patients (cohort B).

Results

55 patients (9 control, 25 ERBB2-amplified and 21 MET-amplified) out of 3779 patients tested were included in cohort A. Correlation coefficient between NGS-based script and FISH/IHC results were .88 for MET (P < .001) and .89 (P < .001) for ERBB2. Using a threshold ratio of 1.56 with the NGS-based script, the sensitivity was 100% for both genes and the specificity 69% for MET and 90% for ERBB2, respectively . With an alternative 1.76 threshold, sensitivity was 94% for MET and 96% for ERBB2, while specificity was 85% for MET and 90% for ERBB2. Correlation coefficient between FISH and ddPCR ratio was .90 for MET and .88 for ERBB2. In both cohorts, NGS-based script and ddPCR results were significantly correlated regarding all genes (P < .001).

Conclusion

Combined NGS-based script and ddPCR method is reliable and easily feasible for the detection of gene amplifications, providing useful data for guided therapy in cancer.
Believing That We Can Change Our World for the Better: A Triple-A (Agent-Action-Aim) Framework of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in the Context of Collective Social and Ecological Aims
Authors: Hamann Karen R. S. , Wullenkord Marlis C. , Reese Gerhard , van Zomeren Martijn
Published: June 2023

Social and ecological crises require people to act together, for instance, against climate change or social injustice. Psychological scholarship suggests that human agency, in terms of individuals’ self-efficacy and collective efficacy, plays a crucial role in motivating people to act for a better world. However, progress in this field and hence the utilization of its accumulated knowledge is hindered by manifold conceptualizations and operationalizations. We therefore identify key problems in how the concept of self-efficacy has evolved and been used in the domain of environmental protection and then present a conceptual solution: the triple-A framework. This framework organizes and integrates theoretical insights by differentiating which agents, actions, and aims are involved in assessments of efficacy. We then illustrate the framework’s broader application and highlight recommendations for improved measurement of self-efficacy beliefs. We further offer a research agenda on how human agency can be utilized to promote social and ecological aims.

Public Abstract

Many people do not act together against climate change or social inequalities because they feel they or their group cannot make a difference. Understanding how people come to feel that they can achieve something (a perception of self-efficacy) is therefore crucial for motivating people to act together for a better world. However, it is difficult to summarize already existing self-efficacy research because previous studies have used many different ways of naming and measuring it. In this article, we uncover the problems that this raises and propose the triple-A framework as a solution. This new framework shows which agents, actions, and aims are important for understanding self-efficacy. By offering specific recommendations for measuring self-efficacy, the triple-A framework creates a basis for mobilizing human agency in the context of climate change and social injustice.
Willingness to Pay for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Does Strategic CSR Management Matter?
Authors: Kuokkanen Henri , Sun William
Published: June 2023

Within hospitality research, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has attracted plenty of interest, but few studies have investigated a strategic approach to CSR management. Strategic CSR assumes that by systematic investment in responsibility that matches customer demand, a business can earn additional profit while fulfilling societal expectations. However, the details of how such systematic management can be achieved are missing. This leaves the business case for customer-focused, strategic CSR largely conceptual, and offers little advice to hospitality managers wishing to pursue such a strategy. To fill these gaps, our study investigated guest willingness to pay for initiatives that were selected based on a model of strategic CSR management that incorporates key aspects of customer behavior. The results provide empirical evidence on how strategic CSR management can contribute to financial performance and support the need for understanding the guest comprehensively during the strategy development process to achieve the gains.
Comparing Individualized Survival Predictions From Random Survival Forests and Multistate Models in the Presence of Missing Data: A Case Study of Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Abbott Madeline R , Beesley Lauren J , Bellile Emily L , Shuman Andrew G , Rozek Laura S , Taylor Jeremy M G
Published: June 2023

Background:

In recent years, interest in prognostic calculators for predicting patient health outcomes has grown with the popularity of personalized medicine. These calculators, which can inform treatment decisions, employ many different methods, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.

Methods:

We present a comparison of a multistate model (MSM) and a random survival forest (RSF) through a case study of prognostic predictions for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The MSM is highly structured and takes into account some aspects of the clinical context and knowledge about oropharyngeal cancer, while the RSF can be thought of as a black-box non-parametric approach. Key in this comparison are the high rate of missing values within these data and the different approaches used by the MSM and RSF to handle missingness.

Results:

We compare the accuracy (discrimination and calibration) of survival probabilities predicted by both approaches and use simulation studies to better understand how predictive accuracy is influenced by the approach to (1) handling missing data and (2) modeling structural/disease progression information present in the data. We conclude that both approaches have similar predictive accuracy, with a slight advantage going to the MSM.

Conclusions:

Although the MSM shows slightly better predictive ability than the RSF, consideration of other differences are key when selecting the best approach for addressing a specific research question. These key differences include the methods’ ability to incorporate domain knowledge, and their ability to handle missing data as well as their interpretability, and ease of implementation. Ultimately, selecting the statistical method that has the most potential to aid in clinical decisions requires thoughtful consideration of the specific goals.
Paradoxes of organisational learning in policing: ‘The truth, but not the whole truth, for everyone’s sake’
Authors: Tomkins Leah , Bristow Alexandra
Published: June 2023

This article examines the complex and often contradictory dynamics of organisational learning through the lens of paradox. Based on a 4-year action research programme in policing, our findings reveal two key tensions relating to knowledge control (codification-discretion) and knowledge disclosure (transparency-occlusion). Casting paradox as an ‘ either/and’ relationship, we use these themes of control and disclosure to explore the interplay of learning (where actions either enable and inhibit learning) and emotion (where actions either reduce and increase anxiety). We consider how knowledge and learning are entangled in issues of emotional and institutional security, which operate at the threshold between public-service and public-served. In the psycho-politics of this relationship, the police attempt to safeguard either themselves from the anxiety of unwarranted blame and their communities from the anxiety of unmediated disclosure of the dangers of the world. From this perspective, we theorise organisational learning in policing as a paradox of either success and failure, either care and self-care and either potence and impotence. While grounded in policing, our reflections have a broader relevance for the ways in which knowledge tactics both shape and reflect relations between organisations and their key stakeholders, especially those based on the contingent and incongruous logics of service.
Practising in physical education: A study of a teacher's experiences and role enactment
Authors: Askildsen Carl-Emil Marstrander , Løndal Knut
Published: June 2023

Teachers are designers and an essential act of the profession is the crafting of learning experiences to meet specific purposes. In this study, we follow a Norwegian physical education (PE) teacher in the design and teaching of a unit informed by a pedagogical model called the practising model (PM). Two research questions guided the study: (1) How does a teacher experience conducting a teaching unit informed by the PM? (2) How does the teacher's role enactment develop throughout the teaching unit? Qualitative data were gathered from workshops, observations from PE sessions in a 10th-grade class, and interviews with the teacher and his students. By applying the joint action in didactics framework, we discuss three key findings: (1) a rough start – feelings of chaos and inadequacy, (2) a shift in the teacher's role enactment, and (3) closing in on the students’ practising. The study concludes that applying the PM framework challenged the usual PE practice of this class. Too many different learning trajectories and didactic sub-milieus, a reconceptualisation of roles and teaching strategies, and epistemological breaches and task overload challenged the teacher considerably. The turning point for the teacher emerged as a conceptual shift, leaving behind the role of an organiser, and instead pursuing the role of a close, curious, and questioning teacher, drawing on different teaching styles to meet students’ needs. Modelling new pedagogical reforms and establishing adequate pedagogical tact certainly requires practising the practice, allowing new roles, expectations, requirements, and strategies to settle as the new normal.
Biocircularities: New Formations of Embodied Time
Authors: Poleykett Branwyn , Jent Karen
Published: June 2023

In this introduction to the special section ‘Biocircularities: New Formations of Embodied Time’, we introduce the concept of ‘biocircularity’. Drawing on case studies from Senegal, Australia and the United States, we argue that (bio)circularities provides a new tool to understand transformations of embodiment and embodied time in response to rapid technoscientific, social and environmental change. We situate the potential of biocircularity by distinguishing the approach from cycles and ‘looping’. We lay out why we think biocircularity is an important concept now, when we stand on the brink of ecological crisis and reproductive futures appear deeply precarious and uncertain. Biocircularity, we argue, offers new ways of understanding how people live out embodiment and understand biological time. The concept offers new possibilities for theorising and realising scientific practice and public health interventions.
Changes in loneliness prevalence in Denmark in the 21st century: Age-period-cohort analysis
Authors: Girault Clara , Schramm Stine , Tolstrup Janne S. , Ekholm Ola , Bramming Maja
Published: June 2023

Aim:

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the prevalence of loneliness in Denmark from 2000 to 2021 by conducting age-period-cohort analysis.

Methods:

Our study was based on a sample ( N=83,437; age: ⩾16 years) of the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys conducted in Denmark in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021. We used logistic regression models by gender to estimate the age-period-cohort effects, with loneliness as the dependent variable and age, survey year and birth cohort as independent variables, mutually adjusted.

Results:

The prevalence of adult loneliness increased by each survey year over the entire period (from 13.2% in 2000 to 27.4% in 2021 among men and from 18.8% to 33.7% among women). Overall, a U-shaped curve, for the prevalence of loneliness among different age groups, was observed, which was most pronounced among women. The greatest increase in the prevalence of loneliness from 2000 to 2021 was observed among the youngest age group (16–24 years), with 28.4 and 30.7 percentage points for men and women. No significant cohort effect was observed.

Conclusions:

The observed increase in loneliness prevalence from 2000 to 2021 was driven by period and age effects rather than cohort effects. It should be noted that data from 2021 were collected during a national lockdown due to an outbreak of COVID-19, which could explain part of the large increase in loneliness from 2017 to 2021.
Associations of breastfeeding duration with serum lipid values from infancy until age 20 years – the STRIP study
Authors: Laitinen Tomi T. , Saha Emma , Pahkala Katja , Kartiosuo Noora , Nuotio Joel , Lagström Hanna , Viikari Jorma , Rönnemaa Tapani , Jula Antti , Raitakari Olli , Niinikoski Harri
Published: June 2023

Background and aims:

The effect of breastfeeding duration on childhood lipid levels has remained controversial. In this study, we aimed to establish the long-term associations of breastfeeding duration with future levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In addition, we report lipid levels at the age of seven months depending on the child receiving any breastmilk.

Methods:

The sample comprised 999 children participating in the prospective Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP). Serum lipid profile was studied at the ages of seven months and 13 months, and annually thereafter until the age of 20 years. Duration of breastfeeding was inquired, and infants were divided into those who received or did not receive any breast milk at the age of seven months ( n=533 and n=466, respectively). In addition, breastfeeding duration groups (any breastfeeding for 0–4 months, 4–6 months, 6–9 months, and >9 months) were formed.

Results:

At the age of seven months infants who at that time received breast milk had higher serum HDL cholesterol (0.95±0.21mmol/l vs. 0.90±0.19 mmol/l; p=0.0018), non-HDL cholesterol (3.38±0.78 mmol/l vs. 3.01±0.67 mmol/l; p<0.001) and total cholesterol levels (4.33±0.80 mmol/l vs. 3.91±0.69 mmol/l; p<0.001) than their peers who did not receive breast milk. From two to 20 years of age serum lipid levels showed no consistent differences between the breastfeeding duration groups.

Conclusions:

Our long-term data showed that duration of breastfeeding has no consistent associations with serum lipid concentrations in healthy individuals aged two to 20 years.

Clinical Trial Registration:

www.clinicaltrials.gov , unique identifier NCT00223600.
Axis-symmetric diesel spray flame model coupled with momentum flux distribution measurement and improved soot phi-T map
Authors: Fuyuto Takayuki , Mandokoro Yoshiyuki , Tagita Yuki , Umehara Tsutomu
Published: June 2023

An axis-symmetrical diesel spray flame model coupled with momentum flux distribution measurement was developed as a tool for nozzle orifice development. Momentum flux distributions at several distances from the nozzle orifice exit are measured by a force sensor with a small-diameter aperture which traverses a cross-section. A theoretical momentum flux profile is determined by fitting with the measured momentum flux profile at the cross-section. The spray velocity profile and equivalence ratio profiles are quantified from the theoretical momentum flux profile. By interpolating the profiles of the measured cross-sections, the axis-symmetrical diesel spray flame model can calculate the equivalence ratio and other physical values as a function of the distance from the nozzle exit ( x) and the radius from the spray axis ( r). The equivalence ratio distribution in a cross-section involving the spray axis is converted into soot formation and oxidation distribution by coupling with the improved soot ϕ -T map. The conventional soot-NOx ϕ -T map did not show the borderline between the soot formation and oxidation. To quantify the residence time of the fuel element during soot formation, the narrow soot peninsula was expanded up to its maximum by replacing the soot yield with the soot particle diameter. Instead of contour lines for the of NO mole fraction, contour lines for the OH mole fraction were implemented to reveal the border between soot formation and soot oxidation on the ϕ -T map. The borderline appears clearly, consisting of a horizontal line in the lower-temperature region and a rising line in the higher-temperature region. The converted soot formation and oxidation regions in the axis-symmetric spray flame model exhibit a strong correlation with the measured soot distributions in a quasi-steady diesel spray flame. The shear-stress, which induces turbulence affecting soot formation/oxidation, is also quantified from the velocity distribution.
Pre-ignition-prevention control method in spark-ignition engines by detecting precursory cycles with an ion-current sensor
Authors: Kumano Kengo , Kimura Hiroshi , Akagi Yoshihiko , Matohara Shinya , Uchise Yoshifumi , Yamasaki Yudai
Published: June 2023

In gasoline engines with a higher compression ratio, abnormal combustion, such as pre-ignition and knocking, tends to occur due to higher temperature in the combustion chamber, which leads to lower engine performance. To prevent pre-ignition from occurring, we propose a pre-ignition-prevention control method that involves using an ion-current sensor integrated in an ignition system. The pre-ignition and precursory cycles are detected from the ion-current intensity and spark-discharge duration estimated from ion-current signals. Fuel-injection is increased to cool the mixture in the combustion chamber after the abnormal combustion (precursory) cycle is detected. In a commercial gasoline engine, it was demonstrated that our method can prevent pre-ignition combustion by setting a proper threshold for precursory-cycle detection. The effectiveness of the fuel-injection control was analyzed.
Discussing physical restrictions in care plan meetings between family members of residents with dementia and nursing home staff
Authors: Paananen Jenny , Lindholm Camilla
Published: June 2023

In long-term dementia care, caregivers face a dilemma. On the one hand, they need to respect the residents’ right to self-determination, but on the other hand, they sometimes rely on physical restraints to deal with potential violence and self-destructive behavior. The issue of self determination is further complicated by residents often depending on family members as advocates in decision-making. In this article, we examine 15 care plan meetings to identify the professional practices of discussing the physical restrictions posed to residents with severe dementia. Our method is conversation analysis. Our analysis demonstrates that staff members’ practices involve informing, accounting, and agreeing on the goals rather than on the methods of physical restraining. Staff members tend to first inform family members about the principles of restraining and then account for the use of restraints. Accounts highlight the problems that can be avoided and the benefits that can be achieved by limiting residents’ actions. Consequently, the family members’ role in the discussion is to accept the decision that has already been approved by authorities. As the staff members highlight the aim of protecting the well-being of the resident, the family members tend to respond with overt agreement and even promote the use of restraints. Current negotiation practices provide insufficient opportunities for family members to advocate for residents. Therefore, we recommend involving family members in decision-making about restraining at an earlier stage, adjusting the protocol in care plan meetings, and engaging the family in minimizing and preventing restraints. In general, staff members should pay more attention to the residents’ experiences and the family members’ lifeworld knowledge of the residents.
Non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia: A rare cause of persistent hypoglycaemia
Authors: Yoong Zher Melvin Lee
Published: June 2023

Non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia (NICTH) is a rare cause of hypoglycaemia. There is no single pathogenic mechanism that can explain all cases of NITCH. With this case, we wish to highlight the complexity in diagnosis and management of this condition.
Cardiometabolic risk factors, peripheral arterial tonometry and metformin in adults with type 1 diabetes participating in the REducing with MetfOrmin Vascular Adverse Lesions trial
Authors: Chen David , Jenkins Alicia J , Greenlaw Nicola , Dudman Katie , Fernandes Tamsin , Carty David M , Hughes Alun D , Januszewski Andrzej S , Stehouwer Coen DA , Petrie John R
Published: June 2023

Background

Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) provides non-invasive measures of vascular health. Beneficial effects of metformin on vascular function have been reported in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In the REducing with MetfOrmin Vascular Adverse Lesions (REMOVAL) trial in adults with T1D and high cardiovascular risk, we examined: (i) the extent to which routinely-measured cardiometabolic risk factors explain variance in baseline PAT; and (ii) the effects of metformin on PAT measures.

Methods

Cross-sectional univariable and multivariable analyses of baseline reactive hyperaemia index (RHI) and augmentation index (AI) (EndoPAT® (Itamar, Israel); and analysis of 36-months metformin versus placebo on vascular tonometry.

Results

In 364 adults ((mean ± SD) age 55.2 ± 8.5 years, T1D 34.0 ± 10.6 years, HbA1c 64.5 ± 9.0 mmol/mol (8.1 ± 0.8%)), RHI was 2.26 ± 0.74 and AI was 15.9 ± 19.2%. In an exhaustive search, independent associates of (i) RHI were smoking, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure and vitamin B12 (adjusted R2 = 0.11) and (ii) AI were male sex, pulse pressure, heart rate and waist circumference (adjusted R2 = 0.31). Metformin did not significantly affect RHI or AI.

Conclusion

Cardiometabolic risk factors explained only a modest proportion of variance in PAT measures of vascular health in adults with T1D and high cardiovascular risk. PAT measures were not affected by metformin.
African American Males Have More Distress During Cancer Treatment Than White Males
Authors: Kjelstrom Stephanie , Wynn Charis , Larson Sharon
Published: June 2023

African American (AA) males have a higher incidence and mortality rate for some cancers than other races and sexes, which could be associated with distress during treatment, medical mistrust, and health disparities. We hypothesize distress in AA males during treatment is higher than in other races and sexes. We assessed effect modification of moderate to severe (≥ 4) distress scores during cancer treatment by race and sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES). National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s distress thermometer (scale 0–10) and characteristics for 770 cancer patients were collected from a Philadelphia hospital. Variables included age, sex, race, smoking status, marital status, SES, comorbidities, mental health, period before and during COVID-19, cancer diagnosis, and stage. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t-tests were used to compare AA and White patients. Effect modification of ≥ 4 distress by race and sex, age, and SES were analyzed by logistic regression. A p value of ≤ .05 was significant, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. On average, AA patients had a non-significant, higher distress score (4.53, SD = 3.0) than White patients (4.22, SD = 2.9) ( p = .196). The adjusted odds ratio of ≥4 distress was 2.8 (95% CI [1.4, 5.7]) for AA males compared with White males. There was no significant difference between White and AA females, race and age, or race and SES. There was an effect modification of ≥4 distress by race and sex. AA males in cancer treatment had higher odds of ≥4 distress compared with White males.
Influence of the hot water mass flow rate on heating of radiant floors of green buildings
Authors: Fahmy Sarah B , Zamzam M , Khalil T , Abdalla Yasmine , Loeffler Thomas , Ahmed SA , Abd-Elhady MS
Published: June 2023

The objective of the research is to improve space heating of green buildings by examining experimentally the influence of the heating medium mass flow rate on thermal performance. A green building was built in Cairo, Egypt, that consists of two similar rooms: one is the heated room and the other is a reference for comparison. A photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collector is used to heat up water in a storage tank, and the hot water in the tank is circulated in the radiant floor of the examined green building. The hot water mass flow rate was varied between 0.04 and 0.08 kg/s. It was found that decreasing the water mass flow rate improves the heating of the radiant floor. The percentage improvement in floor temperature due to heating over the reference room, reaches about 17% and 6% at mass flow rates of 0.04 and 0.08 kg/s, respectively. Engineering Equation Solver (EES) was used to solve the equations for the heat transfer process between the heating water and the floor. It was found that decreasing the mass flow rate increases the residence time of the heating water in the radiant floor, consequently, increases the heat energy transfer and the floor temperature. Increasing the heating fluid mass flow rate in green buildings could have a negative effect on the heat transfer, such that the appropriate heating fluid mass flow rate should be calculated based on the green building massive material as well as the operating conditions, for example, ambient temperature and wind speed.
Factors affecting women’s decision between uterine-preserving versus hysterectomy-based surgery for pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Ramage Kaylee , Ducey Ariel , Scime Natalie V , Knox Erin , Brennand Erin A
Published: June 2023

Background:

Given the prevalence of women seeking surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), there is a need to understand women’s decision-making regarding uterine-preserving versus hysterectomy-based surgeries. Historically, hysterectomy-based surgeries have been the preferred treatment for pelvic organ prolapse; however, contemporary evidence supports uterine-preserving surgeries as equivalent. At present, the lack of information available to the general public and limited options presented at surgical consultation for pelvic organ prolapse may hinder women’s autonomy as they navigate surgical treatment.

Objectives:

To examine the factors affecting women’s decision-making processes regarding uterine-preserving or hysterectomy-based surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

Design:

This is a qualitative study.

Methods:

We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with women seeking surgery for pelvic organ prolapse to explore the factors affecting women’s decision-making between hysterectomy-based and uterine-preserving surgeries.

Results:

Women (n = 26) used clinical and personal factors to determine which surgery was best. Women noted that the lack of evidence (clinical and/or anecdotal) available to them hindered their decision-making, causing them to rely more on their own interpretations of the evidence, what they perceived to be “normal,” and what their surgeon recommended. Even with standardized discussion regarding the existing clinical equipoise between surgeries at the clinical consultation, some women still had misperceptions that hysterectomy-based surgery would convey the lowest risk of prolapse recurrence and be best for severe prolapse.

Conclusion:

There is a need for more transparency in discussions about prolapse and the factors affecting women’s decision-making for surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse. Clinicians should be prepared to offer the option of hysterectomy-based or uterine-preserving surgeries and to clearly explain the clinical equipoise between these procedures.
Hits and Misses: Digital Contact Tracing in a Pandemic
Authors: Garry Maryanne , Zajac Rachel , Hope Lorraine , Salathé Marcel , Levine Linda , Merritt Thomas A.
Published: June 2023

Traditional contact tracing is one of the most powerful weapons people have in the battle against a pandemic, especially when vaccines do not yet exist or do not afford complete protection from infection. But the effectiveness of contact tracing hinges on its ability to find infected people quickly and obtain accurate information from them. Therefore, contact tracing inherits the challenges associated with the fallibilities of memory. Against this backdrop, digital contact tracing is the “dream scenario”—an unobtrusive, vigilant, and accurate recorder of danger that should outperform manual contact tracing on every dimension. There is reason to celebrate the success of digital contact tracing. Indeed, epidemiologists report that digital contact tracing probably reduced the incidence of COVID-19 cases by at least 25% in many countries, a feat that would have been hard to match with its manual counterpart. Yet there is also reason to speculate that digital contact tracing delivered on only a fraction of its potential because it almost completely ignored the relevant psychological science. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of digital contact tracing, its hits and misses in the COVID-19 pandemic, and its need to be integrated with the science of human behavior.
Opinions and attitudes of research ethics committees in Arab countries in the Middle East and North African region toward ethical issues involving biobank research
Authors: Mohammed Zeinab , Abdelgawad Fatma , Ahram Mamoun , Ibrahim Maha E , Elgamri Alya , Gamel Ehsan , Adarmouch Latifa , Rhazi Karima El , Abd ElHafeez Samar , Silverman Henry
Published: June 2023

Members of research ethics committees (RECs) face a number of ethical challenges when reviewing genomic research. These include issues regarding the content and type of consent, the return of individual research results, mechanisms of sharing specimens and health data, and appropriate community engagement efforts. This article presents the findings from a survey that sought to investigate the opinions and attitudes of REC members from four Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Jordan) toward these ethical issues. Our findings suggest that efforts are required to better familiarize REC members with the requirements for ethical biobank research. Additionally, we recommend that further research is undertaken with REC members regarding the main items that should be present in the Material Transfer Agreements /Data Transfer Agreements in their corresponding countries and the type of consent that should be used in genomic research.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Global Audiences and Fans of Turkish TV Dramas
Authors: Kaptan Yeşim , Algan Ece
Published: June 2023

The transnationalization of the Turkish television industry, which began in the late 1990s, has been continuing with enormous success with Turkish TV series now being exported to more than 150 countries. In both introductions to the double special issue, we contextualize television in Turkey as a significant cultural field of production within its historical background and trace the transnational trajectory of Turkish dramas in Turkey and abroad. By focusing on the tensions and transformations spurred by the global presence of Turkish television, we critically examine what it means both for global audiences to consume and for the industry to produce Turkish dramas in the contemporary global televisual landscape. In the first volume (Issue 3) of this double special issue, the contributors reflect on the reception of Turkish TV series as well as their global and local consumption networks. In the second volume (Issue 4), the manuscripts explore the consequences of the industry practices and perceptions around what travels well along with nation-states' interventions and influences.
Cosmopolitan imaginary: The reception of Turkish TV series among young audiences in urban, rural, and diasporic settings (Istanbul, Emirdağ, and Brussels)
Authors: Tahralı Fatma Orhan , Smets Kevin , Meers Philippe
Published: June 2023

This study explores the reception of selected melodramas and their cosmopolitan imaginary, based on a large-scale qualitative study consisting of 79 in-depth interviews with young Turkish audiences across three locations: the metropolis Istanbul, the rural town of Emirdağ, and Brussels which has a large Turkish diasporic community. In the past two decades, melodramas representing the upper-class, elite, westernized lifestyles taking place in luxury residences in Istanbul's urban landscape occupy a central space in the Turkish series as an example of cosmopolitan imaginary in their representation and mode of production. The study reveals that the cosmopolitan imaginary of these TV series leads participants to negotiate Turkish modernity, westernized secular, upper-class lifestyles, Turkish values, religion, and identity issues in these settings and destabilizes a uniform and fixed understanding of their identity and imagined community.
The role of online fan communities in the popularization of Turkish TV dramas in Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Gabrielle Camille
Published: June 2023

In just over a decade, the transnational expansion of Turkish media industry reached regions geographically and culturally distant from Turkey, thus establishing Turkish dramas as a prominent media contra-flow. In Brazil, the rise of Turkish dramas is supported by informal distribution: many online fan communities translate, add subtitles, and distribute episodes without monetary profit, which is a practice known as fansubbing. In this research, I focus on the biggest Brazilian fansubbing community of Turkish dramas to investigate the complexity behind this practice from the perspectives of distribution and reception. Through online questionnaires, a virtual ethnography, and in-depth interviews, I explore how these communities operate and impact the daily lives of audiences. Findings point out that by making Turkish content more accessible, they are reshaping media practices taking the place of national broadcasters and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services in the popularization of Turkish dramas in Brazil.
Viewing Turkish TV series in Skopje: Audience memories on travelling cultural products
Authors: Özalpman Deniz , Özmen Seckin
Published: June 2023

Despite gradually increasing consumption patterns, the notion of memory remains a key concept that is rarely drawn on by scholars to better understand television (TV) series. This research contributes to the existing literature on the reception of Turkish TV series in the specific case of Macedonian audiences by conducting interviews in Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia. By focusing on a majority Christian demographic that does not speak Turkish and has no familial bonds to Turkish people, this study hopes to move beyond cultural proximity arguments. The findings suggest the crucial importance of photographic (eidetic) and prosthetic memories from mediated accounts of Turkish series in creating cultural and collective affinities with local audiences.
The dizi industry's geographic imaginaries and narratives of global success
Authors: Sertbulut Zeynep
Published: June 2023

Based on 21 months of ethnographic research in the dizi industry, Turkey's internationally popular serialized TV melodramas, this article explores how dizi makers explain their productions’ global popularity and how they imagine, classify, and discuss foreign markets. It describes dizi makers’ competing ideas of the “global” and different regimes of value when evaluating the popularity of their products in the world. It illustrates how Turkish dizi creatives, seeking prestige, regard the wide-spread circulation of their productions in Non-Western contexts not as an asset but as an impediment to achieving symbolic capital and recognition. The article also demonstrates that at a time when a significant portion of the dizi industry's profits come from foreign sales in Latin America, the Balkans, and the Middle East, producers and distributors find themselves in a position where a notion of the “global” that is inclusive of non-Western regions is strategically and economically necessary to them. It makes the case that despite these differences in what it means to be global—for dizi creators who seek prestige and for the distributors and producers that focus on profitability—both construct the global using developmentalist logics.
The first case of Janibacter bacteremia in pregnancy: A case report and review
Authors: Hall John D , Finder Abigail , Connerton Zachary , Marr Candace
Published: June 2023

Clinical infection with Janibacter species is an infrequently reported event. There are a small number of cases of patients with Janibacter bacteremia recognized to date. We report the first case of Janibacter bacteremia in a pregnant woman. The bacteremia was associated with pneumonia. Such cases can be difficult to manage due to the lack of antibiotic susceptibility data for these bacteria. We also report susceptibility data for the Janibacter hoylei that was isolated in our patient. This case demonstrates that J. hoylei can be a pathogen in otherwise immunocompetent pregnant women.
Spatiotemporal analysis of small bowel capsule endoscopy videos for outcomes prediction in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Kellerman Raizy , Bleiweiss Amit , Samuel Shimrit , Margalit-Yehuda Reuma , Aflalo Estelle , Barzilay Oranit , Ben-Horin Shomron , Eliakim Rami , Zimlichman Eyal , Soffer Shelly , Klang Eyal , Kopylov Uri
Published: June 2023

Background:

Deep learning techniques can accurately detect and grade inflammatory findings on images from capsule endoscopy (CE) in Crohn’s disease (CD). However, the predictive utility of deep learning of CE in CD for disease outcomes has not been examined.

Objectives:

We aimed to develop a deep learning model that can predict the need for biological therapy based on complete CE videos of newly-diagnosed CD patients.

Design:

This was a retrospective cohort study. The study cohort included treatment-naïve CD patients that have performed CE (SB3, Medtronic) within 6 months of diagnosis. Complete small bowel videos were extracted using the RAPID Reader software.

Methods:

CE videos were scored using the Lewis score (LS). Clinical, endoscopic, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Machine learning analysis was performed using the TimeSformer computer vision algorithm developed to capture spatiotemporal characteristics for video analysis.

Results:

The patient cohort included 101 patients. The median duration of follow-up was 902 (354–1626) days. Biological therapy was initiated by 37 (36.6%) out of 101 patients. TimeSformer algorithm achieved training and testing accuracy of 82% and 81%, respectively, with an Area under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.86 to predict the need for biological therapy. In comparison, the AUC for LS was 0.70 and for fecal calprotectin 0.74.

Conclusion:

Spatiotemporal analysis of complete CE videos of newly-diagnosed CD patients achieved accurate prediction of the need for biological therapy. The accuracy was superior to that of the human reader index or fecal calprotectin. Following future validation studies, this approach will allow for fast and accurate personalization of treatment decisions in CD.
Diagnostic Dilemma in Fatal Paraquat Poisoning: An Autopsy Case Report
Authors: Kumar Meena Suresh , Shekhawat Raghvendra Singh , Kanchan Tanuj , Midha Naresh Kumar
Published: June 2023

Paraquat is a highly toxic agent used as an herbicide worldwide. Despite its easy and widespread availability, data regarding cases of paraquat poisoning in India is limited. Diagnosis often becomes difficult without a clear history, owing to its rather nonspecific and varying presentation. In the present case, a 22-year-old man was brought with a history of high-grade fever, sore throat, and oral ulcers for around a week. He was symptomatically treated at multiple hospitals and was worked up for suspected diagnoses like diphtheria and influenza (H1N1). Later during treatment, it was revealed that “Paraxzone” was procured online by the patient himself two weeks before the onset of his symptoms. Thence, the treatment regimen was modified following suspicion of paraquat poisoning. However, the delay in diagnosis led to the worsening his condition, and the patient succumbed to death due to pulmonary and renal complications after 16 days of survival. The postmortem examination, supplemented with histopathological evaluation, supported the diagnosis of paraquat poisoning. Paraquat poisoning can mimic a myriad of clinical conditions. Thorough history taking, a high degree of suspicion, and collaborative work with the investigating agency are of paramount importance while dealing with cases of suspected paraquat poisoning in hospital settings.