bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supplementary Fig 5 from Longitudinal Natural History Study of Children and Adults with Rare Solid Tumors: Initial Results for First 200 Participants
Authors: Ahmed Shadin , Wedekind Mary Frances , Del Rivero Jaydira , Raygada Margarita , Lockridge Robin , Glod John W. , Flowers Crystal , Thomas BJ , Bernstein Donna B. , Kapustina Oxana B. , Jain Ashish , Miettinen Markku , Raffeld Mark , Xi Liqiang , Tyagi Manoj , Kim Jung , Aldape Kenneth , Malayeri Ashkan A. , Kaplan Rosandra N. , Allen Taryn , Vivelo Christina A. , Sandler Abby B. , Widemann Brigitte C. , Reilly Karlyne M.
Published: December 2023

Protocol form completion.
Data from Longitudinal Natural History Study of Children and Adults with Rare Solid Tumors: Initial Results for First 200 Participants
Authors: Ahmed Shadin , Wedekind Mary Frances , Del Rivero Jaydira , Raygada Margarita , Lockridge Robin , Glod John W. , Flowers Crystal , Thomas BJ , Bernstein Donna B. , Kapustina Oxana B. , Jain Ashish , Miettinen Markku , Raffeld Mark , Xi Liqiang , Tyagi Manoj , Kim Jung , Aldape Kenneth , Malayeri Ashkan A. , Kaplan Rosandra N. , Allen Taryn , Vivelo Christina A. , Sandler Abby B. , Widemann Brigitte C. , Reilly Karlyne M.
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Understanding of tumor biology and identification of effective therapies is lacking for many rare tumors. My Pediatric and Adult Rare Tumor (MyPART) network was established to engage patients, advocates, and researchers and conduct a comprehensive longitudinal Natural History Study of Rare Solid Tumors. Through remote or in-person enrollment at the NIH Clinical Center, participants with rare solid tumors ≥4 weeks old complete standardized medical and family history forms, patient reported outcomes, and provide tumor, blood and/or saliva samples. Medical records are extracted for clinical status and treatment history, and tumors undergo genomic analysis. A total of 200 participants (65% female, 35% male, median age at diagnosis 43 years, range = 2–77) enrolled from 46 U.S. states and nine other countries (46% remote, 55% in-person). Frequent diagnoses were neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC), medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors (sdGIST), and chordomas. At enrollment, median years since diagnosis was 3.5 (range = 0–36.6), 63% participants had metastatic disease and 20% had no evidence of disease. Pathogenic germline and tumor mutations included SDHA/B/C (sdGIST), RET (MTC), TP53 and CTNNB1 (ACC), MEN1 (NEN), and SMARCB1 (poorly-differentiated chordoma). Clinically significant anxiety was observed in 20%–35% of adults. Enrollment of participants and comprehensive data collection were feasible. Remote enrollment was critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 30 patients were enrolled with ACC, NEN, and sdGIST, allowing for clinical/genomic analyses across tumors. Longitudinal follow-up and expansion of cohorts are ongoing to advance understanding of disease course and establish external controls for interventional trials.
Significance:
This study demonstrates that comprehensive, tumor-agnostic data and biospecimen collection is feasible to characterize different rare tumors, and speed progress in research. The findings will be foundational to developing external controls groups for single-arm interventional trials, where randomized control trials cannot be conducted because of small patient populations.
Rate of Overlap between ICD-11 Gaming Disorder and DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder along with Turkish Reliability of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A)
Authors: Tuncturk Mustafa , Karacetin Gul , Ermis Cagatay , Ciray R. Ogulcan , Can Merve , Yesilkaya Celal , Atay Ayca , Alkas Gokce Elif , Kasap Damla , Guney Omca , Alarslan Sezen , Cakir Burak , Halac Eren , Tonyalı Aysegul , Elmas Fatma Nur , Turan Serkan
Published: December 2023

Introduction: The main aims of the current study were (i) to explore the overlap between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and gaming disorder (GD) diagnoses, (ii) to identify clinical characteristics in clinical settings, and (iii) to measure psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A). Methods: 222 adolescents who were followed up within a tertiary-care mental health hospital, were included (IGD/GD group [n = 111], clinical comparison group [n = 90], healthy controls [n = 21]). The tools used were the GADIS-A, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form, The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36), Children’s Global Assessment Scale, and a semistructured interview for DSM-5 diagnoses. Results: The overlap rate of IGD and GD is 73%. Comorbid ADHD diagnoses were more commonly found in the IGD group compared to the clinical comparison group. Patients who met GD and IGD diagnoses revealed higher scores in DERS-36. Turkish GADIS-A Item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.627 and 0.860. In the sample, there was a high level of correlation between the number of DSM-5 and ICD-11 diagnostic criteria met and GADIS-A scale scores. The Cronbach’s alphas if item deleted ranged between 0.942 and 0.954. In addition, treatment refusal was more frequent in the IGD group than in the clinical comparison group. Conclusion: The GADIS-A had good to excellent psychometric properties in Turkish adolescents. Despite having a stricter diagnostic criterion, GD overlapped with IGD in a clinical population.
Spousal Concordance of Hypertension Among Middle‐Aged and Older Heterosexual Couples Around the World: Evidence From Studies of Aging in the United States, England, China, and India
Authors: Varghese Jithin Sam , Lu Peiyi , Choi Daesung , Kobayashi Lindsay C. , Ali Mohammed K. , Patel Shivani A. , Li Chihua
Published: December 2023

Background

Health concordance within couples presents a promising opportunity to design interventions for disease management, including hypertension. We compared the concordance of prevalent hypertension within middle‐aged and older heterosexual couples in the United States, England, China, and India.

Methods and Results

Cross‐sectional dyadic data on heterosexual couples were used from contemporaneous waves of the HRS (US Health and Retirement Study, 2016/17, n=3989 couples), ELSA (English Longitudinal Study on Aging, 2016/17, n=1086), CHARLS (China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2015/16, n=6514), and LASI (Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017/19, n=22 389). Concordant hypertension was defined as both husband and wife in a couple having hypertension. The prevalence of concordant hypertension within couples was 37.9% (95% CI, 35.8–40.0) in the United States, 47.1% (95% CI, 43.2–50.9) in England, 20.8% (95% CI, 19.6–21.9) in China, and 19.8% (95% CI, 19.0–20.5) in India. Compared with wives married to husbands without hypertension, wives married to husbands with hypertension were more likely to have hypertension in the United States (prevalence ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.01– 1.17), England (prevalence ratio, 1.09, 95% CI, 0.98–1.21), China (prevalence ratio, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.17–1.35), and India (prevalence ratio, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.15–1.24]). Within each country, similar associations were observed for husbands. Across countries, associations in the United States and England were similar, whereas they were slightly larger in China and India.

Conclusions

Concordance of hypertension within heterosexual couples was consistently observed across these 4 socially and economically diverse countries. Couple‐centered interventions may be an efficient strategy to prevent and manage hypertension in these countries.
Trust in Shared Narratives
Authors: Nyam Esther , Hediger Vinzenz
Published: December 2023

Stories are a function of violent conflicts. Stories provide reasons for and can serve to instigate conflicts, they make conflicts readable, and they provide narrative closure, i.e., a sense of finality, and thus potentially restore trust between conflict parties. This study focuses on a specific form of storytelling used in a conflict setting, namely docudrama and re-enactment of traumatic experiences of conflict. The study posits that, in the absence of other forms of effective civic dissent to force better outcomes in governance and particularly the provision of security through the state, docudrama and the re-enactment of personal experiences of violence can lead to conscientization and healing, even as the stories expressed in re-enactment lay the groundwork for post-conflict narrative closure. The location of study is in Benue and Plateau States, Nigeria. Because of climate change and migratory pressures in the wake of the drying up of Lake Chad these states are prone to violent land disputes. The target population of the study are refugees affected by conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, who are currently estimated at over 100,000. The study offers an opportunity to be active participants and to acquire skills and training in storytelling and re-enactment primarily to women, children and youths. Interviews, focus group discussions (FGD s), and participatory observation are used to collect data. A pilot study in Daudu camp in Guma LGA (Local Government Area) and later in 2023, a Theatre for Development and a feature film was carried out in Adeke, Ogondu and Asyoko community of Benue State and a Theatre for Development Drama and Feature Film production carried out in Mikang LGA of Plateau State illustrate the methods and aims of the study. Anchored in “Reflective African Theory” the study uses Brecht’s “Forum Theatre” technique to show how docudrama can be used to explore the motives of the violent conflict and contribute to the rebuilding of trust in situations of conflict. The study, which results from a collaboration between the authors in the framework of the World Academy of Sciences, aims to contribute to the corpus of African studies and offer new perspectives for peace and conflict studies.
Tetraploa lignicola, a new freshwater fungal species from Yunnan Province, China
Authors: LI JIA-NING , WANG SHI-YU , XU RONG-JU , XU KE , MA CHUN-HUA , ZHAO QI , ZHU YING-AN
Published: December 2023

Two fungal strains were isolated from submerged decaying woods in the freshwater habitats, which are characterized by cylindrical, septate, verrucose, brown conidia, composed of four vertical columns of cells, 3-septate in each column, with four appendages at the base which are slightly tapering toward the apex and each with 5–10-septate. Multigene phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, and SSU sequences data showed that the two isolates clustered into a separated clade in Tetraploa. Herein, we report it as a new hyphomycetous species, Tetraploa lignicola. The descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree show the placement of T. lignicola, the comparisons between the new species and other morphologically similar taxa in Tetraploa are also provided.
Racialised mobilities in China
Authors: Wang Zizhen
Published: December 2023

The scholarship on how race and mobilities intersect and interact has emerged mainly from the Western context, such as the UK and the US. Minimal to no research has examined this relation within Global South settings. As an emergent destination country for international migration, China offers an interesting case to research the mechanisms through which foreign migrants’ mobilities are racialised and hierarchised by the local population. This article thus examines how race and racism affect foreign students’ negotiation and interpretation of daily rules of movement and social norms of mobility, and how the racialisation of mobilities, in return, reshaped their foreignness in China. Based on ethnographic data from in-depth interviews with 21 foreign students in an elite Chinese university and participant observation, this article shows how the hierarchy of access to everyday mobilities is established through the logic of racial ideology, scapegoating and institutional design. Mobilities are also intertwined with the intersections of race, gender and skin tone, alongside the construction of misperceived racial identities from the locals, which goes on to produce further immobilisation among foreign students.
Balloon atrial septostomy versus left atrial cannulation for left heart decompression in children with dilated cardiomyopathy and myocarditis on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An ELSO registry analysis
Authors: Perry Tanya , Greenberg Jason W , Cooper David S , Smith Reanna , Benscoter Alexis L , Koh Wonshill , Ryan Thomas D , Lehenbauer David G , Brown Tyler N , Zafar Farhan , Thiagarajan Ravi R , Sweberg Todd M , Morales David LS
Published: December 2023

Introduction

In children with myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiogenic shock, it is often necessary to decompress the left heart to minimize distension and promote myocardial recovery. We compare outcomes in those who underwent balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) versus direct left atrial (LA) drainage for left heart decompression in this population.

Methods

Retrospective study of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) multicenter registry of patients ≤ 18 years with myocarditis or DCM on ECMO who underwent LA decompression. Descriptive and univariate statistics assessed association of patient factors with decompression type. Multivariable logistic regression sought independent associations with outcomes.

Results

369 pediatric ECMO runs were identified. 52% myocarditis, 48% DCM, overall survival 74%. 65% underwent BAS and 35% LA drainage. Patient demographics including age, weight, gender, race/ethnicity, diagnosis, pre-ECMO pH, mean airway pressure, and arrest status were similar. 89% in the BAS group were peripherally cannulated onto ECMO, versus 3% in the LA drainage group ( p < .001). On multivariable analysis, LA drainage (OR 3.96; 95% CI, 1.47-10.711; p = .007), renal complication (OR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.41-4.01; p = .001), cardiac complication (OR 3.14; 95% CI, 1.70-5.82; p < .001), and non-white race/ethnicity (OR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04-2.94; p = .035) were associated with greater odds of mortality. There was a trend toward more episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage in BAS ( n = 17) versus LA drainage group ( n = 3), p = .08. Comparing only those with central cannulation, LA drainage group was more likely to be discontinued from ECMO due to recovery (72%) versus the BAS group (48%), p = .032.

Conclusions

In children with myocarditis or DCM, there was a three times greater likelihood for mortality with LA drainage versus BAS for LA decompression. When adjusted for central cannulation groups only, there was better recovery in the LA drainage group and no difference in mortality. Further prospective evaluation is warranted.
Improved 3D image segmentation for X-ray tomographic data of biaxial warp-knitted composites
Authors: Zheng Kehong , Wu Chenglie , Chen Hao , Zhang Xiyan , Wang Zhenyu , Pan Zhongxiang , Qiu Bingjing , Wu Zhenyu
Published: December 2023

Identifying different features and phases within the biaxial warp-knitted composites enables accurate characterization of the internal changes of the composites under complex loading conditions and different processing parameters. However, obtaining 3D reconstructions that can be accurately segmented and quantitatively analyzed is still a challenge, primarily due to the low attenuation of materials, especially the low contrast between the weft yarn and warp yarns. Here, we use deep learning approaches to identify the boundary of the section of the tow on the 2D image, extract individual warp or weft tows automatically, and this is followed by computational modeling of composite materials. The results show that the performance of ResUNet++ model is better than that of other models for the biaxial warp-knitted composite specimen segmentation tasks. The special improved dataset augmentation algorithm is also a positive effective way to enhance network performance.
‘All the progressive forms of life are built up on the attraction of sex’: Development and the social function of the sexual instinct in late 19th- and early 20th-century Western European sexology
Authors: Fisher Kate , Funke Jana
Published: December 2023

This article explores the relationship between sexual science and evolutionary models of human development and progress. It examines the ways in which late 19th- and early 20th-century Western European sexual scientists constructed the sexual instinct as an evolutionary force that not only served a reproductive purpose, but was also pivotal to the social, moral, and cultural development of human societies. Sexual scientists challenged the idea that non-reproductive sexualities were necessarily perverse, pathological, or degenerative by linking sexual desire to the evolution of sociality, often focusing on forms of relationality and care that exceeded biological kinship. As a result, non-reproductive sexual expressions, including homosexual and non-reproductive heterosexual behaviours, were interpreted as manifestations of a sexual instinct operating in the service of human development. These claims were reliant on cross-cultural and historical comparisons of sexual values, behaviours, and customs that rehearsed and reinforced imperial narratives of development premised on racialized, gendered, and classed hierarchies. Sexual scientists mapped diverse sexual behaviours in terms of their perceived evolutionary benefits, contributing to colonial narratives that distinguished between different cultures according to imagined trajectories of development. These contestations around the sexual instinct and its developmental functions played a vital role in allowing sexual science to authorize itself as a field of knowledge that promised to provide expertise required to manage sexual life and secure the global development of human civilization.
Control of noise in the passenger compartment of the bus due to structural vibration
Authors: Le Minh Duc , Le Cong Tin , Huynh Tan Tien
Published: December 2023

The design of the chassis with an appropriate structure is thought to be an efficient way for decreasing vibration and noise since chassis vibration is one of the key causes that generates noise in the bus passenger compartment. This study uses the Frequency Response Function Method (FRFM) and Modal Participation Method (MPM) to analyze an acoustic finite element model of a bus frame model THACO TB120S. To perform the noise radiation caused by the vibration of the bus frame structure, the chassis was triggered by a diesel engine. The bus engine has a six-cylinder, four-stroke, and in-line arrangement. The triggered frequencies from the engine were operated in the range of 1–100 Hz, while the maximum engine speed was 1900 rpm. The vibration of the roof array and the noise of the bus compartment was examined analytically at four locations on the bus structure. The results show that the performance of the bus structure with respect to the noise generation was significantly improved. The resonant frequencies of noise observed from analytic results are verified by experimental measurements in terms of sound pressure. The acoustic resonance in the bus passenger compartment mainly occurs in the frequency range from 15 to 70 Hz. The peak values of the sound pressure are significantly decreased when the roof modification technique was applied. An increase in the stiffness of the roof using the structural correction method could have a positive effect on noise reduction by approximately 60%.
Alternative scheme for guidance signal filtering in a strapdown seeker
Authors: Muhury Ankita , Sadhu Smita , Ghoshal Tapan Kumar
Published: December 2023

A new scheme has been proposed for mitigating noise contamination in the guidance signal (line of sight rate) of a strapdown active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker which occurs due to the coarse resolution of the beam shifter. An earlier work has been reviewed and its shortcomings, which include difficulty of implementation and sensitivity to the gain of the monopulse angle measurement subsystem, have been discussed. The above shortcomings of the earlier work have been eliminated in the proposed scheme where a signal is tapped from an accessible point and passes through an additional path in the signal processing loop of the strapdown seeker. Using the proposed scheme, the impulsive noise due to the finite resolution of the beam shifter (and bit transition spikes) can be completely eliminated in the nominal condition for any arbitrary transfer functions of the seeker blocks, without adversely affecting the bandwidth/speed of response of the extracted line of sight rate signal. The scheme also has reasonable performance under off-nominal conditions. Efficacy of the proposed scheme has been demonstrated quantitatively with examples of nominal and off-nominal conditions.
Adapted, Adopted, and Novel Interventions: A Whole-Population Meta-Analytic Replication of Intervention Effects
Authors: Olsson Tina M. , von Thiele Schwarz Ulrica , Hasson Henna , Vira Emily G. , Sundell Knut
Published: December 2023

Background

A challenge to implementation is management of the adaptation-fidelity dilemma or the balance between adopting an intervention with fidelity while assuring fit when transferred between contexts. A prior meta-analysis found that adapted interventions produce larger effects than novel and adopted interventions. This study attempts to replicate and expand previous findings.

Methods

Meta-analysis was used to compare effects across a whole-population of Swedish outcome studies. Main and subcategories are explored.

Results

The 523 studies included adapted (22%), adopted (33%), and novel (45%) interventions. The largest effect was found for adapted followed by novel and adopted interventions. Interventions in the mental health setting showed the highest effects, followed by somatic healthcare and social services.

Conclusions

These results replicate and expand earlier findings. Results were stable across settings with the exception of social services. Consistent with a growing body of evidence results suggest that context is important when transferring interventions across settings.
The effects of health education and exercise style changes on the maturation of autologous arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Cao Ming-Cong , Jia Ru-Fu , Wang Ya-Fei , Pan Ke-Li , Hu Jing
Published: December 2023

Background:

Upper limb exercise has long been considered to be the main means to promote autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation, but in practice exercise intensity and compliance are both typically lacking. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the good effects of functional resistance or pressure exercise in patients with AVF. However, many patients’ have difficulty complying with upper limb exercise programs without systematic health education. Therefore, we argue that resistance and pressure exercise supported by health education is actually the most beneficial for AVF patients.

Methods:

We randomly divided 114 patients into a control group and an experimental group of 57 patients each. In the control group, conventional care was used, and in the experimental group, online health education based on the IMB (Information-Motivation-Behavior skills) model and functional resistance and pressure upper limb exercises was implemented with the AVF side arm. The failure rate of AVF maturation, clinical maturation time, cephalic venous blood flow, vessel diameter, and vessel skin thickness were compared between the two groups.

Results:

Fifty-five cases were included for each in the final study. The primary outcome of this study was the failure rate of AVF maturation. Secondary outcomes included clinical maturation time, cephalic vein flow, vessel diameter, and vessel thickness. The failure rate of AVF maturation in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the clinical maturation time in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group. For the remaining three indicators, there were between-group effects, time effects, and interaction effects in both groups. Comparison between groups showed that there was no statistical difference in the observed indicators of cephalic vein flow, vessel diameter, or vessel thickness between the two groups before the intervention but that there was a statistical difference at the end of the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks of the intervention. A 2 × 2 comparison also showed that there was a statistical difference between the three indicators at each time point within the two groups.

Conclusion:

IMB model-based online health education combined with functional resistance and pressure exercises can improve AVF maturation status and accelerate AVF maturation within 12 weeks of surgery.
Real-time ultrasound-guided hemostasis using suture-mediated closure device
Authors: Kwak JungWon , Bum Cho Sung
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

Suture-mediated hemostasis device takes a long time to train and have limitations in finding appropriate compression point depending on the tactile sense of the hands. If the appropriate compression point is determined using ultrasound and the instrument is used under ultrasound guidance, it is expected to reduce the technical failure and additional manual compression.

Materials and methods:

This retrospective study included 104 patients in whom the ProGlide vascular closure device (Abbott Vascular, Redwood City, CA, USA) was deployed to close common femoral artery access between January 2022 and June 2022. Ultrasound-guided hemostasis was performed in 54 patients and 50 conventional hemostasis was performed. We analyzed the medical records (procedure, patient body mass index, coagulation function, visual imaging, ultrasound imaging, time to achieve hemostasis) and post-treatment medical records (progress records, nursing records) to investigate the technical success rate and complications (hematoma, pseudoaneurysm formation, SFA occlusion, access site infection) of the procedure.

Results:

Technical success rate was 52/54 (Ultrasound guided group) and 47/50 (conventional group), respectively ( p > 0.05). Mean hemostasis time was 271 s (US guided group) and 317 s (conventional group), respectively ( p > 0.05). Additional manual compression was applied in 7/54 (US guided group) and 15/50 (conventional group) ( p < 0.05). In both groups, complications such as hematoma formation, access site infection and SFA occlusion did not occur.

Conclusion:

Using ultrasound guidance when using the suture mediated closing device reduces the frequency of additional manual compression without increased risk of complication.
Digital labor in the state-led/capitalist complex: State labor and playful workaholics in the Chinese digital space
Authors: Sun Qingyue
Published: December 2023

Contemporary Chinese digital creative industries are no longer a realm of self-entrepreneurship, with multi-channel networks (MCNs) playing a significant role in shaping the digital labor market. This study focuses on the multifaceted Chinese digital labor regimes characterized by capitalism, national agendas, and state regulation. Through a qualitative analysis of 203 recruitment advertisements of major MCNs and 17 interviews of digital laborers, the findings reveal that the digital labor of MCNs operates in a state-led/capitalist complex. Beyond the risks of the capitalist industries, MCNs’ recruitment logic and management align with the state's agenda of economic development. Whether intentionally or not, the digital labor of MCNs has been swept into China's entrepreneurial solutionism, evolving into a form of state labor that integrates creative power and individual entrepreneurship into national building.
Toxic positivity on social media: The drawbacks and benefits of sharing positive (but potentially platitudinous) messages online
Authors: Lew Zijian , Flanagin Andrew J
Published: December 2023

Sharing positive messages on social media can produce positive outcomes for message senders due to self-effects—the effect of sending messages on message senders themselves. In this domain, one question is whether the performative display of positivity can engender positivity. By examining the sharing of personal experiences in a positive manner on social media, several boundary conditions to self-effects were found: displaying positivity is beneficial to message senders only if message senders have higher (vs. lower) self-esteem or if they experience less (vs. more) toxicity—defined as the suppression of the negative aspects of one’s perceived reality due to engagement with or sending a positive message. Otherwise, displaying positivity can dampen enjoyment or make message senders reluctant to commit to their public self-presentations. However, after people receive feedback from friends, perceived social approval is a better predictor of enjoyment and commitment than displaying positivity.
The Effects of the Great Compromise on the Constitutional Convention of 1787
Authors: Dougherty Keith L. , Hitefield Aaron A.
Published: December 2023

The success of any constitutional convention can depend on its provisions for power sharing. We test three claims about the effects of the Great Compromise, a power sharing agreement, on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. First, we find that the convention was not more likely to pass proposals to strengthen the national government after the compromise than before, contrary to claims made by historians. Two small states increased their support, but other states did not. Second, Southern states (and large states) were more likely to support weakening the national government after the compromise. Third, large states were more likely to support proposals to strengthen the power of the House relative to the Senate after the compromise, and small states were more likely to resist. However, the opposite was not true for strengthening the Senate. Our results suggest a new narrative about the effects of Great Compromise on the Constitutional Convention.
Challenges of incorporating wounded personnel into small arms combat simulations
Authors: Biggs Adam T , Hamilton Joseph A , Markwald Rachel R
Published: December 2023

Small arms combat modeling is one method to describe raw human performance data in terms of lethality. This process uses a series of Monte Carlo simulations based on observed data to convert measurements of speed and accuracy into a quantifiable chance of winning a combat engagement. A major issue within these modeling efforts involves the assumptions of incorporating wounded personnel. Realistic combat will have scenarios where shots fired strike adversaries without killing them, and therefore, this element cannot be ignored. However, there are at least four significant assumptions made during the modeling and simulation effort when incorporating wounded personnel: (1) assigning damage inflicted by shots, (2) tracking wounded personnel, (3) reducing combat effectiveness of wounded personnel, and (4) burdening other fighters in the simulation. Here, we outline the challenges posed by each assumption and discuss possible solutions. Whatever the final decision for a particular modeling effort, the assumptions made should always be clearly documented in the “Methods” section. Wounded personnel will likely require several such assumptions be made that could affect the outcome; nevertheless, wounded personnel should be represented in some capacity in any small arms combat modeling effort.
Associative interference and nonreinforcement in human contingency learning
Authors: Jozefowiez Jérémie , Witnauer James E. , Huang Jovin , Silverstein Jared W. , Woltag Samuel , Chew Sarah , Miller Ralph R.
Published: December 2023

This article reports three experiments comparing the impact on contingency assessment of associative cue interference (proactive, interspersed, and retroactive) and nonreinforcement (latent inhibition, partial reinforcement, and extinction). All three experiments used variants of the rapid trial streaming procedure developed by Allan and collaborators. Participants were exposed to stimulus streams and then asked how likely it was for a target cue to be accompanied (Experiment 1) or to be followed (Experiments 2 and 3) by a target outcome. Experiments 1 and 2 looked at interference and found that when the objective target cue–outcome contingency is positive, interspersed interference is more effective than either proactive or retroactive interference. Experiment 2 additionally showed that this conclusion was a function of the target cue–outcome contingency: when the number of cue–outcome pairings was low, retroactive interference was more efficient than interspersed interference. Experiment 3 examined nonreinforcement and found that the efficacies of latent inhibition, partial reinforcement, and extinction are also a function of the target cue–outcome contingency, but the pattern differed greatly from what was observed in Experiment 2. When the number of cue–outcome pairings was high, there was no difference between latent inhibition, partial reinforcement, and extinction. When the number of cue–outcome pairings was low, extinction did not lower the contingency judgement, whereas latent inhibition and partial reinforcement did.
Concepts of order: Why is ordinality processed slower and less accurately for non-consecutive sequences?
Authors: Devlin Declan , Moeller Korbinian , Xenidou-Dervou Iro , Reynvoet Bert , Sella Francesco
Published: December 2023

Both adults and children are slower at judging the ordinality of non-consecutive sequences (e.g., 1-3-5) than consecutive sequences (e.g., 1-2-3). It has been suggested that the processing of non-consecutive sequences is slower because it conflicts with the intuition that only count-list sequences are correctly ordered. An alternative explanation, however, may be that people simply find it difficult to switch between consecutive and non-consecutive concepts of order during order judgement tasks. Therefore, in adult participants, we tested whether presenting consecutive and non-consecutive sequences separately would eliminate this switching demand and thus improve performance. In contrast with this prediction, however, we observed similar patterns of response times independent of whether sequences were presented separately or together (Experiment 1). Furthermore, this pattern of results remained even when we doubled the number of trials and made participants explicitly aware when consecutive and non-consecutive sequences were presented separately (Experiment 2). Overall, these results suggest slower response times for non-consecutive sequences do not result from a cognitive demand of switching between consecutive and non-consecutive concepts of order, at least not in adults.
A new thiosemicarbazone and its 3d metal complexes: Synthetic, structural, and antioxidant studies
Authors: Graur Ianina , Bespalova Tatiana , Graur Vasilii , Tsapkov Victor , Garbuz Olga , Melnic Elena , Bourosh Pavlina , Gulea Aurelian
Published: December 2023

2-[1-Oxo-1-(piperidin-1-yl)propan-2-ylidene]- N-(prop-2-en-1-yl)hydrazinecarbothioamide (HL) and its six coordination compounds [Cu(L)X] (X = Cl− (1), NO3− (2)), [Cu(A)(L)NO3](A = 1,10-Phen (3), 2,2′-Bpy (4)), [Ni(HL)2](NO3)2 (5), and [Fe(L)2]Cl (6) are synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Uncoordinated thiosemicarbazone HL shows higher antioxidant activity against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+•) cation radicals compared with most of the other complexes. Complex 5 is the most active and its activity exceeds that of HL and is close to that of trolox, which is used in medicine as an antioxidant. The introduction of N-heteroaromatic bases (1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2′-bipyridine) into the inner sphere of the complex [Cu(L)NO3] did not lead to an increase in antioxidant activity.
The role of sport coaches on student-athletes’ life skills development and transfer: Using multilevel model analysis
Authors: Bae Junsu , Lim Taehee , O’Sullivan David Michael
Published: December 2023

A structured sport environment is known to provide adequate conditions for the development and transfer of student-athletes’ life skills. However, recent research not only emphasizes the environment but also argues that the intentional effort of coaches such as life skills coaching is important. This study examines the role of coaches’ life skills coaching on the development and transfer of athletes’ life skills using a multilevel model. A total of 28 high school athletic teams (28 coaches, 291 student-athletes) were recruited to participate in the study, using cluster sampling. The life skills coaching of Level 2 (coaches) in sports were measured using the Korean version of the Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (CLSS-Q). The life skills of the student-athletes at Level 1 were measured using the Life Skills Scale for Student-Athletes (LSSSA) and Korean version of Life Skills Transfer Survey (LSTS). Multilevel model analysis was conducted to analyze dyadic data. The result of analysis showed that three hypotheses were supported. Specifically, life skills development of student-athletes affected life skills transfer (Hypothesis 1), life skills coaching affected student-athletes’ life skills transfer (Hypothesis 2), and the interaction effect between life skills coaching and development affected life skills transfer of student-athletes (Hypothesis 3). We conclude that coaches should use intentional life skills coaching strategies to maximize student-athlete life skills development and transfer to daily life.
Everyday digital traces
Authors: Armstrong Andrea , Briggs Jo , Moncur Wendy , Carey Daniel Paul , Nicol Emma , Schafer Burkhard
Published: December 2023

Our research responds to calls for more engagement with everyday personal data. We used a co-designed, fictional persona called Alex Smith to concretise and represent people's online information to help participants (through role-playing) reflect on data and digital traces. Drawing together four fields of scholarly research concerning personal data: digital traces and the digital self, datafication and dataveillance, mundane, everyday data and the data journey – our aim was to advance understandings of personal data by exploring ordinary people's seemingly innocuous digital traces generated through everyday online interactions. Our paper presents three key findings from our analysis: (1) how ordinary people cope with and manage everyday data; (2) the haunting effects and affects of peer-to-peer surveillance and (3) postdigital identities. We argue that greater attention needs to be paid to everyday digital traces – how they are understood, managed and revealed because this has implications for ordinary people, corporate entities and governments. We contribute to a gap in critical data studies literature that calls for further investigations into ordinary people's engagement with data. We also offer a method that can be adapted for and used with different participant groups, which also supports their awareness of cumulative functions of personal data and potential use by un/known actors.
Evaluation of virtual monochromatic imaging with dual-energy computed tomography of small liver metastases from malignant abdominal tumours: Quantitative and qualitative analyses
Authors: Okada Hiroaki , Matsunaga Nozomu , Yamamoto Takahiro , Yamauchi Masato , Suzuki Kojiro
Published: December 2023

Background

The assessment of small metastatic liver tumours using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has not been fully established.

Purpose

To assess the effect of low-keV virtual monochromatic imaging (VMI) with non-contrast and contrast-enhanced DECT on the qualitative and quantitative image parameters of small liver metastases.

Material and methods

Two radiologists retrospectively evaluated 92 metastatic liver tumours (5–20 mm) in 32 patients. Non-contrast and contrast-enhanced VMI were reconstructed at seven energy levels (40–100 keV) with 10-keV intervals. Lesion boundary, lesion delineation, image noise, and overall image quality were evaluated using the visual analogue scale. A high subjective score indicates good overall image quality, clear nodal boundaries and delineation, and less noticeable image noise. Subjective scores were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis test. A quantitative analysis involving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was performed.

Results

The lesion boundary was highest at 40 keV and significantly improved during the non-contrast portal venous phase compared to that at higher keV ( p < .005). The lesion delineation score was significantly higher at 40 keV and tended to decrease at higher keV. Image noise and overall image quality were rated low at low keV; however, those at 80, 90, and 100 keV were rated the highest ( p < .005). The CNR and SNR were highest for non-contrast CT at 100 keV. During the portal venous phase, no significant differences were observed in CNR and SNR at each keV.

Conclusion

Low-keV imaging using non-contrast and contrast-enhanced DECT is useful for delineating small hepatic metastatic tumours.
Book review: Mayur R. Suresh, Terror Trials: Life and Law in Delhi Courts
Authors: Rai Sakshi
Published: December 2023

Mayur R. Suresh, Terror Trials: Life and Law in Delhi Courts. Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan, 2023, 272 pages, ₹1,135.
Designed Action Sampling as a New Research Method to Help Build Active Communities in Entrepreneurial Education
Authors: Lackéus Martin , Sävetun Carin
Published: December 2023

Entrepreneurial education (EE) is plagued by multiple vexing issues, such as unfocused impact studies, few pedagogical practices that work, infrequent scaling of good practice and passive single-case reliant communities. These issues have a stagnant effect on EE. What if they all have a single root cause? What if our efforts to see what works in EE have been hampered by limitations in established scientific methods? Designed action sampling is a new scientific method that combines action research, design science, experience sampling and critical realism. Teachers co-design action-oriented step-wise experiments that are then carried out by other teachers, who reflect in written form afterwards upon effects they see. Originally conceived in EE, the method has been used mostly outside EE by around 4,000 teachers and 36,000 students to form large communities around school development, vocational education and teaching in segregated areas. We investigate what problems can be solved in EE through this innovative design-based research method. Teacher communities in EE could adopt the new method to build more active communities that co-design, share, replicate and evaluate classroom level practices. This could reverse the stagnant effect of vexing issues in EE. Achieving this through research method innovation has not previously been proposed.
Health care costs among patients with hematologic malignancies receiving allogeneic transplants: a US payer perspective
Authors: Maziarz Richard T. , Gergis Usama , Edwards Marie Louise , Song Yan , Liu Qing , Anderson Annika , Signorovitch James , Manghani Rocio , Simantov Ronit , Shin Heayoung , Sivaraman Smitha
Published: December 2023

Patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) require extensive care. Using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database (2016 Q1-2020 Q2), we quantified the costs of care and assessed real-world complication rates among commercially insured US patients diagnosed with a hematologic malignancy and aged between 12 and 64 years undergoing inpatient allo-HCT. Health care resource use and costs were assessed from 100 days before HCT to 100 days after HCT. Primary hospitalization was defined as the time from HCT until first discharge date. Incidence of complications was assessed using medical billing codes from HCT date to 100 days after HCT. Among the 1082 patients analyzed, allo-HCT grafts included peripheral blood (79%), bone marrow (11%), and umbilical cord blood (3%). In the 100 days after HCT, 52% of the patients experienced acute graft-versus-host disease; 21% had cytomegalovirus infection. The median primary hospitalization length of stay (LOS) was 28 days; 31% required readmission in first 100 days after HCT. Across the transplant period (14 days pretransplant to 100 days posttransplant), 44% of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit with a median LOS of 29 days. Among those with noncapitated health plans (n = 937), median cost of all-cause health care per patient during the transplant period was $331 827, which was driven by primary hospitalization and readmission. Additionally, the predicted median incremental costs per additional day in an inpatient setting increased with longer LOS (eg, $3381-$4071, 10th-20th day.) Thus, decreasing length of primary hospitalization and avoiding readmissions should significantly reduce the allo-HCT cost of care.
Dietary risk factors for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in a racially diverse population
Authors: Joseph Janine M. , Hillengass Jens , Tang Li , Lesokhin Alexander M. , Landgren Ola , Usmani Saad Z. , Moysich Kirsten B. , McCann Susan E. , Shah Urvi A.
Published: December 2023

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a precursor of multiple myeloma, is associated with shorter lifespan and cardiac, renal, neurologic, and immune-related comorbidities. There is little known about modifiable risk factors for this condition. To determine whether the risk of MGUS is associated with dietary factors in a racially diverse population, we conducted a US population–based case-control study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-2004), which included 373 individuals with MGUS and 1406 matched controls. Diet was characterized by one 24-hour dietary recall, with gram intake of individual foods and beverages aggregated into groups. Unconditional multivariable logistic regressions were used to model associations between intake of several food groups and MGUS, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported for the highest relative to the lowest quantile of intake. Daily gram intake of several food and beverage groups were significantly associated with MGUS. MGUS was inversely associated with whole-grain bread, oats, and rice (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.48-1.00; P < .05), fruits (excluding juice) and vegetables (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.93; P = .02), vegetables (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-0.99; P < .05), tomatoes (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51-1.00; P < .05), and cruciferous vegetables (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.74; P < .01). Direct associations were observed for sugar-sweetened beverages (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.00-1.78; P < .05), sugar-sweetened soft drinks (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.01-1.96; P = .04), and artificially sweetened soft drinks (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.04-2.33; P = .03). Our study shows that diet is potentially a modifiable risk factor for MGUS.