bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Updating the Data on Malaria Vectors in Malaysia: Protocol for a Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Ali Rafidah , Wan Mohamad Ali Wan Najdah , Wilson Putit Perada
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Malaria is still a public health threat. From 2015 to 2021, a total of 23,214 malaria cases were recorded in Malaysia. Thus, effective intervention and key entomological information are vital for interrupting or preventing malaria transmission. Therefore, the availability of malaria vector information is desperately needed.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study is to update the list of human and zoonotic malaria vectors in Malaysia. This work will include (1) the characterization of the key behavioral traits and breeding sites of malaria vectors and (2) the determination of new and potential malaria vectors in Malaysia. The findings of our scoping review will serve as decision-making evidence that stakeholders and decision makers can use to strengthen and intensify malaria surveillance in Malaysia.

METHODS

The scoping review will be conducted based on the following four electronic databases: Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. A search strategy was conducted for articles published from database inception to March 2022. The criteria for article inclusion were any malaria vector–related studies conducted in Malaysia (with no time frame restrictions) and peer-reviewed studies. The PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) will be used to guide our systematic approach. Data from published research literature will be extracted by using a standardized data extraction framework, including the titles, abstracts, characteristics, and main findings of the included studies. To assess the risk of bias, articles will be screened independently by 2 reviewers, and a third reviewer will make the final decision if disagreements occur.

RESULTS

The study commenced in June 2021, and it is planned to be completed at end of 2022. As of early 2022, we identified 631 articles. After accessing and evaluating the articles, 48 were found to be eligible. Full-text screening will be conducted in mid-2022. The results of the scoping review will be published as an open-access article in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel scoping review of malaria vectors in Malaysia will provide a comprehensive evidence summary of updated, relevant information. An understanding of the status of Anopheles as malaria vectors and the knowledge generated from the behavioral characteristics of malaria vectors are the key components in making effective interventions for eliminating malaria.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

DERR1-10.2196/39798
Development of Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) Defeathering Machine
Authors: Casnor Rakim , B. Gavino Romeo
Published: May 2022

Because of the increased demand of chicken meat, the non-vegetarians worldwide has imposed big responsibility on poultry chicken processing industry. The chicken defeathering machines were made with different capacities but they still need of improvement. This paper is focused on the fabrication of a drum type small scale chicken defeathering machine. The drum type chicken defeathering machine was made using locally available materials. Design calculations were done to ensure appropriate shaft diameter supporting the rotating plate as this could affect the efficiency of the machine.  The drum of the machine was made detachable and inside of it was the riveted ring on drum surface located above rotating plate. In addition to this, the machine was designed with chute that is made of two layers to separate the removal of feathers and waste water. Handle and wheel caster were included for ease handling and transport from one place to another place. The machine was tested using 28 days old broiler chicken.
The machine was designed based on the identified problems on existing machine available from three local Dressing Plants namely Poultry Processing Plant in Municipality of Talavera, Nueva Ecija, Poultry Processing Plant in Barangay St. Nino, San Jose, Nueva Ecija and Poultry Processing Plant in Barangay Canitoan, Cagayan de Oro City. The identified problems of these existing machines were a) 10 percent of the chicken feathers was not removed, b) in a batch of 15 chicken, 2 pcs had broken legs; c) during the defeathering operation, workers have to pour manually 2 buckets (20-li capacity) of water, 3 d) unloading consumes about 60 seconds, and e) removing the feathers from the machine after operation was quite difficult.
The overall dimension of chicken defeathering machine after fabrication is 1250 mm x 1160 mm x 650 mm and with a weight of 95 kg. The machine was designed to a capacity of 800 heads per hour. The performance evaluation of the machine has defeathering efficiency of 99.01% and defeathering efficacy of 95.85% at angular speed of 348 rpm.  Thus, in this study, a small chicken defeathering machine was developed by improving its performance based on the problems identified above so as to make it more useful and adaptable by small scale poultry processors and poultry farmers who wish to have an added income from a dressed chicken over a live chicken.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Palm Oil Empty Fruit Bunch on Bricks and Mortar
Authors: Ling Jen Hua , Lim Yong Tat , Leong Wen Kam , Sia How Teck
Published: May 2022

Palm oil has a great commercial value in the global vegetable oil market, due to having several beneficial uniqueness such as significant profits and high yields for farmers, as well as effective and efficient land use. As the second-largest producer of palm oil in the world, Malaysia produces an enormous amount of empty fruit bunch (EFB) as biomass waste, whose proper and improper disposal incurs costs and environmental problems, respectively. This EFB fibre is also used to produce bricks and mortar for building construction, due to being a sustainable solution to environmental problems. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the existing literature related to the application of EFB in the civil engineering field. This focused on the properties of the fibre and its effects on bricks and mortar, to gauge the challenges and prospects of EFB products in the local industry. EFB fibre is a porous voluminous cellulose structure, whose properties vary among each other due to diverse origins, species, and biological growth conditions. This is useful in reducing the weight and thermal conductivity of bricks, as well as slightly increasing their tensile and flexural strengths. However, some disadvantages were observed for the EFB bricks, with the workability and compressive strength being lower. The water absorption of this product was also higher than normal bricks. This confirmed that EFB fibre should be minimally used in bricks and mortar. As a natural fibre, concerns are often observed on inconsistent quality, poor fire resistance, and decay risk, which need to be solved before the use of bricks in the construction industry. This study recommends several patterns of improving the strength, quality, and consistency of EFB bricks, such as the alkaline treatment, which roughens the surface area of the product to enhance the fibre- atrix adhesion.
Trade Openness-Inflation Nexus in Sierra Leone: Testing Romer Hypothesis using ARDL Approach
Authors: Bangura Morlai
Published: May 2022

This study is based on Romer’s proposition that there is an inverse relationship between inflation and trade openness as opposed to the narrative that argues otherwise. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine Romer hypothesis for Sierra Leone. To achieve this objective, the study utilized the ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration using data for the period 1980-2020. In addition, a battery of diagnostic tests were conducted to confirm the robustness of the model. The bounds test result confirm that there is long-run association between inflation and the dependent variables in this study. The associated equilibrium correction term was also significant, further confirming the existence of long-run relationship. The key findings of the study is that the Romer hypothesis holds for Sierra Leone in both the long-run and the short-run, as inflation tend to ease with increase trade openness. The control variables, exchange rate and gross domestic product were found to have a positive and significant impact on inflation in both the short-run and long-run, whereas domestic credit to the private sector impacts inflation positively in the long-run but have a disinflationary impact in the short-run. Finally, money supply and real interest rate were found to have no effects on inflation in both the short-run and long-run. At the policy level, these results show that encouraging more trade and imports that embody technology or intermediate inputs is essential in taming inflation in both the short-run and in the long–run. This outcome suggests that implementing trade liberalization policies by deepening the integration of the Sierra Leone economy to the global economy would support the price stability objective of the Bank of Sierra Leone.
Evaluación de la salud del arbolado urbano a través de imágenes satelitales en Guadalajara, México
Authors: Macías-Muro Alejandra , Martínez-Trinidad Tomás , Valdez-Lazalde José René , Romero-Sánchez Martín Enrique , Vaquera-Huerta Humberto
Published: May 2022

Objetivo: evaluar el estado de salud del arbolado de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, a través de imágenes satelitales multiespectrales WorldView-2.  Método: se utilizó elenmascaramiento múltiple y el clasificador de máxima probabilidad (Maximumlikelihood) para analizar la variación de las bandas espectrales e índices de vegetación. El análisis de clasificación de salud se aplicó en tres máscaras: especies principales, tipo de follaje y arbolado en general. El arbolado se clasificóde acuerdo a su estado de salud en las categorías: sano, regular, pobre y declinación. Se utilizaron 800 árboles como sitios de referencia, los cuales fueron evaluados con la metodología del Servicio Forestal de Estados Unidos de Norteamérica.  Resultados: los fresnos y jacarandas son de las especies que se identificaron con un estado de salud sano. La precisión más alta para condición de salud (33%) se obtuvo mediante la clasificación por tipo de follaje. Se estimó que sólo24% del arbolado evaluado en 13854 ha presenta una condición sana o regular de salud.  Limitaciones: considerar la clasificación por pixel en lugar de individuos completos para aumentar la exactitud. Principales hallazgos: el uso de imágenes satelitales permitió la evaluación del estado de salud del arbolado de la ciudad. La clasificación por tipo de follaje fue la más efectiva,pero se deberá considerar la alta diversidad arbórea existente en zonas urbanas.
Los ácaros del género Scapheremaeus (Oribatei: Cymbaeremaeidae) en Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, con descripción de una especie nueva modificada para la vida arborícola
Authors: Palacios-Vargas José G. , Iglesias Ricardo , Páez Jair
Published: May 2022

Por medio de la fumigación de 2 especies arbóreas con piretrinas naturales en la selva tropical húmeda de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, se obtuvieron 6 especies del género Scapheremaeus, una de ellas es una especie nueva para la ciencia con caracteres especializados a la vida arbórea que se describe aquí. Con los caracteres diferenciales de la especie nueva (menos de 300 µ, notogáster piriforme muy ancho; prodorso con carinas lamelares bien desarrolladas, sin translamela; con 7 pares de sedas notogástricas claviformes, fórmula genito-anal 4-1-1-2; patas muy cortas y tridáctilas), se modifica la diagnosis genérica y se discuten las adaptaciones morfológicas para la vida arborícola. Adicionalmente, se incluye una clave para las especies de México y Centroamérica y se proporcionan registros nuevos para la localidad.
KANUN SAZINDA BİR OKUL: AHMET YATMAN; HÜSEYNİ TAKSİM ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: ERDOĞAN Emre
Published: May 2022

Ahmet Yatman 20.yüzyılın en önemli kanun icracılarındandır. Yatman, çağdaşı olan Artaki Candan, Ferid Alnar, Vecihe Daryal gibi dönemin en önemli kanun icracılarıyla birlikte kendi üslup özellikleri bakımından tarihteki yerini almıştır. Özellikle ajjiliteli icra şeklini benimseyen Yatman, icrasında uyguladığı birçok teknikle dönemin diğer kanun icracıları arasından kolaylıkla sıyrılmış ve farklılığını ortaya koymuştur. Yatman’ın icralarında kullanmış olduğu süsleme teknikleri ve kalıplaşmış nağme bütünlükleri halen birçok icracı tarafından kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Ahmet Yatman’ın kanun icracılığının teknik yönden incelenmesi ve bu doğrultuda icra esnasında kullanmış olduğu süsleme teknikleri ve uygulanış biçimleri, kalıplaşmış melodik kurguları tespit edilerek günümüz icracıları üzerindeki yansımalarının tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda bu çalışma ile Ahmet Yatman’ın kanun icrasının teknik yönleri nasıldır sorusuna yanıt aranmıştır. Bu çalışma nitel araştırmalarda bilgi edinmeyi amaçlayan içerik analiz yöntemi ile hazırlanmıştır. Çalışmanın sonucunda Yatman’ın günümüz kanun icra tekniği bakımından kanun sazının virtüözlük seviyesindeki bilinen ilk temsili olduğu söylenebilir.
A Survey to Explore the Role of Organizational Justice on Organizational Citizenship Behavior among Irish Healthcare Employees
Authors: Jilani Syed A , Gilani Mahnur
Published: May 2022

ORIENTATION: Organizational Justice is very crucial for an organizations’ success and how it is perceived by employees. It develops great trust between the management and the employees, enhancing their job satisfaction, commitment, efficiency, and thus reduces turnover intention and improves the level of employees’ citizenship behaviour. AIM: This study is designed to determine the impact of organizational justice on job satisfaction, turnover intention, and organizational citizenship behaviour among healthcare professionals working in Ireland. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The selection of healthcare professionals was to add another perspective and research dimension to the currently limited research material on organizational justice and citizenship behaviour among Irish healthcare professionals. Work exhaustion and turnover intention among healthcare professionals are the major issues faced by healthcare employees and management respectively and different forms of organizational justice play a major role in attenuating these factors. METHOD: An online survey by using validated tools was employed to achieve the research objective. A total number of 53 healthcare personnel participated in the study who completed a questionnaire comprising of organizational justice, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and organizational citizenship behaviour scales and were evaluated for their organizational citizenship in terms of altruism, sportsmanship, and courtesy. RESULT: It has been identified from this survey that organizational justice, is positively related to job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour whereas negatively related to turnover intention among Irish healthcare professionals.CONCLUSION: It is concluded that organisational justice is a strong indicator of organisational citizenship behaviour among healthcare professionals and also influences job satisfaction and turnover intention moderately.
Department of Defense positions on alternative uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Authors:   Naval Special Warfare Command, Biggs Adam T , Littlejohn Lanny F ,   Naval Special Warfare Command, Dainer Hugh M ,   Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR
Published: May 2022

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an existing and approved treatment to address multiple medical conditions, including decompression sickness, air or gas embolism, carbon monoxide poisoning, and profound blood loss when transfusion cannot be accomplished. However, recent efforts have emerged to promote hyperbaric oxygen therapy for other purposes. The most controversial applications have been utilizing this therapy as a treatment for mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. As evidence accumulates and the debate continues about whether published studies have satisfied the threshold of clinical significance, a common issue is raised regarding current clinical practices and health insurance coverage as allowed or recommended by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. This review describes the current federal policies regarding medical insurance issues for providers and clinical practice guidelines as they pertain to alternative uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. First, the current policies are explored for what is reimbursable under federal insurance as approved clinical or research usages. Second, these policies are compared to the clinical practice guidelines to determine what might be clinical best practice versus exploratory research. Third, the evidence from government reports is reviewed as supporting documentation for these positions. As such, the current discussion addresses what can and cannot be covered under health insurance and where various federal health care organizations stand currently on using hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an alternative therapeutic technique. The primary goal is informing military healthcare practitioners and prospective patients about the treatment options available to them under current federal guidelines.
Involvement of spinal cannabinoid receptor type 2 in the analgesia effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain
Authors:   Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China, Meng Xianze , Sun Qing ,   Department of Military and Special Medicine, No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China, Miao Ting ,   Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China, Liu Qiling ,   Intensive Care Unit , No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China, Ren Hongxian ,   Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China, Feng Yinglu ,   Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, No. 971 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, China
Published: May 2022

Background: Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) is intractable, and spinal cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) are potential therapeutic targets for CINP. Previous studies demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) may contribute in alleviating specific peripheral neuropathic pain. However, neither CINP nor CBR have been clarified. We hypothesized that HBO2 is capable of alleviating CINP, and the effect could be explained by the activation of spinal CBRs. Methods: A series of paclitaxel-induced CINP models were established on male Sprague-Dawley rats. Then HBO2 treatment was administered for seven consecutive days at 2.5 atmospheres absolute. Two groups were treated with AM251 (an antagonist of CBR type-1, CBR1) or AM630 (an antagonist of CBR type-2, CBR2) respectively 30 minutes before each HBO2 treatment. The mechanical withdrawal threshold was assessed before, during and at two weeks after HBO2 treatment. Lumbar spinal cords were collected for Western blot analysis of CBR1, CBR2, GFAP and CD11b, and ELISA analysis of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. Results: A mechanical allodynia was successfully exhibited and the spinal GFAP, CD11b, IL-1β and TNF-α significantly increased after the modeling, and these effects could be further reversed by HBO2 treatment, which could be blocked by AM630, other than AM251. Conclusions: HBO2 treatment can alleviate paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain, and be mediated by CBR2. Spinal glial cells and proinflammatory cytokines are involved in this process.
Three cases of clinically significant inaccurate carboxyhemoglobin measurement
Authors:   Hyperbaric Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah, U.S., Weaver Lindell K ,   LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.,   University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Published: May 2022

Background: Clinicians often rely on measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Methods: We report two cases of false negative COHb in patients with CO poisoning and one case of false positive COHb in a patient without CO poisoning. Results: In the first case, a 20-year-old male developed headache, confusion, and near-syncope while operating a gasoline-powered pressure washer in an enclosed space. In the emergency department (ED), his COHb was 1.8%, but this level was disregarded, and he was referred for hyperbaric oxygen. His COHb just before hyperbaric oxygen was 4.1%, and later analysis of his blood collected at ED arrival revealed a COHb of 20.1%. The referral ED blood gas machine calibration and controls were within specification. In the second case, a 45-year-old male presented with several others to the ED with symptoms of CO poisoning after exposure at a conference. All others had elevated COHb levels, but his COHb was 2%. He was discharged but returned shortly with continued symptoms and requested his COHb be repeated. The repeat COHb was 17% (84 minutes after the first). After three hours of oxygen, his COHb was 7%. In the final case, an 83-year-old non-smoking male presented to an ED with breathlessness and tachypnea and was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. His COHb was 7.1%, but he reported living in an all-electric home. Another adult who lived with him and rode with him to the ED was asymptomatic and had a COHb of 3%. Later, COHb of 1.9% was measured from blood collected at ED arrival, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry confirmed this result (2%). Conclusions: COHb levels are not always accurate. Clinicians should use clinical judgment to manage their patients, including rejecting laboratory values that do not fit the clinical situation.
Delayed recognition of Type II decompression sickness in a diver with chronic atrial fibrillation
Authors:   Memorial Care Long Medical Center, Hyperbaric Medicine Program, Long Beach, California U.S., Strauss Michael B , Covington Derek B ,   Duke University, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology, Durham, North Carolina U.S.
Published: May 2022

Introduction: This case report describes an initially overlooked Type II decompression sickness (DCS) occurrence that was confused with a cerebral vascular accident in a patient with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this case report is to reinforce the maxim that DCS needs to be suspected anytime a scuba diver experiences signs or symptoms compatible with DCS after completing a scuba dive. Methods: A 71-year-old scuba diver with a history of AF and who was taking warfarin made four dives, all with maximum depths less than 60 fsw (20 msw) over a 10-hour interval. Shoulder pain developed before entering the water on the fourth dive and was worse after exiting from the fourth dive. Twenty minutes later the diver collapsed while standing and was unable to make a grip using his left hand. A literature review failed to locate any case reports of divers with AF presenting with strokelike symptoms only to find the cause was Type II DCS. Findings: Initially the patient’s findings were reviewed with a diving medicine team. The recommendation was for the patient to be managed for a stroke. The patient was transferred to a hospital for a computed tomography scan, but no recommendation was made for a hyperbaric oxygen recompression treatment. The scan showed no brain bleed or infarct. The attending neurologist (not diving medicine-trained) was concerned that the patient’s findings were diving-related and arranged for transferring the patient to a hyperbaric medicine facility 25 hours later. With hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy the patient’s symptoms remitted over several weeks. Conclusions: The presence of symptoms attributed to a stroke immediately after a scuba dive should not deter a trial of HBO2 therapy. The delay in starting HBO2 therapy is concerning and perhaps the reason recovery was delayed and the need for repetitive HBO2 therapies.
The role of hyperbaric oxygen for acute traumatic ischemias
Authors:   Memorial Care Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, California U.S., Strauss Michael B.
Published: May 2022

Acute traumatic ischemias are an array of disorders that range from crush injuries to compartment syndromes, from burns to frostbite and from threatened flaps to compromised reimplantations. Two unifying components common to these conditions are a history of trauma be it physical, thermal, or surgical coupled with ischemia to the traumatized tissues. Their pathophysiology resolves around the self-perpetuating cycle of edema and ischemia, and their severity represents a spectrum from mild, almost non-existent, to tissue death. Since ischemia is a fundamental component of the traumatic ischemias and hypoxia is a consequence of ischemia, hyperbaric oxygen is a logical intervention for those conditions where tissue survival, infection control and healing is at risk. Unfortunately, even with mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen that strongly support its usefulness in traumatic ischemias coupled with supportive clinical data, clinicians are disinclined to utilize it for these conditions. This focuses on the orthopedic aspects of the traumatic ischemias, namely crush injury and compartment syndrome, and show how hyperbaric oxygen treatments can mitigate their severity.
Clinical Utility of Combining Prostate Health Index and PI-RADS Version 2 to Improve Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Song Wan , Lee Chung Un , Chung Jae Hoon , Kang Minyong , Sung Hyun Hwan , Jeon Hwang Gyun , Jeong Byong Chang , Seo Seong Il , Jeon Seong Soo , Lee Hyun Moo
Published: May 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of combining prostate health index (PHI) and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADSv2) for detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa).Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent prostate biopsy for elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥2.5 ng/mL and/or abnormal digital rectal examination. Serum markers for PSA, free PSA (fPSA), and [-2] proPSA (p2PSA) were measured, and PHI was calculated as ([p2PSA/fPSA]×[PSA]1/2). Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a 3.0T scanner and scored using PI-RADSv2. csPCa was defined as either grade group (GG) ≥2 disease or GG1 cancer detected in >2 cores or >50% of positive on biopsy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling, along with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to predict the probability of csPCa.Results: Of the total 358 patients, 159 (44.4%) were diagnosed with csPCa. On univariable analysis, age, PSA density (PSAD), PHI and PI-RADSv2 were associated with csPCa. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of baseline model incorporating age and PSAD was 0.663. The AUC of combining PHI and PI-RADSv2 to baseline model was higher than that of PHI alone to baseline model (0.884 vs. 0.807, p<0.0001) and PI-RADSv2 alone to baseline model (0.884 vs. 0.846, p=0.0002), respectively. If biopsy was restricted to patients with PI-RADS 5 as well as PI-RADS 3 or 4 and PHI ≥27, 36.0% of unnecessary biopsy could be avoided at the cost of missing 4.7% of csPCa.Conclusions: The combination of PHI and PI-RADSv2 to baseline model incorporating age and PSAD had higher accuracy for detection of csPCa compared with PHI or PI-RADSv2 alone.
Trends of First-Line Targeted Therapy in Korean Patients With Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Sunitinib Versus Pazopanib, a Multicenter Study
Authors: Choi Minsu , Shin Teak Jun , Kim Byung Hoon , Kim Chun Il , Lee Kyung Seop , Choi Seock Hwan , Kim Hyun Tae , Kim Tae-Hwan , Kwon Tae Gyun , Ko Young Hwii , Hah Yoon Soo , Park Jae-Shin , Kwon Se Yun
Published: May 2022

Purpose: There have been few reports on comparison between sunitinib and pazopanib as first-line targeted therapy in Korean metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We sought to analyze the treatment trends of metastatic ccRCC by comparing the effects and adverse events of sunitinib and pazopanib.Materials and Methods: Data of 357 metastatic RCC patients who received the sunitinib or pazopanib as the first-line targeted therapy from the Daegyeong Oncology Study Group database was obtained and analyzed. Among these patients, patients who only clear cell type was confirmed after needle biopsy or nephrectomy were included, and patients who underwent target therapy for less than 3 months were excluded.Results: Of 251 patients who met the inclusion criteria, sunitinib and pazopanib group were identified in 156 (62%) and 95 patients (38%), respectively. Pazopanib group was older (66 years vs. 61 years, p=0.001) and more symptomatic (65% vs. 52%, p=0.037) and had more patients with Karnofsky performance status <80 (20% vs. 11%, p=0.048) and fewer number of organ metastases (p=0.004) compared to sunitinib group. There was no significant difference in disease control rate (88.5% vs. 87.3%, p=0.744), the median progression-free survival (19 months vs. 15 months, p=0.444) and overall survival (25 months vs. 19 months, p=0.721) between sunitinib and pazopanib. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events with sunitinib and pazopanib were anemia (5%) and hand-foot syndrome (3%), respectively. There was no significant difference between sunitinib and pazopanib in number of patients who experienced grade 3/4 adverse events (15% vs. 11%, p=0.275). However, there were more patients who discontinued treatment due to only adverse events in sunitinib group compared to pazopanib group (12% vs. 3%, p=0.020).Conclusions: In Korean metastatic ccRCC, pazopanib tended to be used in patients with poorer health status compared to sunitinib. Sunitinib and pazopanib had no significant difference in treatment effect and survival, but pazopanib had more tolerable adverse events.
Prostate-Specific Antigen Variation as a Predictor of Prostate Cancer in Patients With Prostate-Specific Antigen ≤20 ng/mL Who Underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Targeted Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Hwang Tae Hyun , Lee Kwang Suk , Koo Kyo Chul , Chung Byung Ha , Yoo Jeong Woo
Published: May 2022

Purpose: We investigated the role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) variation as a predictor of prostate cancer in patients who underwent prebiopsy multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and Methods: The clinicopathological data of 266 patients with PSA ≤20 ng/mL who underwent prebiopsy MRI and prostate biopsy between September 2019 and February 2021 were included. PSA variation was defined as the difference in PSA values taken when a prostate biopsy was recommended and performed (median 20 days). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curves (AUCs) for predicting prostate cancer were analyzed through 4 models that considered conventional clinical variables and PSA variation.Results: Of the 258 patients, 166 (64.3%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The prostate cancer (+) group had a lower median PSA variation (-0.09 mg/mL vs. -0.27 ng/mL, p=0.006) and higher proportion of patients with PSA variation within -0.54 to 0.05 ng/mL (40 ng/mL [range, 24.1%] vs. 9 ng/mL [9.8%], p=0.002) than the prostate cancer (-) group. There was no significant difference in the duration between the 2 PSA measurements. When PSA variation and conventional variables, such as age, PSA density, prostate biopsy history, number of target lesions, were considered, the highest AUC value was 0.870. In a subgroup analysis of patients with PSA ≤10 ng/mL, the highest AUC value was 0.860 when PSA variation and conventional variables were considered.Conclusions: A large PSA variation within 1 month was a negative predictor of prostate cancer among patients who underwent prebiopsy MRI.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program for Radical Cystectomy
Authors: Kwon Whi-An , Seo Ho Kyung
Published: May 2022

Even with advances in perioperative medical care, anesthetic management, and surgical techniques, radical cystectomy (RC) which remains the gold standard therapy for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, yet is still associated with a high morbidity rate as well as a prolonged length of hospitalization (LOH). Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in developing multimodal and multidisciplinary strategies that might aid in the acceleration postoperative convalescence by decreasing variance in perioperative care for patients having complex operations. Many patient series have shown that Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols can improve outcomes in patients having RC by reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal complications and the LOH without increasing readmissions or overall morbidity. Many studies are going to evaluate and incorporate scientific data in ERAS program to modify as many of the variables leading to RC morbidity, as well as to enhance how patients are cared for before and after operation. In this review, we offer a summary of the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative key components of undergoing an ERAS protocol for patients undergoing RC, as well as future research prospects.
Disparities in banking information transparency in Southeast Asian countries
Authors: Nguyen Minh Phuong , Hoang Thi Thu Hien , Phan Anh , Tran Manh Dung
Published: May 2022

As the banking industry has an inevitable position in the economy, more information transparency is always required (Nguyen, Nguyen, Hoang, & Tran, 2020). Being transparent not only helps the banking system to develop sustainably but also constructs a basis for investors, regulators, and depositors to build their trust in banks (Le & Truong, 2019). This comparative research marks the first attempt in measuring and contrasting information disclosure and transparency within Vietnamese, Thai, and Singapore commercial banks. In doing so, we employ the S&P’s transparency and disclosure (T&D) index to investigate the disclosure and transparency of Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. The results indicate that there is a clear disparity between the level of Vietnamese commercial banks’ information transparency compared with other countries in the region, while the transparency score is the lowest regarding non-financial information including investors’ rights, board remuneration, and process. Results of this study call for improvement in information transparency in Vietnamese commercial banks. Another implication is that the size of the bank has a positive relationship with the amount of T&D, with larger banks having better total T&D ratings. This will increase the need for smaller banks to improve their T&D in order to continue to grow sustainably.
Of Haunted Spaces
Authors: Ella Raidel
Published: May 2022

Of Haunted Spaces is an art-based research project focusing on Chinese ghost cities. This exposition follows the making of an essay film that combines acting and documenting to indicate the phantasmatic aspect of global capitalism. In China, the need to maintain and boost economic growth through surplus production results in more cities being built than are needed. This exposition investigates how global capitalism is affecting and haunting living conditions today. Urban spaces, which were once a grandiose vision for boosting prosperity through collective fantasy, have now become exhausted and empty sites. Ella Raidel develops a performative documentary film to create a discursive space in which facts, analyses, commentaries, and references are woven into one narrative.
Research-Creation about and with Food: Diffraction, Pluralism, and Knowing
Authors: David Szanto  , Geneviève Sicotte
Published: May 2022

A hybrid approach for artistic-academic investigation, research-creation has proven effective in addressing complex socio-technical issues while usefully undoing the dualities that emerge within more conventional research practice. In the realm of food, this is particularly relevant, given that the knowledges that constitute food culture and food systems are pluralistic. Moreover, food embeds some of our most critical contemporary challenges, such as hunger, migration, trade, climate change, and justice. Methods that address the subjective and relational nature of food, such as those of research-creation, are therefore critical. This exposition presents two food-centered research-creation projects, created by the two co-authors, each of which aimed at three objectives: (a) the pluralization of methods, knowledge, and outputs; (b) collaboration in meaning-making, reflection, and feedback; and (c) ongoing epistemic and personal transformation. Geneviève Sicotte’s Signes de vie / Vital Signs is a digital, multimedia exhibition, largely presented through verbal, visual, and auditory content. David Szanto’s The Gastronome in You is a series of three performances about death, life, and the microbiome, using the materiality of a sourdough starter to activate the gustatory and haptic senses. By bringing these two projects into dialogue with each other, and through an experimental, “diffractive analysis” process, we present ways in which research-creation can help illuminate new forms of knowledge that engage with the distinct challenges and opportunities within food studies and for the future of food-and-human relations.
Acoustemological Investigation: Sound Diary #Tehran
Authors: Ali Mousavi
Published: May 2022

Acoustemological Investigation: Sound Diary #Tehran is a research-based project that is being developed as part of my ongoing Ph.D. research. This is accomplished by employing sensory methodology as a research tool for observing and analysing architecture and urban design. Art and architecture have always seemed to me to have the potential for social change and the improvement of the existing social order. They can be emancipatory, assisting in self-development, promoting social justice, and even, in small ways, changing the world we live in. As a result, artists and architects engage in activities of innovation and creativity in the hope of articulating their dreams and building a better future for the benefit of their communities. The living environment and places where people spend their time tell a story about who they are and their vision of the future. Art and architecture are social practices that are inextricably linked to the rest of social life. In this regard, this exposition is an attempt to observe, study, and analyse the process of urbanisation in Iran, specifically the housing construction in the Pardis Phase 11 suburbs of Tehran.
The interest in the sensory dimension of Pardis Phase 11 serves as the starting point for this artistic practice-led research project. The project employs sensorial methodologies such as acoustemology to investigate the area and urban transformations caused by concepts such as ‘modernisation’, ‘development’, ‘progress’, and ‘globalisation’. The work evolves through a large collection of media content in the form of field recordings made at the Phase 11 site. The project’s goal is to create a discursive sensory environment in order to generate a contemplative and in-depth reflection of a barren land transformed into an urban setting.
Covid-19 and analysis of needs of the primary school teachers in online-schooling in Iran
Authors: Shobeiry Maria
Published: May 2022

This study is a basic qualitative research design in which 48 primary school teachers voluntarily attended a guided focus-group interview in Google Meet platform in April 2021. To design an effective focus group 4 interviews were made with 12 teachers in each. The whole interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded based on the needs and issues mentioned by the teachers. Five problems were highlighted: 1) unfit teaching materials for online schooling, 2) communication issues with their students from the distance, 3) the need for teacher training courses on various aspects of online assessment methods, 4) the need for teacher training courses on various teaching methods in the e-learning platforms, and 5) long hours of preparation for their online classes. The results point the need of preparation of prospective and practice for teachers on online schooling system, abording various aspects of e-learning instructional strategies, classroom management, and assessment methods.
Intellectual capital as a factor of increasing companies’ competitiveness
Authors: Puzynya Tatiana Alekseevna , Avilova Natalia Leonidovna , Dyshlovoi Igor Nikolaevich , Nikolskaya Elena Yurievna , Solntseva Oksana Glebovna
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this study was to substantiate the prospects of intellectual capital management to increase a company’s competitiveness. The main methods of studying the problem were a review of international experience in intellectual capital management and an assessment of the possibilities of its adaptation to Russian economic practice. The international experience of the influence of artificial capital on a company’s competitiveness has been summarized, which makes it possible to determine the main stages of intellectual capital management. The study made it possible to determine the principles of the formation of the intellectual capital of a company, which have a strategic goal of increasing the competitiveness of business on the world stage, which means an increase in the level and quality of life of the population, and consequently, the welfare of the country.
Disclosure Speed: Evidence from Nonpublic SEC Investigations
Authors: Blackburne Terrence P. , Quinn Phillip J.
Published: May 2022

We examine cross-sectional variation in disclosure speed by using data that allow us to measure when managers learn of SEC investigations and the time lag until subsequent disclosures. We document that external monitoring and litigation risk are associated with 99 percent and 39 percent faster disclosure, and managerial entrenchment with 28 percent slower disclosure. When revelations by external parties preempt managers’ disclosures, we observe a significant increase in bid-ask spreads that persists for at least three years following the close of the investigation and a higher likelihood of turnover for less entrenched CEOs. We also document that firms whose managers disclose investigations are subject to fewer subsequent securities class action lawsuits. Our results are consistent with managers balancing the costs of fast disclosure, including immediate stock price declines and potential reputational costs, with the risks of having external parties leak news of SEC investigations.
Study of Non-woven Jute Agrotextile Mulches on Soil Water, Temperature and Nutrient Status in Root Zone in Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) Cultivation
Authors:   ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, 12 Regent Park, Kolkata (700 040), India, Manna Koushik , Saha Biplab ,   ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, 12 Regent Park, Kolkata (700 040), India, Kundu Manik Chandra ,   Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture (Palli Siksha Bhavana), Visva-Bharati,  Sriniketan (731 236), India
Published: May 2022

The field studies were conducted during the middle of November to end of February for the season of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 respectively in the red lateritic soil of Bahadurpur village of Bolpur, Birbhum, West Bengal, India which lies between 23°39'47.69'' N latitude and 87°37'36.91'' E longitude with an average altitude of 58.9 m above the mean sea level under sub-humid semiarid region of West Bengal, Eastern India to evaluate the performance of different types of non-woven jute agro-textile mulches (NJATM) in comparison to other mulches on soil temperature, soil moisture, soil physical properties and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.). The highest pooled yield (8.50 t ha-1) of broccoli was recorded in 350 gsm NJATM treatment. Minimum temperature fluctuation (1−3oC) was observed in case non-woven jute agro textile mulches and it was lowest in 350 gsm NJATM treatment followed by 400 gsm NJATM. In case of soil physical properties, the maximum mean value of hydraulic conductivity (0.54 cm hr-1) was observed in 400 gsm NJATM. However, the lowest pooled Bulk Density was recorded in 400 gsm NJATM treatment (1.37 g cm-3) which was, however, statistically at par with 350 gsm NJATM treatment (1.38 g cm-3). The soil moisture was conserved in all treatments compared to control showing highest moisture content in 400 gsm NJATM treatment. Organic carbon content of soil was increased in all mulch treated plots compared to control, and their initial value and their highest value (0.64%) was recorded in 350 gsm NJATM treatment The NJATM of 350 gsm thickness was very effective compared to other mulches as a result of the soil management practices and productivity.
Economic Feeding of Pigs in Mizoram: A Field Study for Assessment of Nutritional Constraints and Identifying the Useful Local Feed Resources for Economic Feeding
Authors:   Dept. of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram (796 014), India, Buragohain Rajat , Upadhyaya Kalidas ,   Dept. of Forestry, School of SES & NRM, Mizoram University, Aizawl (796 004), India
Published: May 2022

The study was conducted in the Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Aizawl, Mizoram during 2018-19. The objective of the research was to assess the nutritional constraints of feeding pigs in Mizoram and to put forward some solutions by identifying and utilizing local feed resources for economic feeding. Numbers of unconventional feeds were used for feeding pigs in Mizoram and fourteen among them were identified to be commonly used in day-to-day preparation of home-made cooked feed, which was the composite feed given to all categories of pigs. Constraints of the existing feeding practice were identified as high cost of conventional feeds, low dry matter intake causing deficient energy consumption, poor digestibility of nutrients when home-made cooked feed was fed, high tannin content of unconventional feeds. Except crude protein, apparent digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, crude fibre, nitrogen free extract and organic matter were low under the existing feeding practice. Based on nutrient contents, unconventional local feeds were categorized as protein and energy rich for substitution of conventional ingredients in ration formulation. Few rations with unconventional feeds substituting conventional ones suggested for grower and finisher pigs. Complete feed block of conventional and unconventional feeds was found acceptable to pigs. The study indicated the possibility of economic feeding of pigs by utilizing the local feeds keeping in view their nutritive and anti-nutritive contents and taking into consideration the constraints associated with nutrient intakes under the existing feeding management.