bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unveiling the impact: A mixed-method inquiry into the impact of leadership development programs
Authors: Shams Keyhan , Dailey Stephanie , Steffensmeier Timothy
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Prior research and theory have shown that transformational leadership can be developed through leader development programs (LDPs). To explain how this happens, research suggests a strong connection between an individual’s leader self-concept and their leadership behavior that can be manipulated through LDPs. The purpose of this article is to delve deeper into this phenomenon to understand how development occurs and to better understand how an LDP can improve leadership behaviors by influencing one’s self-concept and ultimately reduce the training transfer gap. As a broader goal, this article contributes to the existing literature on the value proposition of investing in LDPs.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted an explanatory sequential design mixed-methods study to measure the development of participants and the impact of the program. The quantitative phase of the study used self-report surveys to measure the LDP’s impact on participants’ transformational leader behavior (TLB) and concept of themselves regarding leadership, their leader self-views (LSVs). The study also measured the relationship between LSVs and later enactment of leadership behaviors as the second hypothesis. The subsequent qualitative study was designed to understand the mechanisms that might explain the quantitative results.

Findings

The study’s empirical findings indicate a positive relationship between LSVs (efficacy, self-awareness and identity) and distal leader development outcomes (TBLs). The study’s findings also provide support for the claim that LDPs convert knowledge and skills into TLB, expanding an individual’s capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes (Day & Dragoni, 2015). Qualitative results also show LDPs improve leader behavior by influencing their self-efficacy via providing tools and knowledge as well as building experimental mindset.

Originality/value

By showing LDPs' long term impacts, this paper demonstrates why short-term leadership development programs are worth investing.
Assessing the entrepreneurial business performance from a dynamic capability and TOE framework: moderating role of crowdfunding support
Authors: Singh Bindu , Srivastava Shefali , Chaudhuri Ranjan , Chatterjee Sheshadri , Vrontis Demetris
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims at assessing entrepreneurial business performance (EBP) from dynamic capability (DC) and technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework perspectives, taking support from crowdfunding.

Design/methodology/approach

With the inputs from the literature, supported by TOE framework and the dynamic capability view (DCV), a model has been proposed. This model has been tested by the factor-based partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique through a survey and quantifying the responses of 406 respondents on a five-point Likert scale has been used.

Findings

The study has found that crowdfunding support (CFS) has an effective influence on the improvement of EBP. Also, the DC supports to improve the EBP. Environmental dynamism (END) has also a critical role in impacting business performance.

Research limitations/implications

Crowdfunding involves investors who have a similar interest in the business, close friends, family members, venture capitalists, investment groups, etc. Thus, the proposed model can be used by these stakeholders for investment purposes as well as for improving EBP. This study is a cross sectional research work which has limitations. Moreover, the sample size of this project is limited and did not include global respondents, Thus, the findings of this study cannot be generalizable which is another limitation of this study.

Practical implications

Crowdfunding involves investors who have a similar interest in the business, such as close friends, family members, venture capitalists, investment groups, etc. Thus, the proposed model can be used by these stakeholders for investment purposes as well as for improving EBP. The study can help policymakers understand the importance of crowdfunding in promoting entrepreneurship activities in a region, which helps in the economic development of that region.

Originality/value

This research work enriches the extant literature in the fields of crowdfunding and investment, DC and entrepreneurship. Not many studies have dealt with the issues of CFS for the improvement of EBP. Hence, this study may be considered novel. Moreover, the proposed research framework related to crowdfunding possesses a high predictive power. This makes the study unique.
Pathway for a circular economy: facilitating circularity using the ADKAR model for waste management
Authors: Nagamalini T. , Wesley J. Reeves
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The paper focusses on various ways of global circular economies’ resource optimisation. The paper examines corporations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in bringing circularity. This paper identifies research gaps in waste management in linear economies such as India. It concludes with a proposition for waste management advocating the ADKAR model framework of change.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the academic repositories and reports to find answers to the circularity gaps. Databases such as Emerald, Web of Science and Springer were used to construct the theory. The author used keywords such as “circular economy”, “circular economy and SDG”, “circular economy and CSR”, and “circular economy and waste management” to locate the relevant literature to build the theory. Based on the theory, the waste management gap is identified and analysed.

Findings

The paper collates and examines the interdependency factors promoting circularity. An analysis of exemplary circular economies and corporations gives a pathway for linear economies. Finally, a framework is formulated for India’s transition from a linear to a circular economy using the best practices of different circular economies’ waste minimisation techniques. It summarises the findings of circular economies, formulating an ADKAR framework for waste management to aid circularity in India.

Research limitations/implications

This research must be validated with the practical implications of an economy’s ecosystem. The economies’ binding policies and statutory regulations must be gauged through valid metrics for each circular economy, ultimately determining its efficacy in transitioning from linear to circular economy.

Practical implications

The circularity in production and responsible consumption by all the stakeholders leads to sustainability. Embracing new sustainable practices, CSR initiatives will lead to circularity at the nano, micro, meso and macro levels for a populous economy such as India. The ADKAR model proposed can bring a positive change in India.

Social implications

The United Nations’ sustainability goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production) focusses on resource optimisation. This paper proposes ways to involve stakeholders to minimise waste at the source through a multi-level approach.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to assess an economy’s sustainability by analysing its circularity gaps and highlighting the best practices of circular economies. It also outlines the framework for circularity through waste reduction and minimisation using the ADKAR model.
Retention of teachers in special education schools and special education classes: The importance of social support and psychological empowerment
Authors: Alon Raaya , Harel‐Gadassi Ayelet
Published: June 2024

The current study examined what makes special education teachers remain in the profession. We will examine this, uniquely, separately among teachers in special education schools versus special education classes in general education schools. Participants were 212 special education teachers in special education schools and 257 in special education classes. Teachers completed questionnaires on social support, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and future occupational plans. Results revealed significant associations between social support, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and teachers' future plans. In addition, teachers in special education classes experienced lower levels of perceived social support and psychological empowerment compared to those in special education schools. A non‐significant moderation effect was found for the association between social support, psychological empowerment and satisfaction, with the occupational plans of teachers in both contexts. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing support for and strengthening the sense of psychological empowerment of special education teachers, particularly those who teach in special education classes in general education schools.
The power of ‘research conversations’ in analysing and interpreting the views and perspectives of children identified with SEND
Authors: Benstead Helen , Graham Vicky , Jowett Vicki
Published: June 2024

The use of multi‐sensory data collection tools with children in special and inclusive education is increasing in popularity. Many studies in this area have highlighted the potential for photography, drawings and other visual data collection methods to capture children's perspectives on inclusive practice. However, these tools are likely to be less successful in generating accurate findings if the data arising from them are not effectively interpreted by the researcher. There is a need to highlight appropriate ways to involve child participants as collaborators throughout the research process, with the aim of better accessing the understandings contained in multi‐sensory data collected from children as participants. This paper presents and explores the findings from an empirical participatory study, piloting a multi‐sensory research approach involving children identified with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) in an English primary school. ‘Research conversations’ were found to be a highly appropriate way of ensuring that important multi‐perspective understandings contained in visual forms of data are better accessed by the researcher, highlighting the importance of involving child participants as collaborators in an iterative analysis process.
Exploring the agency of skilled refugees in the British labour market
Authors: Fernando Dulini
Published: June 2024

Drawing on the analytical distinction between agency and social structure, I provide insights into four strategies used by skilled refugees to navigate labour market constraints: pre‐empting, to avoid present labour market constraints; circumventing present constraints, to realise future benefits; persisting in the search for skilled jobs via mobilising longstanding patterns of thought and action; and exercising voice to drive future system improvements that benefit similar others. It is striking how these strategies harmonised self‐interest and others' interests. I highlight the interplay between social structure and agency in labour market strategies to depict skilled refugees as reflexive agents of change. I highlight gender‐based nuances in skilled refugees' labour market moves and conclude by outlining the implications of my findings for HRM practice.
Acceptability of a virtual prostate cancer survivorship care model in rural Australia: A multi‐methods, single‐centre feasibility pilot
Authors: Heneka Nicole , Chambers Suzanne K. , Schaefer Isabelle , Carmont Kelly , Parcell Melinda , Wallis Shannon , Walker Stephen , Tuffaha Haitham , Steele Michael , Dunn Jeff
Published: June 2024

Design

A multi‐methods, single‐centre pilot comprising a quasi‐experimental pre‐/post‐test design and an exploratory qualitative study.

Setting

A rural Australian hospital and health service.

Participants

Men newly diagnosed with localised prostate cancer who were scheduled to undergo, or had undergone, radical or robotic prostatectomy surgery within the previous 3 months.

Intervention

The intervention comprised a 12‐week virtual care program delivered via teleconference by a specialist nurse, using a pre‐existing connected care platform. The program was tailored to the post‐operative recovery journey targeting post‐operative care, psychoeducation, problem‐solving and goal setting.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary outcome: program acceptability.

Secondary outcomes: quality of life; prostate cancer‐related distress; insomnia severity; fatigue severity; measured at baseline (T1); immediately post‐intervention (T2); and 12 weeks post‐intervention (T3).

Results

Seventeen participants completed the program. The program intervention showed very high levels (≥4/5) of acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility. At T1, 47% (n = 8) of men reported clinically significant psychological distress, which had significantly decreased by T3 (p = 0.020). There was a significant improvement in urinary irritative/obstructive symptoms (p = 0.030) and a corresponding decrease in urinary function burden (p = 0.005) from T1 to T3.

Conclusions

This pilot has shown that a tailored nurse‐led virtual care program, incorporating post‐surgical follow‐up and integrated low‐intensity psychosocial care, is both acceptable to rural participants and feasible in terms of implementation and impact on patient outcomes.
Team values and team performance: A two‐study investigation
Authors: Parks‐Leduc Laura , Dustin Susan L. , Wang Gang , Parks Taylor W.
Published: June 2024

Does the configuration of personal values in teams matter to team performance? Drawing from research on team composition and personal values, we conduct two studies in an effort to answer this question. In Study 1, we develop a shorter and more reliable instrument to measure personal values, the Variable Length Values Inventory (VLVI), which is unique in that the overall length of the scale can be varied; the instrument can be as short as 26 items or as long as 60 items, depending on the research question(s) of interest. In Study 2, we utilize the VLVI to test the impact of team members' values (i.e., benevolence and achievement values) on team performance. Results from 48 teams demonstrated that team member benevolence values and achievement values were related to team performance. Additionally, the achievement values of the team leader impacted performance above and beyond the influence of other team members' values. Study 2 contributes to our understanding of team composition by examining the personal values of team members and the team leader.
The evaluation and analysis of irritable bowel syndrome‐related short videos on social media (TikTok)
Authors: Waidyaratne Gavisha , Daboul Judy , Liyanarachchi Sandya , Chakraborty Subhankar
Published: June 2024

Background

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has recently become a trending topic of interest among TikTok users.

Aim

To better understand the quality and accuracy of information presented in the most popular IBS‐relevant videos on TikTok.

Methods

We reviewed videos with the tag ‘IBS’. We excluded those not relevant to IBS or lasting <10 s or >10 min. Baseline characteristics about the videos were collected. Two independent reviewers assessed each video using DISCERN and Patient Education Materials and Assessment Tool (PEMAT) tools, two validated instruments to assess the quality of patient education materials.

Results

Of 100 videos, 33% were uploaded by participants with a defined medical background. The median DISCERN score of videos uploaded by participants with a medical background was 2.43 (2.00–3.10); from participants with a non‐medical background, it was 1.37 (1.23–1.70) (p < 0.01). The median PEMAT Understandability scores of videos uploaded by participants with or without a medical background were 92.86 (86.61–95.00) and 80.95 (75.76–89.58), respectively (p < 0.01). The median PEMAT Actionability scores of videos uploaded by participants with or without a medical background were 100.00 (66.67–100.00) and 0.00, respectively (0.00–45.83; p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Videos posted by medical professionals are easier to understand and to act on, and are more reliable and unbiased, and more likely to recommend shared decision making about treatment.
Paraoxonase‐2 agonist vutiglabridin promotes autophagy activation and mitochondrial function to alleviate non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Shin Gu‐Choul , Lee Hyeong Min , Kim Nayeon , Hur Jihyeon , Yoo Sang‐Ku , Park Yun Sun , Park Hyung Soon , Ryu Dongryeol , Park Min‐Ho , Park Jung Hee , Seo Sang‐Uk , Choi Leo Sungwong , Madsen Martin Rønn , Feigh Michael , Kim Kwang Pyo , Kim Kyun‐Hwan
Published: June 2024

Background and Purpose

Only limited therapeutic agents have been developed for non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Glabridin, a promising anti‐obesity candidate, has only limited druggability due to its low in vivo chemical stability and bioavailability. Therefore, we developed vutiglabridin (VUTI), which is based on a glabridin backbone, and investigated its mechanism of action in treating NASH in animal models.

Experimental Approach

Anti‐NASH effects of VUTI were determined in in vitro fatty liver models, spheroids of primary human hepatocytes and L02 normal liver cell lines. To identify VUTI possible cellular target/s, biotin‐labelled VUTI was synthesized and underwent chemical proteomic analysis. Further, the evaluation of VUTI therapeutic efficacy was carried out using an amylin‐NASH and high‐fat (HF) diet‐induced obese (DIO) mouse models. This was carried out using transcriptomic, lipidomic and proteomic analyses of the livers from the amylin‐NASH mouse model.

Key Results

VUTI treatment markedly reduces hepatic steatosis, fibrosis and inflammation by promoting lipid catabolism, activating autophagy and improving mitochondrial dysfunction, all of which are hallmarks of effective NASH treatment. The cellular target of VUTI was identified as paraoxonase 2 (PON2), a newly proposed protein target for the treatment of NASH, VUTI enhanced PON2 activity. The results using PON2 knockdown cells demonstrated that PON2 is important for VUTI‐ activation of autophagy, promoting mitochondrial function, decreasing oxidative stress and alleviating lipid accumulation under lipotoxic condition.

Conclusion and Implications

Our data demonstrated that VUTI is a promising therapeutic for NASH. Targeting PON2 may be important for improving liver function in various immune‐metabolic diseases including NASH.
The clinical, diagnostic and treatment spectrum of seropositive and seronegative autoimmune encephalitis: Single‐center cohort study of 51 cases and review of the literature
Authors: Elrefaey Ahmed , Mohamedelkhair Ahmed , Fahmy Lara , Affan Mohammad , Schultz Lonni R. , Cerghet Mirela , Memon Anza B.
Published: June 2024

Objective

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) comprises a spectrum of inflammatory neurological syndromes characterized by immune responses to neuronal autoantigens, leading to diverse clinical manifestations, particularly behavioral and cognitive decline.

Methods

This single‐center retrospective study included 51 patients diagnosed with AE from 2013 to 2019 in a southeast Michigan tertiary care hospital. Patients were then divided into two groups, seropositive AE (AE+) and seronegative AE (AE−), based on antibody detection in the serum, cerebrospinal fluid or both when available. The study compares AE+ and AE− subtypes across clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic parameters.

Results

A total of 34 patients were classified as AE+, and 17 as AE−. Demographic analysis showed no significant differences in age, sex or race between the two groups. Clinical presentations varied widely, encompassing psychiatric symptoms, movement disorders, seizures and confusion; 24% patients had a prior malignancy. Laboratory assessments found diverse autoantibodies in AE+ patients' serum. Radiological and electrophysiological assessments showed no significant differences between the groups. AE− patients had higher rates of confusion compared with AE+ patients (59% vs. 18%, P = 0.004).

Conclusions

This study focuses on the complexities associated with diagnosing AE, emphasizing the challenges posed by the heterogeneity of symptoms and often negative antibody test results. Rapid identification of AE, regardless of seropositivity or seronegativity, emerges as a critical factor for clinicians, facilitating the prompt initiation of immunotherapy and/or tumor removal if needed. These insights contribute to a better understanding of the landscape of this condition, offering clinicians the tools to refine their diagnostic and treatment strategies. Ultimately, the study aimed to enhance the management of AE, empowering healthcare professionals to make accurate and timely interventions for patients.
A novel homozygous FAM92A gene (CIBAR1) variant further confirms its association with non‐syndromic postaxial polydactyly type A9 (PAPA9)
Authors: Umair Muhammad , Ahmed Zaheer , Shaker Bilal , Bilal Muhammad , Al Abdulrahman Abdulkareem , Khan Hammal , Jawad Khan Muhammad , Alfadhel Majid
Published: June 2024

Polydactyly is a very common digit anomaly, having extra digits in hands and/or toes. Non‐syndromic polydactyly in both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms are caused by disease‐causing variants in several genes, including GLI1, GLI3, ZNF141, FAM92A, IQCE, KIAA0825, MIPOL1, STKLD1, PITX1, and DACH1. Whole exome sequencing (WES) followed by bi‐directional Sanger sequencing was performed for the single affected individual (II‐1) of the family to reveal the disease causative variant/gene. 3D protein modeling and structural molecular docking was performed to determine the effect of the identified mutation on the overall protein structure. WES revealed a novel biallelic missense variant (c.472G>C; p.Ala158Pro) in exon 6 of the FAM92A gene. The identified variant segregated perfectly with the disease phenotype using Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, Insilco analysis revealed that the variant significantly changes the protein secondary structure, and substantially impact the stability of FAM92A. We report the second FAM92A disease‐causing mutation associated with recessive non‐syndromic postaxial polydactyly. The data further confirms the contribution of FAM92A in limb development and patterning.
Depth for Multi‐Modal Contour Ensembles
Authors: Chaves‐de‐Plaza N.F. , Molenaar M. , Mody P. , Staring M. , van Egmond R. , Eisemann E. , Vilanova A. , Hildebrandt K.
Published: June 2024

The contour depth methodology enables non‐parametric summarization of contour ensembles by extracting their representatives, confidence bands, and outliers for visualization (via contour boxplots) and robust downstream procedures. We address two shortcomings of these methods. Firstly, we significantly expedite the computation and recomputation of Inclusion Depth (ID), introducing a linear‐time algorithm for epsilon ID, a variant used for handling ensembles with contours with multiple intersections. We also present the inclusion matrix, which contains the pairwise inclusion relationships between contours, and leverage it to accelerate the recomputation of ID. Secondly, extending beyond the single distribution assumption, we present the Relative Depth (ReD), a generalization of contour depth for ensembles with multiple modes. Building upon the linear‐time eID, we introduce CDclust, a clustering algorithm that untangles ensemble modes of variation by optimizing ReD. Synthetic and real datasets from medical image segmentation and meteorological forecasting showcase the speed advantages, illustrate the use case of progressive depth computation and enable non‐parametric multimodal analysis. To promote research and adoption, we offer the contour‐depth Python package.
Interactive Optimization for Cartographic Aggregation of Building Features
Authors: Takahashi Shigeo , Kokubun Ryo , Nishimura Satoshi , Misue Kazuo , Arikawa Masatoshi
Published: June 2024

Aggregation, as an operation of cartographic generalization, provides an effective means of abstracting the configuration of building features by combining them according to the scale reduction of the 2D map. Automating this design process effectively helps professional cartographers design both paper and digital maps, but finding the best aggregation result from the numerous combinations of building features has been a challenge. This paper presents a novel approach to assist cartographers in interactively designing the aggregation of building features in scale‐aware map visualization. Our contribution is to provide an appropriate set of candidates for the cartographer to choose from among a limited number of possible combinations of building features. This is achieved by collecting locally optimal solutions that emerge in the course of aggregation operations, formulated as a label cost optimization problem. Users can also explore better aggregation results by interactively adjusting the design parameters to update the set of possible combinations, along with an operator to force the combination of manually selected building features. Each cluster of aggregated building features is tightly enclosed by a concave hull, which is later adaptively simplified to abstract its boundary shapes. Experimental design examples and evaluations by expert cartographers demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach to interactive aggregation.
Transparent Risks: The Impact of the Specificity and Visual Encoding of Uncertainty on Decision Making
Authors: Matzen L. E. , Howell B. C. , Tuft M. , Divis K. M.
Published: June 2024

People frequently make decisions based on uncertain information. Prior research has shown that visualizations of uncertainty can help to support better decision making. However, research has also shown that different representations of the same information can lead to different patterns of decision making. It is crucial for researchers to develop a better scientific understanding of when, why and how different representations of uncertainty lead viewers to make different decisions. This paper seeks to address this need by comparing geospatial visualizations of wildfire risk to verbal descriptions of the same risk. In three experiments, we manipulated the specificity of the uncertain information as well as the visual cues used to encode risk in the visualizations. All three experiments found that participants were more likely to evacuate in response to a hypothetical wildfire if the risk information was presented verbally. When the risk was presented visually, participants were less likely to evacuate, particularly when transparency was used to encode the risk information. Experiment 1 showed that evacuation rates were lower for transparency maps than for other types of visualizations. Experiments 2 and 3 sought to replicate this effect and to test how it related to other factors. Experiment 2 varied the hue used for the transparency maps and Experiment 3 manipulated the salience of the borders between the different risk levels. These experiments showed lower evacuation rates in response to transparency maps regardless of hue. The effect was partially, but not entirely, mitigated by adding salient borders to the transparency maps. Taken together, these experiments show that using transparency to encode information about risk can lead to very different patterns of decision making than other encodings of the same information.
A Prediction‐Traversal Approach for Compressing Scientific Data on Unstructured Meshes with Bounded Error
Authors: Ren Congrong , Liang Xin , Guo Hanqi
Published: June 2024

We explore an error‐bounded lossy compression approach for reducing scientific data associated with 2D/3D unstructured meshes. While existing lossy compressors offer a high compression ratio with bounded error for regular grid data, methodologies tailored for unstructured mesh data are lacking; for example, one can compress nodal data as 1D arrays, neglecting the spatial coherency of the mesh nodes. Inspired by the SZ compressor, which predicts and quantizes values in a multidimensional array, we dynamically reorganize nodal data into sequences. Each sequence starts with a seed cell; based on a predefined traversal order, the next cell is added to the sequence if the current cell can predict and quantize the nodal data in the next cell with the given error bound. As a result, one can efficiently compress the quantized nodal data in each sequence until all mesh nodes are traversed. This paper also introduces a suite of novel error metrics, namely continuous mean squared error (CMSE) and continuous peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (CPSNR), to assess compression results for unstructured mesh data. The continuous error metrics are defined by integrating the error function on all cells, providing objective statistics across nonuniformly distributed nodes/cells in the mesh. We evaluate our methods with several scientific simulations ranging from ocean‐climate models and computational fluid dynamics simulations with both traditional and continuous error metrics. We demonstrated superior compression ratios and quality than existing lossy compressors.
Visual Analytics for Fine‐grained Text Classification Models and Datasets
Authors: Battogtokh M. , Xing Y. , Davidescu C. , Abdul‐Rahman A. , Luck M. , Borgo R.
Published: June 2024

In natural language processing (NLP), text classification tasks are increasingly fine‐grained, as datasets are fragmented into a larger number of classes that are more difficult to differentiate from one another. As a consequence, the semantic structures of datasets have become more complex, and model decisions more difficult to explain. Existing tools, suited for coarse‐grained classification, falter under these additional challenges. In response to this gap, we worked closely with NLP domain experts in an iterative design‐and‐evaluation process to characterize and tackle the growing requirements in their workflow of developing fine‐grained text classification models. The result of this collaboration is the development of SemLa, a novel Visual Analytics system tailored for 1) dissecting complex semantic structures in a dataset when it is spatialized in model embedding space, and 2) visualizing fine‐grained nuances in the meaning of text samples to faithfully explain model reasoning. This paper details the iterative design study and the resulting innovations featured in SemLa. The final design allows contrastive analysis at different levels by unearthing lexical and conceptual patterns including biases and artifacts in data. Expert feedback on our final design and case studies confirm that SemLa is a useful tool for supporting model validation and debugging as well as data annotation.
ChoreoVis: Planning and Assessing Formations in Dance Choreographies
Authors: Beck Samuel , Doerr Nina , Kurzhals Kuno , Riedlinger Alexander , Schmierer Fabian , Sedlmair Michael , Koch Steffen
Published: June 2024

Sports visualization has developed into an active research field over the last decades. Many approaches focus on analyzing movement data recorded from unstructured situations, such as soccer. For the analysis of choreographed activities like formation dancing, however, the goal differs, as dancers follow specific formations in coordinated movement trajectories. To date, little work exists on how visual analytics methods can support such choreographed performances. To fill this gap, we introduce a new visual approach for planning and assessing dance choreographies. In terms of planning choreographies, we contribute a web application with interactive authoring tools and views for the dancers' positions and orientations, movement trajectories, poses, dance floor utilization, and movement distances. For assessing dancers' real‐world movement trajectories, extracted by manual bounding box annotations, we developed a timeline showing aggregated trajectory deviations and a dance floor view for detailed trajectory comparison. Our approach was developed and evaluated in collaboration with dance instructors, showing that introducing visual analytics into this domain promises improvements in training efficiency for the future.
Visual Highlighting for Situated Brushing and Linking
Authors: Doerr Nina , Lee Benjamin , Baricova Katarina , Schmalstieg Dieter , Sedlmair Michael
Published: June 2024

Brushing and linking is widely used for visual analytics in desktop environments. However, using this approach to link many data items between situated (e.g., a virtual screen with data) and embedded views (e.g., highlighted objects in the physical environment) is largely unexplored. To this end, we study the effectiveness of visual highlighting techniques in helping users identify and link physical referents to brushed data marks in a situated scatterplot. In an exploratory virtual reality user study (N=20), we evaluated four highlighting techniques under different physical layouts and tasks. We discuss the effectiveness of these techniques, as well as implications for the design of brushing and linking operations in situated analytics.
GMINN: Gate‐enhanced multi‐space interaction neural networks for click‐through rate prediction
Authors: Feng Xingyu , Yang Xuekang , Zhou Boyun
Published: June 2024

Click‐through rate (CTR) prediction is a pivotal challenge in recommendation systems. Existing models are prone to disturbances from noise and redundant features, hindering their ability to fully capture implicit and higher‐order feature interactions present in sparse feature data. Moreover, conventional dual‐tower models overlook the significance of layer‐level feature interactions. To address these limitations, this article introduces Gate‐enhanced Multi‐space Interactive Neural Networks (GMINN), a novel model for CTR prediction. GMINN adopts a dual‐tower architecture in which a multi‐space interaction layer is introduced after each layer in the dual‐tower deep neural network. This layer allocates features into multiple subspaces and employs matrix multiplication to establish layer‐level interactions between the dual towers. Simultaneously, a field‐aware gate mechanism is proposed to extract crucial latent information from the original features. Experimental validation on publicly available datasets, Criteo and Avazu, demonstrates the superiority of the proposed GMINN model. Comparative analyses against baseline models reveal that GMINN substantially improves up to 4.09% in AUC and a maximum reduction of 7.21% in Logloss. Additionally, ablation experiments provide further validation of the effectiveness of GMINN.
Chronische Prurigo
Authors: Thünemann Julia , Müller Svenja , Steinbrink Kerstin , Ständer Sonja , Zeidler Claudia
Published: June 2024

Die chronische Prurigo (CPG) ist eine neuroinflammatorische Dermatose, die durch langanhaltenden Pruritus von mehr als 6 Wochen, pruriginösen Hautläsionen und wiederholtem Kratzen gekennzeichnet ist. Patienten mit CPG leiden unter erheblichen psychischen Belastungen und deutlich spürbarer Beeinträchtigung ihrer Lebensqualität. Der am häufigsten vorkommende Subtyp der CPG ist die chronisch noduläre Prurigo (CNPG; auch Prurigo nodularis genannt).

Neben den klinischen Merkmalen der CPG und der Krankheitslast bietet dieser CME‐Artikel einen Überblick über die bedeutenden Fortschritte im Verständnis der Pathophysiologie, einschließlich der damit verbundenen therapeutischen Optionen der CPG. Dupilumab ist die erste zugelassene Therapie für die moderate und schwere CNPG, die bisher von der Europäischen Arzneimittelagentur (EMA) und der US‐amerikanischen Food & Drug Administration (FDA) zugelassen wurde. Des Weiteren werden weitere Wirkstoffe hervorgehoben, die derzeit in klinischen, randomisierten, placebokontrollierten Phase‐II‐ und Phase‐III‐Studien untersucht werden. Dazu gehören Biologika wie Nemolizumab (Anti‐IL‐31‐RA‐mAk), Vixarelimab/KPL‐716 (Anti‐Oncostatin‐M Rezeptor β‐mAk) und Barzolvolimab/CDX‐0159 (Anti‐KIT‐mAK), Januskinase‐Inhibitoren wie Povorcitinib/INCB054707 und Abrocitinib sowie Opiodmodulatoren wie Nalbuphin.
Comprehensive analysis of body composition features in melanoma patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Mengoni Miriam , Braun Andreas Dominik , Hinnerichs Mattes Simon , Aghayev Anar , Tüting Thomas , Surov Alexey
Published: June 2024

Background

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has greatly improved the management of metastatic melanoma. Recent studies have uncovered a relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and outcome of patients with metastatic melanoma. However, conflicting results have challenged the relevance of this finding. In the current work, we aim to dissect body composition features of melanoma patients treated with TKI to evaluate their value as biomarkers.

Patients and Methods

We analyze body composition features via CT scans in a retrospective cohort of 57 patients with non‐resectable stage III/IV melanoma receiving first‐line treatment with TKI in our department, focusing on the impact of body composition on treatment efficacy and occurrence of adverse events.

Results

In uni‐ and multivariate analyses, we identify an association between the visceral adipose tissue gauge index (VATGI) and survival. We furthermore profile additional body composition features including sarcopenia, which was also associated with a shorter overall survival. Finally, we detected an enrichment of cases with fatigue in patients with low VATGI.

Conclusions

Our study represents the first exploratory study evaluating the suitability of body composition measurements as biomarkers for melanoma patients treated with TKI. Our data suggest a putative use of VATGI as a biomarker predicting patient outcome.
Ambulance clinician use of capillary blood ketone meters to improve emergency hyperglycaemia care: A stepped‐wedged controlled, mixed‐methods feasibility study
Authors: Prothero Larissa Stella , Strudwick Thomas , Foster Theresa , Lake Andrea Kathleen , Boyle Adrian , Clark Allan , Williams Julia , Rayman Gerry , Dhatariya Ketan
Published: June 2024

Aim

To determine whether it was feasible, safe and acceptable for ambulance clinicians to use capillary blood ketone meters for ‘high‐risk’ diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) recognition and fluid initiation, to inform the need for a full‐powered, multi‐centre trial.

Methods

Adopting a stepped‐wedge controlled design, participants with hyperglycaemia (capillary blood glucose >11.0 mmol/L) or diabetes and unwell were recruited. ‘High‐risk’ DKA intervention participants (capillary blood ketones ≥3.0 mmol/L) received paramedic‐led fluid therapy. Participant demographic and clinical data were collated from ambulance and hospital care records. Twenty ambulance and Emergency Department clinicians were interviewed to understand their hyperglycaemia and DKA care experiences.

Results

In this study, 388 participants were recruited (Control: n = 203; Intervention: n = 185). Most presented with hyperglycaemia, and incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes was 18.5% and 74.3%, respectively. Ketone meter use facilitated ‘high‐risk’ DKA identification (control: 2.5%, n = 5; intervention: 6.5%, n = 12) and was associated with improved hospital pre‐alerting. Ambulance clinicians appeared to have a high index of suspicion for hospital‐diagnosed DKA participants. One third (33.3%; n = 3) of Control and almost half (45.5%; n = 5) of Intervention DKA participants received pre‐hospital fluid therapy.

Key interview themes included clinical assessment, ambulance DKA fluid therapy, clinical handovers; decision support tool; hospital DKA management; barriers to hospital DKA care.

Conclusions

Ambulance capillary blood ketone meter use was deemed feasible, safe and acceptable. Opportunities for improved clinical decision making, support and safety‐netting, as well as in‐hospital DKA care, were recognised. As participant recruitment was below progression threshold, it is recommended that future‐related research considers alternative trial designs. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04940897.
The experiences of individuals who have had gestational diabetes: A qualitative exploration
Authors: Roesler Anna , Butten Kaley , Taylor Pennie , Morrison Melinda , Varnfield Marlien , Holmes‐Truscott Elizabeth
Published: June 2024

Aim

To qualitatively explore the experiences of individuals with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in Australia, and to recognise opportunities for leveraging digital health to enhance the support of GDM management.

Method

A cross sectional online survey assessed the experiences of individuals with GDM, the healthcare system and their digital health usage. Respondents (recruited via a national diabetes registry or social media) were adults receiving GDM care within Australia in the last 5 years, who responded to any of three open‐ended questions (n = 815) exploring positive, negative and other GDM experiences. Thematic analysis was utilised, and themes were mapped to the socio‐ecological systems framework.

Results

At a system level, themes related to (1) accessibility of care including the value of digital health and the inflexible or inconsistent perception of the (2) implementation of guidelines. At an interpersonal level, themes covered the need for adequate (3) health information provision, and (4) supportive care, as well as highlighting (5) experiences of stigma including a desire for greater awareness of GDM. Individual‐level themes included: (6) differential barriers to accessing care; (7) negative emotional burden; (8) internalisation of stigma; (9) dietary freedom and social impact and (10) opportunity for change derived from having GDM.

Conclusion

Findings suggest a demand for more supportive, person‐centred GDM care, improved information provision and individualised implementation of clinical guidelines. Such mechanisms may support reduced barriers to accessing care or negative psychosocial impacts of GDM. Though not central to the identified experiences, digital health tools may help address the need for optimised GDM care.
On the Ethical Priority of Problem Solving in Case‐Based Teacher Ethics: Grounding an Anti‐Oppressive Approach
Authors: Tanchuk Nicolas , Emery Alyssa
Published: June 2024

A central problem for phronetic case‐based approaches to the ethics of teaching lies in the proper determination of normative ethical problems. Judgments about the character of normative ethical problems depend in part on background beliefs about what is (or is not) of ethical value. Thus, to distinguish genuinely normative ethical problems, teachers seem to first require knowledge of what is of ethical value, which practical problems themselves cannot generate. To resolve this practical and theoretical problem, Nicolas Tanchuk and Alyssa Emery argue for a Deweyan approach to teacher ethics that asserts two central theses: First, negatively, that inductive evidence warrants skepticism about any normative theory grounded in external reasons — (purported) reasons that are actually or possibly disconnected from an agent's motivational set of beliefs, desires, and dispositions. Second, that a cognitive and affective orientation toward solving problems through learning survives skepticism about external ethical reasons, grounding the commitments of many anti‐oppressive teacher educators.
Time‐dependent cost comparison and health economic impact analysis of second‐line interventions for transplant‐ineligible patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Authors: Kurte Melina Sophie , Siefen Ann‐Cathrine , Jakobs Florian , Poos Tabea , von Tresckow Julia , von Tresckow Bastian , Reinhardt Hans Christian , Kron Florian
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Novel interventions (axicabtagene ciloleucel [axi‐cel], lisocabtagene maraleucel [liso‐cel], tafasitamab‐lenalidomide [Tafa‐L], polatuzumab‐rituximab‐bendamustine [pola‐BR]) improve clinical outcomes in second‐line (2 L) treatment of transplant‐ineligible patients with early relapse or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The costs vary depending on the respective treatment regimen and the treatment duration, difficult comparability in reimbursement decisions. The objective was to analyze the health economic impacts of novel 2 L interventions and conventional immunochemotherapies (bendamustine‐rituximab [BR], rituximab‐gemcitabine‐oxaliplatin [R‐GemOx]) from a German healthcare payer's perspective as a function of treatment duration.

Methods

An economic model was developed to compare treatment costs of 2 L interventions depending on the treatment duration. Treatment duration was measured by progression‐free survival (PFS), identified based on a systematic review. Total and average costs were calculated over 5 years to evaluate incremental costs at median PFS for each intervention.

Results

Average costs per month at median PFS ranged from €2846 (95% CI: 5067‐1641) to €40 535 (95% CI: 91180‐N/A) for BR and liso‐cel, respectively. Incremental costs at the lowest median PFS (R‐GemOx: 5.3 months) revealed −€664, €5560, €11 817, €53 145, and €67 745 for BR, Tafa‐L, pola‐BR, axi‐cel, and liso‐cel as compared to R‐GemOx, respectively.

Conclusions

Analyses uncovered a variation of incremental costs of 2 L transplant‐ineligible DLBCL interventions as a function of time leading to amortization of high‐priced interventions.
Brain network topological changes in inflammatory bowel disease: an exploratory study
Authors: Polverino Arianna , Troisi Lopez Emahnuel , Minino Roberta , Romano Antonella , Miranda Agnese , Facchiano Angela , Cipriano Lorenzo , Sorrentino Pierpaolo
Published: June 2024

Although the aetio‐pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is not entirely clear, the interaction between genetic and adverse environmental factors may induce an intestinal dysbiosis, resulting in chronic inflammation having effects on the large‐scale brain network. Here, we hypothesized inflammation‐related changes in brain topology of IBD patients, regardless of the clinical form [ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD)]. To test this hypothesis, we analysed source‐reconstructed magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals in 25 IBD patients (15 males, 10 females; mean age ± SD, 42.28 ± 13.15; mean education ± SD, 14.36 ± 3.58) and 28 healthy controls (HC) (16 males, 12 females; mean age ± SD, 45.18 ± 12.26; mean education ± SD, 16.25 ± 2.59), evaluating the brain topology. The betweenness centrality (BC) of the left hippocampus was higher in patients as compared with controls, in the gamma frequency band. It indicates how much a brain region is involved in the flow of information through the brain network. Furthermore, the comparison among UC, CD and HC showed statistically significant differences between UC and HC and between CD and HC, but not between the two clinical forms. Our results demonstrated that these topological changes were not dependent on the specific clinical form, but due to the inflammatory process itself. Broader future studies involving panels of inflammatory factors and metabolomic analyses on biological samples could help to monitor the brain involvement in IBD and to clarify the clinical impact.