bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subnational estimates of maternal mortality in Nigeria: Analysis of female siblings’ survivorship histories.
Authors: Babajide Opeyemi Oluwatosin , Akinyemi Joshua Odunayo , Ayeni Olusola
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND High Maternal Mortality (MM) in Nigeria is further complicated by the lack of reliable estimates for subnational levels such as states and geopolitical regions. Disaggregating maternal mortality estimates by subnational levels is crucial to ensuring policy decisions and program implementation are adapted to areas with a high burden of mortality. This study involves a novel adaptation of small area estimation techniques to derive plausible estimates of levels and trends in Maternal Mortality rates and ratios for states and geopolitical regions in Nigeria. METHODS. Survivorship history data of 293,769 female siblings were provided by 114,154 women in the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys of 2008, 2013 and 2018. MM Rates and Ratios were estimated using the Empirical Bayesian technique for small area demographic estimates. The James-Stein estimator was used to shrink the estimates closer to the population mean values with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). RESULTS Levels of MMRatio were highest in the rural areas, States and regions in Northern Nigeria. MMRatio was consistently lower in the South West (2008=281; 2013=367; 2018=392) and higher among the Northern regions of the country, particularly the North-East (2008=654; 2013=612; 2018=901) for three consecutive surveys. Over the three surveys, mortality trends declined about 18% in the North West and 54.2% in the South East region. However, there was a 4.8% increase in MMRatio for South West between 2008 to 2018. CONCLUSIONS Nigeria has geopolitical and sub-national disparities that pose a burden to the country’s maternal health. Since several states in the Northern geopolitical zone still show high maternal mortality, targeted intervention at state levels should be explored to ensure that mothers who need help get it to ensure the sustainable development goals are met.
Immune responses following third COVID-19 vaccination are reduced in patients with hematologic malignancies compared to patients with solid cancer
Authors: Fendler Annika , Shepherd Scott T.C. , Au Lewis , Wilkinson Katalin A. , Wu Mary , Schmitt Andreas M. , Tippu Zayd , Farag Sheima , Rogiers Aljosja , Harvey Ruth , Carlyle Eleanor , Edmonds Kim , Rosario Lyra Del , Lingard Karla , Mangwende Mary , Holt Lucy , Ahmod Hamid , Korteweg Justine , Foley Tara , Barber Taja , Emslie-Henry Andrea , Caulfield-Lynch Niamh , Byrne Fiona , Shum Benjamin , Gerard Camille L. , Deng Daqi , Kjaer Svend , Song Ok-Ryul , Queval Christophe , Kavanagh Caitlin , Wall Emma C. , Carr Edward J. , Namjou Sina , Caidan Simon , Gavrielidis Mike , McRae James , Kelly Gavin , Peat Kema , Kelly Denise , Murra Aida , Kelly Kayleigh , O'Flaherty Molly , Shea Robyn L. , Gardner Gail , Murray Darren , Yousaf Nadia , Jhanji Shaman , As Nicholas Van , Young Kate , Furness Andre J.S. , Pickering Lisa , Beale Rupert , Swanton Charles , Ghandi Sonia , Gamblin Steve , Bauer David L.V. , Kassiotis George , Howell Michael , Nicholson Emma , Wilkinson Robert J. , Larkin James , Turajlic Samra
Published: December 2021

Not all patients with cancer, in particular those with hematogic malignancies, develop functional immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) following COVID-19 vaccines. Durability of vaccine-induced immunity after two doses and the impact of a third dose were evaluated in CAPTURE (NCT03226886), a longitudinal prospective cohort study of vaccine responses in patients with cancer. In evaluating 316 patients, at a median of 111 days following two doses of either BNT16b2 or ChadOX, we observed a time-dependant decline in neutralising antibody titres (NAbT) in a proportion of patients, where NAbTs became undetectable against Delta and Beta in 17% and 15% of patients, respectively. Vaccine-induced T cell responses declined in 44% of patients. Patients with breakthrough infections following two vaccines doses were characterised by absent/low NAbT to Delta prior to infection. Administration of the third vaccine dose boosted NAb responses against VOC in the majority of patients with cancer, especially those with solid cancer. In patients with hematologic malignancies who had undetectable NAbT against Delta after two vaccine doses, 54% did not develop NAb against both Beta and Delta following the third dose. Third vaccine dose boosted T cell responses were boosted in patients with both solid and hematologic malignancies. These results provide critical information on vaccine responses in patients with cancer, especially against VOCs and support widespread access to a third COVID-19 vaccination in this patient group.
Factors associated with mortality among the COVID-19 patients treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital: A retrospective study
Authors: Baguma Steven , Okot Christopher , Onira Nelson Alema , Apiyo Paska , Acullu Denis , Layet Paska , Oloya Johnson Nyeko , Ochula Denis , Atim Pamela , Olwedo Patrick Odong , Okot Smart Godfrey , Oyat Freddy Wathum Drinkwater , Oola Janet , Aloyo Judith , Ikoona Eric Nzirakaindi , Kitara David Lagoro
Published: December 2021

Background: The advent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There is a lack of data on the outcome of hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19.This study aimed at identifying factors associated with hospital mortality in patients who suffered from COVID-19 at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Northern Uganda from March 2020 to October 2021.Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study in patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Northern Uganda. Socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, comorbidities, duration of hospital stay, and treatment were analyzed, and factors associated with increased odds of mortality were determined.Results: Of the 664 patients treated, 661(99.5%) were unvaccinated, 632(95.2%) recovered and 32(4.8%) died. Mortality was highest in diabetics 11(34.4%), cardiovascular diseases 12(37.5%), hypertensive 10(31.3%), females 18(56.3%), > 50-year-olds 19(59.4%), no formal education 14(43.8%), peasant farmers 12(37.5%) and those who presented with difficulty in breathing/shortness of breath and chest pain 32(100.0%), Oxygen saturation (Sp02) <80 4(12.5%), general body aches and pains 31(96.9%), tiredness 30(93.8%) and loss of speech and movements 11(34.4%). The independent factors associated with mortality among the COVID-19 patients were females AOR=0.220,95%CI:0.059-0.827;p=0.030; Diabetes mellitus AOR=9.014, 95%CI:1.726-47.067;p=0.010; tiredness AOR=0.059,95%CI:0.009-0.371; p=0.0000; general body aches and pains AOR=0.066,95%CI:0.007-0.605; p=0.020; loss of speech and movement AOR=0.134,95%CI:0.270-0.660;p=0.010 and other comorbidities AOR=6.860, 95%CI:1.309-35.957;p=0.020.Conclusion: The overall hospital mortality was 4.8%. Older age, people with diabetics, females, other comorbidities, severe forms of the disease, and those admitted to HDU were significant risk factors associated with hospital mortality. More efforts should be made to provide “Enhanced shielding” to the most vulnerable population to avoid preventable morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in Northern Uganda.
Single currency and regional integration in the ECOWAS region: A new estimation technique using the Pseudo Maximum Likelihood Poisson with High Dimensional Fixed Effects (PPMLHDFE).
Authors: N'GUESSAN MICHAEL KOUADIO
Published: December 2021

The progress of regional integration in ECOWAS is leading to the desire to create an optimal monetary zone. This desire to create an optimal monetary zone is leading to a wave of divergent views on the effect and exchange rate regime of the single currency on trade. On the one hand, WAMZ countries want to adopt it with a flexible exchange rate, while on the other hand, WAEMU countries want to adopt it with a fixed exchange rate pegged to the euro. This divergence of views is at the heart of our problem. We need to analyze the effect of this currency and its flexible exchange rate regime on regional integration, more particularly the market integration of the Economic Community of West African States. Our evaluation is based on an augmented gravity model as the basic theoretical model, with the Pseudo Maximum Poisson Likelihood with High Dimension Fixed Effects (PPMHDFE) as the estimation method. This panel study is based on data from the World Bank (WDI), IMF (DOTS) and CEPII from 2009 to 2018. The question addressed by the analysis of the potential effect of sharing a single currency on integration by the ECOWAS market, allows us to arrive at two main results. (i) The potential effect of the single currency on trade is significant, robustness tests confirm the positive effect of currency sharing on trade. (ii) The flexible exchange rate has positive effects on trade. Thus, we therefore call on the political leaders of ECOWAS countries to make efforts to meet the convergence criteria and the establishment of this single currency in order to be the foundation of the single African currency, on the one hand. On the other hand, we recommend the adoption of a single currency with a variable exchange rate with a gradual approach.
Local Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction in Indian Summer Monsoon Multi-Decadal Variability
Authors: Goswami Dhruba Jyoti , Karumuri Ashok , Goswami Bhupendranath
Published: December 2021

The significant multi-decadal mode (MDM) of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) during the past two millennia provides a basis for decadal predictability of the ISMR and has a strong association with the North-Atlantic variability with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) as a potential external driver. It is also known that the annual cycles and interannual variability of ISMR and sea surface temperatures (SST) over the tropical Indian Ocean (IO) are strongly coupled. However, the role of local air-sea interactions in maintaining or modifying the ISMR MDM remains unknown. A related puzzle we identify is that the IO SST has an increasing trend during two opposite phases of the ISMR MDM, namely during an increasing phase of ISMR (1901 to 1957) as well as a decreasing phase of ISMR (1958-2007). Here, using a twentieth-century reanalysis (20CR), we examine the role of air-sea interactions in maintaining two opposite phases of the ISMR MDM and unravel that the Bjerknes feedback is at the heart of maintaining the ISMR MDM but cannot explain the increasing trend of SST in the tropical IO during the opposite phases. Large-scale low-level vorticity influence on SST and net heat flux changes through circulation and cloudiness changes associated with the two phases of the ISMR MDM together contribute to the SST trends. The decreasing trend of low-level wind convergence during the period between 1958 and 2007 is a determining factor for the decreasing trend of ISMR in the backdrop of an increasing trend of atmospheric moisture content. Consistent with the lead of the AMO with respect to ISMR by about a decade, the AMO drives the transition from one phase of ISMR MDM to another by changing its phase first and setting up low-level equatorial zonal winds conducive for the transition.
Clinical Features of Excyclotorsion in the Non-Paretic Eye of Patients with Congenital Unilateral Superior Oblique Palsy
Authors: Cha Eun-Hyang , Ha Suk-Gyu , Suh Youngwoo , Kim Seung-Hyun
Published: December 2021

Background To investigate preoperative clinical features and postoperative results according to the correspondence between excyclotorsion and the paretic eye in patients with congenital unilateral superior oblique palsy (USOP).MethodsA retrospective review of medical charts was performed. The patients were divided into the accordance (ocular excyclotorsion in the paretic eye) and discordance (ocular excyclotorsion in the non-paretic eye) groups. The degree of excyclotorsion (scale, 0–4) was measured. Age, sex, hypertropia at the primary position, fixation preference, inferior oblique overaction, and degree of excyclotorsion were measured.ResultsNinety-eight patients were included in this study. There were 70 (71.4%) and 28 patients (28.6%) in the accordance and discordance groups. Sixteen patients (22.9%) in the accordance group and 12 patients (42.9%) in the discordance group were aged under 2 years (p = 0.04). A fixation preference of the paretic eye was observed in 2 (2.9%) and 8 (28.6%) patients in the accordance and discordance groups (p < 0.01). The postoperative degree of excyclotorsion in the accordance group (0.14 ± 0.39) was lower than that in the discordance group (0.28 ± 0.71) (p = 0.01). The residual postoperative excyclotorsion (>1) in the discordance group were observed in the discordance group (14 patients, 50%) and accordance group (16 patients, 22.9%) (p = 0.01).Conclusion Preoperative discordance between excyclotorsion and the paretic eye was observed in patients who were under 2 years of age and preferred fixation of the paretic eye. The postoperative degree of excyclotorsion was lower in the accordance group.
Safety and Efficacy of Repurposed Siddha Medicines in Mild, Moderate, and Severe COVID-19 Patients Admitted To a Government Tertiary Hospital Near Chennai, Tamil Nadu– An Open-Labeled, Randomized, Controlled Trial.
Authors: J Christian G , Ramasamy Meenakumari , Ramalingam Shanthimalar , Ganesan Sankar , Muthusamy Ravichandran Vadugam , Selladurai Elansekaran , Murugan Ramamurthy , Venkatachalam Srinivasan , Elumalai Rajalakshmi , Kangusamy Boopathi , Kesavan Vennila , Mohanasundaram Nijavizhi , Ambalavanan Shakthi Paargavi , S Aruldevi , Sekaran Priyanka , Govindasamy Gajalakshmi
Published: December 2021

BackgroundCOVID-19 resulted in loss of human lives owing to respiratory failure caused by dysregulated immune system. Though many treatments are evaluated, the most appropriate is yet to be established. We hypothesized accelerated recovery and reduced mortality in mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 with Siddha regimen consisting of natural products.MethodsIn a randomized, controlled open-label trial conducted on 200 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, they were allocated equally to be treated with add-on Siddha regimen with Standard care or only standard care. The primary and secondary end points were accelerated recovery (≤ 7 days) and mortality comparison between the groups respectively. Patients were followed through 90 days.ResultsIn this study the accelerated recovery was 59.0% and 27.0% in treatment and control group (ITT analyses) (p < 0.001) respectively and Odds for it were four times higher in the treatment group (OR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.9, 8.0). The estimated median time for recovery in the treatment group was 7 days (95% CI: 6.0, 8.0; p=0.003) and 10 days (95% CI: 8.7, 11.3) in control. Hazard ratio for death in control was 2.3 times that of treatment group. No adverse reactions or alarming laboratory values were observed in response to intervention. In severe treatment group (n=80), mortality was 15.0% and 39.5% in control (n=81). The COVID stage progression was 65% less in treatment group.ConclusionSiddha regimen demonstrated that they can synergistically improve oxygenation status, enhance the recovery rate and reduce the mortality better as compared to only Standard of Care.
Development of a model for energy efficiency management of a ship at different stages of its lifecycle
Authors: Kalinichenko Yevgeniy , Shumylo Oleksandr , Kourov Mykhaylo
Published: December 2021

The problem of increasing energy efficiency in commercial shipping has been in the focus of attention of many specialists over the past few decades. The adopted and entered into force resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) require ship-owners to develop and implement energy efficiency management plans. Considerable and increased attention is now being paid to the solution of this problem.

However, it has not yet been possible to achieve real practical results – commercial shipping already accounts for more than 3 % of greenhouse gas emissions, and this value is growing from year to year.

The reason for this effect is the practically absence of a systematic scientifically grounded approach to the issue. Management of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere is mainly in the operational phase of the ship, although the foundations are laid during the design, construction, modernization and refurbishment phases.

This study is aimed at developing a comprehensive model for managing the energy efficiency of a ship throughout the entire life cycle. It is proposed to use the cost of a full cycle and the coefficient of energy efficiency as target functions of the model. A method for solving the problem of two-criterion optimization is proposed. The use of this model will be able to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions
Incoming control parameters for PVC sheets used for the production of plastic cards
Authors: Nazarenko Olena
Published: December 2021

One of the main requirements for obtaining high-quality raw materials for production is a clear formulation of the necessary parameters that the manufacturer of materials must comply with in the production of raw materials. The very observance of these parameters in the future will reduce the number of production of unsuitable products and plastic cards with defects.

Parameter control is carried out for each separate batch of materials. The sample during inspection should be at least 0.1 % of the total amount of material, the deviation from the parameters should be included in the tolerance.

The tasks of the stage of product quality control should ensure the implementation of the quality policy, as well as the general economic policy of the enterprise. Control is an integral part of the activities of any enterprise, a regulator of factors that form quality at all stages of the production process and ensure the release of quality products.

Based on the analysis and experimental studies, the main parameters that need to be monitored were determined: geometric dimensions, color, thickness, density, surface tension, tensile strength, uniformity of paint application, shrinkage during sheet sintering
Market expectation shifts in option-implied volatilities in the US and UK stock markets during the Brexit vote
Authors: Bielykh Artem , Pysarenko Sergiy , Meng Ren Dong , Kubatko Oleksandr
Published: December 2021

This paper investigates the effect of the Brexit vote on the connection between UK stock market expectations and US stock market returns. To gauge UK stock market expectations, the option-implied volatilities of the FTSE 100 index are calculated in the period starting five months before and ending four months after the Brexit referendum. To keep the analysis “clean”, it stops right before the 2016 US presidential elections. It uses an OLS regression to estimate the change in the relationship between US and UK stock market expectations.The main findings show that the US and UK stock markets became somewhat less integrated four months after the Brexit referendum compared to the five months before it. The S&P 500 Index returns have a statistically significant impact on implied volatilities of the FTSE 100 only before the Brexit referendum. However, the British risk-free rate (LIBOR) became a statistically significant factor affecting FTSE 100 implied volatilities only after Brexit. This analysis may be used by decision-makers in the money management industry to act appropriately during Black Swan events. When UK citizens unexpectedly voted in favor of Brexit, the risk-free rate dropped, making it cheaper to invest, increasing the Sharpe ratios of equity portfolios. Coupled with increased uncertainty, this caused portfolio reallocations. In turn, expected volatility measured by options-implied volatility increased.
AcknowledgmentThe authors would like to thank Olesia Verchenko for critique, a KSE M.A., external defense reviewer for helpful comments.
Human rights and business: a dynamic development of an interdisciplinary concept (Review of a Research Guide on Human Rights and Business)
Authors: Uvarova Olena
Published: December 2021

Review of research handbook on human rights and business edited by Surya Deva andDavid Birchall (Research Handbook on Human Rights and Business, edited by Surya Deva and DavidBirchall. Edward Elgar, 2020).
Business and Human Rights: Rebuilding Trust for a New Social Contract (A series of events within the framework of the IV Kharkiv International Legal Forum)
Authors: Uvarova Olena
Published: December 2021

A series of events on business and human rights that took place during the IV KharkivInternational Legal Forum in September 2020 is overviewed.The central topic of the discussions is the question of the possibility (or inevitability) of a newsocial contract, where, along with society and the state, business should become a party. The business’simpact on the daily people life and even on the state itself is becoming more and more significant.Business is seen as a direct bearer of human rights responsibilities, especially in situations where the state is too weak to protect human rights, or when it comes to an area of autonomous space in whichthe state should not interfere.Society needs to develop mechanisms that would guarantee the compliance of non-state regulationestablished by business with fundamental legal values – respect for human dignity, justice, freedom,equality. The questions of the application of the requirements of the rule of law to the sphere of suchnon-state regulation, its role in the moments of democratic transformations in societies, as well ason the mechanism of “checks and balances” in a situation when business is outside state control areactualized. Business responsibilities in situations of global dangers should be the subject of an analysisas well. Corporate responsibility to respect human rights, human rights due diligence, non-stateremedies to protect human rights – these and other concepts that are becoming an integral part oflegal practice today require rethinking from legal theory.Scientists, representatives of government entities and business, civil society organizations from30 countries took part in the events.
The Logic of Institutions in a Systemic Approach. Institutions in Law and Law-related Fields as Closed and Open Systems
Authors: Varga Csaba
Published: December 2021

As to the conceptualisation of any one institution, the apparently identical notional term can cover four types of institutional systems: (1) the actually existing concrete system, which is a unit that functions as it is (e.g., constitutional system of liberalism as practised in a given area in a given time, e.g., in the United States nowadays); (2) the historically developed concrete system which is a unit that functions as it has been (e.g., constitutional system of liberalism as practised in a given area in a given period, e.g., in the United States since the time it developed); (3) the generalisation of the historically concrete systems as developed in our civilisation (e.g., the constitutional system of liberalism as known and practised in our civilisation); and (4) the core idea of the functioning underlying all kinds of generalisation (e.g., the abstract universal formulation of the ultimate principles of operation, of which the constitutional system of liberalism is but one of the theoretically possible forms of realisation). Within a quasi monographic analysis of them, both their role as a normative ideology and their actual objectivity and contingency are treated.
The Applicability of the European Convention for Human Rights in Contested Territories
Authors: Milanović Marco , Papić Tatjana
Published: December 2021

This article examines the applicability of the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR) when a State loses control over parts of its territory. It argues that the jurisprudence of the European Court for Human Rights, which insists on residual positive obligations based in sovereign title over territory, is problematic and needs to be rethought. The Court’s current approach is not only likely to provoke backlash, since it requires it to decide politically explosive questions of sovereign title, but does so for very little practical benefit for the protection of human rights. The article therefore explores more preferable alternatives.
Runoff optimization and control for basin water allocation
Authors: Lang Yongyuan , Meng Changqing
Published: December 2021

The water distribution plan for the three major irrigation districts (Changma, Shuangta, and Huahai) in the Shule River Basin in the planned year was analyzed in this study in an effort to resolve the insufficient natural endowment of water resources and contradiction between supply and demand throughout the basin. Based on this plan, and under the condition of satisfying the scheduling constraints of cascade reservoirs, the minimum total water supply shortage in the watershed was taken as the main goal coupled with the cascade reservoir runoff optimization control coefficient. An optimized dispatch model of the reservoir group was established accordingly. The large system coordination decomposition algorithm was called to solve the model and obtain the water scheduling scheme of each reservoir. After the optimal regulation of runoff, the water demand of the three major irrigation areas of Changma, Shuangta, and Huahai in the planned year is greater than the available water resources of the Shule River and the Petroleum River. The total surface runoff water shortage is 66.01 million m3, which cannot be satisfied. Among the reservoirs, Shuangta has the highest water shortage quota of 43.503 million m3, followed by Chijinxia with a water deficit quota of 22.18 million m3, and finally by Changma with a minimum water shortage quota of 0.3277 million m3. The results of this work may provide technical support for water resource allocation and regulations, as well as for the efficient usage of the Shule River Basin.
Preparation of Long-Acting Somatostatin and GnRH Analogues and
Their Applications in Tumor Therapy
Authors: Yu Fang , Zhang Tingting , Fu Fenghua , Wang Aiping , Liu Xinyong
Published: December 2021

Hormonal drugs are essential treatment options for some hormone-dependent or hormone-sensitive tumors. The common dosage forms of hormonal drugs have a short half-life. Hence, frequent administration is needed, which results in poor patient compliance. Nevertheless, using drug delivery technology, somatostatin analogues (SSAs) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues are prepared into long-acting formulations that can significantly prolong the action time of these drugs, reducing medication frequency and increasing patient compliance. Such drugs are advantageous when treating acromegaly, gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other diseases having a relatively long course. SSAs and GnRH analogues are two typical hormonal drugs, the long-acting formulations of which are essential in clinical practice. This review summarized the preparation methods and clinical application of long-acting formulations in cancer. Further, the action mechanism and new research of SSAs and GnRH analogues were discussed, and suggestions related to the development of long-acting SSAs and GnRH analogues were provided.
Nomogram to Predict Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage after Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke in Asian Population
Authors: Xie Xiaohua , Yang Jie , Ren Lijie , Hu Shiyu , Lian Wancheng , Xiao Jingyi , Pan Lu , Deng Liping , Ma Jiahui
Published: December 2021

Background:

Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) is a serious hemorrhagic complication after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Most existing predictive scoring systems were derived from Western countries

Objective:

To develop a nomogram to predict the possibility of sICH after IVT in an Asian population.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study included AIS patients treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China, from January 2014 to December 2020. The end point was sICH within 36 hours of IVT treatment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of sICH, and a predictive nomogram was developed. Area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analyses were performed. The nomogram was validated by bootstrap resampling

Results:

Data on a total of 462 patients were collected, of whom 20 patients (4.3%) developed sICH. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the National Institute of Health stroke scale scores (NIHSS) (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.23, P < 0.001), onset to treatment time (OTT) (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03, P < 0.001), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.09–1.35, P < 0.001), and cardioembolism (OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.23–11.39, P = 0.020) were independent predictors for sICH and were used to construct a nomogram. Our nomogram exhibited favorable discrimination ability [AUC, 0.878; specificity, 87.35%; and sensitivity, 73.81%]. Bootstrapping for 500 repetitions was performed to further validate the nomogram. The AUC of the bootstrap model was 0.877 (95% CI: 0.823–0.922). The calibration curve exhibited good fit and calibration. The decision curve revealed good positive net benefits and clinical effects

Conclusion:

The nomogram consisted of the predictors NIHSS, OTT, NLR, and cardioembolism could be used as an auxiliary tool to predict the individual risk of sICH in Chinese AIS patients after IVT. Further external verification among more diverse patient populations is needed to demonstrate the accuracy of the model’s predictions.
Precision Medicine in Patients with Differential Diabetic Phenotypes:
Novel Opportunities from Network Medicine
Authors: Ellahham Samer , Napoli Claudio , Benincasa Giuditta
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises differential clinical phenotypes ranging
from rare monogenic to common polygenic forms, such as type 1 (T1DM), type 2 (T2DM),
and gestational diabetes, which are associated with cardiovascular complications. Also, the high-
-risk prediabetic state is rising worldwide, suggesting the urgent need for early personalized strategies
to prevent and treat a hyperglycemic state.

Objective:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises differential clinical phenotypes ranging
from rare monogenic to common polygenic forms, such as type 1 (T1DM), type 2 (T2DM),
and gestational diabetes, which are associated with cardiovascular complications. Also, the high-
-risk prediabetic state is rising worldwide, suggesting the urgent need for early personalized strategies
to prevent and treat a hyperglycemic state.

Conclusion:

The interactome or protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a useful tool to identify subtle
molecular differences between precise diabetic phenotypes and predict putative novel drugs. Despite
being previously unappreciated as T2DM determinants, the growth factor receptor-bound protein
14 (GRB14), calmodulin 2 (CALM2), and protein kinase C-alpha (PRKCA) might have a relevant
role in disease pathogenesis. Besides, in silico platforms have suggested that diflunisal,
nabumetone, niflumic acid, and valdecoxib may be suitable for the treatment of T1DM; phenoxybenzamine
and idazoxan for the treatment of T2DM by improving insulin secretion; and hydroxychloroquine
reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by counteracting inflammation. Network
medicine has the potential to improve precision medicine in diabetes care and enhance personalized
therapy. However, only randomized clinical trials will confirm the clinical utility of network-
oriented biomarkers and drugs in the management of DM.
Quality of Life and Clinical Correlates in Adults with Social Phobia: A Scoping Review
Authors: Lau Hui Miin , Sim Kai Samuel , Chew Qian Hui , Sim Kang
Published: December 2021

Objective:

In light of the substantial clinical and societal burden of social phobia (SP) and impact on the sense of well-being of affected individuals, we sought to summarise extant data related to quality of life and relevant correlates in adults with SP to distill clinical profiles for earlier identification and appropriate management.

Methods:

A scoping review was carried out on studies examining quality of life in adults with SP and clinical correlates within different settings. PubMed/Medline and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant articles beginning from database inception until May 2021.

Results:

A total of 25 papers were included. Most of the studies (92%) were cross sectional in nature (80%), conducted in the West (92%), and within clinic or community settings (88%). Patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions, and undergraduate students reported higher rates of SP compared with community population. Significant correlates of SP included demographic (such as females, younger age, living alone, fewer years of education, unemployment) and clinical factors (such as family history of anxiety disorders, suicidal ideas, avoidant personality features). SP was widely associated with decreased QoL involving several domains and especially related to complexity, greater number of feared or trigger situations, and comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions.

Conclusion:

SP is not uncommon within clinical, and undergraduate populations, and has a significantly negative impact on quality of life. Awareness of its associated clinical profiles allows better identification and overall management of this condition including improvement in QoL.
Water Absorption Enhancement of Sodium Poly Acrylate and Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) Based Hydrogel Mixtures
Authors: Darwish Sohair A. , Ibrahim Ibrahim M. , Mostafa Nasser Y. , Radwan Mostafa A. , Sadek Mohamed A. , Elazab Hany A.
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers which are cross-linked to form three-dimensional structures, which can absorb, swell and retain huge amounts
of water or aqueous fluids.

Objective:

This paper reports the preparation and characterisation of Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel with different
crosslinking intensities.

Methodology:

2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS)
monomer was purchased from Alfa Aesar Company as reagent
grade. It was used as received (>98% purity) without any
further purification.

PAMPS hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking
solution polymerization of AMPS in water at room
temperature under a nitrogen blanket in cylindrical glass tubes.
The characteristics of the obtained PAMPS hydrogel were compared with those of commercial sodium polyacrylates
hydrogel.

Results:

It was found that decreasing the crosslinker weight improved the absorbance capacity but to a limit. The suggested reasons were
discussed. The mixture showed higher absorbance rate than PAMPS, and bigger absorbance capacity than sodium polyacrylates.

Conclusion:

This paper investigates the effect of crosslinker ratio on the
swelling capacity of PAMPS. It was found that as the
crosslinking ratio decreases, the porosity of the hydrogel
increases, thus improving the swelling capacity.
Evaluation of the Therapeutic Potential of Oral Phycocyanin-Rich Spirulina
Extracts in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Authors: Donen Anna , Lifschytz Tzuri , Wolf Gilly , Ben-Ari Hagar , Lotan Amit , Lerer Leonard , Lerer Bernard
Published: December 2021

Aim:

Spirulina is a microalga that is widely used as a food supplement and is regarded
as having performance-enhancing and health-promoting properties. We conducted a preliminary
evaluation of the possible anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, pro-socialization and cognition-enhancing
effects of Spirulina in mouse models.

Methods:

Sixty male BalbC mice aged 3 weeks were administered with phycocyanin-rich Spirulina
extract [PRSE, 545 mg/kg], fluoxetine [20 mg/kg] or water orally for 5 weeks. During the last 2
weeks of the experiment, a series of behavioral-cognitive tests were performed to evaluate motor
activity, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects, socialization and cognitive effects. Effects of
PRSE and fluoxetine were compared to those of water.

Results:

There was a significant effect of PRSE in the activity domain, manifesting as an increase
in velocity in the open field [p=0.0007 vs. water]. Fluoxetine significantly enhanced immobility in
the tail suspension test and the forced swim test reflecting the known anti-depressant effect of this
compound, but not PRSE. There were no significant effects of PRSE found in the tests of anxiety,
socialization or cognition.

Conclusions:

The most striking observation in this study was that PRSE significantly enhanced activity
in the open field test. Further studies are indicated to confirm and extend this finding and investigate
the possible mechanisms of action. The results of the current study do not support sporadic
reports of possible anti-depressant or cognition-enhancing effects of PRSE. Nevertheless, additional
studies are indicated using depression models rather than naïve mice, alternative mouse
strains, using additional cognitive tests, and administering higher PRSE doses.
WITHDRAWN: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Vibrational Study, Optical Properties and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of a New Centrosymmetric Hybrid Material, Bis(3-Aminoquinolium) Tetrachloridocobaltate (II)
Authors: Boughzala Habib , Said Maha
Published: December 2021

The article has been withdrawn, as the Journal Current Smart Materials has been discontinued w.e.f. 2022 onwards.

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

Bentham Science Disclaimer:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously
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must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting
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authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright
of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
Mundus Vult Decipi RuPaul’s Drag Race as Part of the Culture Industry
Authors: Verhagen Eelke André
Published: December 2021

In this article I examine the ways in which the competitive reality television franchiseRuPaul’s Drag Race(RPDR), immensely popular withWestern LGBTQ+-communities, can be considered a product of what Theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer identified as the Culture Industry (CI). On the one hand,this allows for a concrete application of the CI-thesis and the exploration of possible lines of critique concerning RPDR and its effects on its viewership, while,on the other hand,it is an opportunity to evaluate the aptitude of the CI-thesis for critical analysis in the 21st century. While the concepts related to the CI-thesis turn out to be remarkably productive, its latent totalitarian and pessimistic framework tends to skew any analysis. This may warrant supplementing its coarse-grained perspective with a more fine-grained empirical investigation
Financial Feasibility and Sensitivity of Gouramy Culture (Osphronemus Gouramy) Business at Susuhbango Village, Kediri Regency
Authors:   Fakultas Perikanan dan Ilmu Kelautan Universitas Brawijaya, Fattah Mochammad , Utami Tiwi Nurjannati ,   Fakultas Perikanan dan Ilmu Kelautan Universitas Brawijaya, Sofiati Dwi ,   Program Studi Di luar Kampus Utama: Sosial Ekonomi Perikanan Universitas Brawijaya Kediri
Published: December 2021

This research aimed to analyze the feasibility and to analyze the sensitivity of the gouramy culture. Quantitative research methods used in this study with the total number of respondents were 43 farmers. The feasibility analysis of financial using NPV, B/C, IRR, and PP. The sensitivity analysis using the assumption of rising costs, decreasing costs as well as the acceptance and receipt changes simultaneously. The results showed that the value of NPV was IDR 14.083.504, B/C were 3.07, IRR was 54% and PP was 1.84 years. So that it can be said that the gouramy culture was infeasible condition. The gouramy culture conditions were sensitive to the cost increases to 30%. The decline of revenue caused the business in unfeasible condition until 21%. Whereas, the combination of these two conditions within costs increase to 16% and a decrease to 10% caused the business in unfeasible condition.
(Re)Inserção Profissional de Pessoas com Deficiência: Perceções das Medidas Contrato Emprego Inserção e Contrato Emprego Inserção+ por Beneficiários e Promotores
Authors: Borges Neuza Cardoso , Pinto Paula Campos
Published: December 2021

O Estado português reconhece à pessoa com deficiência o direito ao trabalho, de forma igualitária às demais pessoas. No entanto, muitos empregadores resistem ainda à ideia de contratar uma pessoa com deficiência. Neste sentido, a ação do Estado é determinante para a mudança de atitudes face à deficiência e para promover a contratação de pessoas com deficiência no mercado aberto de trabalho. Estas ações materializam-se através de políticas públicas. Este artigo reporta os resultados de um estudo de natureza exploratória e qualitativa sobre as medidas contrato emprego inserção e contrato emprego inserção+ (CEI/CEI+), realizado na região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, que analisou a perceção de três stakeholders — 16 beneficiários/as com deficiência, nove entidades promotoras das medidas e sete entidades promotoras de formação e emprego de pessoas com deficiência — com o objetivo de conhecer as suas perspetivas sobre os aspetos facilitadores e as limitações na aplicação destas medidas. Os resultados obtidos revelam que as medidas CEI/CEI+ apenas oferecem uma resposta temporária ao problema do desemprego das pessoas com deficiência, o que dificulta o acesso de forma sustentável a uma vida socioeconomicamente independente. Não obstante, os inquiridos não negam a importância destas medidas, considerando-as uma boa oportunidade para demonstrarem as suas competências profissionais e reforçar a autoestima e valorização pessoal. Os resultados obtidos com este estudo são discutidos à luz dos modelos de abordagem à deficiência e são formuladas algumas recomendações, com vista a potencializar os efeitos destas medidas.
International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020 special issue: editorial
Authors: Ullom Carine E. , Satar Müge
Published: December 2021

We are pleased to bring you this Special Issue of the Journal of Virtual Exchange, the second such volume to publish articles resulting from the International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020. This special issue includes five research articles presented at IVEC 2020 (http://iveconference.org/2020-conference) and a panel discussion. Each manuscript underwent double-blind review, which was then followed by rigorous editing and revising. Their work represents the amazing diversity that is blossoming in the field of Virtual Exchange (VE) as practitioners, academic administrators, and researchers realise its potential as well as its inevitable challenges.  
VE research presented in this special issue ranges from the study of the impact of VE on language learning (uptake) (Feng et al.) to a complex, three-way project with a focus on physical and digital accessibility (Oswal et al.). While Bartsch et al. describe their new framework that combines inquiry-based learning with digital storytelling in VE, Ganassin et al. share their findings regarding the underexplored area of staff (administrators and instructors) perceptions of the role of VE in Internationalisation at Home (IaH). In this same vein, Ruther et al. report on their work in an assessment-based approach to VE programme building. Findings from longitudinal studies are also presented, providing evidence that VE research as a discipline is maturing.
Mavens, Mavericks, and Managers: Educational Projecting and Politicking in Petrine and Post-Petrine Russia
Authors: Keenan Paul
Published: December 2021

Igor Fedyukin, The Enterprisers: The Politics of School in Early Modern Russia, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2019; 328p. ISBN: 9780190845001.
Itinera Petri. Биохроника Петра Великого – день за днем (1672-1725)
Authors: Анисимов Евгений В.
Published: December 2021

This article is devoted to the electronic project Itinera Petri: A Day-by-Day Bio-Chronicle of Peter the Great (1672-1725). This is an online database representing the life of Peter I in the form of electronic records, each of which corresponds to one day in the life of the monarch. The uniform presentation of the material follows a fixed format with the goal of separating facts from interpretations. The database is equipped with a searchable interface organized according to different parameters (including by toponyms and personal names).
Viktor Zhivov "Toward a Typology of the Baroque in Russian Literature of the XVII—Early XVIII Centuries"
Authors: Levitt Marcus
Published: December 2021

Viktor Zhivov’s 2007 article, here translated into English for the first time, attempts to describe the specific nature of the Baroque in Russia. According to Zhivov, Russian Baroque culture arose via transplantation and was not the result of organic cultural development. Because of their cardinal differences, the language of Western Baroque and that of traditional Russian culture represent polar opposites in many ways. Hence the transplantation of even the most insignificant element results in its radical transformation, highlighting the peculiarities of the process of reception.  The article outlines the principles that governed this process.  It argues that it was the external features of the Baroque style that were borrowed, while its deeper orientation on polysemy, which defined the Baroque worldview in the West, was not.  The assimilation of Western literature was eclectic and replaced rhetorical ambivalence with the rhetoric of didacticism. It took what could be synthesized with traditional culture most easily, at the same time as the more content-oriented features and those specific to European Baroque were rejected.  If in Western Europe the Baroque posed riddles for the reader, in Russia authors on the “European" trajectory assisted the reader by providing solutions.  The Baroque in Russia was primarily a phenomenon of Western influence, so that its unique features took second place in the process of forming a new cultural paradigm as a whole. “Baroque” elements acquired a completely new pedagogical function, becoming carriers of the new ideology that was being introduced.  The Baroque became a servitor of power, whose aim was the political reeducation of society.