bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Superman to Swordquest: Atari and early video game labor exploitation
Authors: Fleury James
Published: November 2023

Unionization efforts have only recently begun to address the exploitative conditions of working in video games. Despite such conditions dating back to the industry's origins, scholarship has tended to focus on contemporary labor issues over those of the past. To illustrate early forms of video game exploitation, I examine the history of industry pioneer Atari under the ownership of media conglomerate Warner Communications, Inc. (WCI) from 1976 to 1984. Soon after acquiring Atari, WCI installed a new CEO and pursued convergence initiatives. As a corporate ideal, convergence implies two cultures cooperating as they move toward becoming a single culture. I argue, however, that bringing together multiple media often creates conflict between different work cultures. Using the case studies of Superman (1979), E.T. the Extra‐Terrestrial (1982), and the original Swordquest trilogy (1982–1983), I explain how WCI's convergence with Atari led to culture clashes, an exodus of talent, the rise of rival software companies, product saturation, and the transformation of the global video game market by the end of the 1980s. I conclude by considering how the conflict between WCI and Atari provides lessons for labor problems that continue to characterize the industry—both in isolation and in relation to older media industries.
Distress and psychosocial support seeking: A comparison of rural and metropolitan oncology patient experiences
Authors: Martin Mahala , Rice Kylie , Murray Clara V. , Rock Adam J. , Usher Kim J.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Prevalence of distress in cancer patients is established at approximately 50%, yet uptake of psychosocial support is minimal.

Objective

This study aimed to understand why clinically distressed oncology patients choose not to access psychosocial support, including whether this differs by geographic location. It also aimed to determine the proportion of rural and metropolitan patients experiencing clinical levels of distress, and of these, the proportion who do not wish to access support.

Design

The study used a cross‐sectional design. Two hundred and ninety‐eight Australian cancer patients completed an online survey, including the Distress Thermometer and open‐ended questions about reasons for declining support. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the data.

Findings

More than half (56%) of participants reported experiencing clinically significant levels of distress. Of these, almost half (47%) declined psychosocial support. Content analysis of reasons for declining psychosocial support resulted in six main concepts: I don't need support; I'm using personal resources to cope; negative perceptions and attitudes; life doesn't stop for cancer; I'm focussed on fighting cancer; and systemic barriers. Rural cancer patients most often indicated using personal resources to cope, while metropolitan participants most commonly indicated not needing support. A range of subconcepts were also identified. Perceiving distress as manageable or transient was almost exclusively reported by metropolitan participants, while stigma was almost exclusively reported by rural participants.

Discussion

The findings provided greater depth of insight into reasons cancer patients decline psychosocial support and identified several qualitative differences in the reasons provided by metropolitan and rural patients. Recommendations are provided for clinicians, in particular for clinicians who work with rural cancer patients and their supporters.

Conclusion

These findings can inform equitable resourcing of psychosocial support in rural areas and the adaptation of psychosocial interventions to be more flexible and responsive to individual needs. This may help increase patient uptake of support, particularly in rural areas.
Functional electrical stimulation cycling‐based muscular evaluation method in mechanically ventilated patients
Authors: de Gomes Figueiredo Thainá , Frazão Murillo , Werlang Luiz Augusto , Peltz Maikel , Sobral Filho Dário Celestino
Published: November 2023

Background

Intensive care acquired muscle weakness is a common feature in critically ill patients. Beyond the therapeutic uses, FES‐cycling could represent a promising nonvolitional evaluation method for detecting acquired muscle weakness.

Objectives

To assess whether FES‐cycling is able to identify muscle dysfunctions, and to evaluate the survival rate in patients with detected muscle dysfunction.

Methods

A prospective observational study was carried out, with 29 critically ill patients and 20 healthy subjects. Maximum torque and power achieved were recorded, in addition to the stimulation cost, and patients were followed up for six months.

Results

Torque (2.64 [1.53 to 4.81] vs 6.03 [4.56 to 6.73] Nm) and power (3.31 [2.33 to 6.37] vs 6.35 [5.22 to 10.70] watts) were lower and stimulation cost (22 915 [5069 to 37 750] vs 3411 [2080 to 4024] μC/W) was higher in patients compared to healthy people (p < 0.05). Surviving patients showed a nonsignificant difference in power and torque in relation to nonsurvivors (p > 0.05), but they had a lower stimulation cost (4462 [3598 to 11 788] vs 23 538 [10 164 to 39 836] μC/W) (p < 0.05). In total, 34% of all patients survived during the six months of follow‐up. Furthermore, 62% of patients with a stimulation cost below 15 371 μC/W and 7% of patients with a stimulation cost above 15 371 μC/W survived.

Conclusions

FES‐cycling has good sensitivity and specificity for detecting muscle disorders. Critical patients have low torque and power and a high stimulation cost. Stimulation cost is related to survival. A low stimulation cost was related to a 3 times greater chance of survival.
Implementation of pre‐emptive testing of a pharmacogenomic panel in clinical practice: Where do we stand?
Authors: Peruzzi Elena , Roncato Rossana , De Mattia Elena , Bignucolo Alessia , Swen Jesse J. , Guchelaar Henk‐Jan , Toffoli Giuseppe , Cecchin Erika
Published: November 2023

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) account for a large proportion of hospitalizations among adults and are more common in multimorbid patients, worsening clinical outcomes and burdening healthcare resources. Over the past decade, pharmacogenomics has been developed as a practical tool for optimizing treatment outcomes by mitigating the risk of ADRs. Some single‐gene reactive tests are already used in clinical practice, including the DPYD test for fluoropyrimidines, which demonstrates how integrating pharmacogenomic data into routine care can improve patient safety in a cost‐effective manner. The evolution from reactive single‐gene testing to comprehensive pre‐emptive genotyping panels holds great potential for refining drug prescribing practices. Several implementation projects have been conducted to test the feasibility of applying different genetic panels in clinical practice. Recently, the results of a large prospective randomized trial in Europe (the PREPARE study by Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics consortium) have provided the first evidence that prospective application of a pre‐emptive pharmacogenomic test panel in clinical practice, in seven European healthcare systems, is feasible and yielded a 30% reduction in the risk of developing clinically relevant toxicities. Nevertheless, some important questions remain unanswered and will hopefully be addressed by future dedicated studies. These issues include the cost‐effectiveness of applying a pre‐emptive genotyping panel, the role of multiple co‐medications, the transferability of currently tested pharmacogenetic guidelines among patients of non‐European origin and the impact of rare pharmacogenetic variants that are not detected by currently used genotyping approaches.
Dysfunction of sinus macrophages in tumor‐bearing host induces resistance to immunotherapy
Authors: Anami Toshiki , Pan Cheng , Fujiwara Yukio , Komohara Yoshihiro , Yano Hiromu , Saito Yoichi , Sugimoto Masamichi , Wakita Daiko , Motoshima Takanobu , Murakami Yoji , Yatsuda Junji , Takahashi Naofumi , Suzu Shinya , Asano Kenichi , Tamada Koji , Kamba Tomomi
Published: November 2023

Sinus macrophages in draining lymph nodes (DLNs) are involved in anti‐tumor immune reactions. CD169 (Sialoadhesin, Siglec‐1) is expressed on sinus macrophages and is considered a surrogate marker for the immunostimulatory phenotype of macrophages. In this study, the significance of sinus macrophages in immunotherapy was evaluated using mouse models. Treatment with anti‐programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) antibody suppressed the subcutaneous tumor growth of MC38 and E0771 cells but was not effective against MB49 and LLC tumors. Decreased cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration in tumor tissues and CD169 expression in sinus macrophages were observed in MB49 and LLC cells compared to corresponding parameters in MC38 and E0771 cells. The anti‐tumor effects of the anti‐PD‐L1 antibody on MC38 and E0771 cells were abolished when sinus macrophages in DLNs were depleted, suggesting that sinus macrophages are involved in the therapeutic effect of the anti‐PD‐L1 antibody. Naringin activated sinus macrophages. Naringin inhibited tumor growth in MB49‐ and LLC‐bearing mice but did not affect that in MC38‐ and E0771‐bearing mice. The infiltration of CTLs in tumor tissues and their activation were increased by naringin, and this effect was impaired when sinus macrophages were depleted. Combination therapy with naringin and anti‐PD‐L1 antibody suppressed MB49 tumor growth. In conclusion, CD169‐positive sinus macrophages in DLNs are critical for anti‐tumor immune responses, and naringin suppresses tumor growth by activating CD169‐positive sinus macrophages and anti‐tumor CTL responses. The activation status of sinus macrophages has been suggested to differ among tumor models, and this should be investigated in future studies.
Synthesis and antiglycation activity of 3‐phenacyl substituted thiazolium salts, new analogs of Alagebrium
Authors: Ozerov Alexander , Merezhkina Darya , Zubkov Fedor I. , Litvinov Roman , Ibragimova Umida , Valuisky Nikita , Borisov Alexander , Spasov Alexander
Published: November 2023

After preliminary ab initio calculations, 3‐phenacyl substituted thiazolium salts, analogs of Alagebrium, were synthesized and investigated in vitro as glycation reaction inhibitors. The most part of investigations focused on the potential of the title compounds to attenuate the formation of fluorescent AGEs as well on their ability to disrupt the cross‐linking formation among glycated proteins. Additionally, the capability of thiazolium salts to deglycate in the reaction of early glycation products with nitroblue tetrazolium was determined. Cytotoxicological properties of the title compounds were evaluated using LDH and MTT assays. The leader compound (3‐[2‐(biphenyl‐4‐yl)‐2‐oxoethyl]‐1,3‐thiazol‐3‐ium bromide) in a 50 mg/kg dose (p.o. 14 days) was further tested within an in vivo carbonyl stress model (rats, methylglyoxal 86.25 mg/kg/d, i.p., 14 days). As a result, the leader‐molecule revealed a high effectiveness against all three examined mechanisms of glycation reaction inhibition in in vitro tests and was able to suppress capacity of methylglyoxal to form AGEs in vivo.
Identifying key dimensions of indigenous led child welfare services: A qualitative literature review
Authors: Paki Paki Natalie , King Paula Toko , Lewis Lashana , Walker Shayne , Mackay Hunia Te Urukaiata , Anderson Daniel , Amante Eunice , Kemp Susan P.
Published: November 2023

National and state governments in settler colonial countries are increasingly committing to policies and practices aimed at strengthening Indigenous frameworks, programmes and leadership in child protection services. However, research‐based information on Indigenous child welfare services and programmes is sparse. This qualitative literature review explores and documents key features of Indigenous child welfare and protection models and/or frameworks in an international context, with a specific focus on Indigenous children, young people, families, and communities. Twenty‐four publications meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Published frameworks, models, services, interventions and/or programmes within the broader area of child welfare and children protection that are Indigenous‐designed and/or led or developed in partnership or collaboration with Indigenous peoples were identified. The review highlights 11 key dimensions that underpin the frameworks, models, services, interventions and/or programmes. Findings of the review also reveal commonalities across Indigenous cultures and contexts that from an Indigenous perspective are considered fundamental to supporting Indigenous children, young people and families involved with child protective services. Additionally, the findings point to the critical need for ongoing advocacy for Indigenous‐designed and led services and programmes, including support for Indigenous research, evaluation and intellectual leadership.
Genetic counselling considerations with genetic/genomic testing in Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units: A scoping review
Authors: Kim Sunu , Pistawka Carly , Langlois Sylvie , Osiovich Horacio , Virani Alice , Kitchin Vanessa ,   GenCOUNSEL Study, Elliott Alison M.
Published: November 2023

Genetic and genomic technologies can effectively diagnose numerous genetic disorders. Patients benefit when genetic counselling accompanies genetic testing and international guidelines recommend pre‐ and post‐test genetic counselling with genome‐wide sequencing. However, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the unique genetic counselling considerations with different types of genetic testing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This scoping review was conducted to identify the gaps in care with respect to genetic counselling for infants/pediatric patients undergoing genetic and genomic testing in NICUs and PICUs and understand areas in need of improvement in order to optimize clinical care for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Five databases (MEDLINE [Ovid], Embase [Ovid], PsycINFO [Ebsco], CENTRAL [Ovid], and CINHAL [Ebsco]) and grey literature were searched. A total of 170 studies were included and used for data extraction and analysis. This scoping review includes descriptive analysis, followed by a narrative account of the extracted data. Results were divided into three groups: pre‐test, post‐test, and comprehensive (both pre‐ and post‐test) genetic counselling considerations based on indication for testing. More studies were conducted in the NICU than the PICU. Comprehensive genetic counselling was discussed in only 31% of all the included studies demonstrating the need for both pre‐test and post‐test genetic counselling for different clinical indications in addition to the need to account for different cultural aspects based on ethnicity and geographic factors.
Interactive Authoring of Terrain using Diffusion Models
Authors: Lochner J. , Gain J. , Perche S. , Peytavie A. , Galin E. , Guérin E.
Published: November 2023

Generating heightfield terrains is a necessary precursor to the depiction of computer‐generated natural scenes in a variety of applications. Authoring such terrains is made challenging by the need for interactive feedback, effective user control, and perceptually realistic output encompassing a range of landforms. We address these challenges by developing a terrain‐authoring framework underpinned by an adaptation of diffusion models for conditional image synthesis, trained on real‐world elevation data. This framework supports automated cleaning of the training set; authoring control through style selection and feature sketches; the ability to import and freely edit pre‐existing terrains, and resolution amplification up to the limits of the source data. Our framework improves on previous machine‐learning approaches by: expanding landform variety beyond mountainous terrain to encompass cliffs, canyons, and plains; providing a better balance between terseness and specificity in user control, and improving the fidelity of global terrain structure and perceptual realism. This is demonstrated through drainage simulations and a user study testing the perceived realism for different classes of terrain. The full source code, blender add‐on, and pre‐trained models are available.
MOVIN: Real‐time Motion Capture using a Single LiDAR
Authors: Jang Deok‐Kyeong , Yang Dongseok , Jang Deok‐Yun , Choi Byeoli , Jin Taeil , Lee Sung‐Hee
Published: November 2023

Recent advancements in technology have brought forth new forms of interactive applications, such as the social metaverse, where end users interact with each other through their virtual avatars. In such applications, precise full‐body tracking is essential for an immersive experience and a sense of embodiment with the virtual avatar. However, current motion capture systems are not easily accessible to end users due to their high cost, the requirement for special skills to operate them, or the discomfort associated with wearable devices. In this paper, we present MOVIN, the data‐driven generative method for real‐time motion capture with global tracking, using a single LiDAR sensor. Our autoregressive conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) model learns the distribution of pose variations conditioned on the given 3D point cloud from LiDAR. As a central factor for high‐accuracy motion capture, we propose a novel feature encoder to learn the correlation between the historical 3D point cloud data and global, local pose features, resulting in effective learning of the pose prior. Global pose features include root translation, rotation, and foot contacts, while local features comprise joint positions and rotations. Subsequently, a pose generator takes into account the sampled latent variable along with the features from the previous frame to generate a plausible current pose. Our framework accurately predicts the performer's 3D global information and local joint details while effectively considering temporally coherent movements across frames. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our architecture through quantitative and qualitative evaluations, comparing it against state‐of‐the‐art methods. Additionally, we implement a real‐time application to showcase our method in real‐world scenarios. MOVIN dataset is available at https://movin3d.github.io/movin_pg2023/https://movin3d.github.io/movin_pg2023/">https://movin3d.github.io/movin_pg2023/.
OptCtrlPoints: Finding the Optimal Control Points for Biharmonic 3D Shape Deformation
Authors: Kim Kunho , Angelina Uy Mikaela , Paschalidou Despoina , Jacobson Alec , Guibas Leonidas J. , Sung Minhyuk
Published: November 2023

We proposeOptCtrlPoints, a data‐driven framework designed to identify the optimal sparse set of control points for reproducing target shapes using biharmonic 3D shape deformation. Control‐point‐based 3D deformation methods are widely utilized for interactive shape editing, and their usability is enhanced when the control points are sparse yet strategically distributed across the shape. With this objective in mind, we introduce a data‐driven approach that can determine the most suitable set of control points, assuming that we have a given set of possible shape variations. The challenges associated with this task primarily stem from the computationally demanding nature of the problem. Two main factors contribute to this complexity: solving a large linear system for the biharmonic weight computation and addressing the combinatorial problem of finding the optimal subset of mesh vertices. To overcome these challenges, we propose a reformulation of the biharmonic computation that reduces the matrix size, making it dependent on the number of control points rather than the number of vertices. Additionally, we present an efficient search algorithm that significantly reduces the time complexity while still delivering a nearly optimal solution. Experiments on SMPL, SMAL, and DeformingThings4D datasets demonstrate the efficacy of our method. Our control points achieve better template‐to‐target fit than FPS, random search, and neural‐network‐based prediction. We also highlight the significant reduction in computation time from days to approximately 3 minutes.
Refinement of Hair Geometry by Strand Integration
Authors: Maeda Ryota , Takayama Kenshi , Taketomi Takafumi
Published: November 2023

Reconstructing 3D hair is challenging due to its complex micro‐scale geometry, and is of essential importance for the efficient creation of high‐fidelity virtual humans. Existing hair capture methods based on multi‐view stereo tend to generate results that are noisy and inaccurate. In this study, we propose a refinement method for hair geometry by incorporating the gradient of strands into the computation of their position. We formulate a gradient integration strategy for hair strands. We evaluate the performance of our method using a synthetic multi‐view dataset containing four hairstyles, and show that our refinement produces more accurate hair geometry. Furthermore, we tested our method with a real image input. Our method produces a plausible result. Our source code is publicly available athttps://github.com/elerac/strand_integration.
Fine Back Surfaces Oriented Human Reconstruction for Single RGB‐D Images
Authors: Fang Xianyong , Qian Yu , He Jinshen , Wang Linbo , Liu Zhengyi
Published: November 2023

Current single RGB‐D image based human surface reconstruction methods generally take both the RGB images and the captured frontal depth maps together so that the 3D cues from the frontal surfaces can help infer the full surface geometries. However, we observe that the back surfaces can often be quite different from the frontal surfaces and, therefore, current methods can mess the recovery process by adopting such 3D cues, especially for the unseen back surfaces. We need to do the back surface inference without the frontal depth map. Consequently, a novel human reconstruction framework is proposed, so that human models with fine geometric details, especially for the back surfaces, can be obtained. In this approach, a progressive estimation method is introduced to effectively recover the unseen back depth maps. The coarse back depth maps are recovered by the parametric models of the subjects, with the fine ones further obtained by the normal‐maps conditioned GAN. This framework also includes a cross‐attention based denoising method for the frontal depth maps. This method adopts the cross attention between the features of the last two layers encoded from the frontal depth maps and thus suppresses the noise for fine depth maps by the attentions of features from the low‐noise and globally‐structured highest layer. Experimental results show the efficacies of the proposed ideas.
SVBRDF Reconstruction by Transferring Lighting Knowledge
Authors: Zhu Pengfei , Lai Shuichang , Chen Mufan , Guo Jie , Liu Yifan , Guo Yanwen
Published: November 2023

The problem of reconstructing spatially‐varying BRDFs from RGB images has been studied for decades. Researchers found themselves in a dilemma: opting for either higher quality with the inconvenience of camera and light calibration, or greater convenience at the expense of compromised quality without complex setups. We address this challenge by introducing a two‐branch network to learn the lighting effects in images. The two branches, referred to as Light‐known and Light‐aware, diverge in their need for light information. The Light‐aware branch is guided by the Light‐known branch to acquire the knowledge of discerning light effects and surface reflectance properties, but without the reliance of light positions. Both branches are trained using the synthetic dataset, but during testing on real‐world cases without calibration, only the Light‐aware branch is activated. To facilitate a more effective utilization of various light conditions, we employ gated recurrent units (GRUs) to fuse the features extracted from different images. The two modules mutually benefit when multiple inputs are provided. We present our reconstructed results on both synthetic and real‐world examples, demonstrating high quality while maintaining a lightweight characteristic in comparison to previous methods.
World‐Space Spatiotemporal Path Resampling for Path Tracing
Authors: Zhang Hangyu , Wang Beibei
Published: November 2023

With the advent of hardware‐accelerated ray tracing, more and more real‐time rendering applications tend to render images with ray‐traced global illumination (GI). However, the low sample counts at real‐time framerates bring enormous challenges to existing path sampling methods. Recent work (ReSTIR GI) samples indirect illumination effectively with a dramatic bias reduction. However, as a screen‐space based path resampling approach, it can only reuse the path at the first bounce and brings subtle benefits for complex scenes. To this end, we propose a world‐space based spatiotemporal path resampling approach. Our approach caches more path samples into a world‐space grid, which allows reusing sub‐path starting from non‐primary path vertices. Furthermore, we introduce a practical normal‐aware hash grid construction approach, providing more efficient candidate samples for path resampling. Eventually, our method achieves improvements ranging from 16.6% to 41.9% in terms of mean squared errors (MSE) compared against the previous method with only 4.4% ∼ 8.4% extra time cost.
The influence of titanium‐base abutment geometry and height on mechanical stability of implant‐supported single crowns
Authors: Karasan Duygu , Pitta João , Zarauz Cristina , Strasding Malin , Liu Xinran , Fehmer Vincent , Sailer Irena
Published: November 2023

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the influence of titanium base (ti‐base) abutment macro‐ and micro‐geometry on the mechanical stability of polymer‐infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) screw‐retained implant‐supported single crowns (iSCs).

Materials and Methods

Twelve specimens per group were used, comprising six different implant/ti‐base abutment combinations restored with PICN iSCs: Nb‐T (gingival height [GH]: 1.5 mm, prosthetic height [PH]: 4.3 mm), CC (GH: 0.8 mm, PH: 4.3 mm), CC‐P (GH: 0.8 mm, PH: 7 mm), Nb‐V (GH: 1.5 mm, PH: 6 mm), St (GH: 1.5 mm, PH: 5.5 mm), and Th (GH: 0.5 mm, PH: 9 mm). The specimens underwent thermo‐mechanical aging, and those that survived were subsequently subjected to static loading until failure. The data were analyzed using a one‐way ANOVA test followed by Tukey post hoc test (α = .05).

Results

All specimens survived thermo‐mechanical aging without complications, namely, visible cracks, debonding, or screw loosening. Th group demonstrated the highest strength values among all the groups, with significant differences compared to Nb‐T (p < .05), CC (p < .001), and St (p < .001). Additionally, CC‐P group exhibited significantly superior fracture strength results compared to CC (p < .05) and St (p < .05).

Conclusion

The choice of ti‐base, particularly prosthetic height, had a significant influence on fracture resistance of PICN iSCs. Nevertheless, the height or geometrical features of the ti‐base did not exhibit a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of the iSC/ti‐base assembly under thermomechanical loading, as all specimens withstood the aging without complication or failure.
The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland guideline on the management of anal fissure
Authors: Cross Katie L. R. , Brown Steven R. , Kleijnen Jos , Bunce James , Paul Melanie , Pilkington Sophie , Warren Oliver , Jones Oliver , Lund Jon , Goss Henry J. , Stanton Michael , Marunda Tatenda , Gilani Artaza , Ngu L. Wee Sing , Tozer Philip
Published: November 2023

Aim

The management of anal fissure: ACPGBI position statement was written 15 years ago. [KLR Cross et al., Colorectal Dis, 2008]. Our aim was to update the guideline and provide recommendations on the most effective treatment for patients with anal fissures utilising a multidisciplinary, rigorous guideline methodology.

Methods

The development process consisted of six phases. In phase 1 we defined the scope of the guideline. The patient population included patients with acute and chronic anal fissure. The target group was all practitioners (primary and secondary care) treating patients with fissures and, in addition, healthcare workers and patients who desired information regarding fissure management. In phase 2 we formed a guideline development group (GDG) including a methodologist. In phase 3 review questions were formulated, using a reversed PICO process, starting with possible recommendations based on the GDG's knowledge. In phase 4 a comprehensive literature search focused on existing systematic reviews addressing each review question, supplemented by more recent studies if appropriate. In phase 5 data were extracted from the included papers and checked by the GDG. If indicated, meta‐analysis of systematic review data was updated by the GDG. During phase 6 the GDG members decided what recommendations could be made based on the evidence in the literature and strength of the recommendation was assessed using ‘grade’.

Results

This guideline is divided into two sections: Primary care which includes (i) diagnosis; (ii) basic treatment; (iii) topical treatment; and secondary care which includes (iv) botulinum toxin therapy; (v) surgical intervention and (vi) special situations (including pregnancy and breast‐feeding patients, children, receptive anal intercourse and low‐pressure fissures). A total of 23 recommendations were formulated. A new term clinically healed was described by the GDG.

Conclusion

This guideline provides an up‐to‐date evidence‐based summary of the current knowledge of the management of anal fissure and may serve as a useful guide for clinicians as well as a potential reference for patients.
Parents' perceptions of a modified sports intervention for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Rodrigues De Sousa Junior Ricardo , Oliveira Souto Deisiane , Ribeiro Ferreira Fabiane , Caetano Martins Da Silva E Dutra Fabiana , Resende Camargos Ana Cristina , Clutterbuck Georgina L. , Ribeiro Leite Hércules ,   Sports Stars Brazil Study Group
Published: November 2023

Aim

To explore the perceptions of parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) participating in a modified sports intervention, Sports Stars Brazil.

Method

Parents of children with CP (n = 15, 6–12 years old, nine males, six females), classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II, who participated in the Sports Stars Brazil intervention, were recruited for this descriptive qualitative study. Children received the 8‐week (1 hour per week) modified sports intervention. After the intervention, parents participated in a focus group. The F‐word (fitness, family, fun, functioning, friends, and future) interpretation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used to guide the discussion. Participants were invited to report their experience of participating in the intervention using the F‐words for a childhood disability model. Transcripts were coded using content analysis.

Results

Parents reported positive experiences of the Sports Stars Brazil intervention, including a decrease in sedentarism (fitness), improvement of motor skills (functioning), greater connection between child and family (family), better socialization (friends), increased participation in pleasurable activities (fun), and awareness of the importance of physical activity (future). All positive experiences were interconnected.

Interpretation

This study presents the ability of the Sports Stars Brazil intervention to integrate all aspects of functioning and supports its role as an engaging and promising intervention option for ambulant children with CP.

What this paper adds

The parents of children participating in Sports Stars Brazil perceived benefits across all F‐words.

This modified sports intervention integrated all F‐words into one concept.
Changes in lipid profile and glucose metabolism following administration of bupropion alone or in combination with naltrexone: A systematic review and meta‐regression analysis
Authors: Hu Yi , Velu Periyannan , Rohani Pejman , Sohouli Mohammad Hassan
Published: November 2023

Background

Considering the conflicting effects of bupropion on parameters related to metabolic syndrome including glucose metabolism and lipid profile, in this meta‐analysis study, we investigated the effects of this drug alone or in combination with naltrexone on glucose metabolism and lipid profile.

Methods

Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Embase databases were searched using standard keywords to identify all controlled trials investigating effects of bupropion alone and combined with naltrexone on the glucose and lipid profile. Pooled weighted mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were achieved by random‐effects model.

Results

Twelve studies with 5152 participants' were included in this article. The pooled findings showed that bupropion alone or in combination with naltrexone would significantly reduce glucose (weighted mean difference (WMD): −2.25 mg/dL, 95% confidence interval (CI): −4.10, −0.40), insulin (WMD: −4.06 μU/mL, 95% CI: −6.09, −2.03), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) (WMD: −0.58, 95% CI: −0.98, −0.19), triglyceride (TG) (WMD: −11.78 mg/dL, 95% CI: −14.48 to −9.08) and increase high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) (WMD: 2.68 mg/dL, 95% CI: 2.13 to 3.24). A Greater reduction in glucose levels was observed with duration >26 weeks. Dose of bupropion intake ≤360 mg and intervention for more than 26 weeks decreased insulin level significantly. With regard to lipid profile, reduction of triglycerides is more significant with dose of bupropion greater than 360 mg and a shorter intervention length equal to 26 weeks.

Conclusions

The addition of combination therapies such as bupropion and naltrexone to lifestyle modification can significantly improve glucose metabolism and some lipid parameters.
Distinct diurnal and nocturnal flower visitor communities provide pollination services in urban gardens
Authors: Wonderlin Nicole Elise
Published: November 2023

Urban gardens are considered a key tool for mitigating biodiversity and plant‐pollinator interaction loss due to their ubiquity in urban landscapes and the variety of resources they provide. To date, most urban garden pollination research has focused on diurnal pollination, omitting a potentially important group—nocturnal pollinators.

To assess the diversity and pollination activity of both diurnal and nocturnal flower visitors in urban gardens, I monitored arthropods on focal inflorescences of Eupatorium perfoliatum, a common Michigan‐native species, for 24‐h cycles and recorded the number and duration of visits. I also measured diurnal and nocturnal communities' pollination services using a temporal floral visitation exclusion experiment.

Flowers averaged nearly twice as many visits during the day as compared with night within 24‐h cycles, but nocturnal visit durations were 2.5‐fold longer on average. Day and night floral visitor communities were distinct, with day visits being dominated by Diptera, ants and other Hymenoptera, and night visits being carried out most frequently by ants, Dermaptera and Hemiptera. In the floral visitor exclusion experiment, plants open to only nocturnal visits produced larger seeds, whereas plants open to only diurnal visits trended towards producing more seeds, signalling a potential trade‐off between seed quantity and size among visitor communities.

Overall, diurnal and nocturnal floral visitor communities were distinct, and nocturnally pollinated plants had reproductive output comparable to diurnally pollinated treatments. Given the emphasis on diurnal pollinators in most pollination studies, it is possible that relevant plant‐pollinator interaction information may be missed in cases where anthesis spans both day and night.
Should history change the way we think about populism?
Authors: de Bromhead Alan , O'Rourke Kevin Hjortshøj
Published: November 2023

This paper asks whether history should change the way in which economists and economic historians think about populism. We use Müller's definition, according to which populism is ‘an exclusionary form of identity politics, which is why it poses a threat to democracy’. We make three historical arguments. First, late‐nineteenth‐century US Populists were not populist. Second, there is no necessary relationship between populism and anti‐globalization sentiment. Third, economists have sometimes been on the wrong side of important policy debates involving opponents rightly or wrongly described as populist. History encourages us to avoid an overly simplistic view of populism and its correlates.
Comparisons of student comprehension of 3D‐printed, standard model, and extracted teeth in hands‐on sessions
Authors: Sonkaya Ezgi , Kürklü Z. Gonca Bek
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Cavity preparation and direct and indirect pulp capping are difficult processes to learn in dentistry. Although plastic teeth are used in universities in Turkey, the standard model does not teach students how to distinguish between dental hard tissues from caries and how this relates to the pulp. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in learning when a three‐dimensional (3D)‐printed tooth was employed in comparison with the standard model and extracted teeth. The differences are evaluated in the design, feasibility, and contribution of the 3D‐printed dental tooth in pre‐clinical education.

Materials and Methods

The multi‐layer 3D‐printed tooth's authentic design and replication of the dental hard tissues and carious lesions are explored with 55 students for pre‐clinical education, which includes caries excavation and direct and indirect pulp capping. The students completed questionnaires evaluating the 3D‐printed teeth through comparison with the plastic and extracted teeth, rated with scores from 1 to 11 (1: poorest conformity; 11: excellent conformity).

Results

The questionnaire results indicated that students approved the printed tooth model for the practice of theoretical knowledge and the model received ratings between good and excellent. The results were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, and the printed teeth had the highest approval from the students (p < .001).

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrated that the use of the designed 3D‐printed tooth is preferred by the students based on their perception of learning cavity preparation and pulp capping in a pre‐clinical environment. Workflow and production were cost‐effective with the use of 3D printing technology. The printed tooth allowed students to gain realistic experience before treating patients.
Comparison of cone‐beam and fan‐beam computed tomography and low‐field magnetic resonance imaging for detection of palmar/plantar osteochondral disease in Thoroughbred horses
Authors: Lin Szu‐Ting , Bolas Nicholas M. , Peter Vanessa G. , Pokora Rachel , Patrick Hayley , Foote Alastair K. , Sargan David R. , Murray Rachel C.
Published: November 2023

Background

Palmar/plantar osteochondral disease (POD) of the metacarpal/tarsal condyles is a common pathological finding in racehorses.

Objective

To compare diagnoses, imaging details, and measurements of POD lesions between cone‐beam computed tomography CT (CBCT), fan‐beam CT (FBCT), and low‐field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using macroscopic pathology as a gold standard.

Study design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Thirty‐five cadaver limbs from 10 horses underwent CBCT, FBCT, MRI, and macroscopic examination. CT and MR images were examined for presence of POD, imaging details of POD, and measurements of POD dimensions and areas. Imaging diagnoses, details, and measurements were compared with macroscopic examination and between modalities.

Results

Forty‐eight POD lesions were seen over 70 condyles. Compared with macroscopic examination the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis were 95.8% (CI95 = 88%–99%) and 63.6% (CI95 = 43%–81%) for FBCT, 85.4% (CI95 = 74%–94%) and 81.8% (CI95 = 63%–94%) for CBCT, and 69.0% (CI95 = 54%–82%) and 71.4% (CI95 = 46%–90%) for MRI. Inter‐modality agreement on diagnosis was moderate between CBCT and FBCT (κ = 0.56, p < 0.001). POD was identified on CT as hypoattenuating lesions with surrounding hyperattenuation and on MRI as either T1W, T2*W, T2W, and STIR hyperintense lesions or T1W and T2*W heterogeneous hypointense lesions with surrounding hypointensity. Agreement on imaging details between CBCT and FBCT was substantial for subchondral irregularity (κ = 0.61, p < 0.001). Macroscopic POD width strongly correlated with MRI (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and CBCT (r = 0.79, p < 0.001) and moderately correlated with FBCT (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). Macroscopic POD width was greater than all imaging modality (p < 0.001).

Main limitations

Effect of motion artefact in live horse imaging could not be assessed.

Conclusions

All imaging modalities were able to detect POD lesions, but underestimated lesion size. The CT systems were more sensitive, but the differing patterns of signal intensity may suggest that MRI can detect changes associated with POD pathological status or severity. The image features observed by CBCT and FBCT were similar.
Android ransomware detection using binary Jaya optimization algorithm
Authors: Alazab Moutaz
Published: November 2023

Ransomware is a serious security concern to mobile devices, as it prevents the use of the device and its contents until a ransom is paid, resulting in considerable financial losses for both people and corporations. The existing anti‐malware measures have shown to be inadequate in combatting new malware variants that utilize advanced evasion strategies like Polymorphic, Metamorphic, Dynamic Code Loading, Time‐based evasion, and Reflection. Furthermore, these primary defences have also suffered from low detection rates, significant false positives, high processing times, and excessive processing and power consumption that is inappropriate for smartphones. This paper offers the binary JAYA (BJAYA) for ransomware detection in Android mobile devices using the BJAYA optimization‐based algorithm. The developed algorithm's effectiveness has been assessed against two datasets, the 0–1 knapsack, and real ransomware dataset. The proposed BJAYA method surpassed the other algorithms on 85% of the 0–1 knapsack datasets. The suggested BJAYA method was also tested on a ransomware dataset in two phases. In the first stage of testing, BJAYA outperformed other standard classifiers with sensitivity and Gmean values of 97% and 98.2%, respectively. In the second stage of testing, BJAYA outperformed other GA, FPA, and PSO metaheuristic algorithms in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and Gmean. These findings indicate the applicability of the suggested BJAYA algorithm for ransomware detection.
Borehole Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Estimation of Specific Yield in a Fractured Granite Aquifer
Authors: Phillips Stephanie N. , Carr Bradley , Zhang Ye , Flinchum Brady , Ren Shuangpo
Published: November 2023

In this study, we introduce a novel field‐based method to estimate specific yield (Sy) in fractured, low‐porosity granite aquifers using borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (bNMR). This method requires collecting a bNMR survey immediately following a pump test, which dewaters the near‐borehole fractures. The residual water content measured from bNMR is interpreted as “bound” and represents the specific retention (Sr) while the water drained by the pump is the Sy. The transverse relaxation cutoff time (T2C) is the length of time that partitions the total porosity measured by bNMR into Sr and Sy. When applying a calibrated T2C, Sy equals the bNMR total porosity minus Sr; thus, a calibrated T2C is required to determine Sy directly from NMR results. Based on laboratory experiments on sandstone cores, the default T2C is 33 ms; however, its applicability to fractured granite aquifers is uncertain. The optimal T2C based on our pumping test is 110 ± 25 ms. Applying this calibrated T2C on a saturated, A‐type granite at our field site, we estimate the Sy to be 0.012 ± 0.005 m3 m−3 which is significantly different from the Sy (0.021 ± 0.005 m3 m−3) estimate using the default T2C of 33 ms. This Sy estimate falls within a range determined using traditional hydraulic testing at the same site. Using the conventional T2C (33 ms) for fractured granite leads to an inaccurate Sy; therefore, it is essential to calibrate the bNMR T2C for the local site conditions prior to estimating Sy.
Exploring the health‐related decision‐making experiences of people with chronic kidney disease and their caregivers: A qualitative study
Authors: Gazaway Shena , Gutierrez Orlando , Wells Rachel , Nix‐Parker Tamara , Lyas Claretha , Daniel Shawona , Lang‐Lindsey Katina , Bryant Tara , Knight Richard , Odom James N.
Published: November 2023

Background

This study aimed to explore the decision‐making experience of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their caregivers.

Methods

This was a qualitative descriptive study of the decision‐making experiences of individuals with stage 3—end‐stage CKD and their family caregivers. One‐on‐one, semistructured interviews were conducted using a guide developed and approved by a community advisory group. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes were identified: (1) decisions triggered by declining health and broad in scope, (2) challenges to decision‐making and (3) factors influencing decision‐making. Participants' experiences with health‐related decision‐making demonstrated that decisions were triggered when health declined. Yet, decisions that impact disease progression were being made in stage 3. Decision‐making was made difficult due to lack of information, complex co‐morbidities, and poor resource utilization. However, the structure and nature of the medical appointment, supportive caregivers, and resources served to remove challenges.

Conclusion

Decision‐support interventions must train patients and caregivers to be empowered participants in answer‐seeking behaviours upstream of advanced illness.

Public Contributions

This work was conducted in full collaboration with a community advisory board consisting of patients with CKD, caregivers and clinicians. These members are noted in the acknowledgement section, and those who worked with the team to develop the interview guide, study protocols, and manuscript preparation are included as authors. As part of their role, advisory members met monthly, providing input on recruitment, study progress, inclusion of diverse voices and added relevance to study findings.
Exit is the answer: The political nature of Central American migration
Authors: Cruz José Miguel , Colón‐Burgos José Félix
Published: November 2023

This article provides evidence that many Central Americans who have joined the migrant caravans to the north manifest a profound discontent with the political institutions of their home countries. It is based on surveys with migrants in refugee centres, compared with similar data from the AmericasBarometer survey, and complemented with contextual qualitative data on the experience of immigrants passing through Mexico. The article shows that several Central Americans in route to the north do not trust their political institutions and express little support for their political system. It demonstrates that in contexts where economic instability, rampant crime, and environmental uncertainty prevail, many citizens keep exiting their countries under the conviction that government institutions have lost the capability to protect them from existential threats.