bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘They treat us like machines’: migrant workers’ conceptual framework of labour exploitation for health research and policy
Authors: Boufkhed Sabah , Thorogood Nicki , Ariti Cono , Durand Mary Alison
Published: February 2024

Background

The exploitation of migrant workers ranks high on global political agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals. Research on exploited workers, using assessment tools where exploitation is defined by professional experts, indicates serious health concerns and needs. Yet, migrant workers are rarely asked about their understanding of a phenomenon they may experience. Our study aimed to conceptualise ‘labour exploitation’ from the perspective of migrant workers employed in manual low-skilled jobs.

Methods

Twenty-seven Latin Americans working in London (UK) participated in Group Concept Mapping; a participatory mixed-method where qualitative data are collected to define a concept’s content and then analysed using quantitative methods to generate a structured conceptual framework. Participants generated statements describing the concept content during brainstorming sessions, and structured them during sorting-rating exercises. Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Cluster Analysis were performed, generating a conceptual framework that clarified the dimensions, subdimensions and constituent statements of the concept of labour exploitation from migrant workers’ perspectives.

Results

Three key dimensions were identified: ‘poor employment conditions and lack of protection’, covering contractual arrangements and employment relations; ‘disposability and abuse of power’ (or ‘dehumanisation’) covering mechanisms or means which make migrant workers feel disposable and abused; and ‘health and safety and psychosocial hazards’ encompassing issues from physical and psychosocial hazards to a lack of health and social protection. ‘Dehumanisation’ has not been included in mainstream tools assessing exploitation, despite its importance for study participants who also described harsh situations at work including sexual, physical and verbal abuse.

Conclusion

Our study provides a conceptual framework of labour exploitation that gives voice to migrant workers and can be operationalised into a measure of migrant labour exploitation. It also calls for the dimension ‘dehumanisation’ and structural forms of coercion to be integrated into mainstream conceptualisations, and their workplace hazards to be urgently addressed.
Pharmaceuticalisation as the tobacco industry’s endgame
Authors: Hendlin Yogi Hale , Han Elieen Le , Ling Pamela M.
Published: February 2024

Context

Declining smoking prevalence and denormalisation of tobacco in developed countries reduced transnational tobacco company (TTC) profit during 1990s and 2000s. As these companies faced increasingly restrictive policies and lawsuits, they planned to shift their business to socially acceptable reduced-harm products. We describe the internal motivations and strategies to achieve this goal.

Methods

We analysed previously secret tobacco industry documents available through the Truth Tobacco Documents Library. These documents were triangulated with TTCs’ investor and other professional reports, websites and public statements.

Findings

Mimicking pharmaceutical business models, tobacco companies sought to refurbish their image and ensure long-term profitability by creating and selling pharmaceutical-like products as smoking declined. These products included snus, heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, nicotine gums and inhalers. Tobacco companies created separate divisions to develop and roll out these products, and the majority developed medical research programmes to steer these products through regulatory agencies, seeking certification as reduced-harm or pharmaceutical products. These products were regarded as key to the survival of the tobacco industry in an unfriendly political and social climate.

Conclusions

Pharmaceuticalisation was pursued to perpetuate the profitability of tobacco and nicotine for tobacco companies, not as a sincere search to mitigate the harms of smoking in society. Promotion of new pharmaceuticalised products has split the tobacco control community, with some public health professionals and institutions advocating for the use of ‘clean’ reduced-harm nicotine and tobacco products, essentially carrying out tobacco industry objectives.
Infant death from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed in England and Wales: rare or unrecognised events?
Authors: Garstang Joanna Jane , Menka Marivjena
Published: February 2024

Background

Mandatory joint police and healthcare investigations of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) have been in place since 2008 in England. These include death scene examination with cause of death determined at multiprofessional case conference. Detailed evidence on sleep arrangements is available for most cases potentially leading to more being identified as due to accidental suffocation. SUDI remaining unexplained following investigation are classified as SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) or unspecified deaths.

Our objective was to determine whether detailed SUDI investigation has led to an increase in deaths classified as accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed (ASSB)?

Methods

We obtained official mortality data for England and Wales for infants dying aged 0–364 days for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision codes R95 (SIDS), R96, R98, R99 (unspecified causes of mortality) and W75 (ASSB) for the years 2000–2019.

We calculated the mortality rate for ASSB, SIDS and unspecified causes based on total live births each year.

Results

Unexplained SUDI decreased from 353 in 2000 to 175 in 2019, with the mortality rate falling from 0.58 to 0.29 per 1000 live births. The total postneonatal mortality rate fell during this time from 1.9 to 0.9 per 1000 live births suggesting this is a genuine fall. SIDS accounted for 70% of unexplained SUDI in 2000 falling to 49% in 2020 with a corresponding increase in R99 unspecified deaths.

Few deaths were recorded as ASSB (W75), ranging between 4 in 2010 and 24 in 2001. The rate for ASSB ranged from 0.6 to 4.0 per 100000 live births.

Conclusions

There is a shift away from SIDS (R95) towards unspecified causes of death (R96, R98, R99). Improved investigation of deaths has not led to increased numbers of death identified as due to ASSB. There needs to be clear guidelines on accurate classification of deaths from ASSB to facilitate learning from deaths and inform prevention efforts.
Nivolumab monotherapy or combination with ipilimumab with or without cobimetinib in previously treated patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (CheckMate 032)
Authors: Callahan Margaret , Amin Asim , Kaye Frederic J , Morse Michael A , Taylor Matthew H , Peltola Katriina J , Sharma Padmanee , O'Reilly Eileen M , Meadows Shropshire Stephanie , O'Brien Shaun , Tschaika Marina , Le Dung T
Published: February 2024

Background

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancer types and represents a major unmet medical need. CheckMate 032 investigated safety and efficacy of nivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab with/without cobimetinib in advanced/metastatic solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer.

Methods

In the original pancreatic cancer cohort, previously treated patients (≥1 prior regimen) with advanced/metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were assigned to nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (monotherapy arm) or nivolumab 1 mg/kg and ipilimumab 1 mg/kg or 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses, followed by nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (combination arm). A subsequent modified pancreatic cohort (one or two prior regimens) received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, and cobimetinib 60 mg orally once daily for 21 days on and 7 days off (triplet arm). The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), PFS rate, overall survival (OS), OS rate, safety, and tolerability. Additionally, ORR, PFS, and duration of response were assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) in the triplet arm.

Results

18 patients received nivolumab monotherapy, 21 received nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and 30 received nivolumab plus ipilimumab plus cobimetinib. In the triplet arm, partial responses were observed in two patients per investigator (ORR 6.7% (95% CI 0.8% to 22.1%)) and in three patients per BICR (ORR 10% (95% CI 2.1% to 26.5%)); no responses were observed in the other arms. Median (95% CI) PFS per investigator was 1.4 (1.3 to 2.0), 1.4 (1.2 to 2.7), and 3.0 (1.5 to 4.1) months for the monotherapy, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and triplet arms, respectively. Median (95% CI) OS was 5.1 (2.0 to 9.0) months, 4.0 (1.9 to 5.6) months, and 6.2 (3.9 to 11.4) months, respectively. Most treatment-related adverse events were grade 2 or less.

Conclusions

Nivolumab with or without ipilimumab did not elicit objective responses in previously treated patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma, although three confirmed partial responses and manageable safety were observed with cobimetinib-containing triplet therapy. The small sample size and differences in baseline disease-specific characteristics between arms limit interpretation of these results.
Genome and transcriptome sequencing of Trichoderma harzianum T4, an important biocontrol fungus of Rhizoctonia solani, reveals genes related to mycoparasitism
Authors: Wang Yaping , Wang Jian , Zhu Xiaochong , Wang Wei
Published: February 2024

Trichoderma harzianum is a well-known biological control strain and a mycoparasite of Rhizoctonia solani. To explore the mechanisms of mycoparasitism, the genome and transcriptome of T. harzianum T4 were both assembled and analyzed in this study. The genome of T. harzianum T4 was assembled into 106 scaffolds, sized 41.25 Mb, and annotated with a total of 8118 predicted genes. We analyzed the transcriptome of T. harzianum T4 against R. solani in a dual culture in three culture periods: before contact (BC), during contact (C), and after contact (AC). Transcriptome sequencing identified 1092, 1222, and 2046 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. These DEGs, which are involved in pathogen recognition and signal transduction, hydrolase, transporters, antibiosis, and defense-related functional genes, are significantly upregulated in the mycoparasitism process. The results of genome and transcriptome analysis indicated that the mycoparasitism process of T. harzianum T4 was very complex. T. harzianum successfully recognizes and invades host cells and kills plant pathogens by regulating various DEGs at different culture periods. The relative expression levels of the 26 upregulated DEGs were confirmed by RT-qPCR to validate the reliability of the transcriptome data. The results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying T. harzianum T4’s mycoparasitic processes, and they provide a potential molecular target for the biological control mechanism of T. harzianum T4.
Payment banks — A new milestone for banking penetration in India
Authors: Paramasivan C. , Ravichandiran G.
Published: February 2024

The purpose of the banking sector in the country is to provide banking services to all the people with a simple and easy manner with this view, PMJDY was introduced in 2014 to provide bank account to unbanked people free of cost and with simplification of KYC norms. All the incentives and monetary benefits to the targeted people will reach only through direct benefit transfer scheme which is linked with bank account and Aadhar. Banks also concentrate on urban and unbanked areas through single window banking and post office savings bank scheme. With this view, payment banks play a key role in banking penetration in the country. This paper made an attempt to discuss performance of payment banks with respect to financial performance.
Adaptation to Simulated Hypergravity in a Virtual Reality Throwing Task
Authors: Pouke Matti , Uotila Elmeri , Center Evan G. , Timperi Kalle G. , Chambers Alexis P. , Ojala Timo , Lavalle Steven M.
Published: February 2024

According to previous research, humans are generally poor at adapting to earth-discrepant gravity, especially in Virtual Reality (VR), which cannot simulate the effects of gravity on the physical body. Most of the previous VR research on gravity adaptation has used perceptual or interception tasks, although adaptation to these tasks seems to be especially challenging compared to tasks with a more pronounced motor component. This article describes the results of two between-subjects studies (
n
= 60 and
n
= 42) that investigated adaptation to increased gravity simulated by an interactive VR experience. The experimental procedure was identical in both studies: In the adaptation phase, one group was trained to throw a ball at a target using Valve Index motion controllers in gravity that was simulated at five times of earth’s gravity (hypergravity group), whereas another group threw at a longer-distance target under normal gravity (normal gravity group) so both groups had to exert the same amount of force when throwing (approximated manually in Study 1 and mathematically in Study 2). Then, in the measurement phase, both groups repeatedly threw a virtual ball at targets in normal gravity. In this phase, the trajectory of the ball was hidden at the moment of release so that the participants had to rely on their internal model of gravity to hit the targets rather than on visual feedback. Target distances were placed within the same range for both groups in the measurement phase. According to our preregistered hypotheses, we predicted that the hypergravity group would display worse overall throwing accuracy and would specifically overshoot the target more often than the normal gravity group. Our experimental data supported both hypotheses in both studies. The findings indicate that training an interactive task in higher simulated gravity led participants in both studies to update their internal gravity models, and therefore, some adaptation to higher gravity did indeed occur. However, our exploratory analysis also indicates that the participants in the hypergravity group began to gradually regain their throwing accuracy throughout the course of the measurement phase.
Effect of exogenous and endogenous ketones on respiratory exchange ratio and glucose metabolism in healthy subjects
Authors: Dörner Rebecca , Hägele Franziska A. , Müller Manfred J. , Seidel Ulrike , Rimbach Gerald , Bosy-Westphal Anja
Published: February 2024

Our findings revealed that during isocaloric nutrition, additional exogenous ketone salts increased V̇o2 and V̇co2 while lowering the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). Ketone salts had no effect on postprandial glucose metabolism.
Limited WKY chromosomal regions confer increases in anxiety and fear memory in a F344 congenic rat strain
Authors: Ji Michelle T. , Pashankar Neha , Harter Aspen M. , Nemesh Mariya , Przybyl Katherine J. , Mulligan Megan K. , Chen Hao , Redei Eva E.
Published: February 2024

This study found that 1) whole genome sequencing of congenic strains should be a criterion for their recognition; 2) sequence variations between Wistar-Kyoto and Fischer 344 strains at regions of chromosomes 9, 14, and 15 contribute to differences in contextual fear memory and anxiety-like behaviors; and 3) stress during adolescence affects these behaviors in males, but not females, and is independent of strain.
Automatic Seizure Detection Using Multi-Input Deep Feature Learning Networks for EEG Signals
Authors: Sun Qi , Liu Yuanjian , Li Shuangde
Published: February 2024

Epilepsy, a neurological disease associated with seizures, affects the normal behavior of human beings. The unpredictability of epileptic seizures has caused great obstacles to the treatment of the disease. The automatic seizure detection method based on electroencephalogram (EEG) can assist experts in predicting seizures to improve treatment efficiency. Epileptic seizure detection cannot be achieved accurately using the single-view characteristics of the signals. Moreover, manual feature extraction is a time-consuming task. To design a high-performance seizure identification method, automatic learning of multi-view features becomes an indispensable part for seizure detection. Therefore, the paper proposes a multi-input deep feature learning networks (MDFLN) model, which comprehensively considers the features from the time domain and the time–frequency (TF) domain for EEG signals. The MDFLN model automatically extracts the feature information of the signals through deep learning networks. Then, the bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) network is used to distinguish seizure and nonseizure events. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed network structure is verified in two public datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the classification accuracy of the proposed method based on multi-view features is at least 2.2% higher than the single-view features. The MDFLN achieves better performance on CHB-MIT and Bonn datasets with accuracy of 98.09% and 98.4%, respectively. The fine-tuned model with the validation set also improves the classification performance. Compare with the state-of-the-art seizure detection methods, the multi-input deep learning network has superior competence with high sensitivity on the CHB-MIT dataset. The proposed automatic seizure detection method can reduce time consumption and effectively assist experts in the clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Data from Neutralization of PD-L2 is Essential for Overcoming Immune Checkpoint Blockade Resistance in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Miao Yu Rebecca , Thakkar Kaushik N. , Qian Jin , Kariolis Mihalis S. , Huang Wei , Nandagopal Saravanan , Yang Teddy Tat Chi , Diep Anh N. , Cherf Gerald Maxwell , Xu Yu , Moon Eui Jung , Xiao Yiren , Alemany Haizea , Li Tiane , Yu Wenhua , Wei Bo , Rankin Erinn B. , Giaccia Amato J.
Published: February 2024

AbstractPurpose:
Ovarian cancer represents a major clinical hurdle for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), with reported low patient response rates. We found that the immune checkpoint ligand PD-L2 is robustly expressed in patient samples of ovarian cancers and other malignancies exhibiting suboptimal response to ICB but not in cancers that are ICB sensitive. Therefore, we hypothesize that PD-L2 can facilitate immune escape from ICB through incomplete blockade of the PD-1 signaling pathway.
Experimental Design:
We engineered a soluble form of the PD-1 receptor (sPD-1) capable of binding and neutralizing both PD-L2 and PD-L1 with ×200 and ×10,000 folds improvement in binding affinity over wild-type PD-1 leading to superior inhibition of ligand-mediated PD-1 activities.
Results:
Both in vitro and in vivo analyses performed in this study demonstrated that the high-affinity sPD-1 molecule is superior at blocking both PD-L1– and PD-L2–mediated immune evasion and reducing tumor growth in immune-competent murine models of ovarian cancer.
Conclusions:
The data presented in this study provide justification for using a dual targeting, high-affinity sPD-1 receptor as an alternative to PD-1 or PD-L1 therapeutic antibodies for achieving superior therapeutic efficacy in cancers expressing both PD-L2 and PD-L1.
Polyploidy in Cancer: Causal Mechanisms, Cancer-Specific Consequences, and Emerging Treatments
Authors: Conway Patrick J. , Dao Jonathan , Kovalskyy Dmytro , Mahadevan Daruka , Dray Eloise
Published: February 2024

Drug resistance is the major determinant for metastatic disease and fatalities, across all cancers. Depending on the tissue of origin and the therapeutic course, a variety of biological mechanisms can support and sustain drug resistance. Although genetic mutations and gene silencing through epigenetic mechanisms are major culprits in targeted therapy, drug efflux and polyploidization are more global mechanisms that prevail in a broad range of pathologies, in response to a variety of treatments. There is an unmet need to identify patients at risk for polyploidy, understand the mechanisms underlying polyploidization, and to develop strategies to predict, limit, and reverse polyploidy thus enhancing efficacy of standard-of-care therapy that improve better outcomes. This literature review provides an overview of polyploidy in cancer and offers perspective on patient monitoring and actionable therapy.
Antibody–Drug Conjugate αEGFR-E-P125A Reduces Triple-negative Breast Cancer Vasculogenic Mimicry, Motility, and Metastasis through Inhibition of EGFR, Integrin, and FAK/STAT3 Signaling
Authors: Sankar Ankita P. , Cho Hyun-Mi , Shin Seung-Uon , Sneh Tal , Ramakrishnan Sundaram , Elledge Christian , Zhang Yu , Das Rathin , Gil-Henn Hava , Rosenblatt Joseph D.
Published: February 2024

Primary tumor growth and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) require supporting vasculature, which develop through a combination of endothelial angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a process associated with aggressive metastatic behavior in which vascular-like structures are lined by tumor cells. We developed αEGFR-E-P125A, an antibody-endostatin fusion protein that delivers a dimeric, mutant endostatin (E-P125A) payload that inhibits TNBC angiogenesis and VM in vitro and in vivo. To characterize the mechanisms associated with induction and inhibition of VM, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of MDA-MB-231-4175 TNBC cells grown in a monolayer (two-dimensional) was compared with cells plated on Matrigel undergoing VM [three-dimensional (3D)]. We then compared RNA-seq between TNBC cells in 3D and cells in 3D with VM inhibited by αEGFR-E-P125A (EGFR-E-P125A). Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated that VM induction activated the IL6-JAK-STAT3 and angiogenesis pathways, which were downregulated by αEGFR-E-P125A treatment.

Correlative analysis of the phosphoproteome demonstrated decreased EGFR phosphorylation at Y1069, along with decreased phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase Y397 and STAT3 Y705 sites downstream of α5β1 integrin. Suppression of phosphorylation events downstream of EGFR and α5β1 integrin demonstrated that αEGFR-E-P125A interferes with ligand-receptor activation, inhibits VM, and overcomes oncogenic signaling associated with EGFR and α5β1 integrin cross-talk.

In vivo, αEGFR-E-P125A treatment decreased primary tumor growth and VM, reduced lung metastasis, and confirmed the inhibition of signaling events observed in vitro. Simultaneous inhibition of EGFR and α5β1 integrin signaling by αEGFR-E-P125A is a promising strategy for the inhibition of VM, tumor growth, motility, and metastasis in TNBC and other EGFR-overexpressing tumors.

Significance:

αEGFR-E-P125A reduces VM, angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis by inhibiting EGFR and α5β1 integrin signaling, and is a promising therapeutic agent for TNBC treatment, used alone or in combination with chemotherapy.
Thymus-brain connections in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Mendes-da-Cruz Daniella Arêas , Belorio Elizabeth Pinto , Cotta-de-Almeida Vinicius
Published: February 2024

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a malignant hematologic disease caused by the transformation and uncontrolled proliferation of T-cell precursors. T-ALL is generally thought to originate in the thymus since lymphoblasts express phenotypic markers comparable to those described in thymocytes in distinct stages of development. Although around 50% of T-ALL patients present a thymic mass, T-ALL is characterized by peripheral blood and bone marrow involvement, and central nervous system (CNS) infiltration is one of the most severe complications of the disease. Summary: The CNS invasion is related to the expression of specific adhesion molecules and receptors commonly expressed in developing T cells, such as L-selectin, CD44, integrins, and chemokine receptors. Furthermore, T-ALL blasts also express neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and cognate receptors that are usually present in the CNS and can affect both the brain and thymus, participating in the crosstalk between the organs. Key messages: This review discusses how the thymus-brain connections, mediated by innervation and common molecules and receptors, can impact the development and migration of T-ALL blasts, including CNS infiltration.
A New and Practical Model of Human-Like Ascending Aorta Aneurysm in Rats
Authors: Wu Yong , Yang Jin , Shen Han , Zhu Jiacheng , Zhang Feixiang , Ren Xiaoyi , Xu Yue , Zhao Xiaotong , Li Jingyi , Huang Haoyue , Zhang Yanxia , Jiang Ziyun , Tang Mingliang , Shen Zhenya
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Ascending aortic aneurysm is a serious health risk. In order to study ascending aortic aneurysms, elastase and calcium ion treatment for aneurysm formation are mainly used, but their aneurysm formation time is long and the aneurysm formation rate is low. Thus, this study aimed to construct a rat model of ascending aorta aneurysm with a short modeling time and high aneurysm formation rate, which may mimic the pathological processes of human ascending aorta aneurysm. Methods: Cushion needles with different pipe diameters (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 mm) were used to establish a human-like rat model of ascending aortic aneurysm by narrowing the ascending aorta of rats and increasing the force of blood flow on the vessel wall. The vascular diameters were evaluated using color Doppler ultrasonography after 2 weeks. The characteristics of ascending aortic aneurysm in rats were detected by Masson’s trichrome staining, Verhoeff’s Van Gieson staining, and hematoxylin and eosin staining, while real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to assess the total RNA of cytokine interleukin-1β, interleukin 6, transforming growth factor-beta 1, and metalloproteinase 2. Results: Two weeks after surgery, the ultrasound images and the statistical analysis demonstrated that the diameter of the ascending aorta in rats increased more than 1.5 times, similar to that in humans, indicating the success of animal modeling of ascending aortic aneurysm. Moreover, the optimal constriction diameter of the ascending aortic aneurysm model is 1.4 mm by the statistical analysis of the rate of ascending aortic aneurysm and mortality rate in rats with different constriction diameters. Conclusions: The human-like ascending aortic aneurysm model developed in this study can be used for the studies of the pathological processes and mechanisms of ascending aortic aneurysm in a more clinically relevant fashion.
Enlarged perivascular spaces predict malignant cerebral edema after acute large hemispheric infarction
Authors: Wei Yaxin , Zhang Qingzi , Niu Jinhui , Miao Jian , Ma Rui , Huo Kang , Wang Shaojun
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) are considered early manifestations of impaired clearance mechanisms in the brain; however, it is unclear whether EPVS they are associated with the development of malignant cerebral edema (MCE) after large hemispheric infarction (LHI). Therefore, we investigated the predictive value of EPVS in predicting MCE in LHI.
Methods: Patients suffering from acute LHI were consecutively enrolled. EPVS were rated after the stroke with validated rating scales from magnetic resonance imagess. Patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of MCE. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between EPVS and MCE in the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) regions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed the ability of EPVS individually and with other factors in predicting MCE.
Results: We included a total of 255 patients, of whom 98 were MCE patients (58 [59.2%] males, aged 70 [range=61.75-78] years) and found that atrial fibrillation, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, infarct volume, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and moderate-to-severe CS-EPVS were positively associated with MCE. After adjusting for confounds, moderate-to-severe CS-EPVS remained independent risk factor of MCE (odds ratio=16.212, p＜0.001). According to the ROC analysis, MCE was highly suspected when CS-EPVS > 14 (sensitivity=0.82, specificity=0.48), and the guiding value were higher when CS-EPVS combined with other MCE predictors (area under the curve=0.90, sensitivity=0.74, specificity=0.90).
Conclusion: CS-EPVS were important risk factor for MEC in patients with acute LHI and can help identify patients at risk for MCE.
Travessias: 20 anos da oficina de leitura Guimarães Rosa IEB-USP: Livro II
Authors: Riaudel Michel ,   Sorbonne University
Published: February 2024

Este Travessias - Livro II, com material organizado por Regina Pereira, é um relato não acadêmico de uma travessia pela obra e pela geografia de João Guimarães Rosa, porque, quando o leitor se aproxima de uma obra como a dele sente um impulso de ir conferir o que restou do sertão que ele descreveu. Sente necessidade de aspirar o perfume das flores do cerrado, de ouvir a dicção original dos personagens. E além de leitor se transforma em viajante literário. A travessia pela obra na maioria das vezes começa com leituras solitárias, até que a Oficina/Roda de Leitura cruze o caminho do leitor que descobre que ler em voz alta é mais uma chave, essencial, para o entendimento da obra. Depois desse encontro, não é possível retornar ao ponto inicial. “Assaz o senhor sabe: a gente quer passar um rio a nado, e passa; mas vai dar na outra banda é num ponto muito mais embaixo, bem diverso do que em primeiro se pensou”, já filosofava Riobaldo em Grande sertão: veredas. Apesar de ser escrito em primeira pessoa, quer ser a voz de um coletivo, a história da ligação visceral com a obra de Guimarães Rosa. A constatação de que fomos nos construindo como leitores de várias maneiras, mas essencialmente como leitores que atenderam o chamado de Guimarães Rosa, que dizia que tinha escrito uma obra para durar 700 anos. E como leitores que praticam a máxima Roseana “dar beleza a quem tem fome de beleza também é um dever cristão”. A história contada aqui contempla o período de 2008 a 2023 e relata as transformações pelas quais a Oficina de Leitura passou e vem passando, de presencial a virtual, reflete sobre os rumos e os impasses da Roda, que, de simples reunião de leitores, passou a ser uma Oficina de produção de conteúdo e eventos. Junto com o Livro I e o Livro III compõe um painel que exalta a potência de um escritor do tamanho de João Guimarães Rosa.
A violência de gênero em Tereza Batista cansada da guerra
Authors: Ribeiro Luiz Izaac dos Santos , Pinheiro Maria do Socorro
Published: February 2024

This paper concerns about gender-based violence in relation to the literary work Tereza Batista cansada de Guerra (1972) by Jorge Amado and it aims at seeking answers to the following questions: How is gender-based violence represented in the novel? Which female characters suffer such violence? How do they react to it? As for the theoretical background, the thoughts of Saffioti (1999), Moore (2000), Bandeira (2014), Spivak (2010), Gomes (2014), XXXXX (2020), Grijalva (2020), Xavier (2021) among others were relevant for the construction of this hermeneutical reading from the literary text, specially to notice the gender-based violence as a structural and systemic issue that subjugates women. The findings lead to the fact that gender-based violence is diversify due to the type as well as to the victimized female characters. Those prior ones may be categorized in three distinct groups: those who promote gender-based violence against other female characters; the ones who are resigned to the gender-based violence they suffer and naturalize their reality; and the ones who struggle against gender-based violence.
Salvar o fogo
Authors: Costa Fabiola da Silva
Published: February 2024

Resenha do romance Salvar o fogo, escrito por Itamar Vieira Junior, publicado em 2023 pela editora Todavia.
A bagagem da imigração
Authors: Baracho Danielle Duque
Published: February 2024

Resenha do romance "A bagagem da imigração" (2023), de Patrícia Moreira.
Atuação-entre-meios como prática de expansão do campo cênico
Authors: Guimarães-Martins Marília
Published: February 2024

A partir das noções de fracasso e esgarçamento, termos usados por Rosalind Krauss para pensar a expansão do campo da escultura, este artigo volta-se para a observação de procedimentos e processos da montagem de A pink chair (in place of a fake antique) (2018), do Wooster Group/Elizabeth LeCompte, a fim de discutir os entrelaçamentos entre corpos e mídias técnicas de som e imagem no evento teatral, em interlocução com a arqueologia das mídias de Friedrich Kittler e com a ideia de complexo, como pensada pela Física. O trabalho, em seu propósito inicial e resultado final, elabora a noção de atuação-entre-meios como prática de expansão do campo cênico.
The Spectre of Hamlet in the Brazilian Translations of James Joyce’s Ulysses
Authors: Vieira Pedro Luís Sala
Published: February 2024

William Shakespeare (1565-1616) is a noteworthy presence in works by James Joyce (1882-1941). Joyce’s Ulysses contains a number of passages that allude to the bard’s plays. Unlike the Homeric parallel, the Shakespearean references are scattered through the novel in form of allusions and echoes. In view of this, Laura Pelaschiar (2016) points out that “the job of the Joyce/Shakespeare explorer is a trying one because Shakespeare’s presence in Joyce is hard to unearth and assess” (58). The spectre of Hamlet arises in the novel in multiple ways and evokes crucial themes of the novel, such as the paternity matter and the relation between art and biographical life. In virtue of such intertextuality, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the presence of Hamlet in the Brazilian translations of James Joyce’s Ulysses by Antônio Houaiss (Civilização Brasileira, 1966), Bernardina da Silveira Pinheiro (Objetiva, 2005) and Caetano Galindo (Penguin/Companhia das Letras, 2012). This study comprises larger research that investigates how translators dealt with the Hamletian references in Joyce’s novel.
Community With Shared Differences: Solo Performance in Pat Kinevane’s Silent and Panti’s A Woman in Progress
Authors: Huang Zixin
Published: February 2024

Solo performance is a theatrical form which has been increasingly popular in contemporary Irish theatre with the rise of individualism. This paper takes the works of two representative solo performers in contemporary Irish theatre, Pat Kinevane and Panti (Rory O’Neill) as examples, trying to discuss how the form of solo performance is applied by the two performers to create an intermediate space for the marginalized groups to find their distinctive voices and for the audience to identify with the “other”, so as to build up a community that respects differences. While at the same time, the two performers use postdramatic strategies to admonish the audience to take a step back to reexamine the constructiveness of community and performativity of identity. By addressing the significance of solo performance in contemporary Irish theatre, this paper calls for the diversification of not only subjects but also forms in contemporary Irish theatre.
Impact of Antihypertensive Medication Changes After Renal Denervation Among Different Patient Groups: SPYRAL HTN-ON MED
Authors: Townsend Raymond R. , Ferdinand Keith C. , Kandzari David E. , Kario Kazuomi , Mahfoud Felix , Weber Michael A. , Schmieder Roland E. , Pocock Stuart , Tsioufis Konstantinos , David Shukri , Steigerwalt Susan , Walton Antony , Hopper Ingrid , Bertolet Barry , Sharif Faisal , Fengler Karl , Fahy Martin , Hettrick Douglas A. , Brar Sandeep , Böhm Michael
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND:

The SPYRAL HTN-ON MED (Global Clinical Study of Renal Denervation With the Symplicity Spyral Multi-electrode Renal Denervation System in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension in the Absence of Antihypertensive Medications)trial showed significant office and nighttime systolic blood pressure (BP) reductions in patients with hypertension following renal denervation (RDN) compared with sham-control patients, despite similar 24-hour BP reductions. We compared antihypertensive medication and BP changes among prespecified subpopulations.

METHODS:

The multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled, blinded SPYRAL HTN-ON MED trial (n=337) evaluated BP changes after RDN compared with a sham procedure in patients with hypertension prescribed 1 to 3 antihypertensive drugs. Most patients (n=187; 54%) were enrolled outside the United States, while 156 (46%) US patients were enrolled, including 60 (18%) Black Americans.

RESULTS:

Changes in detected antihypertensive drugs were similar between RDN and sham group patients in the outside US cohort, while drug increases were significantly more common in the US sham group compared with the RDN group. Patients from outside the United States showed significant reductions in office and 24-hour mean systolic BP at 6 months compared with the sham group, whereas BP changes were similar between RDN and sham in the US cohort. Within the US patient cohort, Black Americans in the sham control group had significant increases in medication burden from baseline through 6 months (
P
=0.003) but not in the RDN group (
P
=0.44).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients enrolled outside the United States had minimal antihypertensive medication changes between treatment groups and had significant office and 24-hour BP reductions compared with the sham group. Increased antihypertensive drug burden in the US sham cohort, especially among Black Americans, may have diluted the treatment effect in the combined trial population.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02439775.
Solutions to the output regulation problem of time-varying descriptor systems
Authors: Su Xiaoming , Liu Wenai , Bao Adiya
Published: February 2024

This paper studies the output regulation problem of time-varying descriptor systems and the problem of designing state feedback and dynamic measurement output feedback control laws which asymptotically achieves output regulation and disturbance rejection is considered. New regulator equations are proposed for time-varying descriptor systems in the form of differential-algebraic matrix equations. The unique solution of the proposed regulator equations is given as well. We prove that the output regulation problem of time-varying descriptor systems is solvable if and only if the given regulator equations are solvable. Based on the solution of the regulator equations, the state feedback and dynamic measurement output feedback control laws are designed to solve the output regulation problem. The work extends the existing results of output regulation problem for time-varying linear systems to the time-varying descriptor systems. Numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of our methodology.
Take Five? Testing the Cultural and Experiential Theories of Generalised Trust Against Five Criteria
Authors: Kumove Michael
Published: February 2024

Is generalised trust stable or changeable? The ‘cultural’ theory argues that trust is a relatively fixed personality trait, while the ‘experiential’ theory contends that life experiences can alter trust during adulthood. But these two theories have been tested using a variety of different criteria whose differences have seemingly never been acknowledged explicitly. In this article, I map out these five different criteria, formulating specific hypotheses for each one and test them on a large and representative longitudinal data set from Australia. As expected, both the cultural and experiential theories appear broadly correct: trust is affected by both early-life factors and adult experiences, but the impact of adult experiences is usually transitory. A broad range of adult experiences seem to affect trust, and trust exhibits high rank-order but low mean-level stability. I conclude by suggesting some new directions for the study of generalised trust.
Fear, Stress, Susceptibility, and Problematic Social Media Use Explain Motivation for COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Patients With Stroke and Their Caregivers
Authors: Kukreti Shikha , Hsieh Meng-Tsang , Liu Chieh-hsiu , Chen Jung-Sheng , Chen Yi-Jung , Hsieh Ming-Ta , Lin Chung-Ying , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for individuals who experienced stroke and their caregivers. It is essential to understand the factors affecting preventive behavior in these populations. Therefore, the present study examined the factors that influenced COVID-19 preventive behavior and motivation for COVID-19 vaccine uptake among patients with stroke and their caregivers. A cross-sectional study comprising 191 participants (81 patients with stroke and 110 caregivers) was carried out. Participants completed a survey assessing fear of COVID-19, stress, perceived susceptibility, problematic social media use, preventive behaviors, and motivation for vaccine uptake. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regressions. Motivation for COVID-19 vaccine uptake was significantly positively correlated with problematic social media use (r = 0.225, P = .002), perceived susceptibility (r = 0.197, P = .008), and fear of COVID-19 (r = 0.179, P = .015), but negatively correlated with stress (r = −0.189, P = .010). Caregivers, compared to patients, showed a lower level of preventive behavior (standardized coefficient = −0.23, P = .017). Furthermore, higher levels of fear were associated with increased preventive behavior (standardized coefficient = 0.22, P = .006), while greater stress correlated with lower preventive behavior (standardized coefficient = −0.38, P < .001). Among patients with stroke and their caregivers, motivation of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and preventive behaviors were influenced by factors such as fear, perceived susceptibility, social media use, and stress. By using strategies such as targeted education, support, and communication campaigns, healthcare providers and policymakers may be able to enhance the well-being of patients with stroke and their caregivers during future pandemics.
Modified trichrome stain for faster and improved detection of intestinal protozoan parasites
Authors: Datta Priya , Garg Puja , Lal Bhasin Sadhna , Malhotra Pankaj , Rana Surinder Singh , Khurana Sumeeta
Published: February 2024

Permanent stains such as trichrome have better sensitivity but are time-consuming and the fixative includes toxic mercuric chloride. Thus, a newer modification was tested and found to be a superior, faster and safer staining technique for intestinal parasitic detection. Our study lasted 9 months and a single stool sample was collected from each enrolled patient. We evaluated classical trichrome (T1 – using Schaudinn fixative) with newer modifications, which involved different fixatives with mordant combinations (T2 – acetic acid + hydrated aluminium sulphate, T3 – citric acid + copper sulphate hydrate). Conventional PCR targeting Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp. was taken as the reference. Out of 175 stool samples, 25.1% protozoa were identified by wet mount, 24% by each T1 and T2, 25.7% by T3. Statistically, T3 and T2 had higher sensitivity as compared to T1 and wet mount when PCR was used as reference.
Parole work in Canada: The realities of supervising “sex offenders”
Authors: Taylor Micheal P. , Ricciardelli Rosemary , Spencer Dale C.
Published: February 2024

Analyzing interview data ( n = 150) collected from Canadian federal parole officers (POs), we unpack potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) concerning experiences supervising and supporting re-entry of people convicted of sex-related crimes (PCSCs). We find heterogeneity in the broad range of sex-crime behavior and potential psychological trauma that POs negotiate regarding their own gender and familial circumstances. We further observe how working with sex crimes contributes to the experience of operational stress as “moral injury.” Cathartic utility is found in collegial debriefing that supports POs experiencing distress on the job. Given the precarity of personal and professional boundaries in parole work, and the variances of both criminal behavior and how POs respond to it, we suggest the need for further research while outlining our theoretical and empirical contributions.
Dynamic assessment of narratives: Case studies of bilingual Filipino kindergarteners with language difficulties
Authors: Laurie Anne , Pesco Diane
Published: February 2024

The goal of the present study was to investigate the performance of four Filipino–English bilingual kindergarteners with language difficulties on a dynamic assessment of English narratives. Using a multiple case-study design, we examined the children's modifiability by detailing their responsiveness, level of skill transfer, and the amount and type of effort the examiner expended during two mediation sessions. We also assessed the children's narrative skills using the Test of Narrative Language—second edition (TNL-2). During mediation, similarities among the four children included difficulty answering wh-questions, little transfer of the newly learned skills, frequent focus on the story problem, and the need for continual prompting and repetition. However, the children showed individual learning styles, behavior when learning, and learning potential, prompting the examiner to apply different strategies to support their individual abilities. Gains on the TNL-2 were also negligible, consistent with the modifiability findings, apart from one child who showed improvement in comprehension scores. The case studies provide novel information regarding the narrative skills of Filipino bilingual children with language difficulties, an under-researched population. They can help guide expectations of such children during a dynamic assessment and suggest mediation strategies that clinicians could incorporate into their practice with other groups of bilingual children.
The interaction of narcissism, agreeableness and conscientiousness in entrepreneurial mentoring: Implications for learning outcomes
Authors: Meddeb Soumaya , St-Jean Étienne , Rauch Andreas
Published: February 2024

The personality configuration of mentors and mentees is important in understanding mentoring outcomes. While the best mentors appear to have higher degrees of agreeableness and conscientiousness, entrepreneurs generally score lower on agreeableness and have higher degrees of narcissism, a personality trait that could be detrimental to mentoring. We investigated the interaction of narcissism with two traits from the Big Five Inventory, namely agreeableness and conscientiousness, to see how this interaction influenced learning from the relationship of mentee entrepreneurs. Our findings suggest that mentee narcissism negatively influences learning, and mentor agreeableness mitigates the negative effects on mentee learning. These findings show certain beneficial personality configurations in entrepreneurial mentoring and provide elements to consider in managerial practice when pairing mentors and mentees in this context.
Application of grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering to characterise mechanically plated coatings
Authors: Chung Ping Ping , Wang James , Durandet Yvonne
Published: February 2024

Post-mechanical plating heat treatment on zinc and zinc–tin coatings resulted in the formation of an iron–zinc-rich intermetallic layer between the substrate and the coatings, while the outer coating layer became tin-rich in the case of heat-treated zinc–tin coatings. The novel use of grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering detected not only ζ-FeZn13, δ1p-Fe13Zn126 and δ1k-FeZn6.67 phases but also Γ1-Fe11Zn40 and Γ-Fe4Zn9 phases due to the higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) compared to traditional XRD. Microstructure evolution models during the heat treatment of mechanically plated zinc and zinc–tin coatings are proposed. The formation of iron–zinc intermetallic phases was in the sequence of ζ-FeZn13, δ1p-FeZn10, δ1k-FeZn7, Γ-Fe3Zn10 and Γ1-Fe5Zn21 phases when the heat treatment duration increased.