bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Acute Resistance Exercise and Resistance Exercise Training on Central Pulsatile Hemodynamics and Large Artery Stiffness: Part I
Authors: Wakeham Denis J. , Pierce Gary L. , Heffernan Kevin S.
Published: February 2025

Background: Engaging in habitual resistance exercise training (RET; also known as strength training) causes systemic health effects beyond those caused by aerobic/endurance exercise training alone. Despite the resoundingly favorable effect of habitual RET on measures of cardiovascular disease risk, controversy still exists regarding the vascular health effects of this exercise modality largely because some studies find increases in large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics with RET. In this two-part series, we examine the effect of acute resistance exercise (RE) and RET on large artery stiffness and pulsatile hemodynamics. We perform a historical overview of seminal/classic studies and report on key findings that have shaped the field. We provide personal commentary on the studies and potential implications of findings related to the acute effects of RE on large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. For part one of this two-part series, we perform a detailed analysis of the hemodynamic signature produced during RE and discuss the sub-acute effects on short-term modulation of large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. Summary: Acute RE elicits marked (“extreme”) elevations in arterial pressure, mediated primarily by increases in vascular resistance and intrathoracic pressure (ITP). Vascular compression from muscular contraction contributes to increases in afterload via increased vascular resistance and pressure from wave reflections. However, as a result of the higher ITP associated with breath holds (Valsalva maneuver) during high relative efforts (>80%), the change in pressure across the aortic wall (transmural pressure) is less than the change in intra-arterial pressure. Key Messages: The high arterial pressures during some heavy weight lifting exercises are associated with positive swings with ITP related to the Valsalva maneuver and elevations in vascular resistance. The pressure oscillations lead to marked stress within the vascular wall and likely contribute to elevations in large artery stiffness over the subsequent hour.
Effect of Acute Resistance Exercise and Resistance Exercise Training on Central Pulsatile Hemodynamics and Large Artery Stiffness: Part II
Authors: Wakeham Denis J. , Pierce Gary L. , Heffernan Kevin S.
Published: February 2025

Background: In part one of this two-part series, we performed a detailed analysis of the hemodynamic signature produced during resistance exercise (RE) and discussed the subacute effects on short-term modulation of large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. In this second part of our two-part series, we consider the subacute recovery window as the driver of resistance exercise training (RET) adaptations. We then discuss the results of RET interventions and corroborate these findings against the information gleaned from cross-sectional studies in habitually strength-trained athletes. Finally, we explore associations between muscular strength and arterial stiffness. Summary: Our reanalysis of key studies assessing arterial stiffness in the hour post-RE suggests changes in both load-dependent and load-independent indices of arterial (aortic) stiffness. Regarding adaptations to habitual RET, a growing body of evidence contradicts earlier findings that suggested RET increases large artery stiffness. Recent meta-analyses conclude that longitudinal RET has no effect or may even reduce large artery stiffness. However, cross-sectional studies continue to support early RET intervention studies and note that habitual RET may increase large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. Complex interactions between vascular smooth muscle cells and the extracellular matrix may offer insight into inter-individual heterogeneity in subacute responses and chronic adaptations to acute RE and habitual RET. Key Messages: Habitual RET is fundamentally important for skeletal muscle quality and quantity as well as cardiovascular function. Recent literature suggests that habitual RET has negligible effects on large artery stiffness and central hemodynamic pressure pulsatility, but cross-sectional observations still raise questions about the chronic large artery effects of habitual RET.
Pseudoaneurysm Formation after Stereoencephalography for Epilepsy
Authors: Skelton Henry M. , Laxpati Nealen G. , Lamanna Jason J. , Isbaine Faical , Barrow Daniel L. , Gross Robert E.
Published: February 2025

Introduction
Stereoencephalography (SEEG) has emerged as the most common technique for invasive monitoring as part of the pre-operative workup for epilepsy surgery. The use of intracranial implants has the potential for vascular injury giving rise to pseudoaneurysm, followed by unpredictable, delayed hemorrhage. However, while this has been suspected in cases of severe, delayed hemorrhage after SEEG implantation, no case of confirmed pseudoaneurysm has been shown to arise secondary to a SEEG implant.
Case Presentation
A patient was evaluated over the course of two SEEG implantations before the decision to proceed with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) to treat their drug-resistant epilepsy. Pre-operative imaging for DBS revealed a pseudoaneurysm proximal to an SEEG craniostomy site. The lesion was treated with excision and vascular bypass, and the patient ultimately underwent DBS as planned. Retrospective analysis strongly implicated the SEEG implantation in pseudoaneurysmal formation, most likely via arterial collision resulting from entry site deviation from the planned stereotactic trajectory.
Conclusion
Pseudoaneurysm may be a more prevalent complication of SEEG than existing literature would suggest, as the delayed formation of these lesions can allow them to escape recognition on routine postoperative imaging. Though likely still uncommon, this may suggest the prudence of additional radiological surveillance. This complication is potentially devastating if unrecognized and untreated, but otherwise does not preclude further surgical therapies for epilepsy.
Improvement in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Photobiomodulation
Authors: Ji Patrick Xiang , Pickel Lauren , Berger Alan R. , Sivachandran Nirojini
Published: February 2025

Introduction: This case report describes a finding of dramatic improvement in drusen volume and visual acuity in a 73-year-old patient diagnosed with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) undergoing daily home photobiomodulation alongside AREDS-2 supplements.

Presentation: This is a retrospective review of a case presentation from 2023-2024. After 8 months of continuous home photobiomodulation, the patient’s visual acuity improved from 20/30 to 20/20 in the left eye while the right eye stabilized at 20/25. The outer retina was preserved without signs of geographic atrophy, with a robust reduction in total number and volume of drusen in both eyes, left greater than right, as shown with optical coherence tomography (OCT) macular cross-sectional scans.

Conclusions: These findings support that photobiomodulation has the potential to improve the management of dry AMD and the overall quality of life, consistent with phase III clinical trials. Future studies are warranted to further establish optimized protocols for broader clinical implementation.
Effect of systematic effortful swallowing exercise on the activation level of the submental muscles and tongue strength in older adults
Authors: Oh Jong-Chi
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Effortful swallowing (ES) is known to significantly increase the activity of the submental muscles, including the suprahyoid muscles, which play an important role in elevating the hyoid bone and larynx during swallowing and contributing to the opening of the upper esophageal sphincter. However, inconsistent results have been reported regarding the long-term effects of ES exercise in increasing the submental muscle activity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a 6-weeks systematic ES exercise program on the activation level of the submental muscle and tongue strength.
Methods: The study included 31 healthy older adults (mean age, 75.4 ± 4.68y; range, 65-82y). The exercise consisted of 10 repetitions per set, wherein one session comprised seven sets. In sets 1–3, gradual isometric tongue pressing exercises of 60%, 80%, and 100% were performed based on the maximal isometric pressure (MIP) of the posterior oral tongue; in sets 4-7, gradual swallowing exercises were performed at 60% and 80% intensities. Resistance and biofeedback were provided to the posterior oral tongue during exercise using Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI). Each session lasted 30 min, and the exercise was performed twice a week for a total of 6 weeks.The effects of exercise on submental muscle activity (measured using surface electromyography) and tongue pressure-related variables (measured using IOPI) were verified using paired t-tests at baseline and week 7.
Results: After 6 weeks of strengthening exercise, the maximal activity of the submental muscles during ES, anterior and posterior oral tongue MIP, typical swallowing and ES pressure, and posterior oral tongue endurance significantly increased compared to those at baseline (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The ES exercise program, which was structured by systematically adopting exercise principles related to strength training, significantly improved the swallowing-related muscle strength of healthy older adults. It is suggested that this effect was caused by systematic warm-up exercises applied prior to performing strengthening exercises for swallowing-related muscles, resistance and biofeedback provision using IOPI during main exercise, and provision of sufficient rest time between sets. Further research is needed to systematically examine the effects of variables related to the composition of exercise programs.
Patients Residing in Rural Areas Transferred for Mechanical Thrombectomy Undergo Decreased Catheter‐Based Treatment
Authors: Jagolino‐Cole Amanda L. , Dongarwar Deepa , Aroor Sushanth , Sheth Sunil A. , Sharrief Anjail , Zachrison Kori S. , Yavagal Dileep , Asif Kaiz S.
Published: February 2025

BACKGROUND

Nearly one fifth of the US population resides in rural areas. Although endovascular therapy can substantially improve clinical outcomes in patients treated with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke, the penetration and outcomes of this therapy in rural US populations remain incompletely characterized.

METHODS

From the nationwide Get With The Guidelines Stroke registry, incorporating select social determinants of health (SDOH) by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation registry (2016–2019), we identified patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack who were transferred from their presenting hospitals to other hospitals with the intention of thrombectomy evaluation, for patients residing in rural and nonrural areas. The primary outcome was the likelihood of undergoing intra‐arterial catheter‐based therapy after transfer, adjusted for stroke severity, age, baseline ambulatory status, and select SDOH, by multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 24 620 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 5.1% resided in rural areas. Patients residing in rural areas transferred for endovascular therapy evaluation experienced less favorable SDOH than patients residing in nonrural areas (
P
<0.01, each, for education, income, homeownership, poverty, and unemployment). Patients in both groups presented with moderate/severe stroke and similar vascular risk factors. Patients residing in rural areas were 15% less likely to undergo endovascular therapy, when adjusting for stroke severity, age, baseline ambulatory status, and select SDOH (40.8% versus 49.4%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.74–0.99]). Patients residing in rural areas experienced similar incidence of reported transfer delays as patients residing in non‐rural areas (0.1%, each; aOR, 1.36 [95% CI, 0.56–6.84]).

CONCLUSION

In this nationwide cohort study, patients living in rural areas with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemicattack who were transferred to other hospitals for endovascular therapy evaluation were less likely to undergo intra‐arterial catheter‐based therapy, despite similar incidence of transfer delays, and when adjusting for select SDOH commonly associated with rurality.
Salient, Unexpected Omissions of Sounds Can Involuntarily Distract Attention
Authors: Baragona Valeria , Schröger Erich , Widmann Andreas
Published: February 2025

Salient unexpected and task-irrelevant sounds can act as distractors by capturing attention away from a task. Consequently, a performance impairment (e.g., prolonged RTs) is typically observed along with a pupil dilation response (PDR) and the P3a ERP component. Previous results showed prolonged RTs in response to task-relevant visual stimuli also following unexpected sound omissions. However, it was unclear whether this was due to the absence of the sound's warning effect or to distraction caused by the violation of a sensory prediction. In our paradigm, participants initiated a trial through a button press that elicited either a regular sound (80%), a deviant sound (10%), or no sound (10%). Thereafter, a digit was presented visually, and the participant had to classify it as even or odd. To dissociate warning and distraction effects, we additionally included a control condition in which a button press never generated a sound, and therefore no sound was expected. Results show that, compared with expected events, unexpected deviants and omissions lead to prolonged RTs (distraction effect), enlarged PDR, and a P3a-like ERP effect. Moreover, sound events, compared with no sound events, yielded faster RTs (warning effect), larger PDR, and increased P3a. Overall, we observed a co-occurrence of warning and distraction effects. This suggests that not only unexpected sounds but also unexpected sound omissions can act as salient distractors. This finding supports theories claiming that involuntary attention is based on prediction violation.
Task-dependent Modulation Masking of a 4-Hz Envelope Following Responses
Authors: Watson Sam , Dau Torsten , Hjortkjær Jens
Published: February 2025

The perception and recognition of natural sounds, like speech, rely on the processing of slow amplitude modulations. Perception can be hindered by interfering modulations at similar rates, a phenomenon known as modulation masking. Cortical envelope following responses (EFRs) are highly sensitive to these slow modulations, but it is unclear how modulation masking impacts these cortical envelope responses. To dissociate stimulus-driven and attention-driven effects, we recorded EEG responses to a 4-Hz modulated noise in a two-way factorial design, varying the level of modulation masking and intermodal attention. Auditory stimuli contained one of three random masking bands in the stimulus envelope, at various proximities in modulation frequency to the 4-Hz target, or an unmasked reference condition. During EEG recordings, the same stimuli were presented while participants performed either an auditory or a visual change detection task. Attention to the auditory modality resulted in a general enhancement of sustained EFR responses to the 4-Hz target. In the visual task condition only, EFR 4-Hz power systematically decreased with increasing modulation masking, consistent with psychophysical masking patterns. However, during the auditory task, the 4-Hz EFRs were unaffected by masking and remained strong even with the highest degrees of masking. Rather than indicating a general bottom–up modulation selective process, these results indicate that the masking of cortical envelope responses interacts with attention. We propose that auditory attention allows robust tracking of masked envelopes, possibly through a form of glimpsing of the target, whereas envelope responses to task-irrelevant auditory stimuli reflect stimulus salience.
The Legal Issues Regarding the Reimbursement of Drugs Used to Treat Muscular Atrophy and the Actual Situation in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Zajác Ševcová Katarína
Published: February 2025

This article explores the legal problems regarding reimbursing drugs used to treat muscular atrophy. The article highlights the importance of insurance coverage for patients with muscular atrophy and the need for more uniform policies. In the Slovak Republic, the state health insurance company refused to reimburse the medicine several times, although it made an exception for other children in the past. The patient asked the civil court to order an urgent measure. The court granted this proposal and ordered the insurance company to pay for the drug Zolgensma. The article analyzes the legal nature of this case considering fundamental human rights.
Slavonic Sirach from the Library of F.A. Tolstoy
Authors: Sizikov Aleksandr
Published: February 2025

A manuscript from the collection of count F.A. Tolstoy in the National Library of Russia (F.I.211) contains a consistent selection of fragments from the book of Sirach in Church Slavonic. The same text was included in the Great Menaion Reader of Metropolitan Makary for December 31. Preliminary analyses indicate that the text testifies to variant readings of a Greek source that are not attested in any other Slavonic recension of this book. It also bears significant differences in the choice of grammatical and lexical equivalents in the translation from the Greek, which allows us to consider it as an independent translation. In this article, we offer an overview of the Church Slavonic sources of Sirach, provide some key characteristics of the translation in the F.I.211 manuscript, and edit its text.
Cause or moral responsibility?
Authors: Goulette Valentin , Thrierr Jasmine , Verkampt Fanny
Published: February 2025

The literature shows that an individual’s moral valence affects the causal judgements of social observers. The effect is considered by some to be a cognitive bias. This article challenges this notion by investigating the relationship between how facts are presented to participants and their interpretation of causal judgment tasks, whether as a search for moral responsibility or a strict causal link. To do this, we proposed the first categorisation of the causal models of the facts described (i.e. the arrangement of causes presented to the participants). Through a systematic review, our analysis suggests an alternative hypothesis to the cognitive bias view: the arrangement of the facts presented to the participants could influence the relevant interpretation they make of the causal judgement task. Specifically, the causal models predominantly used in the literature may prompt an interpretation focused on attributing blame rather than identifying a narrow causal link.
The Sound of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter
Authors: Altunin Thyra-Lilja
Published: February 2025

Created when ancient Greek poetry was primarily composed, performed, and experienced through oral traditions, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter reflects and preserves within its words elements of its soundscape as a performed song and the memories/emotions/reactions that it would have triggered in its audience. The intonational patterns of the Greek words and phrases encoded within the text’s accentuation, when they were expressed through the performer’s voices, could have served as cues for the listeners’ imagination and cultural memory. This paper aims to introduce a method of reconstructing melodic/tonal contours of the HH2 from the accentuation in the text and to illustrate the possible use of these melodic contours to characterise certain aspects of the sonic environment of the performed hymn. By analysing examples from the text, including sound descriptions and dialogues, this paper illustrates how sound and speech-melody, as reflected in the melodic contours, connect to the poem’s semantic content.
Comparing Perspective in Drawings, Photographs, and Perception
Authors: Hertzmann Aaron
Published: February 2025

In this paper, I compare perspective in my observational drawings to photographs that I took at the same time, and, where memory allows, discuss how both relate to the visual experiences. This comparison reveals several consistent trends, including systematic size differences for distant objects, differences in foreshortening, a dependence of object shape on canvas shape, and multiperspective composition. Many of these trends can be found in historical artworks as well. Some have been previously identified in the literature, but discussions often involve very incomplete information, for example, analysis of Renaissance perspective has involved considerable speculation about the artists’ subjects and thought processes, and unfounded assumptions about the “correctness” of linear perspective. In general, if a painting and a photograph of a scene differ in some aspect, it might be that the drawing does not match visual experience of that aspect, that the photograph does not, or both. Identifying such systematic differences offers avenues for future study of how pictures and visual experience relate, and what causes these differences.
Staying Put: Positive Spillovers on Teacher Retention From a Middle School Science Initiative
Authors: Shiferaw Menbere , O’Hagan Kaitlyn G. , Weinstein Meryle
Published: February 2025

Teacher shortages, especially in high-need subjects and schools, are a long-standing issue in many districts, and teacher turnover is a key driver. In this article, we examine the association between Urban Advantage (UA), a professional development-focused science initiative, and middle school science teacher retention in the nation’s largest school district, New York City (NYC). We use detailed teacher-level administrative personnel data on 19 cohorts of teachers from NYC and UA program participation data and estimate likelihood of turnover using a discrete-time hazard model. UA teachers are roughly 3.8 percentage points less likely than similarly situated non-UA teachers to leave their school the following year. This study contributes to the limited evidence on how professional development-focused programs can promote teacher retention in hard-to-staff subjects and schools.
Empire, epidemic, and the agrarian world: Kala-azar (Visceral leishmaniasis) in Assam, 1883–1930
Authors: Abhilasha N. S.
Published: February 2025

In the late nineteenth century, kala-azar, an unfamiliar epidemic, hit Assam, a province in the northeast of British India. Its devastations persisted till the 1930s. It killed an estimated 0.2 million people during 1880–1930 and was partly responsible for stagnating Assam’s population during 1891–1901. Its symptoms misled medical practitioners into faulty diagnoses and cures until the 1910s. Deaths and prolonged illness reduced peasants’ capacity to cultivate and pay land revenue. In areas affected by the disease, fields lay uncultivated and the villagers abandoned their homes. The lingering impact threatened efforts to rebuild families for multiple generations. Works on agrarian history view kala-azar’s effect as episodic and not long-term. Historiography of the disease does not analyse how its discordant relation with medical science impacted Assam’s agriculture. This article argues that besides death and despair, kala-azar had lasting impacts on Assam’s agriculture as it increased tenancy, disrupted village boundaries and peasants’ ties with the land, and exacerbated social divisions. These outcomes undercut the British colonial endeavours to create a settled and tax-paying peasantry, well-mapped property relationship, and a flourishing land market. By exploring the impact of kala-azar in Assam, this article demonstrates how epidemics are critical to understanding agrarian changes.
Digital Leadership Enhances Employee Empowerment, Techno-work Engagement, and Sustainability: SEM Analysis in Public Healthcare
Authors: Khan Ali Nawaz , Wang Yumei , Khan Naseer Abbas , Ahmad Ali
Published: February 2025

The rapid digital transformation in the public healthcare sector demands effective digital leadership to improve organizational performance. This study investigates the impact of digital leadership on employee empowerment and its subsequent effects on techno-work engagement and sustainability performance within public healthcare institutions in Pakistan. A survey-cum questionnaire method was employed for 334 respondents of employees of public healthcare institutions in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It used structured questionnaires to measure digital leadership, sense of empowerment, techno-work engagement, and sustainability performance. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed on data to examine the proposed relationships among the variables. The findings of SEM showed that digital leadership positively influences employees’ sense of empowerment. Empowerment significantly predicted techno-work engagement and sustainability performance. Techno-work engagement also positively affected sustainability performance. Mediation analysis revealed that the sense of empowerment mediates the relationship between digital leadership and both techno-work engagement and sustainability performance. The findings demonstrate that digital leadership enhances employee empowerment, which in turn boosts techno-work engagement and sustainability performance in the public healthcare sector. Organizations should promote digital leadership practices to empower employees and achieve sustainable outcomes.
Early metabolic changes in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease rats are driven by GLAST+ cells
Authors: Morrey William J , Ceyzériat Kelly , Amossé Quentin , Badina Aurélien M , Dickie Ben , Schiessl Ingo , Tsartsalis Stergios , Millet Philippe , Boutin Hervé , Tournier Benjamin B
Published: February 2025

Glucose metabolic dysfunction is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology and is used to diagnose the disease or predict imminent cognitive decline. The main method to measure brain metabolism in vivo is positron emission tomography with 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoroglucose ([18F]FDG-PET). The cellular origin of changes in the [18F]FDG-PET signal in AD is controversial. We addressed this by combining [18F]FDG-PET with subsequent cell-sorting and γ-counting of [18F]FDG-accumulation in sorted cell populations. 7-month-old male TgF344-AD rats and wild-type controls (n = 24/group) received sham or ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg) injection prior to [18F]FDG-PET imaging to increase glutamate uptake and glucose utilisation. The same animals were injected again one week later, and radiolabelled brains were dissected, with hippocampi taken for magnetically-activated cell sorting of radioligand-treated tissues (MACS-RTT). Radioactivity in sorted cell populations was measured to quantify cell-specific [18F]FDG uptake. Transcriptional analyses of metabolic enzymes/transporters were also performed. Hypometabolism in the frontal association cortex of TgF344-AD rats was identified using [18F]FDG-PET, whereas hypermetabolism was identified in the hippocampus using MACS-RTT. Hypermetabolism was primarily driven by GLAST+ cells. This was supported by transcriptional analyses which showed alteration to metabolic apparatus, including upregulation of hexokinase 2 and altered expression of glucose/lactate transporters. See Figure 1 for summary.
Fecal microbiota transplantation fails to impart the benefits of circadian-dependent intermittent fasting following ischemic stroke
Authors: Jeong Soomin , Davis Charles K , Chokkalla Anil K , Kim Bori , Park Sena , Vemuganti Raghu
Published: February 2025

Intermittent fasting (IF) is known to induce significant ischemic tolerance. Diet is a major proponent of gut microbiota, and gut microbial dysbiosis plays a role in post-stroke brain damage. Hence, we currently evaluated whether IF-mediated ischemic tolerance is mediated by gut microbiota. Additionally, circadian cycle is known to modulate post-ischemic outcomes, and thus we further evaluated if gut microbiota would be influenced by prophylactic IF during the inactive phase (fasting during daytime; IIF) or active phase (fasting during nighttime; AIF). The AIF, but not IIF, cohort showed a significantly decreased fecal Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared with the ad libitum (AL) cohort. Moreover, the levels of gut microbiota-derived metabolites butyrate and propionate decreased in AL cohort following focal ischemia, whereas they increased in AIF cohort. However, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from IIF or AIF cohort had no significant effects on post-ischemic motor and cognitive function recovery, anxiety-, and depression-like behaviors compared with FMT from AL cohort. Furthermore, FMT from IIF or AIF cohort did not influence the post-ischemic infarct volume, atrophy volume or white matter damage. Overall, the current findings indicate that the beneficial effects of IF after focal ischemia are not mediated by the gut microbiota.
Recalibrating an Established Microsimulation Model to Capture Trends and Projections of Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality
Authors: Lew Jie-Bin , Luo Qingwei , Worthington Joachim , Ge Han , He Emily , Steinberg Julia , Caruana Michael , O’Connell Dianne L. , Feletto Eleonora , Canfell Karen
Published: February 2025

Background

Changing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates, including recent increases for people younger than 50 y, need to be considered in planning for future cancer control and screening initiatives. Reliable estimates of the impact of changing CRC trends on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) are essential for programmatic planning in Australia. An existing microsimulation model of CRC, Policy1-Bowel, was updated to reproduce Australian CRC trends data and provide updated projections of CRC- and screening-related outcomes to inform clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of CRC.

Methods

Policy1-Bowel was recalibrated to reproduce statistical age-period-cohort model trends and projections of CRC incidence for 1995–2045 in the absence of the NBCSP as well as published data on CRC incidence trends, stage distribution, and survival in 1995–2020 in Australia. The recalibrated Policy1-Bowel predictions were validated by comparison with published Australian CRC mortality trends for 1995–2015 and statistical projections to 2040. Metamodels were developed to aid the calibration process and significantly reduce the computational burden.

Results

Policy1-Bowel was recalibrated, and best-fit parameter sets were identified for lesion incidence, CRC stage progression rates, detection rates, and survival rates by age, sex, bowel location, cancer stage, and birth year. The recalibrated model was validated and successfully reproduced observed CRC mortality rates for 1995–2015 and statistical projections for 2016–2030.

Conclusion

The recalibrated Policy1-Bowel model captures significant additional detail on the future incidence and mortality burden of CRC in Australia. This is particularly relevant as younger cohorts with higher CRC incidence rates approach screening ages to inform decision making for these groups. The metamodeling approach allows fast recalibration and makes regular updates to incorporate new evidence feasible.

Highlights

In Australia, colorectal cancer incidence rates are increasing for people younger than 50 y but decreasing for people older than 50 y, and colorectal cancer survival is improving as new treatment technologies emerge. To evaluate the future health and economic impact of screening and inform policy, modeling must include detailed trends and projections of colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, and diagnosis stage. We used novel techniques including integrative age-period cohort projections and metamodel calibration to update Policy1-Bowel, a detailed microsimulation of colorectal cancer and screening in Australia.
Jewel on the Hudson
Authors: Barr Vilma
Published: February 2025

The glowing, glass-enclosed West Midtown Ferry Terminal wraps Lincoln Tunnel's two ventilation towers like a glittering necklace
Serpentine Charm
Authors: Tarricone Paul
Published: February 2025

There's a hypnotic quality to the wavy, flowing architecture of the Segerstrom Concert Hall in California. But implementing the intricate lighting scheme required razor-sharp focus
Factors influencing healthcare professionals’ moral distress: A descriptive qualitative analysis
Authors: Booth Adam T. , Robinson Kathryn L
Published: February 2025

Background: The Measure of Moral Distress – Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP) is a 27-item survey that quantifies moral distress. The MMD-HP was distributed to healthcare professionals (HPs), and analysis of a free-text response item revealed information-rich descriptions of morally distressing situations. Research question: What are HPs’ perceptions of their experiences of morally distressing situations? Research design: A descriptive, qualitative approach explored respondents’ free-text responses to the following open-ended response item: “If there are other situations in which you have felt moral distress, please write and score them here.” Participants and research context: Eligible participants were HPs ( N = 8206) working in a large, multi-site healthcare system located in a major, urban city in the Southeastern United States. Ethical considerations: The Institutional Review Board provided approval for this research. A survey preamble supplied information, and consent was presumed with survey completion. Findings: Three themes were identified from 282 free-text responses: Theme 1: Compromised Quality of Care, Theme 2: Hostile Work Environment, and Theme 3: Ineffective Leadership. Conclusions: This study is unique because it provided in-depth qualitative analysis of morally distressing situations in a free-text response item across a wide array of HPs within multiple settings. Responses revealed that moral distress impacted the quality of patient care and provided descriptions of powerlessness to act.
A Broader Perspective on the Connection Between Audit Committee and Audit Report Lag
Authors: Jizi Mohammad I. , Nehme Rabih , Sadaka Sami
Published: February 2025

The article investigates the relationship between audit committee composition and audit report lag in the context of a developed country where the governance environment is well-established. The study also tests the factors that influence the relation between audit committee composition and audit report lag. A sample of FTSE 350 firms over a 9-year period prior to COVID-19 was tested. We used Thomson Reuters to collect firms’ governance and financial data, and we manually collected the audit lag data. The results show that audit committee independence reduces the audit report lag only if the board is highly independent and if the firm has relatively high profitability. Contrary to our hypothesis, audit committee financial experts positively influence the timeliness of audit report lag. Additionally, when firms are characterized by low board independence or high profitability, the frequency of audit committee meetings leads to a larger audit report lag. The positive association between audit committee meetings and audit report lag proposes that audit committees of relatively high profitable firms and low board independence have higher concerns regarding earnings management and financial statement manipulation, leading to demand for more audit effort for a higher assurance level. The study can be used as a tool that highlights the factors leading to the extended audit lag and also provides a broader understanding of the influence of the audit committee structure on audit report lag under different board independence and firm profitability levels.
Effects of Asiaticosides on Scar Recovery and Psychological Well-being in Patients with Scald Injuries
Authors: Li Li , Liu Le , Wang Tingting
Published: February 2025

Background

Scar recovery in elderly burn patients is essential for wound healing and psychological well-being. Total glycosides from Centella asiatica have gained attention for their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and wound-healing properties, showing promise in burn care.

Purpose

This study investigates the synergistic effects of combined nursing interventions and Asiaticosides on scar recovery and psychological well-being in patients undergoing scald scar repair. The pharmacological properties of these glycosides, including their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and wound-healing potential, are explored in the context of clinical care to enhance patient outcomes.

Methods

A cohort of 184 patients treated for scald scars between April 2023 and April 2024 was divided into two groups: an observation group receiving combined nursing interventions with Asiaticosides, and a comparison group receiving standard care. Scar assessment was conducted using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), pain was measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and psychological states were evaluated using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS).

Results

Statistically significant improvements were observed in the observation group, including reduced VSS and VAS scores, as well as enhanced psychological states, compared to the control group ( p < 0.05). The glycosides facilitated faster scar healing, reduced inflammation, and improved overall patient well-being.

Conclusion

Asiaticosides exhibit promising therapeutic potential in enhancing scar recovery and psychological health in elderly scald patients when combined with comprehensive nursing care. Further research into their mechanisms may solidify their role in integrated scald injury management.
Qualitative Comparative Analysis in Entrepreneurship Research
Authors: Rönkkö Mikko , Maula Markku , Wennberg Karl
Published: February 2025

Configurational research has great promise in entrepreneurship. There are few universal laws or relationships that hold under all circumstances. More often, optimal entrepreneurial outcomes are contingent on many factors. Consequently, configurational analysis using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has become increasingly popular. However, methodological research in sociology and political science has raised concerns about possible false positive findings produced by this method. In this editorial, we explore the potential and the common pitfalls of QCA in entrepreneurship research, as well as guidelines for its use.
EXPRESS: Inventory and Supply Chain Planning Systems as Drivers of Supply Chain Resilience: Analyses of Firm Performance through the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Swink Morgan , Kovach Jeremy J. , Roh Joseph
Published: February 2025

We combine insights from information processing theory (IPT), supply chain resilience literature, and collaboration with a leading supply chain planning technology provider to study the effects of excess inventory (a buffering tactic) and usage of supply chain planning systems (SCPS) (a bridging technology) on supply chain resilience. Utilizing the exogenous disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as the setting for quasi-natural experiments, we compare profit impact and time-to-recover across manufacturing firms that operated with varied levels of inventory and SCPS use in the period leading up to the onset of the pandemic. The results of multiple tests provide no evidence that inventory buffering aided firms in being more resilient, even for firms in industries that experienced positive demand shocks in the pandemic. In contrast, we find that firms that used SCPS evidenced fewer negative financial impacts throughout the disruptive period, and they recovered faster than their peers. The results are robust to sample characteristics, time frame, and control-group matching procedures. Our study extends a growing literature on supply chain resilience by offering a more refined explanation of IPT in a disruptive context, highlighting the limitations of inventory as a buffering tactic, and describing how SCPS help planners cope with uncertainty and disruptions. In addition, interviews with managers from a leading SCPS provider and from user firms highlight specific ways in which SCPS provide faster and more effective responses to disruptions. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research.
The Economic Background of City Councilmembers
Authors: Straus Graham
Published: February 2025

Is local politics shaped by groups and interests or party and ideology? Classic literature posits that local politics differs from national politics and centers on groups and interests rather than ideology, especially in settings with nonpartisan elections. A separate literature casts doubt on this, finding a connection between partisan voting, local ideology, and policy mimicking the federal level and without reference to groups and interests. In this paper, I use a large original dataset on the professional backgrounds of city councilors to provide a link between the evidence for both theories. I look at city council candidates from all 477 cities in California between 1996 and 2021, observing both candidates' career histories through their ballot designations and party affiliations through their public voter records. I find that liberal cities have more career politicians, non-profit workers, and service-based professionals running for and holding office, while conservative cities have more military and law enforcement workers and business types running for and holding office. Career politicians, non-profit workers, and service-based professionals are more likely to be registered as Democrats and military and law enforcement workers and business types are more likely to be registered Republicans. In this case group membership and party affiliation are tightly coupled.
Democratic innovation without political parties should be unthinkable
Authors: Farrell David M.
Published: February 2025

Much has been written about the state of parties and democracy. For electoral democracy scholars, parties are in trouble and, thus, so is democracy. Meanwhile, democratic innovations scholars operate with a different premise about parties, which they see as ‘the problem’, and the state of democracies, which they see as being re-imagined as citizen-centred. In short, we have a dystopian view about the state of parties and democracy versus a utopian view of a democracy that excludes parties. The paper start by reviewing these conflicting views to make the case that one is under-estimating the potential of democratic innovations and the other is under-estimating the role of parties in driving the innovations. We then set out a framework of democratic innovations centred on party agency. Finally, we reverse things to examine the role of democratic innovations within parties, again revealing divergent views about the nature of the reforms and the potential of parties.
Examining U.S. Adults Risk Perceptions and Skin Protection Behaviors Using the 2022 HINTS Database
Authors: Etzel Madison , Eldawy Nada , Kaleem Sahar , Lent Austin , Dean Adrienne , Dunn Ayden , Brinzo Paige , Jimenez Samantha , Sacca Lea
Published: February 2025

Background

This study aims to provide a general overview of cancer risk perceptions and reported sunburns to prevent sunburn and reduce the long-term risk of developing skin cancer.

Methods

Data were obtained from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey 6 and analysis was carried out with SPSS. Descriptive statistics were conducted to explore sociodemographic characteristics, cancer risk perceptions, and behaviors surrounding sunburns in our sample. Associations between number of sunburns and sociodemographic variables were reported using multinomial regression analysis.

Results

When asked how confident patients felt about their ability to take good care of their own health, most respondents felt either very confident (44.0%) or completely confident (27.3%). When asked how often they experienced a sunburn in the past 12 months, 2.1% reported experiencing more than 6 sunburns, 30.3% reported having between 1-5 sunburns, and 67.6% reported experiencing no sunburns. Using multinomial regression analysis, statistically significant associations were reported between number of sunburns and age, gender, occupation status, marital status, education, Hispanic origin, race, and income level.

Conclusion

The results of our study reinforce the need for public health interventions that effectively disseminate information on skin cancer risk across ethnic minority groups, especially in underserved communities within the U.S.
A polynomial regression model for predicting knuckleball movements in soccer free-kick
Authors: Liu Jiahang , Liang Dongfang , Cho Hiroshi
Published: February 2025

This paper develops a polynomial regression model with physical constraints to comprehensively analyze the complex motion of knuckleballs in soccer free-kick. The predictions match accurately with the ball trajectories extracted from recorded soccer matches. The model uses a polynomial function to account for the ball’s projectile-like motion. It further incorporates a critical physical constraint that is related to the aerodynamic drag force on the ball. The regression model is implemented using a relaxed iterative method. The lsqlin solver of MATLAB is used in each iteration. The model is verified through a prominent case study – Cristiano Ronaldo’s representative knuckleball free-kick executed in April 2012. The ball trajectory is meticulously derived from image processing of video footage. The paper examines the ball position, velocity, and drag coefficient over the entire flight of the ball. Notably, a significant increase in the drag coefficient is observed during the flight, which is a critical feature of the knuckling effect. The study extensively explores the influence of physical constraints and various model parameters to ensure the regression model’s credibility, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of knuckleball free-kicks. With its simplicity, efficiency, and effectiveness, this polynomial regression model can be a powerful tool for studying knuckleball free-kicks in real time and thus improving players’ techniques in training and in the match. Besides, it can be used to create authentic flight paths of the ball in computer games.
Predictive values of prognostic nutritional index and systemic immüne- inflammatory index in the follow-up newborns of preeclamptic mothers
Authors: Aydoğan Seda , Köse Caner , Tüfekçioğlu Eda , Aksu Meltem , Akduman Hasan , Kulalı Ferit
Published: February 2025

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is among the causes of serious morbidity and mortality for the mother and fetus. The most common consequences of intrauterine hypoxemia in the newborn are intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), premature labor, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and perinatal death. The systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is used as an indicator of inflammation, can be used to examine the effect of the immune status of babies of PE mothers on their prognosis.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 148 newborns of PE mothers who received treatment in our NICU between November 2022 and July 2024. Hematological indices including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, SII, and PNI were calculated for all patients. Subgroups were created for complications and analyses were performed.

Results: For all preeclamptic mothers’ babies, the mean SII and PNI were 387.69 ± 348.13 and 49.08 ± 7.59, respectively. The SII for prematurity produced an area under the curveReceiver operating characteristic (ROC) of 0.76 (0.59–0.92) (88.4% sensitivity, 70% specificity). The PNI for prematurity produced an area under the curve ROC of 0.72 (0.57–0.86) (63% sensitivity, 70% specificity). That was found that the SII has more sensitivity than the PNI for detecting prematurity in preeclamptic mothers’ babies. Low PNI and SII were independent predictors of mortality ( p < 0.01).

Conclusion: We found that it is significant for SII and NLR to be low at the time of admission to predict mortality in infants of preeclamptic mothers.