bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Frailty Index and Postoperative Outcomes of Open Bypass Lower Extremity Revascularization for Acute Limb Ischemia Using the Vascular Quality Initiative
Authors: Gonzalez Miguel , Paz Maria , Babrowski Trissa
Published: November 2024

Background

Frailty in patients undergoing surgery is strongly associated with postoperative complications. The risk analysis index (RAI) is a validated model for frailty that has been shown to predict short and long-term outcomes. Through utilization of the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), this study examined the application of the VQI-derived RAI in acute limb ischemia (ALI) patients undergoing open bypass lower extremity revascularization.

Methods

This is a longitudinal retrospective cohort study conducted on patients undergoing revascularization for ALI from the VQI. Using preoperative variables, an RAI score was calculated for each patient, and they were stratified into six cohorts: ≤20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 35-40, and ≥41. A binary forward multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the risk in each cohort on postoperative outcomes (mortality, amputation, surgical site infection, bypass revision, and discharge destination).

Results

The VQI dataset included 3,620 patients (72.1% male) with an average age of 65 ± 12 years. After conducting a binary forward multivariate logistic regression, frailty was not associated with amputation, surgical site infection, or bypass revision. However, frailty at the highest vs lowest RAI score was significantly associated with 3.26 higher times the odds of mortality and 0.32 lower times the odds of being discharged home.

Conclusion

Frailty, modeled by the RAI, was demonstrated to be associated with postoperative outcomes in a linear manner in ALI patients undergoing open bypass lower extremity revascularization. Since this is one of the first times a long-term outcomes national database such as the VQI was utilized to study this topic, our research supports the incorporation of the RAI as a screening tool for ALI patients to help guide postoperative care and prognosis and guide shared decision-making in whether to pursue limb salvage or primary amputation.
Nurses’ attitudes towards safety and their association with nurses’ perceptions of adverse events and quality of care: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Alanazi Faisal Khalaf , Molloy Luke , Lapkin Samuel , Sim Jenny
Published: November 2024

Aims:

To explore nurses’ attitudes towards safety and their association with nurses’ perceptions of adverse events and quality of care in Saudi Arabian hospitals.

Design:

A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey.

Methods:

A web-based survey was administered to nurses working in five hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Nurses’ attitudes regarding safety, nurses’ perceptions of the frequency of seven adverse events, and nurses’ views on quality of care were collected. Descriptive and predictive analyses were performed.

Results:

Nurses’ attitudes regarding safety ( n = 653) were classified as less than positive, with an overall score of 68.96%. The highest subscale mean score was for safety behaviour (73.1%), which was followed by job satisfaction (72.6%); the lowest subscale mean score was for working conditions (61.7%). Positive attitudes towards safety were associated with a lower frequency of pressure injuries, patient falls, healthcare-associated infections and unexpected deaths due to deterioration; positive attitudes towards safety were also associated with higher quality of care.

Conclusion:

Nurses’ attitudes towards safety contribute to preventing avoidable adverse events and to improving quality of care. This study builds on the growing body of evidence that demonstrates fostering a strong safety culture is essential for improving patient outcomes.
What can we learn from the Jerusalem Community–Academic Partnership case study in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood?
Authors: Donchin Milka , Bar-Zeev Yael , Levine Hagai , Kaufman-Shriqui Vered , Rauch Orly , Barasche-Berdah Deborah , Goldshmidet Etti , Goudman Ayala , Manor Orly , Paltiel Ora
Published: November 2024

Community–academic partnerships can be useful models for sustainable interventions. The Jerusalem Community–Academic Partnership (J-CAP) was established to address local health needs identified by a population survey. It engaged stakeholders and public health students as part of their training. We describe the establishment and processes of this partnership over a 3-year period.

Part 1 of the program entailed mapping and undertaking a quality assessment of health promotion (HP) programs in Jerusalem. Part 2 (Years 2 and 3), described herein, entailed a participatory process wherein a particular neighborhood, with a predominantly Ultra-Orthodox population, was chosen for intervention. A local steering committee was set up, and students assessed assets and needs by direct observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups, followed by the development of intervention programs using a participatory process. Neighborhood assets and needs identified in the first year served as a basis for the participatory process of developing intervention programs. Assets identified included the local community center and swimming pool. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle included a lack of health literacy, time constraints, socioeconomic factors, and local lifestyle and environmental characteristics. Students focused on public spaces, preschool children, and young women and mothers when designing, together with local leaders, intervention programs related to healthy nutrition and physical activity. The participatory process contributed to strengthening partnerships among several services and agencies investing in the health of Jerusalem residents. The students’ critical service-learning contributed to their understanding of HP in the real world and the local community. The students’ reports, which were submitted to the community center management, could serve to inform future interventions.
Standard dose anthracycline plus all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide as induction chemotherapy significantly reduces early death and relapse for high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia: a single-center real-world analysis
Authors: Shen Kai , Huang Jie , Yang Chenlu , Shuai Xiao , Guo Yong , Xie Liping , Li Jianjun , Jia Yongqian , Gong Yuping , Niu Ting , Ma Hongbing
Published: November 2024

Background:

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) have revolutionized the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the management of high-risk APL has not been conclusively established. The optimal dosage of anthracycline in the induction has long been debated when ATO is added.

Objectives:

To explore the management of high-risk APL regarding the optimal dosage of anthracycline in the induction and the predicators of prognosis.

Design:

This was a retrospective study in the real-world setting.

Methods:

High-risk APL patients defined as white blood cell (WBC) greater than 10 × 109/L who received ATO-based induction regimens were included. Data on clinical characteristics, treatment regimens, and prognosis including early death (ED) and overall survival (OS) were collected from medical records. Risk factors of ED and OS were analyzed.

Results:

This research included a total of 130 participants. Fifty (38.5%) patients received ATO+ATRA dual induction plus standard-dose anthracycline (ATO + ATRA + stDNR). Fifty-nine (45.4%) patients received ATO + ATRA with consecutive low-dose anthracycline (ATO + ATRA + ldDNR). Twenty-one (16.2%) patients were treated with ATO and various chemotherapies (ATO + others). Compared with the other two groups, the ATO + ATRA + stDNR group had the lowest ED rate of 4.0% (10.2% and 52.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that age ⩾60 years (odds ratio (OR) = 8.888, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.126–70.129), prothrombin time (PT) ⩾18 s (OR = 4.749, 95% CI: 1.252–18.007) and WBC ⩾100 × 109/L (OR = 10.591, 95% CI: 1.995–56.232) were independent risk factors for ED. The 5-year OS rates of the three induction groups were 96%, 80%, and 31%, respectively. None of the 48 patients who underwent ATO + ATRA + stDNR induction relapsed, whereas 9.4% (5/53) patients in ATO + ATRA + ldDNR group relapsed, and the relapse rate was 30.0% (3/10) in ATO + others group ( p = 0.003). The survival advantage of ATO + ATRA + stDNR was demonstrated by a Cox regression (hazard ratio (HR) = 5.079, 95% CI: 1.071–24.079). WBC ⩾100 × 109/L was correlated with an inferior OS (HR = 3.402, 95% CI: 1.359–8.518).

Conclusion:

Compared with low-dose anthracycline, standard-dose anthracycline combined with ATO and ATRA dual induction resulted in excellent outcome for high-risk APL patients.
Refining patient care: Evaluating prescription practices of medical residents and interns in a teaching hospital through an audit
Authors: Afrah  , Abdulla Lahal Mohammed , Saleem Nishfa , Baktharatchagan Aishwarya , Vishwanath Usha
Published: November 2024

Objective:

Hospitals in India use the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers guidelines as criteria to ensure safe prescribing practices. This audit was conducted to provide insight into in-patient prescription of drugs to (1) evaluate the quality of prescriptions (2) reduce prescription and medication errors (3) improve the quality of care in terms of prescriptions that the hospital provides to the patient.

Methods:

The cross-sectional study was conducted in an in-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Chennai where 153 paper-based prescriptions were continuously collected from the internal medicine department over 1 month. The prescriptions were evaluated on 13 parameters that is, patient details (including name, age, sex and Hospital unique ID), height and weight, allergies, capital letters, legibility, date and time of prescription, medicine prescribed by generic name, brand name or both, dosage, route of administration, frequency, relation with food, stop order and signature of the doctor. The data obtained was summarised and analysed using Google Sheets.

Results:

A total of 153 prescriptions from the in-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital were audited. Out of the 153 prescriptions and 13 parameters assessed, patient details (including name, age, sex and Hospital unique ID), legibility, route of administration and frequency were found in all of the prescriptions. On further analysis, we found that only 12.26% of the prescriptions were compliant with the components of the stop order. The majority of the prescriptions (69.28%) contained both generic and trade names.

Conclusion:

Prescriptions are the most common areas of errors. This study shows the form of errors that can arise while prescribing medications. Doctors must be adequately trained to write prescriptions and follow the standards set by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers. Audits need to be conducted regularly to ensure and improve the quality of prescriptions.
Catalytic improvement through collective leadership in Christian schools
Authors: Eckert Jonathan , Iselin Darren
Published: November 2024

We examine collective leadership across seven conditions in public and Christian schools. We conducted a survey ( n = 4525) of public ( n = 2701) and Christian school ( n = 1824) educators and compared the results to determine if there were significant differences. While responses were generally positive, we found differences in six of seven conditions with Christian schools reporting less positive results for supportive administration, work design, shared influence, and improvement. Christian schools were more positive about resources and supportive norms and working relationships. We discuss the implications of these findings for improving Christian schools.
Temporal Trends of Obesity Among Nebraska Adults: EMR Data Shows a More Rapid Increase Than Projected
Authors: Gibson Elizabeth M. , Geske Jenenne A. , Khandalavala Birgit N.
Published: November 2024

Introduction/Objectives:

Obesity data is typically obtained from national population surveys, while the use of more accurate electronic medical record (EMR) data is underutilized. The objective of this study is to calculate current obesity prevalence and weight trends using EMR data and compare the results to prior survey-based obesity prevalence projections for the state.

Methods:

This retrospective study analyzed Body Mass Index (BMI) from deidentified EMR data from 16,491 adult patients in urban midwestern primary care clinics between January 2017 and October 2021 for obesity prevalence and weight trajectories, stratified by age and gender.

Results:

There was a large discrepancy between the survey-based self-reported rates of obesity (35.5%) and those calculated from baseline EMR data (47.6%), along with a smaller discrepancy in females (47.9%) compared to males (47.2%). Young adults aged 20 to 29 years showed a larger increase in BMI over time compared to other age groups

Conclusions:

EMR-derived data indicates a prevalence of obesity greater than projections that have been based on self-reported survey data as well as higher weight trends than projected for this midwestern state. As evident from our study, cohorts such as at-risk young adults with a more rapid weight gain trajectory should be prioritized for enhanced obesity management.
A Sociosemiotic Exploration of Personal Information Legislation in the United States and China
Authors: Cheng Le , Hu Xitao
Published: November 2024

Personal information security has become a critical concern in the digital era, so it is imperative to clearly delimit and define personal information. This study examines personal information legislation from a sociosemiotic perspective to identify the similarities and differences between legislation in the United States and China. It reviews the evolution of personal information in both countries, and explores their differences in the definition of privacy, the status quo of personal information legislation, the definition of personal information and cross-border personal information flow. The findings indicate that (1) personal information, noted as a social sign, has context-sensitive characteristics, i.e., spatiality and temporality; (2) the meaning-making process of personal information is a continuum; and (3) there exists an intersemiotic operation between language, law and society. Such a sociosemiotic exploration can shed light on relevant studies in the sociosemiotic analysis of legal discourse in particular as well as other context-sensitive discourses in general.
Exploring Pre-Service English Teachers’ Perceptions and Technological Acceptance of Metaverse Language Classroom Design
Authors: Hwang Yohan , Lee Je-Young
Published: November 2024

This study aims to analyze the experiences of creating the metaverse classroom on pre-service EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers’ technological acceptance and affordance, as well as their perception of its potential for language learning and teaching. To achieve this purpose, this study utilized an in-depth analysis of survey and reflection data collected from 30 pre-service EFL teachers engaged in the creation and sharing of the metaverse classroom. The results of the study indicate that the design of the participants’ flexible and reconfigurable metaverse classroom increased their self-efficacy, autonomy, and technological affordance. Sentiment analysis revealed that the participants had a positive experience in creating the metaverse classroom. Keyword network analysis demonstrated that the metaverse environment facilitated experience sharing and contextualized learning. Based on the findings, this study suggests some educational policies that not only encompass the theoretical aspects but also consider the pedagogical perspectives.
Visualizing the Housing Cost Burden of Migrants and Natives across the Income Distribution
Authors: Witte Nils
Published: November 2024

A majority of German households are occupied by renters. There are indications of growing inequality through disproportional income increases among high-income households and disproportional rent increases among low-income households. On the basis of the German Socio-Economic Panel, the author examines rent-income ratios (RIRs) and differentiates between migrants and natives. How did RIRs develop between 1990 and 2020, and are there any differences across the distribution? There are three key findings. First, dynamics of RIRs suggest rising economic inequality among both migrants and natives. Second, although both groups grew more unequal over time, the inequality increase was stronger among migrants. Third, migrants generally faced steeper rent hikes than natives, which partly accounts for a higher rent burden among income-poor migrants. These descriptive findings point out avenues for systematic research of the increases in inequality related to rent and income dynamics and their ethnoracial stratification.
Engaging family caregivers with structured communication for safe care transitions: A making healthcare safer rapid review
Authors: Wagner Jesse , Aboumatar Hanan , Nunemaker Megan S , Treadwell Jonathan R
Published: November 2024

Objectives

To summarize and assess the effectiveness of patient safety practices (PSPs) for engaging family caregivers with structured communication to improve care transitions safety. This review provides information for clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers to better inform approaches to improve patient safety during care transitions.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for eligible studies published in 2010 through 30 June 2023, and reviewed gray literature searches and reference lists of relevant systematic reviews. We used prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria to assess relevant studies.

Findings

We identified 323 unique records and assessed 86 full-text articles for possible inclusion. We included nine studies (two randomized controlled trials, six pre-post studies, and one single-arm study) which assessed PSPs focused on hospital discharge to home, transfers from intensive care units, and transitions from residential care to home. We found that PSPs for engaging family caregivers with structured communication improved caregiver satisfaction (low strength of evidence) in residential care transitions. For other outcomes, we rated the evidence as insufficient to permit conclusions. None of the studies reported rates of unintended harms.

Conclusions

There is little evidence on the effectiveness of PSPs using structured communication with family-caregivers to improve care transitions safety. One study showed improvement in caregiver satisfaction. More high-quality research is needed to assess the effectiveness of these PSPs and unintended harms.
Temporal feature analysis of audio signal for instability identification in high-speed micro milling of thin-walled Ti6Al4V
Authors: Gururaja Sethurao , Singh Kundan K.
Published: November 2024

Ti6Al4V is widely used in aerospace and biomedical components due to its high strength, low weight, and biocompatibility. However, machining this material presents challenges, particularly due to its low heat dissipation capacity. In thin-walled micro milling, regenerative chatter is inevitable. The present study proposes a novel method for chatter detection during high-speed micro milling of thin-walled Ti6Al4V, utilizing Euclidean Distance (ECD) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Audio signals recorded during machining have been segmented into equal parts, and ECD has been used to detect variations between segments. Root mean square (RMS) is extracted for each segment and the same has been used in PCA to classify the cutting conditions. It has been observed that a minimum of three principal components (PCs) are essential for accurate and reliable chatter detection. Radial micro milling experiments have been conducted at spindle speeds ranging from 20,000 to 80,000 rpm, with radial depths of cut varying between 30 µm and 130 µm. A threshold of 3% has been established, where ECD variations below the threshold indicate stable cutting and variations above the threshold show chatter onset. These predictions have been validated through surface analysis for the presence or absence of imprinted chatter marks for different cutting conditions. The proposed approach can be used as real-time feedback on machining stability without requiring complex signal transformations or solving governing equations, making it a computationally efficient solution for industrial applications.
Nurses’ perspectives on old age and caring for adults aged 80 years and older: a cross-sectional study in long-term care
Authors: Lampersberger Lena Maria , Lohrmann Christa , Großschädl Franziska
Published: November 2024

Background

Older care receivers of long-term care at home or in residential care are in sustained and close contact with nurses. Consequently, nurses’ attitudes towards older adults and their care influences the quality of the delivered care. There is a dearth of research on long-term care nurses’ attitudes towards older adults. We aimed to investigate Austrian long-term care (residential care and home care) nurses’ attitudes towards adults 80 + and towards geriatric care, as well as possible influencing factors like personal and professional contact with older adults.

Methods

An online survey using a cross-sectional design was carried out in fall 2023 with a convenience sample of 875 Austrian nurses (qualified nurses, specialised nurses, nurses without diploma). The questionnaire included three scales: (1) The Aging Semantic Differential which measures general attitudes towards older adults, (2) the Perspectives on Caring for Older People Scale, and (3) the Positive/Negative Contact Scales.

Results

Nurses were found to hold neutral to positive attitudes towards adults 80 + and their care. Attitudes towards older adults and their care were positively influenced by positive contact experiences and few negative experiences in their work environment. Nurses in home care had significantly more positive contact with care receivers and held more positive attitudes towards adults 80 + than residential care nurses.

Conclusion

These results suggest that intergenerational contact can positively impact attitudes of nurses towards older care receivers. In order to further facilitate positive attitudes, it is recommended to create positive contact opportunities between nurses and care receivers by, for example, implementing intergenerational educational interventions.
Design and evaluation of vaccines for the control of the etiological agent of East Coast fever
Authors: de la Fuente José , Sobrino Isidro , Villar Margarita
Published: November 2024

East Coast fever is a tick-borne theileriosis caused by Theileria parva, a protozoan parasite with the primary vector being the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This disease poses significant challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to severe economic losses by causing the death of over one million livestock annually. Current control measures include vector control with acaricides and the “infection and treatment” method, which involves immunization with live sporozoites of the pathogen and treatment with long acting oxytetracycline. Despite their effectiveness, these methods face scalability and usability issues, necessitating the development of new prevention strategies, particularly in the field of vaccines for the effective and sustainable control of East Coast fever. In this primer focus, East Coast fever serves as a case study to highlight recent concepts and advancements in tick and tick-borne disease vaccine research. Vaccine design and evaluation processes are reviewed, encompassing the utilization of omics datasets and knowledge on vectors and pathogens, and exploring new design methods, such as quantum vaccinomics and messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines. Key limitations and areas requiring further research are addressed, including insufficient understanding of host–pathogen molecular interactions, the impact of post-translational modifications, and vaccine efficacy variability across different trials. Additionally, new research objectives are proposed to address East Coast fever but with possible impact on other tick-borne diseases. It includes advancing knowledge on tick–pathogen–host molecular interactions, studying tick microbiota, developing novel design approaches, such as combining tick and pathogen epitopes in chimeric vaccines (exemplified by the q38–p67c case), and exploring new immunological enhancers and delivery platforms.

Graphical Abstract
Rapid intensification of Typhoon Chanthu (2021) induced by topographic effects of Taiwan
Authors: Chi Ya-Shin , Huang Ching-Yuang , Skamarock William C.
Published: November 2024

Typhoon Chanthu (2021) underwent a unique rapid intensification (RI) when it moved northward offshore east of Taiwan under a northerly vertical wind shear. The recirculating flow of Chanthu’s outer circulation around south Taiwan led to the observed stronger convection at the offshore side of the typhoon. A multi-resolution simulation of MPAS has successfully captured the RI of Chanthu and indicated no RI in the absence of Taiwan terrain. Sensitivity tests help to explore the role of terrain-induced recirculating flow in the induced RI. Based on the solution of the extended Sawyer–Eliassen (SE) equation, diabatic heating contributes the most to the lower-tropospheric eyewall spinup in the nonlinear simulation. Asymmetric convection is enhanced in downshear left quadrant by the strong convergence between the recirculating flow and the typhoon’s inner vortex, resulting in a stronger contribution to the spinup than in the other three quadrants. Such asymmetric convection configured at the offshore side of the inner typhoon provides the dynamic mechanism of Chanthu’s RI.
Development of an offshore ground motion prediction equation for peak ground acceleration considering path effects based on S-net data
Authors: Nakanishi Ryo , Takemura Shunsuke
Published: November 2024

Ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) in offshore regions are important not only for earthquake early warning systems and strong motion prediction but also for evaluating the durability of subsea structures and tsunami risks associated with seafloor slope failures. Since soil conditions and propagation paths differ between onshore and offshore areas, it is desirable to develop a GMPE specific to the seafloor. Previous GMPE models have some problems, such as being influenced by buried observation equipment and path effects. In this study, to predict the distribution of seafloor seismic acceleration, we developed a new GMPE regressed on the peak ground acceleration (PGA) data of S-net using minimum necessary seismic parameters as explanatory variables. Residual analysis using the conventional GMPE emphasized the path effects through the offshore area, which were corrected by the depth up to the plate boundary. The new model successfully predicted PGA with smaller errors compared to conventional onshore and offshore GMPEs. The residuals between the observed and predicted PGAs were used to examine the factors responsible for the effects of the S-net site conditions. The new GMPE can predict PGAs within 300 km of the epicenter from the moment magnitude (Mw 5.4–7.4), focal depth, earthquake type, and source distance. In this model, the distance attenuation coefficient is smaller than in conventional models, and consequently, the PGAs along the trench axis that are amplified due to path effects can be reproduced. This means that PGAs will be unexpectedly larger than those estimated by conventional GMPEs even far from the hypocenter. Our model improves the accuracy of PGA prediction and avoids underestimation in assessing seafloor slope failure and earthquake resistance near the trench.

Graphical abstract
Epigenetic regulation in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in the dog, a translational model of human cancer
Authors: Tsamouri Maria Malvina , Kent Michael S. , Mudryj Maria , Ghosh Paramita M.
Published: November 2024

Muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) is the most common type of bladder malignancy in dogs, but the treatments used in the clinic are relatively ineffective for most of them. Dogs represent a naturally- occurring model for human MIUC and the advances in veterinary oncology could benefit human oncology as well. The field of epigenetics presents unique opportunities for new cancer therapeutics or biomarkers, as epigenetic modification of key genes can regulate tumor initiation and progression. This review summarizes the existing literature on epigenetic changes in canine MIUC as compared to human MIUC and provides suggestions for future studies that could benefit both human and canine patients.
Acquired 11β-hydroxylase Deficiency by Inhaled Etomidate and its Analogues: A Mimic of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Authors: Lau Choi Yee , Cheung Yee Ting Tommy , Han Tsz Mo Andrea , Chung Chun Ming Jeremy , Chong Yeow Kuan , Chen Pak Lam Sammy
Published: November 2024

The increase in popularity of electronic cigarettes arouses great health concern. We describe a case of a 35-year-old female with chronic use of electronic cigarettes. She presented with secondary amenorrhea and prominent features of hyperandrogenism, including acne vulgaris, male-pattern alopecia, deepening of voice, and hirsutism. The initial biochemical workup revealed a profile indicating 11β-hydroxylase deficiency. However, genetic analysis did not show any evidence of CYP11B1 mutation. This patient manifested the florid signs of disrupted steroidogenesis brought by chronic use of electronic cigarette oil containing etomidate and propoxate/isopropoxate, which are compounds structurally resembling etomidate. High clinical suspicion and sound understanding of the pharmacology and pathophysiology were instrumental in establishing the diagnosis for our present case.
Aldosterone-producing Multiple Micronodules With Several Different KCNJ5 Pathogenic Variants
Authors: Oiwa Yasushi , Aiga Ko , Kometani Mitsuhiro , Asano Takahiro , Usukura Mikiya , Yoneda Takashi
Published: November 2024

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of secondary hypertension. Recently, the genetic analysis of aldosterone-producing adenoma, a major cause of PA, has revealed several causative genes. Herein, we present a case of a 27-year-old Japanese female with PA. She was referred to our hospital with hypertension and hypokalemia (serum potassium, 2.8 mEq/L [2.8 mmol/L]). PA was diagnosed using several confirmatory tests. Computed tomography showed no apparent tumor in either adrenal gland. Adrenal vein sampling showed aldosterone overproduction in the right adrenal gland. Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was performed, her blood pressure normalized, and the hypokalemia improved after surgery. Pathological findings revealed multiple aldosterone-producing micronodules with diameters of <5 mm. DNAs were extracted from 4 different micronodules and analyzed for KCNJ5. Two micronodules had a T158A pathogenic variant, 1 had a G151R pathogenic variant, and 1 had no pathogenic variant in the KCNJ5 gene. In summary, in our case, multiple nodules were present in 1 adrenal gland, and genetic heterogeneity was identified. No recurrence on the left side has been observed over 17 years following the surgery.
The impact of targeted lifestyle interventions on brain function in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension: A retrospective cohort analysis
Authors: Yu Yangjie , Chen Qiying
Published: November 2024

Objective: To explore the impact of targeted lifestyle interventions on brain function in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension.
Methods: Clinical data of 104 young and middle-aged patients with hypertension, treated in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University from June 2021 to September 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. Forty nine patients received routine nursing care (control group), and 55 patients received targeted lifestyle interventions in addition to routine nursing care (observation group). Blood pressure levels, cognitive function, memory function, executive function, and working memory ability were compared between the two groups before and after the intervention.
Results: After the intervention, blood pressure levels in both groups decreased compared to before the intervention, and were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group (P<0.05). After the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in cognitive function, memory function, executive function, and working memory ability (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Targeted lifestyle interventions can significantly improve blood pressure control levels and brain function in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.11.10304
How to cite this: Yu Y, Chen Q. The impact of targeted lifestyle interventions on brain function in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension: A retrospective cohort analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(11):2588-2593. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.11.10304
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Exploring high growth emerging market SMEs’ engagement with digitalization: Analysis of the literature from Malaysia and Poland
Authors: Mior Harun Mior Harris , Stouraitis Vasilios , Kusa Rafal , Wozniak Maciej , Hanif Azlina , Abd Rashid Arlinah
Published: November 2024

Background This analysis compares SME digitalization research in Malaysia and Poland, providing a comprehensive comparative overview of research trends and contributions in both countries. The study emphasizes how digital technologies drive innovation and improve organizational performance, urging SMEs to seize strategic opportunities for sustainable growth through digitalization. Methods A bibliometric analysis was employed by leveraging the open-source Lens.org database yielding 162 entries for Malaysia and 42 for Poland, employing specific terminologies associated with digitalization and SMEs. The analysis was enhanced through the utilization of VOSviewer, a software tool available at VOSviewer.com, alongside Lens.org. Both tools facilitated an in-depth exploration of the selected studies. Result Results indicate a marked difference in publication volumes between Malaysia and Poland, suggesting underlying factors contributing to these disparities. Malaysia's leading position in publishing can be attributed to its expansive and diverse research community, potentially indicating increased research funding facilitating a greater volume of studies. Additionally, Malaysia's extensive research interests highlight a robust academic and scientific environment across various fields of study. Conclusions These findings furnish valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry practitioners in designing strategies and initiatives to fortify SMEs in their digitalization campaigns, with a keen awareness of the regional variations. Understanding these investigation patterns is of crucial importance for fostering sustained growth and innovation in SMEs and facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Different Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) in Couples with Unexplained Infertility
Authors: Boczar Agata , Dryja Patryk , Jarmołowicz Jakub , Stawicka Izabela , Orzołek Izabela , Solisch Sven
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Unexplained infertility, impacting 10-30% of couples, remains a significant challenge due to the absence of identifiable etiologies, complicating treatment decisions. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF, IUI, and ICSI have become primary interventions, though their efficacy varies across patient subgroups.

Objective of this StudyThis study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of IVF, IUI, and ICSI in managing unexplained infertility, considering patient demographics and prior ART outcomes, to guide evidence-based clinical decision-making.

Matherials and methods

A detailed literature search was undertaken across PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to locate research on the adverse effects of monoclonal antibodies used in asthma management. The search covered English-language studies from the start of each database up to 2024. To ensure comprehensiveness, additional relevant studies were found by examining the reference lists of selected articles.

Aim of the KnowledgeThe research seeks to clarify ART effectiveness in unexplained infertility, identifying optimal scenarios for each treatment type and assessing advancements that enhance reproductive outcomes while minimizing risks.

ConclusionsThe analysis suggests IVF as the most effective option for complex cases, especially in advanced maternal age, though it involves higher risks. IUI is a lower-risk, cost-effective initial treatment, while ICSI is indicated for male factor infertility. Tailored ART strategies based on individual reproductive profiles are essential.

SummaryThis study underscores the need for individualized ART approaches in unexplained infertility. IVF remains highly effective for challenging cases, while IUI and ICSI provide viable alternatives depending on patient-specific factors. Future research should aim to refine ART protocols to optimize success rates and minimize associated risks.
Introducción
Authors: Gutiérrez Sanín Francisco
Published: November 2024

Este libro busca profundizar en la comprensión de las relaciones entre conflictividad armada y rural en Colombia. Nos concentramos, en particular, en la guerra paramilitar. La mayoría de los capítulos se concibieron y escribieron en el marco del programa de investigación “Conflictos agrarios, conflicto armado e instituciones: Relaciones, interacciones y causalidades”, financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (MinCiencias) (Código 1101-852-71427, Contrato 472-2020 en la Convocatoria 852 de 2019), adelantado por el Observatorio de Tierras (https://www.observatoriodetierras.org/). Pero también tuvimos la fortuna de contar con insumos de primera calidad por parte de otros colegas. A través de estas reflexiones, seguimos avanzando en el esfuerzo de responder a la siguiente pregunta de fondo: ¿cómo entender la compleja relación entre tierra y guerra?
Regulating Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) May Harm Consumers
Authors: Mohammadi Behnam , Malik Nikhil , Derdenger Tim , Srinivasan Kannan
Published: November 2024

This work analyzes the impact of regulating explainable artificial intelligence.
Self-perception of Teachers in Training on the Ethics of Digital Teaching Skills: A Look from the TPACK Framework
Authors: Gómez-Trigueros Isabel María
Published: November 2024

The concept of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is presented as a framework that guides how to effectively integrate technologies in the educational environment. Through this model, we investigate the ethical implications related to the use of digital tools in teaching, and we outline the necessary knowledge that educators should have to address these issues of ethics and technology in the classroom. We assess the professional, ethical knowledge of pre-service teachers regarding their use of technologies using a descriptive and exploratory mixed-methods approach. The data for this research come from a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 616 teacher-training students in Spain, as well as from personal interviews with 411 of them. From these data, we identify four of the eight dimensions of ethical knowledge: professional, ethical knowledge, ethics in the use of technologies, pedagogy for their integration in the classroom, and the use of content specific to the disciplines of pre-service teachers. The results obtained indicate that the preparation of educators with professional, ethical knowledge in training is insufficient, which highlights the need to address this issue in the post-pandemic context of the 21st century. Among the difficulties detected, it should be noted that this study is limited to a European university and a sample chosen for convenience, so it would be advisable to extend the study to other European universities.
Punishable victims: interrogating intersections between gender-based violence and punitive migration policies in Australia
Authors: O’Donnell Samantha
Published: November 2024

Family violence is a primary consideration in the exclusion of non-citizens through Australian immigration law and policy. What this engagement of family violence by the Australian state obscures, is the impact of exclusionary mechanisms, specifically visa cancellations, immigration detention and deportations, on women who are victim-survivors of family violence with a temporary migration status. Drawing on interviews with 12 practitioners and one woman with lived experience, I explore the primary and secondary harms of punitive migration policies on migrant and refugee women who have experienced family violence. I focus on five harms: immigration detention as gendered punishment, the positioning of criminalisation above victimisation, hidden harms, ‘undeserving victims’, and consequential visa cancellation. In exploring these harms, I argue that the interests of women with a temporary status often ‘converge’ with the interests of perpetrators, which results in experiences of punishment because of their victimisation. I, therefore, make a new contribution through the framing of victim punishability, and interrogate the Australian state’s co-option of family violence in support of the exclusion of non-citizens. In so doing, I challenge state rhetoric that positions these policies as a legitimate response to tackling gender-based violence.
A Hero’s Quest: An Early Twentieth-Century Text in Passamaquoddy
Authors: Lesourd Philip S.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: The first issue of International Journal of American Linguistics , appearing in July 1917, included a text in the Eastern Algonquian language Passamaquoddy, which is spoken in Maine and is closely related to the Maliseet language of New Brunswick. The text was edited by John Dyneley Prince, who was at the time the leading scholar of the Algonquian languages of New England and Maritime Canada. This text is presented here in a new edition that corrects several errors of transcription and analysis in Prince’s version. This is accompanied by comments on significant linguistic features.
Transmuting Words into Gold: Writing Failure in the Discovery of Guiana
Authors: Amundsen Karin A.
Published: November 2024

abstract: Sir Walter Ralegh’s quest for El Dorado and gold mines in Guiana famously ended in failure. Yet his chronicle, The Discoverie of Guiana , and supporting works by George Chapman and Lawrence Keymis became quintessential texts of English imperialism, sustaining interest in colonization after decades of setbacks. This article considers how alchemical discourse reframed failure as a productive deferral of England’s imperial destiny. Drawing on English sericonian alchemy, Ralegh, Chapman, and Keymis envisioned empire transforming dissolute adventurers into virtuous and industrious men who would advance the state’s objectives and redeem Amerindians through good governance and Christianity. Metaphors of the chemical wedding downplayed Native dispossession by conceptualizing conquest and colonization as a benevolent, if initially violent, amalgamation of England and Guiana into a single polity. They urged Queen Elizabeth to fulfill providential history by accepting her role as alchemist of the imperial state. Though Ralegh could not transmute failure into success, the Guiana texts contributed to England’s “White Legend” and legitimized the eventual profits of empire as just compensation for spreading Protestantism and benefitting the commonwealth.
Women and Manuscript News Culture in Early Modern England
Authors: Jeans Hannah
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: Women’s news reading has often been overlooked by scholars of seventeenth-century news cultures. This article examines the manuscript newsletter collection of Lady Anne Pole, who received hundreds of newsletters in the 1690s and 1710s, to explore how she used her news reading as part of a process of ‘self-fashioning’ and as a form of political participation. It will also compare Pole’s collection to the manuscript newsletters of several other women, demonstrating that women can and should be seen as dedicated news consumers, and that they were able to maintain an active involvement in politics even when living far from London and when excluded from official political spaces and processes.
Revisiting Regionalist Mobilization in Southern Yemen: The Hidden Legacies of the PDRY
Authors: Lawson Fred H.
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: Anti-government protests erupted across the southern provinces of the Republic of Yemen during 2007–08. The disorders eventually coalesced into a mass movement that demanded the restoration of an autonomous polity in the south. Yet the initial mobilization called for administrative reform, an end to official corruption and greater employment opportunities, not a return to political independence. Furthermore, popular activism took shape in particular parts of the country, locales that had been hotbeds of discontent and unrest throughout the existence of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. Explaining the emergence of the Southern Movement requires close attention to configurations of contention that have persisted from the PDRY era to the present day.
Improving the radiance retrieval accuracy in limb sounding by utilizing a similarity model correcting the internal thermal radiation for an infrared radiometer
Authors: Dandan Zeng , She Chen , Hao Chen , Bo Yan , Shuaihui Li
Published: November 2024

For commercially available infrared radiometers with a small volume and a light weight and without an independent cooling system for the optical structure, thermal sensitivity is a key constraint for their application to high-precision limb observations. In this research, the response law of a medium wave (3.7–4.8 µm) infrared radiometer with different thermal states is investigated, and emphasis is placed on the background gray variability caused by different thermal states. We construct a similarity model to describe the response difference. Utilizing the very small radiance of the upper atmosphere and the similarity model, we can correct the deviation caused by the thermal fluctuation of the sounder with high accuracy. The method of improving the retrieval accuracy is validated by simulating the limb-sounding scenarios with ground experiments. When the target radiance is 2.27 × 10-7 Wcm-2sr-1, a temperature difference of 2.5°C causes a 918% deviation in the retrieved radiance, which can be reduced to 23% after correction with the similarity model proposed in this paper. This method can facilitate the application of portable radiometers in the field of high-precision detection.
On-chip cascaded micro-ring filters for demodulation of multiplexed FBG accelerometers
Authors: Li Minxuan , Huang Yan , Wang Ruohui , Qiao Xueguang
Published: November 2024

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) accelerometers are extensively utilized across various industries. For a high-performance FBG accelerometer interrogator, achieving low cost, wide range, multi-channel capability, high precision, and high-speed demodulation is critical. This paper proposes a chip-level wavelength demodulation method for FBG accelerometers utilizing a cascaded micro-ring resonator (MRR) array. Capable of demodulating multiple accelerometers within a 27.8 nm bandwidth at a speed of up to 1.6 kHz, the system’s performance is evaluated in terms of minimum detectable wavelength shift and noise level. We compare our system with a commercial FBG interrogator, and the results underscore the effectiveness and feasibility of our FBG accelerometer demodulation method, offering potential implications for various applications.