bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Efficiency and Potential of China’s Apple Exports
Authors: Ke Biao , Zhang Qiangqiang
Published: May 2024

This study elucidates the factors impacting China’s apple trade, its efficiency, and opportunities for increased revenue. This study adopts a stochastic frontier gravity model on China’s apple exports data, covering the period from 1997 to 2022 across 38 significant trading partners. The finding demonstrates that the economic growth of China and its trading partners substantially boosts apple export volumes, with a positive correlation between GDP growth and export flows. The research also highlights the deterrent effect of geographical distance on exports and reveals a complex negative relationship between the per capita GDP of importing nations and export efficiency, shedding light on the nuanced nature of trade dynamics. Furthermore, the study finds that the appreciation of China’s currency plays a crucial role in enhancing export efficiency by lowering transaction costs. Meanwhile, increased agricultural land in importing countries presents competitive challenges, impacting export performance negatively. Geographical proximity and infrastructural features, such as shared borders and lack of access to seaport, are identified as significant factors in export efficiency. The analysis unveils considerable untapped export potential in various countries, suggesting a strategic avenue for market expansion. To optimize China’s apple export strategy, policymakers are advised to consider currency management, negotiate trade agreements that mitigate distance and per capita GDP effects, and target markets with high untapped potential, thereby facilitating sustainable growth in China’s apple export sector.
TABLE 1 from Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non–small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Bagnyukova Tetyana , Egleston Brian L. , Pavlov Valerii A. , Serebriiskii Ilya G. , Golemis Erica A. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: May 2024

Characteristics of NSCLC cell lines
Figure S4 from Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non–small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Bagnyukova Tetyana , Egleston Brian L. , Pavlov Valerii A. , Serebriiskii Ilya G. , Golemis Erica A. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: May 2024

Primary images for Fig.6A
Figure S2 from Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non–small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Bagnyukova Tetyana , Egleston Brian L. , Pavlov Valerii A. , Serebriiskii Ilya G. , Golemis Erica A. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: May 2024

Primary images for Fig.5A
FIGURE 6 from Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non–small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Bagnyukova Tetyana , Egleston Brian L. , Pavlov Valerii A. , Serebriiskii Ilya G. , Golemis Erica A. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: May 2024

Signaling patterns in KRASmut NSCLC xenografts 6 or 24 hours after treatment with erlotinib or/and alisertib. Quantification of Western blot images for A549 (A) xenograft tumors. Data are presented as mean ± SEM, n = 3–6 mice. B, Summary for A549 xenografts shows significant changes in protein levels and activation after erlotinib+alisertib treatment, in reference to vehicle treated control group. C, Quantification of Western blots for H358 xenograft tumors. Primary Western blot data are shown in Supplementary Figs. S4 and S5. *, Significantly different from corresponding groups with P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; or ***, P < 0.001. Color of asterisks indicates comparison groups as follows: red, to control; orange, combination to erlotinib; green, combination to alisertib, purple, alisertib to erlotinib. C, vehicle; E, erlotinib; A, alisertib; EA, erlotinib + alisertib.
FIGURE 1 from Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non–small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Bagnyukova Tetyana , Egleston Brian L. , Pavlov Valerii A. , Serebriiskii Ilya G. , Golemis Erica A. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: May 2024

Expression of AURKA and EGFR in NSCLC. A, EGFR mRNA expression in KRASmut versus EGFRmut NSCLC, from a combined set of 789 samples (LUAD PanCancer, OncoSG, and CPTAC studies). Expression data are presented as RSEM z-scored values. B, EGFR protein expression in KRASmut versus EGFRmut in LUAD PanCancer study. Expression data are presented as RPPA z-scored values (356 samples). C, AURKA mRNA expression in KRASmut versus EGFRmut NSCLC, in a combined set of 789 samples (LUAD PanCancer, OncoSG, and CPTAC studies). Expression data are presented as RSEM z-scored values. D,AURKA copy-number changes dependent on mutation status of KRAS, EGFR, and TP53, in a combined set of 411 samples (LUAD PanCancer, OncoSG, and CPTAC studies). E, AURKA mRNA expression in KRASmut versus EGFRmut NSCLC based on TP53 mutation status, in a combined set of 789 samples (LUAD PanCancer, OncoSG, and CPTAC studies). Expression data are presented as RSEM z-scored values. F, EGFR mRNA expression in KRASmut versus EGFRmut NSCLC based on TP53 mutation status in combined set of 789 samples (LUAD PanCancer, OncoSG, and CPTAC studies). Expression data are presented as RSEM z-scored values. See Materials and Methods for details of data retrieval and analysis.
Entrevista com a Professora Sandra Guardini Teixeira Vasconcelos
Authors: Fernandes Ana Clara da Costa Carvalho , Coradini Bruna Martins , Gimenes Max Luiz , Bonavina Rafael
Published: May 2024

Entrevista com a professora Sandra Guardini Teixeira Vasconcelos, em que ela relembra sua relação com o professor Antonio Candido e discute aspectos da vida e da obra do crítico.
The Velvet Revolution's Best Supporting Actors: Shirley Temple Black and U.S. Embassy Prague, 19891
Authors: Kenealy Andrew
Published: May 2024

This article discusses the contours of U.S. diplomacy in Czechoslovakia before and during the Velvet Revolution of 1989, showing how the U.S. embassy in Prague, in collaboration with the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) and State Department, crafted U.S. policy. Drawing on recently available primary materials (including declassified U.S. telegrams, Czechoslovak archival documents, unpublished memoirs, and original interviews), this article highlights the role of the U.S. embassy during the period from August to November 1989, including how key officials, above all Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, analyzed political developments, assisted Czechoslovak dissidents, and pursued extensive engagement with the Communist government. The article provides the first scholarly, granular account of U.S. diplomacy in Czechoslovakia during the November 1989 upheavals and contributes to the historiography on U.S. foreign policy and the end of the Cold War.
“Caring For Their Pet More Than Themselves”: Attitudes toward Homeless People with a Companion Animal
Authors: Maujean Annick , Downes Marie , Sofija Ernesta , Byrnes Joshua , Downes Martin
Published: May 2024

Homelessness is a significant social problem internationally and some people who are homeless rely on their companion animal for comfort and support. It is unknown what attitudes Australian communities have regarding people who are homeless and have a companion animal. This study aims to explore public attitudes and knowledge about the issues homeless people with a companion animal are likely to experience in their daily lives. 125 non-homeless individuals completed an online survey. Qualitative analysis conducted on participants responses to the survey indicate that in general the Australian population is supportive and sympathetic to the plight of homeless people with companion animals. In addition, participants displayed good levels of awareness of the key issues and benefits associated with having a companion animal when homeless. Favorable opinions can influence policy development to support the plight of homeless people with companion animals to find a place to call home.
Salivary Gland Tissue Recombination Can Modify Cell Fate
Authors: Sekiguchi R. , Martin D. , Doyle A.D. , Wang S. ,   Genomics and Computational Biology Core, Yamada K.M.
Published: May 2024

Although mesenchyme is essential for inducing the epithelium of ectodermal organs, its precise role in organ-specific epithelial fate determination remains poorly understood. To elucidate the roles of tissue interactions in cellular differentiation, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and imaging analyses on recombined tissues, where mesenchyme and epithelium were switched ex vivo between two types of embryonic mouse salivary glands: the parotid gland (a serous gland) and the submandibular gland (a predominantly mucous gland). We found partial induction of molecules that define gland-specific acinar and myoepithelial cells in recombined salivary epithelium. The parotid epithelium recombined with submandibular mesenchyme began to express mucous acinar genes not intrinsic to the parotid gland. While myoepithelial cells do not normally line parotid acini, newly induced myoepithelial cells densely populated recombined parotid acini. However, mucous acinar and myoepithelial markers continued to be expressed in submandibular epithelial cells recombined with parotid mesenchyme. Consequently, some epithelial cells appeared to be plastic, such that their fate could still be modified in response to mesenchymal signaling, whereas other epithelial cells appeared to be already committed to a specific fate. We also discovered evidence for bidirectional induction: transcriptional changes were observed not only in the epithelium but also in the mesenchyme after heterotypic tissue recombination. For example, parotid epithelium induced the expression of muscle-related genes in submandibular fibroblasts that began to mimic parotid fibroblast gene expression. These studies provide the first comprehensive unbiased molecular characterization of tissue recombination approaches exploring the regulation of cell fate.
Seeing One Another: The Creation of the Sawubona Healing Circles
Authors: Auguste Evan , Lodge Tania , Carrenard Niara , Onwong’a Jana Robina , Zollicoffer Ashley , Collins Dana , London Laneay
Published: May 2024

In 2020, the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) drew attention to the history of racism in the United States on the creation and exacerbation of extant medical racial inequities to the detriment of Black individuals. Recognizing that solutions based solely in Western frameworks cannot fully address the mental health needs of Black individuals, ABPsi devoted collaborative efforts to develop culturally-grounding healing responses for the unique experiences of race-based invisibility and trauma. Additionally, amid the pandemic, individuals of African-descent experienced various mass racial traumas, including a wave of widely publicized police violence. Beginning with COVID-19, these intersecting pandemics of racism elucidated the need for healing, particularly culturally-grounding healing. In consultation with the Black Family Summit, ABPsi developed a pilot investigation, the Sawubona Healing Circle (SHC) initiative, which are culturally-grounding healing circles to support Black first-responders. Using an African-centered worldview, the circles recognize and validate the specific constellation of anti-Black traumas and stressors, equipping them with African-centered healing methods. This paper outlines the theory, development, implementation, and initial evaluation of the SHC intervention.
The work of landlord technology: The fictions of frictionless property management
Authors: McElroy Erin
Published: May 2024

Landlord technology—or the systems used by landlords to control and regulate tenant lives, spaces, and data—frequently promises “frictionless” building management and residential experiences. Yet services such as “digital doormen” and virtual property management platforms often create more work for tenants, particularly regarding decreased accessibility for tenants of color whose faces are unrecognized by biased algorithms used to administer building access, and for renters who are unable to or who refuse to use new apps and web portals. There are also “digital butlers” that landlords deploy as a means of attracting and retaining wealthy residents, yet that end up creating increased and often gendered work for those laboring behind the curtains of automation. Even virtual property management tools rely upon outsourced labor and are rife with contradictions and hardships for renters and call center workers alike. With a proposition that new forms of material and affective labor are created by landlord technologies despite promises of frictionless living, this article focuses on the various struggles that workers and tenants face in using, maintaining, refusing, and, at times, organizing against property automation. Based upon collaborative research produced with Landlord Tech Watch, as well as ethnographic accounting of housing and labor struggles in New York City and Cluj, this article introduces friction as a critical analytic useful in assessing the uneven, gendered, and racialized labor formations that landlord technologies require and reproduce despite fictions of frictionless living.
Effects of squeeze casting on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–5Cu–1Mn–0.3Ti alloy
Authors: Su Zhanwei , Li Xuelian , Chen Huiliang , Xu Shiwei
Published: May 2024

In this work, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Al–5Cu–1Mn–0.3Ti alloy prepared by different casting processes were investigated. The results showed that direct squeeze casting can further refine the grain and θ-Al2Cu phase, which is favourable to the uniform distribution of the θ-Al2Cu phase. The fluffy θ-Al2Cu/α-Al interface was caused by the severe pressure loss during the indirect squeeze casting process. The strength and elongation of direct squeeze casting alloy are 508 MPa and 18.5%, which are 40.3% and 123% higher than those of the alloys of indirect squeeze casting. The in situ tensile experiments revealed that the crack initiation mechanism of the indirect squeeze casting alloy is the debonding of the θ-Al2Cu phase at the grain boundaries.
Reproducibility and reliability of pancreatic pharmacokinetic parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Zhao Weiwei , Liu Chenxi , Huan Yi , Bi Yuyu , Zhu Yuanqiang , Zhang Weiqi , Wang Shuai , Yang Yong , Quan Zhiyong
Published: May 2024

Background

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with an extended Tofts linear (ETL) model for tissue and tumor evaluation has been established, but its effectiveness in evaluating the pancreas remains uncertain.

Purpose

To understand the pharmacokinetics of normal pancreas and serve as a reference for future studies of pancreatic diseases.

Material and Methods

Pancreatic pharmacokinetic parameters of 54 volunteers were calculated using DCE-MRI with the ETL model. First, intra- and inter-observer reliability was assessed through the use of the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CoV). Second, a subgroup analysis of the pancreatic DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic parameters was carried out by dividing the 54 individuals into three groups based on the pancreatic region, three groups based on age, and two groups based on sex.

Results

There was excellent agreement and low variability of intra- and inter-observer to pancreatic DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic parameters. The intra- and inter-observer ICCs of Ktrans, kep, ve, and vp were 0.971, 0.952, 0.959, 0.944 and 0.947, 0.911, 0.978, 0.917, respectively. The intra- and inter-observer CoVs of Ktrans, kep, ve, vp were 9.98%, 5.99%, 6.47%, 4.76% and 10.15%, 5.22%, 6.28%, 5.40%, respectively. Only the pancreatic ve of the older group was higher than that of the young and middle-aged groups ( P = 0.042, 0.001), and the vp of the pancreatic head was higher than that of the pancreatic body and tail ( P = 0.014, 0.043).

Conclusion

The application of DCE-MRI with an ETL model provides a reliable, robust, and reproducible means of non-invasively quantifying pancreatic pharmacokinetic parameters.
Remote sensing approaches to identify trees to species-level in the urban forest: A review
Authors: Ocón Jonathan P , Stavros E Natasha , Steinberg Steven J , Robertson Justin , Gillespie Thomas W
Published: May 2024

Most urban tree inventories depend on resource-intensive, field-based assessments, which are unevenly distributed in space and time. Recently, these inventories have been conducted using field inventories combined with airborne multispectral, hyperspectral, LiDAR, and spaceborne multispectral remote sensing. Significant advances have been made in urban tree GIS databases and remote sensing methods, which include delineating individual tree crowns, extracting tree species metrics, and employing classification techniques. Generally, remote sensing methods distinguish individual urban trees using either pixel-based or object-based methods, while image classification procedures are typically divided into parametric (e.g., regression-based classification, Bayesian, and principal component analysis) and non-parametric approaches such as machine learning (e.g., random forests support vector machines) and deep learning (e.g., convolutional neural networks). Our synthesis of the current state of science suggests sensors with the highest spatial (m), spectral (bands), and temporal (repeat time) resolutions result in the most accurate tree species identification. Combining airborne LiDAR/hyperspectral or airborne LiDAR/spaceborne high-resolution multispectral sensors yields the highest accuracy for the most diverse urban forests. An object-based non-parametric approach, like a fully convolutional neural network, scores higher in accuracy assessments than pixel-based parametric approaches. Future studies can leverage global/regional GIS field inventory databases to expand the scope of studies within and across multiple cities, utilizing LiDAR and spaceborne sensors.
Understanding the Utilization of Real-Time Traffic Information during Hurricane Evacuations in Texas
Authors: Xu Lu , Bathgate Kyle , Robbennolt Jake , Sun Jingran , Pan Shidong , Han Zhe , Boyles Stephen D.
Published: May 2024

Understanding how evacuees use real-time traffic information is crucial for developing effective emergency evacuation response plans for hurricane-prone areas. This paper investigates how such data were used during past hurricane evacuations and post-evacuation returns in Texas with a survey dataset collected between August 2022 and February 2023. We examined the usage patterns of various platforms, including navigation apps, social media, TV, radio, and information provided by public agencies. We found that a larger household size, longer distance to evacuation destinations, and past experience with hurricane evacuations are associated with greater use of real-time information platforms. Experienced evacuees tend to rely on navigation apps and social media, and those with experience before 2010 are more inclined to use the TV and radio as their primary sources of information. Motivation for using these platforms varies among users of different platforms. Although both navigation app users and social media users value their familiarity with the platform, the former also prioritize the convenience of using it. It was also found that TV users prioritize service accessibility, radio users emphasize service availability, and users of official agency information sources place a high value on data accuracy. These findings have implications for policymakers, emergency planners, and traffic engineers involved with disaster response operations to improve the resilience of transportation systems.
Food Environment in Burkina Faso: Review of Public Policies and Government Actions Using the Food-EPI Tool
Authors: Tapsoba Viviane Aurelie , Compaore Ella W. R. , Zeba Augustin Nawidimbasba , Some Jerome Winbetourefa , Ky Inoussa , Manga Julien Soliba , Diouf Adama , Moubarac Jean-Claude , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Dicko Mamoudou H.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Governments have a central role to play in creating a food environment that will enable people to have and maintain healthy eating practices.

Objectives:

This study analyzes public policies and government actions related to creating healthy food environments in Burkina Faso.

Methods:

The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index tool used for this study has 2 components, 13 domains, and 56 indicators of good practice adapted to the Burkina Faso context. Official policy documents collected from data sources such as government and nongovernment websites, and through interviews with government and nongovernment resource persons, provided evidence of considerations of food environment in public policy documents in Burkina Faso.

Results:

Policies documents show a lack of revision of old texts and administrative processes for new policies and government practices are very slow. Added to this is the absence of a regulatory document for some implemented actions. The analysis of the documents collected in relation to the indicators of Food-EPI tool shows that there is no evidence of consideration of food environments for the indicators concerning the regulation of nutrition and health claims, labeling, taxes on healthy and unhealthy foods, support systems for training for private structures on healthy diets, implementation of food guidelines, and food trade and investment.

Conclusion:

This study permits a review of public policies that take into account food environments through the various indicators and constitutes a starting point from which improvements can be made by the government.

Plain language title

Overview of Nutrition Policies, Taking Into Account All the Dimensions That Can Influence People’s Food Choices Across Government, the Food Industry and Society
‘They Want Our Culture, Not Our Struggle’: Race and Gender Inequalities in Music, Sports, and Hollywood
Authors: McTaggart Ninochka , O’Brien Eileen
Published: May 2024

When it comes time to disagree that White male privilege exists, insisting race and gender equity is already achieved, deniers often point to prominent people of color in sports and entertainment industries. Famous figures like Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce Knowles, Jay-Z, and Lebron James may, with cursory glance, give impression that—even if fields like finance, technology, medicine, law, and politics have glass ceilings—the entertainment field provides a seemingly utopian space where the playing field has already been leveled, and the so-called American Dream of race and gender equality has assumedly arrived. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, from primary and secondary sources, we look beyond token big names to overall patterns in music, professional sports, and film arenas to document how racial and gender inequality continue to stratify entertainment industries. Our analysis demonstrates that women and people of color are conditionally accepted, at best, to entertain, provided they stay in their proverbial place—seldom owning, directing, or taking the lead, and penalized when speaking out about oppression. We end with recommendations on how to shatter glass ceilings, like inclusion riders and Rooney Rule, along with other ways to bring more women and people of color into more powerful positions in these industries.
Palaeoclimatic shifts in the Central Ganga Basin during the Middle- to Late Holocene: Exploring the 4.2 ka arid event and its implications in northern India
Authors: Sengupta Sreya , Gupta Anil K , Jaiswal Manoj Kumar , Kumar Pankaj , Sanyal Prasanta , Pandey Shilpa , Sen Singh Dhruv , Kaushik Arun , Singh Anoop Kumar , Palar Biswajit , Sharma Rajveer , Singh Vartika
Published: May 2024

The Central Ganga Basin is one of the most densely populated regions of India. It is agriculturally diverse and contributes much to the Indian economy. The region has housed numerous ancient and mediaeval empires. This study presents a continuous record of the paleomonsoon from the Chandrika Devi lake, Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, India which is linked with paleo vegetational shifts over the last ~6000 years (5871–75 cal yr BP). The chronology of the lake core is based on three accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon and two Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dates. The multiproxy data (grain size, major and trace element ratio, total organic carbon (TOC wt%), carbon isotopes (δ13Corg‰) and pollen), suggest that the lake was initially a part of the Gomti river that began to transform into a lake at ~5000 cal yr BP with weakening of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) in the Central Ganga Basin. The lake formation was completed at ~4100 cal yr BP under the influence of the 4.2 ka arid event. This phase marks the beginning of human presence as well as agricultural activities in the lake region with the appearance of Cerealia pollen and other agricultural taxa. The agricultural activity surrounding the lake catchment peaked at ~3000 cal yr BP. The lake gradually shrank and became a marshy lowland at ~75 cal yr BP. Our study is significant because it is the first comprehensive multiproxy study from the Lucknow region in the Central Ganga Basin on paleomonsoonal variability and its relationship to human activity, agricultural practices during the Late-Holocene with a focus on the 4.2 Ka arid event. Also, pollen record suggests that the changes in agriculture and human activity began just after 4.2 ka arid event in the study area.
Fabrication of animal shell and sugarcane bagasse particulate hybrid reinforced epoxy composites for structural applications
Authors: Oladele Isiaka O , Taiwo Annuoluwapo S , Bello Lateef J , Balogun Samuel O , Senzeni Sipho Lephuthing , Adelani Samson O
Published: May 2024

This study investigated the effects of using egg and snail shells, along with sugarcane bagasse, on various properties of hybrid reinforced epoxy composites for structural applications. The particulate shells and sugarcane bagasse serve as reinforcements while the matrix consists of epoxy resin and hardener. The composites were produced using the hand lay-up technique, and the mechanical, wear and physical properties of the prepared samples were evaluated. The fractured surfaces of the samples were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that the source of the shell had an impact on the properties of the composites as eggshell-sugarcane bagasse particulate reinforced epoxy composites exhibited improved strengths, while snail shell-sugarcane bagasse particulate reinforced epoxy composites showed improved moduli. Optimal values were obtained for flexural and tensile strengths at 15 and 18 wt%, respectively, while flexural and tensile moduli were optimal at 12 and 15 wt%, respectively. Eggshell-sugarcane bagasse particulate reinforced epoxy composites demonstrated an optimal impact strength value of 21.81 J/m2, while snail shell-sugarcane bagasse particulate reinforced epoxy composites showed optimal results in all other properties mostly at 20 wt%. Conclusively, the use of snail shell-sugarcane bagasse particles was found to be more effective than eggshell-sugarcane bagasse particles for enhancing the properties of epoxy-based composites for structural applications while particulate reinforcement content within the range of 12–20 wt% are responsible for optimum performances.
Evaluating the Credibility of Entrepreneurs’ Impact Promises in Early-Stage Impact Investing
Authors: Dumont Guillaume
Published: May 2024

This article investigates ethnographically how early-stage impact investors evaluate the credibility of the impact promises made by social entrepreneurs. Uncovering how investors carry out this task beyond observable characteristics and self-reported prosocial intentions, I propose that their evaluation of impact promises centers on four interrelated aspects of the entrepreneurs’ behavior: impact metrics, impact track record, impact management, and impact prospects. I articulate these aspects into a framework explaining how credible beliefs about entrepreneurs’ impact promises emerge among investors and embolden their investment decisions.
Introduction: COVID-19 Related Professional Challenges, Innovations, and Implications for Child Maltreatment Victims
Authors: Williams Shanna , Stevenson Margaret C. , Appleyard Carmody Karen , Valentino Kristin
Published: May 2024

The current commentary provides an introduction to the special issue examining COVID-19-related professional challenges, innovations, and implications for child maltreatment victims. The editors of the special issue provide a summary of the research presented as well as the implications for the field of child maltreatment research.
“In Minutes Instead of Weeks”: Discursive Constructions of Generative AI and Qualitative Data Analysis
Authors: Paulus Trena M. , Marone Vittorio
Published: May 2024

The use of qualitative data analysis software (QDAS) platforms have always posed a dilemma for researchers, and the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are complexifying this relationship even further. The way QDAS companies are positioning this new development will impact how researchers understand what qualitative analysis is and what it could be. Using discourse analysis methods, we explored how ATLAS.ti, NVivo, and MAXQDA websites constructed the relationship between AI-assist and qualitative research methods. We noted four “discursive dilemmas” across the websites: (a) automated insight-generation versus systematic meaning-making; (b) chatting with documents versus analyzing data; (c) high speed versus high engagement; and (d) novelty versus agency. While some level of hyperbolic discourse can be expected from corporations whose goal is to sell products, we argue that the discourses used on these websites may be incompatible with the epistemological foundations of qualitative research.
Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK
Authors: Teng Kendy Tzu-yun , Brodbelt Dave C , Church David B , O’Neill Dan G
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The aims of the present study were to generate the first life tables for the UK companion cat population overall as well as broken down by sex and breed status, and to quantify associations between mortality and traits such as sex, neuter status, breed status and body weight in relation to mortality.

Methods

Life table construction and modelling included data on 7936 confirmed deaths in cats under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the VetCompass Programme in 2019. The life tables were built for cats overall, female and male cats, and crossbred and purebred cats. Multivariable generalised linear regression models were generated to explore the risk factors for a shortened lifespan.

Results

Life expectancy at age 0 for UK companion cats overall was 11.74 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.61−11.87). The probability of death at each year interval increased with age from year interval 3–4, with the probability value not exceeding 0.05 before year 9. Female cats (12.51 years; 95% CI 12.32–12.69) had a 1.33-year longer life expectancy than male cats (11.18 years; 95% CI 11.01–11.38) at age 0. Among the 12 breeds (including crossbred) analysed, Burmese and Birman had the longest life expectancy at year 0, showing 14.42 years (95% CI 12.91–15.93) and 14.39 years (95% CI 12.87–15.91), respectively. Sphynx had the shortest life expectancy at year 0 among the analysed breeds at 6.68 years (95% CI 4.53–8.83). Being entire, purebred and with a non-ideal body weight were significantly linked to a decreased lifespan.

Conclusions and relevance

The life tables presented here for companion cats in the UK overall, by sex, and by crossbred and purebred cats can contribute to a better understanding of the life trajectory of cats, helping with evidence-based decision-making for cat owners and the veterinary profession. We have also provided an updated life expectancy at age 0 for various cat breeds for 2019 and showed evidence of the association between non-ideal weight and a decreased lifespan.
Autosomal recessive leber hereditary optic neuropathy in a choroideremia carrier. A case report
Authors: Roomets Eva , Mauring Laura
Published: May 2024

Background:

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited progressive optic neuropathy usually caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations. Recently, autosomal recessive (arLHON), which is caused by biallelic mutations in the DNAJC30 gene (usually c.152A > G), has been described. The onset of LHON before the age of 12 is uncommon and it is typically associated with a more variable clinical course and a more favorable visual prognosis than adult-onset LHON.

Materials and Methods:

Detailed clinical findings of a female child with vision loss due to arLHON together with choroideremia (CHM) carrier state are presented.

Results:

Genetic testing for the three most common mitochondrial LHON pathogenic variants was negative. On suspicion of arLHON, genetic testing was continued with the next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the nuclear DNA, identifying a homozygous pathogenic variant in DNAJC3°c.152A > G, p.(Tyr51Cys), but no alterations in the CHM gene. Idebenone treatment was started 4.5 months after the first evaluation. Clinical diagnosis of the CHM carrier state was confirmed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay, which revealed a heterozygous deletion of all exons of the CHM.

Conclusions:

In children with acute or subacute, simultaneous, or sequential vision loss that is unresponsive to immunomodulatory treatment, LHON should be considered as a possible diagnosis. Our case emphasizes the diagnostic advantage of sequencing DNAJC30 in parallel with the mitochondrial DNA, especially in Eastern European descent patients. Genomic rearrangement testing should be considered for patients with a CHM carrier phenotype who have negative results on sequencing tests.
Idiopathic Granulomatous Vulvitis: A Case Report on a Rare Disease
Authors: Muhaidat Jihan M , Alhaje Enas A , Al-qarqaz Firas A , Alshiyab Diala M , Qablan Almutazballlah Bassam
Published: May 2024

Idiopathic granulomatous vulvitis is an uncommon anogenital area disease described in the last few decades. It causes an inflammatory reaction that culminates in swelling and possibly distortion of the female anogenital area. Many reported cases consider this non-infectious entity the genital counterpart to granulomatous cheilitis. We here present a 64 years old female patient with idiopathic granulomatous vulvitis co-existing with lipodermatosclerosis, with the excellent response of the former condition to hydroxychloroquine and potent topical steroids.
Service with(out) a smile: The reproduction of gendered consumer violence
Authors: Fyrberg Yngfalk Anna , Fellesson Markus
Published: May 2024

This paper critically examines consumer violations of employees in the Nordic retail sector. In bringing these violations to light, we analyse how employees become subjectified by the ideals of consumer sovereignty, and how service work is discursively and practically aligned with the notion of the sovereign consumer. We demonstrate how the discourse of consumer sovereignty intersects with gendered service work and the expectations of feminine sexual availability, and how this alignment reproduces gender and power inequalities. Drawing on studies of consumer violence and misbehaviour and feminist research on service work, we argue that the patterns of subjugation and consumer abuse are intrinsically embedded both in the ideal of consumer sovereignty itself and in the strategies that employees use to constitute themselves within prevailing market and gender orders. The study provides a critical understanding of how consumer sovereignty operates in tandem with gender structures to form subjugating practices that both enable and normalise consumer violations.
Hallucinogenics in medicine
Authors: Kheder Dinah , Haque Dr Raju , Romano Kenneth
Published: May 2024

Hallucinogenics are a broad category of psychoactive substances that have the ability to alter the senses of smell, taste, hearing and feeling, as well as mood and thought. They fall under three main categories: psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants. Muscle spasms, aggressive behaviour, convulsions, and in some cases unconsciousness, are among the dangers associated with their use. Hallucinogenics are largely classified as schedule 1 drugs, and thus are considered to have no therapeutic value. However, global research into their therapeutic potential for conditions such as depression, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety is ongoing. This article aims to shed light on the risks associated with hallucinogenic substances, how this may present in primary care, and how they may be used in medicine in the future.
How Are Provided and Received Social Support Related to Relationship Satisfaction and Self-Esteem? A Comprehensive Test of Competing Hypotheses
Authors: Köhler Anna , Heine Christoph , Hagemeyer Birk , Dufner Michael
Published: May 2024

The amount of social support partners provide and receive in romantic relationships is important for psychological well-being. But in what sense exactly? Divergent and highly nuanced hypotheses exist in the literature. We explicitly spelled out these hypotheses, specified a statistical model for each using response surface analyses, and simultaneously tested which model had the most empirical support. We analyzed data from more than 16,000 participants and investigated how the amount of social support relates to relationship satisfaction (of participants themselves and partners) and self-esteem (of participants themselves). For participants’ own relationship satisfaction, models postulating that more provided and received social support is linked to higher satisfaction had the most empirical support. For partners’ relationship satisfaction and participants’ self-esteem, models that also take partners’ (dis)-similarity in supportiveness into account received support. In total, the absolute amount of support seems to generally matter and, in some cases, partners’ (dis)-similarity seems relevant.
Analyzing the Benefits and Costs of the Safe Step Act on Patients, Physicians, and Insurers
Authors: Shan Divya M. , Greenzaid Jonathan D. , Greene Estay , Feldman Steven R.
Published: May 2024

Pharmaceutical expenditures in the United States, particularly in dermatology, have grown rapidly, driven by expensive topical and biologic treatments. Insurers are employing cost-containing strategies such as step therapy, which mandates the use of lower-cost treatments before more expensive medications. The bipartisan Safe Step Act aims to enhance step therapy policies by introducing a transparent process for requesting exceptions and reasonable timelines for the process. However, there is limited analysis on how the Safe Step Act would affect the healthcare environment. We examine the policies of the Safe Step Act and existing literature on prior authorizations and discuss how the bill could affect patients, physicians, and insurers. While the act could expedite access to necessary medications and prevent irreversible harm to patients from delaying efficacious treatment, it falls short in relieving the administrative burdens on dermatology clinics. Although there is no ideal solution for managing healthcare costs, measures like step therapy encourage cost-effective treatments and optimizing care for the population. Curtailing step therapy with the exemptions process of the Safe Step Act might streamline patient access to treatments but could impede cost-containment strategies, weaken the bargaining power of insurers, and result in higher insurance premiums.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone – KNNLST lead-free ceramic composites for dielectric applications
Authors: Mgbemere Henry E. , Semeykina Viktoriya
Published: May 2024

Piezoelectric composites offer many advantages compared to piezoelectric ceramics or polymers because of their mechanical flexibility and relatively high stress-induced voltage. In this research, high-molecular weight polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and lead-free piezoelectric (K0.45Na0.51Li0.04) (Nb0.85Ta0.1Sb0.05)O3 (KNNLST) ceramics have been used to produce composites. The possible range of composites from 0 to 100 wt% has been explored. The ceramics were produced using conventional processing methods, while the composites were solution-cast after being mixed with a magnetic stirrer. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dielectric and piezoelectric characterization to determine their properties. The morphology of the composites indicates the homogeneous distribution of the ceramics in the polymer. The XRD patterns show that the dissolved amorphous PVP precipitates and the addition of KNNLST ceramics contributes substantially to the crystalline phase formation. The relative permittivity and loss tangent values increase with an increase in ceramic content. Acceptable polarization and strain hysteresis curves were obtained only for the KNNLST ceramics. The composites produced will be suitable for dielectric applications.
Disregarding multimappers leads to biases in the functional assessment of NGS data
Authors: Almeida da Paz Michelle , Warger Sarah , Taher Leila
Published: May 2024

Background

Standard ChIP-seq and RNA-seq processing pipelines typically disregard sequencing reads whose origin is ambiguous (“multimappers”). This usual practice has potentially important consequences for the functional interpretation of the data: genomic elements belonging to clusters composed of highly similar members are left unexplored.

Results

In particular, disregarding multimappers leads to the underrepresentation in epigenetic studies of recently active transposable elements, such as AluYa5, L1HS and SVAs. Furthermore, this common strategy also has implications for transcriptomic analysis: members of repetitive gene families, such the ones including major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes, are under-quantified.

Conclusion

Revealing inherent biases that permeate routine tasks such as functional enrichment analysis, our results underscore the urgency of broadly adopting multimapper-aware bioinformatic pipelines –currently restricted to specific contexts or communities– to ensure the reliability of genomic and transcriptomic studies.
Effects of hibernation on two important contractile tissues in tibetan frogs, Nanorana parkeri: a perspective from transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches
Authors: Niu Yonggang , Zhang Xuejing , Men Shengkang , Xu Tisen , Zhang Haiying , Li Xiangyong , Storey Kenneth B. , Chen Qiang
Published: May 2024

Background

In response to seasonal cold and food shortage, the Xizang plateau frogs, Nanorana parkeri (Anura: Dicroglossidae), enter a reversible hypometabolic state where heart rate and oxygen consumption in skeletal muscle are strongly suppressed. However, the effect of winter hibernation on gene expression and metabolic profiling in these two tissues remains unknown. In the present study, we conducted transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of heart and skeletal muscle from summer- and winter-collected N. parkeri to explore mechanisms involved in seasonal hibernation.

Results

We identified 2407 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in heart and 2938 DEGs in skeletal muscle. Enrichment analysis showed that shared DEGs in both tissues were enriched mainly in translation and metabolic processes. Of these, the expression of genes functionally categorized as “response to stress”, “defense mechanisms”, or “muscle contraction” were particularly associated with hibernation. Metabolomic analysis identified 24 and 22 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in myocardium and skeletal muscle, respectively. In particular, pathway analysis showed that DEMs in myocardium were involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, glycerolipid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. By contrast, DEMs in skeletal muscle were mainly involved in amino acid metabolism.

Conclusions

In summary, natural adaptations of myocardium and skeletal muscle in hibernating N. parkeri involved transcriptional alterations in translation, stress response, protective mechanisms, and muscle contraction processes as well as metabolic remodeling. This study provides new insights into the transcriptional and metabolic adjustments that aid winter survival of high-altitude frogs N. parkeri.
Global variations in funding and use of hemodialysis accesses: an international report using the ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas
Authors: Ghimire Anukul , Shah Samveg , Chauhan Utkarsh , Ibrahim Kwaifa Salihu , Jindal Kailash , Kazancioglu Rumeyza , Luyckx Valerie A. , MacRae Jennifer M. , Olanrewaju Timothy O. , Quinn Robert R. , Ravani Pietro , Shah Nikhil , Thompson Stephanie , Tungsanga Somkanya , Vachharanjani Tushar , Arruebo Silvia , Caskey Fergus J. , Damster Sandrine , Donner Jo-Ann , Jha Vivekanand , Levin Adeera , Malik Charu , Nangaku Masaomi , Saad Syed , Tonelli Marcello , Ye Feng , Okpechi Ikechi G. , Bello Aminu K. , Johnson David W.
Published: May 2024

Background

There is a lack of contemporary data describing global variations in vascular access for hemodialysis (HD). We used the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) to highlight differences in funding and availability of hemodialysis accesses used for initiating HD across world regions.

Methods

Survey questions were directed at understanding the funding modules for obtaining vascular access and types of accesses used to initiate dialysis. An electronic survey was sent to national and regional key stakeholders affiliated with the ISN between June and September 2022. Countries that participated in the survey were categorized based on World Bank Income Classification (low-, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income) and by their regional affiliation with the ISN.

Results

Data on types of vascular access were available from 160 countries. Respondents from 35 countries (22% of surveyed countries) reported that > 50% of patients started HD with an arteriovenous fistula or graft (AVF or AVG). These rates were higher in Western Europe (n = 14; 64%), North & East Asia (n = 4; 67%), and among high-income countries (n = 24; 38%). The rates of > 50% of patients starting HD with a tunneled dialysis catheter were highest in North America & Caribbean region (n = 7; 58%) and lowest in South Asia and Newly Independent States and Russia (n = 0 in both regions). Respondents from 50% (n = 9) of low-income countries reported that > 75% of patients started HD using a temporary catheter, with the highest rates in Africa (n = 30; 75%) and Latin America (n = 14; 67%). Funding for the creation of vascular access was often through public funding and free at the point of delivery in high-income countries (n = 42; 67% for AVF/AVG, n = 44; 70% for central venous catheters). In low-income countries, private and out of pocket funding was reported as being more common (n = 8; 40% for AVF/AVG, n = 5; 25% for central venous catheters).

Conclusions

High income countries exhibit variation in the use of AVF/AVG and tunneled catheters. In low-income countries, there is a higher use of temporary dialysis catheters and private funding models for access creation.