bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vennamei: Current status, future prospects and opportunities for Bangladesh Aquaculture
Authors: Naser Md Niamul , Sarker Manmatha Nath , Hosain Md Eilious
Published: November 2022

Shrimp aquaculture plays the key role in Bangladesh seafood export industry. It includes the species of Tiger prawn Penaeus monodon, and Giant river prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, which have been widely farmed after 1980s. The industry is severely damaged due to diseases outbreaks in hatcheries, nurseries and grow-out ponds since 2000, thus this sector shows shrinkage from global export market. However, the last few decades an alternate aquaculture decapod species, Whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei has been recognized as the most important in world-seafood export item. Bangladesh aquaculture has very recently been introduced with the Whiteleg shrimp L. vannamei for shrimp production boost up. This review focusses on the current state of arts for L. vannamei aquaculture techniques and their possible implication to farming in Bangladesh. Recently, several Whiteleg shrimp pilot scale farming were initiated which showed promising production ranged from 5.0 to 8.9 MT/ha. Private entrepreneurs now become interested and it is perceived that the Whiteleg shrimp could gear up shrimp production in near future in terms of better production performance, technology development and extension work besides other indigenous culture-shrimp species. By introducing this shrimp, we forecast that, depending upon the technology adoption in present culture areas, the export frozen seafood earnings from shrimp sector will increase up to 5 to 10 folds from the present. Thus, proper understanding and knowledge based innovative approach for its sustainable rapid extension and strategies is in need. This review suggests the regional reproducible pilot culture program for hatchery, nursery and grow-out under controlled environment ensuring better footprint and low residues impact to natural aquatic systems. Adaptive research should be initiated to develop intensive or super-intensive culture techniques besides the traditional practices in the selected confined areas. The pond culture, biofloc farming, aquamimicry farming and green water raceways could be excellent options for L. vannamei culture in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh J. Zool. 50 (2): 143-184, 2022
Coleopteran Diversity at the three selected areas in Dhaka City, Bangladesh
Authors: Afroz Sadia , Islam Md Aminul , Alim Md Abdul , Zohora Fatema Tuz
Published: November 2022

The diversity of coleopteran species was studied at three different selected areas in Dhaka city from December 2016 to November 2017. A total of 11,397 individuals of 56 coleopteran species belonging to 50 genera, including 15 families, were recorded in the study areas during the study period. Of them, 47 species (4916 individuals) of 13 families were found at the Ramna Park, 48 species (2441 individuals) of 15 families at the National Botanical Garden, and 42 species (4040 individuals) of 11 families at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) campus. A total of 30 species, 25 genera, and 11 families were common in these three study areas. At the Ramna Park, the highest species richness included the family Chrysomelidae (34.04%), and the lowest was under the six families including Staphylinidae, Bostrichidae, Nitidulidae, Geotrupidae, Erotylidae, and Scarabaeidae (2.13%). At the National Botanical Garden, the maximum number of species was recorded under the family Chrysomelidae (6.24%), and the lowest was under seven families including Staphylinidae, Bostrichidae, Nitidulidae, Geotrupidae, Erotylidae, Elateridae, and Dermestidae (2.08%). The maximum number of coleopteran species was identified under the family Chrysomelidae (35.71%), and the lowest was under six families including Staphylinidae, Cerambycidae, Nitidulidae, Geotrupidae, Elateridae, and Dermestidae (2.38%) at the AERE campus. The Shanon’s Diversity Index (H′) and Simpson’s Index (λ) indicate high coleopteran diversity at the Ramna Park (H′=3.41, λ=0.05), the AERE Campus (H′=3.07, λ=0.06), and the National Botanical Garden (H′=2.93, λ=0.08). The high species evenness in the Ramna Park (J’= 0.89) and the AERE campus (J’= 0.82) indicates that the species were evenly distributed, whereas at the National Botanical Garden (J’= 0.76) they were comparatively less evenly distributed. The calculated Sorenson’s Coefficient (CC) is 0.66, indicating that these three communities were fairly similar or overlapped. The Community Dominances were 21.03%, 32.16% and 18.66% for the Ramna Park, National Botanical Garden, and AERE campus, respectively.
Bangladesh J. Zool. 50 (2): 185-200, 2022
Workshop Pembentukan Karakter Pemimpin Kristiani bagi Kaum Muda di Jemaat GMIT Maranatha Oebufu Klasis Kota Kupang Timur
Authors: Noach Yuvine Marlene Cicilia , Se’u Windynia Givens Giliary , Baun Soleman , Liu Yodina , Anayomi Monika , Tasoin Yakob , Decarvalho Therejina , Tasoin Osa , Kabnani Enika , Oematan Fance
Published: November 2022

Pembentukan karakter dan jiwa pemimpin masa depan bagi kaum muda melalui workshop,  melalui kegiatan ini kaum muda diberi penguatan nilai-nilai kristiani guna memberi stimulus kepada kaum muda untuk berpikir kreatif dan inovatif untuk mewujudkan impian dan masa depan yang cerah. Kegiatan berlangsung pada 3 Agustus 2022, dihadiri oleh 40 orang kaum muda GMIT Jemaat Marantha Oebufu. Hasil dari kegiatan ini menunjukkan peningkatan pengetahuan tentang membentuk karakter pemimpin muda yang berkarakter kristiani dengan mengamalkan sikap dan teladan kristus. Untuk itu perlu dikembangkan pengenalan potensi diri, team work serta penguatan soft skill. Antusias para kaum muda yang besar diperlihatkan dalam kegiatan ini dengan tingkat kebermanfaatan ada di nilai rata-rata 3,78%, selain itu dukungan positif dari pihak gereja menjadi poin penting dari kegiatan workshop ini.
Role of albumin creatinine ratio in predicting of coronary artery disease
Authors:   Doctor of Medicine in Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiology Department, PAMCC, Saudi Arabia, Aboshahba Abdulaziz , Altaj Ibrahim , Abdel Hady Gamal , Solomon Raphael , Nasr Hisham , Dawood Ahmed H , Elrefay Aida
Published: November 2022

The present study was done to investigate the association between the level of micro albuminuria and the severity of coronary artery disease angiographically. The study is conducted on 70 patients who underwent coronary angiography in many cardiac centres (NHI, PAMCC) in National heart Institute and Arar cardiac centre Saudi Arabia. The population study was divided into 2 groups according to micro albuminuria. Group (I) include 46 patients with angiographic evidence of coronary heart disease and without micro albuminuria. Group (II) include 24 patients with angiographic evidence of coronary heart disease and having micro albuminuria. Patients are subjected to full medical history, through physical examination. 12 lead ECG, fasting blood sugar, Lipid profile, blood urea and serum creatinine levels are obtained. Urinary albumin was measured by Stanbio Total Protein LiquiColor based on the procedure developed by Watanabe et al. Creatinine was measured by creatinine jaffe`reaction.. The ratio of urine albumin to creatinine (ACR) was used to define microalbiminuria .The upper normal limit is 30 mg/g. Conventional Echo Doppler study using (Vivid 7, General Electric-Vingmed) was done to assess EF%. A diagnostic coronary angiogram was performed to assess the severity of CAD according to number of vessels affected and Gensini score estimation. Our study group comprised 70 patients; 56% were men and 44% women; 64% of them were hypertensive, 68% of them were dyslipidemics, 58 of them were smokers, 43% of them were with high BMI and 48% of them have a positive family history of CHD. The mean age was 58.850 ± 11.949 years (ranges from 33 to 81 years). As per Cath Results; 36% CA results were normal, 38% CA results had a one vessel disease and 26% CA results had multivessel disease. For Albumin Creatinine ration 60% had normal results and 40% had abnormal albumin creatinine ratio; of those with high ALB/CR ratio 42% of them had a one vessel disease and 58% of them had multivessel disease. It is also found that micro albuminuria is productive for CAD independently with other risk factors It seems that micro albuminuria increase severity and number of CAD lesions and aggressive treatment of micro albuminuria may beneficial in CAD patients
We Hear You: How do State-run Media Engage and Shape Online Public Opinion? Evidence from China
Authors: Lu Lucie
Published: November 2022

Winning citizens’ hearts and minds has long preoccupied autocrats, but thus far how they communicate with their citizens in an informational age remains elusive. This study examines the communication strategies of Chinese state-run media on social media and their effectiveness in harnessing public support. In contrast to the conventional wisdom where the media set the agenda, using original data from Weibo, I explore that state-run media let the public set the agenda, and shape the flow of news. I find their dominant strategy is to engage with viral events originating from the West. They engage in two ways, reproducing fact-based news reporting and citing anti-foreign elite opinions, and the former is more effective in evoking the public’s positive evaluations of the Chinese government. This paper contributes to the media effect research by presenting state-run media’s new engagement strategy on social media, and their ability to win approval than previously thought.
[Industrial Paper] eMobility & Energy Management: Development for Sustainable Mobility on 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
Authors: Nitiputra Kharisma , Riou Stéphane , Viry Guillaume
Published: November 2022

Due to the rapid shift towards vehicles partially or fully powered by electricity (eMobility), Dassault Systèmes has developed an Industry Solution Experience to address new challenges of electrification and energy management.Our goal is to demonstrate how to apply the precepts of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and to converge towards a virtual twin in a zero-prototype approach.
Physical modeling of daily electric appliances for education by Modelica
Authors: Hirano Yutaka , Ohtomi Koichi
Published: November 2022

Modelica is very useful to make physical models in various engineering fields such as mechanical, electrical, thermal, fluid systems, etc. This capability of Modelica is also useful to educate students and engineers about many physical areas using simulation. The authors are posting serialized articles in a technical magazine about physical modeling of daily electric appliances by Modelica to educate readers about both physics and Modelica language in Japan. This paper introduces some examples of physical modeling of various appliances such as electric minicar, dryer and speaker by Modelica.
Towards Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Overconstrained Connectors in Modelica
Authors: Tinnerholm John , Casella Francesco , Pop Adrian
Published: November 2022

Cyber-Physical Systems are ever-increasing in complexity and new methods and tools for developing them are needed. To support these highly dynamic systems, increasing the flexibility of the modeling languages is desirable. This paper proposes and examines a Modelica language extension to support dynamic overconstrained graphs with reconfiguration at runtime. Two applications of this new feature are also discussed: synchronous AC power systems and incompressible fluid networks. Reported findings suggest that supporting dynamic overconstrained graphs might yield performance benefits and provide the possibility of simulating systems that can not currently be simulated in existing Modelica tools.
slPCMlib: A Modelica Library for the Prediction of Effective Thermal Material Properties of Solid/Liquid Phase Change Materials (PCM)
Authors: Barz Tilman , Bres Aurelien , Emhofer Johann
Published: November 2022

slPCMlib predicts the effective thermal properties of solid/liquid phase change materials (PCM) showing a non-isothermal phase transition behavior. The effective properties are valid over the PCM functional temperature range where latent heat is absorbed and released. Different phenomenological phase transition models are implemented to account for temperature shifts in latent transition changes, e.g. due to multi-step transitions and thermal hysteresis. The library currently contains generic PCM and specific commercial paraffin-based and hydrated salt-based PCM (media). Its purpose is the analysis of partial and complete melting and solidification processes relevant for engineering applications, such as the design of PCM-enhanced building components.
[Industrial paper] Digital Twin Applications Using a Cloud Native Modelica Platform
Authors: Kumar Abhilash , Narasimhan Arunkumar , Rajendran Tharrini , Velut Stéphane
Published: November 2022

This paper showcases how Modelica technology can be leveraged for real-time applications using a cloud native simulation platform, Modelon Impact™. The platform allows for real-time, two-way communication of data, from the IoT connected plant to a physical model and, from the physical model to a dashboard for plant monitoring and control. The communication relies on open standards and REST-API, which makes it possible to implement digital twins for various applications, such as plant monitoring, predictive maintenance, fault isolation or controls. The paper describes a state estimation workflow where data is transmitted back and forth to the simulation platform via Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and where Node-Red is used for the end-user interface.
Advanced open source data formats for geometrically and physically coupled systems
Authors: Naumann Andreas , Saak Jens , Sauerzapf Stefan , Vettermann Julia , Beitelschmidt Michael , Herzog Roland
Published: November 2022

Numerical calculations based on models are nowadays standard tools in all engineering disciplines. The tools, which faciliate the modeling, generally include all tasks in an engineering workflow. These tasks range from simple model descriptions to advanced visualization of results.While the incorporation of all tasks in one tool fits neatly into a single-person scheme, it makes teamwork with shared tasks very hard. In particular, every member of the team has to use the exact same software, and every sub-task has to be available in the tool. This requirement, in turn, makes a joint development of advanced methods unnecessarily complicated. Especially the numerical analysis of problem tailored methods requires a detailed knowledge of all model ingredients.The basis for joint workflows and teamwork are interfaces and common data formats. In this publication, we briefly present a workflow and derive the needs and requirements for data formats. Finally, we discuss the state-of-the-art techniques and explain how the described formats fit into them.Numerical calculations based on models are nowadays standard tools in all engineering disciplines. The tools, which faciliate the modeling, generally include all tasks in an engineering workflow. These tasks range from simple model descriptions to advanced visualization of results.While the incorporation of all tasks in one tool fits neatly into a single-person scheme, it makes teamwork with shared tasks very hard. In particular, every member of the team has to use the exact same software, and every sub-task has to be available in the tool. This requirement, in turn, makes a joint development of advanced methods unnecessarily complicated. Especially the numerical analysis of problem tailored methods requires a detailed knowledge of all model ingredients.The basis for joint workflows and teamwork are interfaces and common data formats. In this publication, we present a data format for geometrically and physically coupled systems. The data formats structure bases on the standardized format JSON, whereas the content is derived from a mathematical model. Finally, for presentational purposes, we present an instance of a simplified model.
Analysing the Barriers for Implementation of Lean-led Sustainable Manufacturing and Potential of Blockchain Technology to Overcome these Barriers: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Prasad Sarita , Rao A. Neelakanteswara , Lanka Krishnanand
Published: November 2022

Micro- Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are very significant for a country’s economy due to their contribution to manufacturing, sales and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. The global market competition and standards have been compelling MSMEs to improve quality, reduce waste, improve environmental performance and optimize the cost of products by implementing sustainable practices. The combined approach of lean and sustainable practices can help MSMEs to minimize emissions from waste and manufacture low-cost products with energy-efficient technology. However, MSMEs face many challenges while implementing lean and sustainability tools. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to identify the barriers which create obstruction in the implementation of lean-led sustainable manufacturing practices in Indian MSMEs and prioritize them by calculating their weights. The study also proposes a framework for the integration of blockchain technology in the supply chain to overcome the barriers for the implementation of lean and sustainable manufacturing practices. Extensive literature reviews and experts’ opinions have been used to identify the critical barriers for the implementation of lean-led sustainable manufacturing practices in manufacturing firms. A total of forty barriers were selected and further categorized under seven main categories of barriers. The main category barriers and subcategory barriers are ranked based on the weight obtained through Best Worst Method (BWM). The ranking results are further analysed to assess the reliability and robustness using sensitivity analysis. The study reveals that economic and managerial barriers, knowledge and awareness barriers and organizational barriers are the most prominent category of barriers for lean and sustainable manufacturing. The study found that ‘Lack of awareness among customers towards sustainability’, ‘initial capital investment and low financial profit’, ‘lack of knowledge about potential benefits from sustainable products and practices’ and ‘resistance to change due to past failure’ are the most critical barriers for implementation of lean-led sustainable practices in Indian MSMEs. The study has analysed the features of blockchain technology and their effect on the performance of lean-led sustainable supply chain. The findings of the study will help managers and practitioners in Indian MSMEs from certain perspectives to develop an effective and efficient strategy to overcome these barriers and become sustainable. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.
Benchmarking the Interactions among Challenges for Blockchain Technology Adoption: A Circular Economy Perspective
Authors: Panghal Anupama , Sindhu Shilpa , Dahiya Shweta , Dahiya Bharat , Mor Rahul S.
Published: November 2022

The chances of food contamination and spoilage get enhanced as it passes through various stages, and prudent consumers often need transparency on the origin of food products, their production and processing facilities utilized. Blockchain, an emerging digital technology, offers food traceability solutions to consumers and supply chain partners. But presently, blockchain adoption in Indian supply chains is in the nascent stages. The present study identified the challenges of adopting blockchain technology in Indian food supply chains and modelled them using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). As per the ISM, the ‘regulatory structure’ and ‘lack of realised need’ emerged as the most significant driving forces that impact other challenges, viz. ‘privacy breach issues’, ‘high costs’, ‘lack of skills’, ‘lack of technology’, ‘lack of trust’ and ‘lack of infrastructure’. These challenges have an impact on the ‘scalability problem’. The paper underlines the significance of enabling regulatory structure, improved information and communication technologies infrastructure, and convincing the supply chain stakeholders to use blockchain technology to resolve the underlying challenges and achieve its adoption and scalability in the Indian food industry.
Complex Potentials and Integral Equations for Thermoelasticity Problem of Orthotropic Cracked Plate
Authors: Lalou Panagiota , Triantafyllou Ioannis S.
Published: November 2022

In the present article, the plane thermoelasticity problem of an infinite orthotropic cracked plate, is studied. The interaction between thermal and mechanical field, in a plate containing a crack and a heat source is investigated. The plate is submitted to normal stresses at infinity, where a heat flow is also activated. Applying the complex potentials method and the technique of Cauchy integrals, a system of singular integral equations is obtained. These equations, allow the determination of the temperature’s distribution, but also of the stress state at any point of the medium.
A State-of-the-Art Survey on Analytical Hierarchy Process Applications in Sustainable Development
Authors: Rawat Sudheer Singh , Pant Sangeeta , Kumar Anuj , Ram Mangey , Sharma Hitesh Kumar , Kumar Akshay
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, utility of the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique in tackling real-world complex problems has risen tremendously. Even the United Nations is focusing on decision-making in order to accomplish Agenda 2030, as stated in its paragraph 48. The desire to promote sustainable development (SD) necessitates complex decision models, which could be achieved through the use of an efficient MCDM approach. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of the most efficient MCDM techniques that is incorporated in this study. The purpose of this work is to provide a contrasting of AHP's application that emerged between 2011 and 2022, rather than to reflect on its methodological improvements. Its application encompasses a wide range of disciplines including Renewable Energy, Sustainable manufacturing, Natural Hazards, Environmental Pollution, Landfill waste management and many others which lies explicitly or implicitly under the theme of SD. Previously, many reviews have been conducted that concentrated on a single decision topic; moreover, this review explore the comprehensive viewpoint of decision problems. As per statistical results, Middle Eastern countries such as Iran placed top in terms of applying AHP application in different sectors. GIS and fuzzy logic are the most often used approaches to incorporate AHP across all disciplines. Notably, the findings indicate that the most decision problem have selection and assessment as a major concern whereas, environmental, economical, LULC & DFR are more frequently used criteria.
Roles and mechanisms of CircRNAs in ovarian cancer
Authors: Liu Min , Cao Siyu , Guo Ziyi , Wu Zong , Meng Jiao , Wu Yong , Shao Yang , Li Yanli
Published: November 2022

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the female malignancies with nearly 45% 5-year survival rate. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a kind of single-stranded non-coding RNAs, are generated from the back-splicing of cellular housekeeping noncoding RNAs and precursor messenger RNAs. Recent studies revealed that circRNAs have different biological function, including sponging miRNAs, encoding micropeptides, regulating stability of cytoplasmic mRNAs, affecting transcription and splicing, via interacting with DNA, RNA and proteins. Due to their stability, circRNAs have the potential of acting as biomarkers and treatment targets. In this review, we briefly illustrate the biogenesis mechanism and biological function of circRNAs in OC, and make a perspective of circRNAs drug targeting immune responses and signaling pathways in OC. This article can provide a systematic view into the current situation and future of circRNAs in OC.
Proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporters in cancer: From metabolic crosstalk, immunosuppression and anti-apoptosis to clinical applications
Authors: Duan Qixin , Zhang Shuang , Wang Yang , Lu Dongming , Sun Yingming , Wu Yongyang
Published: November 2022

The Warburg effect is known as the hyperactive glycolysis that provides the energy needed for rapid growth and proliferation in most tumor cells even under the condition of sufficient oxygen. This metabolic pattern can lead to a large accumulation of lactic acid and intracellular acidification, which can affect the growth of tumor cells and lead to cell death. Proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) belong to the SLC16A gene family, which consists of 14 members. MCT1-4 promotes the passive transport of monocarboxylate (e.g., lactate, pyruvate, and ketone bodies) and proton transport across membranes. MCT1-4-mediated lactate shuttling between glycolytic tumor cells or cancer-associated fibroblasts and oxidative tumor cells plays an important role in the metabolic reprogramming of energy, lipids, and amino acids and maintains the survival of tumor cells. In addition, MCT-mediated lactate signaling can promote tumor angiogenesis, immune suppression and multidrug resistance, migration and metastasis, and ferroptosis resistance and autophagy, which is conducive to the development of tumor cells and avoid death. Although there are certain challenges, the study of targeted drugs against these transporters shows great promise and may form new anticancer treatment options.
Social support and coping among female foreign domestic helpers experiencing abuse and exploitation in Hong Kong
Authors: Choy Chin Yung , Chang Leanne , Man Po Yee
Published: November 2022

Introduction

In Hong Kong, female foreign domestic workers are hired to assist with household chores and care. This study examined the coping and support-seeking strategies that the workers use to tackle workplace abuse and exploitation within the structural confines of their employment.

Methods

A mixed-method design that incorporated a face-to-face survey with 106 migrant domestic workers and 21 in-depth interviews was adopted.

Results and discussion

The results showed that most participants experienced some form of abuse or exploitation. Verbal threats and time exploitation were the most common forms of abuse and exploitation, respectively. Participants' marginalized group status muted their voices when workplace hazards occurred. Accordingly, they preferred emotion-based coping over problem-based coping when encountering abuse and exploitation. Their focus on emotional management was reflected in their acceptance of workplace conflicts as taken-for-granted norms, their avoidance of communicating with employers, and their nonconfrontational endurance of adverse working conditions. Aligned with participants' focus on emotion management, they also reported a stronger need for emotional support than other support functions. Their major sources of emotional support were religious beliefs and other migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. Employers had the potential to fulfill the workers' support needs, but they must take the initiative due to imbalanced power relations.
Online explainer videos: Features, benefits, and effects
Authors: Schorn Anna
Published: November 2022

Explainer videos are short films that explain abstract concepts and relationships, usually in an educational context. They apply storytelling techniques and focus on relevant facts using different visualizations. However, when reviewing the literature, it becomes evident that there is no universally applied definition for explainer videos and no consistent categorization. The vast majority of studies investigate explainer videos as learning tools, although many explainer videos follow persuasive goals. There are very little studies on the persuasiveness, which is problematic because explainer videos appear to be more than an important learning or teaching tool; rather, they are an activistic tool for promoting scientific topics and are a crucial marketing measure. In particular, in the context of science communication, it appears essential to investigate the impact on attitude and behavioral outcomes because there are numerous high-reach videos on YouTube that contradict scientific consensus. At the same time, explainer videos apply storytelling techniques, an informal communication style, and combine an off-voiceover with clear animations, which might lead to eased processing fluency and a positive experience, fostering persuasive outcomes. This mini review elaborates on these research gaps and compiles the state of research on explainer videos, with a focus on persuasive effects in informal settings, drawing on concepts from (science) communication and education.
Culprit vessel vs. immediate multivessel vs. out-of-hospital staged intervention for patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease
Authors: Wang Chen , Lang Jiachun , Zhang Jingxia , Hu Yuecheng , Han Chuyi , Xu Rongdi , Wu Jikun , Liu Chunwei , Li Wenyu , Li Tingting , Wei Ao , Qi Wei , Jin Dongxia , Cong Hongliang , Wang Le
Published: November 2022

Background and aims

The optimal interventional strategy remains undetermined in hemodynamically stable patients with NSTEMI and MVD. This study aimed to examine clinical prognosis among culprit vessel, immediate multivessel, and staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with NSTEMI and MVD.

Methods

This retrospective, observational, single-center study included 943 hemodynamically stable patients with NSTEMI and MVD who had undergone successful drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation from January 2014 to December 2019. Patients were categorized into culprit lesion-only PCI (CL-PCI), immediate multivessel PCI (MV-PCI), and out-of-hospital staged MV-PCI according to PCI strategy. The primary outcome was the composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or unplanned repeat revascularization. The secondary outcomes were all-cause death, cardiac death, MI, and unplanned repeat revascularization.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 59 months, immediate MV-PCI was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death than CL-PCI (HR: 0.591, 95%CI: 0.364–0.960, P = 0.034). Out-of-hospital staged MV-PCI was associated with a reduced risk of MACE (HR: 0.448, 95%CI: 0.314–0.638, P < 0.001) and all-cause death (HR: 0.326, 95%CI: 0.183–0.584, P < 0.001) compared with CL-PCI. The above results were accordant after multivariate COX analysis and propensity score matching. MACE (HR: 0.560, 95%CI: 0.385–0.813, P = 0.002) and repeat revascularization (HR: 0.627, 95%CI: 0.400–0.982, P = 0.041) were significantly less likely to occur with out-of-hospital MV-PCI rather than immediate MV-PCI. However, the incidences of primary and secondary outcomes were comparable between immediate and staged PCI after confounder adjustment using multivariate regression and propensity score matching analysis. For subgroup analyses stratified by synergy between PCI with taxus and cardiac surgery score, staged MV-PCI was found to lower the risk of MACE compared with immediate MV-PCI in patients with more complex coronary disease.

Conclusion

Hemodynamically stable patients with NSTEMI and MVD benefited from the strategy of MV-PCI. Patients with complex coronary anatomy treated with out-of-hospital staged MV-PCI rather than immediate MV-PCI had lower risks of MACE. These need to be confirmed in the future randomized study.
Person-based co-design of a decision aid template for people with a genetic predisposition to cancer
Authors: Morton Kate , Kohut Kelly , Turner Lesley , Smith Sian , Crosbie Emma J. , Ryan Neil , Grimmett Chloe , Eccles Diana M. , Foster Claire ,   The CanGene CanVar Patient Reference Panel, The International Lynch Decision Aid Stakeholder (LDAS) Panel
Published: November 2022

Background

People with genetic predispositions to cancer are faced with complex health decisions about managing their risk. Decision aids can support informed, values-based decisions, alongside shared decision-making with a clinician. Whilst diagnoses of genetic predispositions to cancer are increasing, there is no scalable decision aid to support these people. This paper presents an accessible, relevant decision aid template which can be adapted for different predispositions to cancer.

Methods

The decision aid template was co-developed with 12 patients affected by cancer and informed by empirical and theoretical literature. In addition, consultations were conducted with a further 19 people with Lynch syndrome; a specific genetic predisposition to cancer. Clinical stakeholders were consulted regularly. Coulter's framework for decision aid development guided the process, and these activities were complemented by the International Patient Decision Aid Standards, and the latest evidence on communicating risk in decision aids. Programme theory was developed to hypothesise how the decision aid would support decision-making and contextual factors which could influence the process. Guiding principles co-developed with the patient panel described how the decision aid could effectively engage people.

Results

The in-depth co-design process led to the identification of five core components of an accessible decision aid template for people with a genetic predisposition to cancer: defining the decision; a table showing implications of each option; optional further details such as icon arrays to show tailored risk and personal narratives; values clarification activity; and a summary to facilitate discussion with a clinician. Specific guidance was produced describing how to develop each component. The guiding principles identified that the decision aid template needed to promote trust, reduce distress, and be comprehensive, personally relevant and accessible in order to engage people.

Conclusion

Adopting a co-design process helped ensure that the decision aid components were relevant and accessible to the target population. The template could have widespread application through being adapted for different genetic predispositions. The exact content should be co-designed with people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of the specific predisposition to ensure it is as useful, engaging and relevant as possible.
Assessing the quality of electronic medical records in academic hospitals: A multi-center study in Iran
Authors: Zabolinezhad Hedieh , Eslami Saeid , Hassibian Mohammad Reza , Dorri Sara
Published: November 2022

Objective

The present study aimed to assess the quality of electronic medical records (EMR) retrieved from hospital information systems (HIS) of three educational hospitals in Mashhad, Iran.

Methods

In this multi-center, cross-sectional study, inpatient electronic records collected from three academic hospitals were categorized into five data groups, namely demographics (D); care handler (CH), indicating the doers of the medical actions; diagnosis and treatment (DT); administrative and financial (AF); and laboratory and Para clinic (LP). Next, we asked 25 physicians from the three academic hospitals to determine data elements of medical research and education value (called research and educational data) in every group. Flowingly, the quality of the five data groups (completeness * accuracy) was reported for entire sampled data and those specified as research and educational data, based on the exact concordance between electronic medical records and corresponding paper records. HISRA, standing for HIS recording ability, was also assessed compared to data elements of standard paper forms.

Results

For entire data, HISRA was 58.5%. In all hospitals, the highest data quality (more than 90%) belongs to D and AF data groups, and the lowest quality goes to CH and DT groups (less than 50%, and 60%, respectively). For research and educational data, HISRA was 47%, and the quality of D and AF data groups were the highest (nearly 100%), while CH and DT stood around 50% and 60% in order. The quality of the LP data group was almost 85% in all hospitals but hospital C (well over 30%). Total data quality for the hospitals was almost less than 70%.

Conclusions

The low quality of electronic medical records was mostly a result of incompleteness, while the accuracy was relatively good. Results showed that the HIS application development mainly focused on administrative and financial aspects rather than academic and clinical goals.
Predicting attribution of letter writing performance in secondary school: A machine learning approach
Authors: Boekaerts Monique , Musso Mariel F. , Cascallar Eduardo C.
Published: November 2022

The learning research literature has identified the complex and multidimensional nature of learning tasks, involving not only (meta) cognitive processes but also affective, linguistic, and behavioral contextualized aspects. The present study aims to analyze the interactions among activated domain-specific information, context-sensitive appraisals, and emotions, and their impact on task engagement as well as task satisfaction and attribution of the perceived learning outcome, using a machine learning approach. Data was collected from 1130 vocational high-school students of both genders, between 15 and 20 years of age. Prospective questionnaires were used to collect information about the students’ home environment and domain-specific variables. Motivation processes activated during the learning episode were measured with Boekaerts’ on-line motivation questionnaire. The traces that students left behind were also inspected (e.g., time spent, use of provided tools, content, and technical aspects of writing). Artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to provide information on the multiple interactions between the measured domain-specific variables, situation-specific appraisals and emotions, trace data, and background variables. ANN could identify with high precision students who used a writing skill, affect, and self-regulation strategies attribution on the basis of domain variables, appraisals, emotions, and performance indicators. ANN detected important differences in the factors that seem to underlie the students’ causal attributions.
Measuring family wealth among secondary school students with home possessions indicators: Investigation of dimensionality and measurement problems
Authors: Morkevičius Vaidas , Erentaitė Rasa , Raižienė Saulė
Published: November 2022

This article investigates methodological problems of measuring family wealth among secondary school students with home possessions indicators. It employs multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) in order to explore (1) the dimensionality of home possessions items, (2) the nature of relationship between these items, and (3) the substantive meaning of the first and other relevant dimensions. It also employs regression analysis in order to study potential explanatory factors of the second dimension of the MCA solutions that may be related to measurement problems of the instrument. Two sources of data are used: (1) open access data from the National Survey of Student Achievement (NSSA) in Lithuania that provide a series of national educational studies conducted from 2002 to 2016, and (2) data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study conducted in Lithuania in 2018 that is used to corroborate findings produced using the first data source. Results of the data analysis show that the first dimension of MCA solutions obtained from home possessions items in both NSSA and PISA data sets reflect high vs. low socio-economic status (SES) of the students. However, there is at least one more important dimension, and it reveals multi-dimensional nature of the measurement instrument. Analysis of potential explanatory factors of the second dimension of the MCA solutions revealed that reading abilities and school-related affect is related to this dimension. Thus, the second dimension of MCA solutions might also reflect methodological problems related to the measurement of home possessions in adolescent surveys.
Raman microspectroscopy reveals unsaturation heterogeneity at the lipid droplet level and validates an in vitro model of bone marrow adipocyte subtypes
Authors: Tratwal Josefine , Falgayrac Guillaume , During Alexandrine , Bertheaume Nicolas , Bataclan Charles , Tavakol Daniel N. , Campos Vasco , Duponchel Ludovic , Daley George Q. , Penel Guillaume , Chauveau Christophe , Naveiras Olaia
Published: November 2022

Bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) constitute the most abundant stromal component of adult human bone marrow. Two subtypes of BMAds have been described, the more labile regulated adipocytes (rBMAds) and the more stable constitutive adipocytes (cBMAds), which develop earlier in life and are more resilient to environmental and metabolic disruptions. In vivo, rBMAds are enriched in saturated fatty acids, contain smaller lipid droplets (LDs) and more readily provide hematopoietic support than their cBMAd counterparts. Mouse models have been used for BMAds research, but isolation of primary BMAds presents many challenges, and thus in vitro models remain the current standard to study nuances of adipocyte differentiation. No in vitro model has yet been described for the study of rBMAds/cBMAds. Here, we present an in vitro model of BM adipogenesis with differential rBMAd and cBMAd-like characteristics. We used OP9 BM stromal cells derived from a (C57BL/6xC3H)F2-op/op mouse, which have been extensively characterized as feeder layer for hematopoiesis research. We observed similar canonical adipogenesis transcriptional signatures for spontaneously-differentiated (sOP9) and induced (iOP9) cultures, while fatty acid composition and desaturase expression of Scd1 and Fads2 differed at the population level. To resolve differences at the single adipocyte level we tested Raman microspectroscopy and show it constitutes a high-resolution method for studying adipogenesis in vitro in a label-free manner, with resolution to individual LDs. We found sOP9 adipocytes have lower unsaturation ratios, smaller LDs and higher hematopoietic support than iOP9 adipocytes, thus functionally resembling rBMAds, while iOP9 more closely resembled cBMAds. Validation in human primary samples confirmed a higher unsaturation ratio for lipids extracted from stable cBMAd-rich sites (femoral head upon hip-replacement surgery) versus labile rBMAds (iliac crest after chemotherapy). As a result, the 16:1/16:0 fatty acid unsaturation ratio, which was already shown to discriminate BMAd subtypes in rabbit and rat marrow, was validated to discriminate cBMAds from rBMAd in both the OP9 model in vitro system and in human samples. We expect our model will be useful for cBMAd and rBMAd studies, particularly where isolation of primary BMAds is a limiting step.
Neurovascular coupling unit dysfunction and dementia: Retinal measurements as tools to move towards population-based evidence
Authors: van der Heide Frank C. T. , van Sloten Thomas T. , Willekens Nele , Stehouwer Coen D. A.
Published: November 2022

Dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit may be an important contributor to dementia. The neurovascular coupling unit comprises neuronal structures (e.g. astrocytes) and vascular structures (e.g. endothelial cells) that functionally interact both at the level of the arterioles as well as at the capillary level (blood-brain barrier) to regulate optimal metabolic conditions in the brain. However, it remains unclear how and to what extent dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit contributes to the early-stage pathobiology of dementia. Currently, limited data are available on the association between neurovascular coupling unit dysfunction, as quantified by cerebral imaging techniques, and cognitive performance. In particular, there is a lack of population-based human data (defined as studies with a sample size ~n>500). This is an important limitation because population-based studies, in comparison with smaller clinical studies, provide data which is better representative of the general population; are less susceptible to selection bias; and have a larger statistical power to detect small associations. To acquire population-based data, however, alternative imaging techniques than cerebral imaging techniques may be required. Disadvantages of cerebral imaging techniques, which limit use in population-based studies, are that these techniques are relatively expensive, time-consuming, and/or invasive. In this review, we propose that retinal imaging techniques can be used for population-based studies: on the one hand the retina and brain have many anatomical and physiological similarities; and on the other hand retinal imaging techniques are non-invasive, highly accurate, relatively inexpensive, and require relatively short measurement time. To provide support for this concept, we provide an overview on the human (population-based) evidence on the associations of retinal indices of neurodegeneration, microvascular dysfunction, and dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of structural brain abnormalities and cognitive performance.
Oncologic outcomes of calcitonin-negative medullary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Yue Wenliang , Zhang Yong
Published: November 2022

Objective

Calcitonin (Ct)-negative medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor. This study aimed to clarify its incidence, clinicopathologic characteristics, management, and treatment outcome.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data of patients with primary MTC. Patients were divided into two groups according to the preoperative serum Ct level (Ct-negative and Ct-positive). The demographic, pathologic, and molecular characteristics, and treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups. In the Ct-negative group, we analyzed the association between the operation type and treatment outcome.

Results

Of the total 312 patients, 24 were diagnosed with Ct-negative MTC. The rate of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in the Ct-positive than in the Ct-negative group (47.9% vs. 0%, p<0.001). The proportion of patients with Ki-67 ≤10% was significantly higher in the Ct-negative than in the Ct-positive group (87.5% vs. 38.2%, p<0.001). Excellent response was achieved by 91.7% and 34.7% of patients in the Ct-negative and Ct-positive groups, respectively (p<0.001). In the Ct-negative group, excellent response was achieved by all female patients, but only 50% of male patients.

Conclusions

Ct-negative MTC is rare and unlikely to develop lymph node metastasis. Unilateral lobectomy tends to provide a satisfactory chance of excellent response; however, this requires further validation.