bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quercetin and Heart Health: From Molecular Pathways to Clinical Findings
Authors: Nazari-Khanamiri Fereshteh , Ghasemnejad-Berenji Morteza
Published: October 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of global death, increasing over time. Despite current novel improvements, it is still a major medical challenge. Quercetin (QU) is a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, antihypertensive, antiarrhythmogenic, and antiapoptotic effects. It can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol oxidation and prevent endothelial dysfunction in CVD. Also, it can protect myocardial cells against oxidative stress and inflammation caused by free radicals. An updated review of the literature on the cardiovascular effects of quercetin was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Science Direct databases. The aim of this review is to summarize the various effects of quercetin on the cardiovascular system.
Regulation of Glucolipid Metabolism in Mice Using Dendrobium huoshanense Extract and PI3k/Akt Signaling Pathway Activation
Authors: Zhang Xiaoqian , Fang Jing , Ge Ruipeng , Wu Jing , Ye Mengjuan , Cai Xiao , Deng Guanghui , Ma Mengzhen , Lv Jiahui , Yu Nianjun , Yao Liang , Peng Daiyin
Published: October 2023

The present research is carried out to study the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng extract on type 2 diabetic mice. D. huoshanense extract was prepared using the condensation reflux method. The chemical components were separated by UPLC Triple-TOF MS/MS to further identify the components that mainly exerted hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Type 2 diabetic C57BL/6 mice were induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) followed by intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) and were daily gavaged with different doses of D. huoshanense extract for 5 weeks. Various methods such as HE staining, ELISA, and Western blot were used to evaluate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of D. huoshanense extract on mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus model. The experimental results revealed that the main compounds of D. huoshanense extract were polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, and many other chemical components. Oral administration of 200 mg/kg of the extract of D. huoshanense significantly reduced blood glucose and insulin levels of high-dose group mice and lowered total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, but increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and liver glycogen content. In addition, the protein expression levels of insulin receptor (Ins R), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and p-protein kinase B (Akt) were upregulated. These results imply that the D. huoshanense aqueous extract can improve insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic mice, and it may regulate the function through the PI3K/AKT pathway.
TAS0612, a Novel RSK, AKT, and S6K Inhibitor, Exhibits Antitumor Effects in Preclinical Tumor Models
Authors: Ichikawa Koji , Ito Satoshi , Kato Emi , Abe Naomi , Machida Takumitsu , Iwasaki Junya , Tanaka Gotaro , Araki Hikari , Wakayama Kentaro , Jona Hideki , Sugimoto Tetsuya , Miyadera Kazutaka , Ohkubo Shuichi
Published: October 2023

The MAPK and PI3K pathways are involved in cancer growth and survival; however, the clinical efficacy of single inhibitors of each pathway is limited or transient owing to resistance mechanisms, such as feedback signaling and/or reexpression of receptor-type tyrosine kinases (RTK). This study identified a potent and novel kinase inhibitor, TAS0612, and characterized its properties. We found that TAS0612 is a potent, orally available compound that can inhibit p90RSK (RSK), AKT, and p70S6K (S6K) as a single agent and showed a strong correlation with the growth inhibition of cancer cells with PTEN loss or mutations, regardless of the presence of KRAS and BRAF mutations. Additional RSK inhibitory activity may differentiate the sensitivity profile of TAS0612 from that of signaling inhibitors that target only the PI3K pathway. Moreover, TAS0612 demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against tumor models wherein inhibition of MAPK or PI3K pathways was insufficient to exert antitumor effects. TAS0612 exhibited a stronger growth-inhibitory activity against the cancer cell lines and tumor models with dysregulated signaling with the genetic abnormalities described above than treatment with inhibitors against AKT, PI3K, MEK, BRAF, and EGFR/HER2. In addition, TAS0612 demonstrated the persistence of blockade of downstream growth and antiapoptotic signals, despite activation of upstream effectors in the signaling pathway and FoxO-dependent reexpression of HER3. In conclusion, TAS0612 with RSK/AKT/S6K inhibitory activity may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with cancer to improve clinical responses and overcome resistance mechanisms.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection Exhibited Favorable Survival from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Du Qi , Yuan Jia , Ren Zhenggang
Published: October 2023

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated effectiveness for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the discrepancy in the efficacy of ICIs in HCC patients with distinct etiologies has not been systematically validated. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, clinicaltrials.gov, and abstracts from ASCO and ESMO conferences were searched for eligible trials that explored the impact of etiology factor on the ICI treatment in HCC patients. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), as well as the pooled odds ratio (OR) of objective response rate (ORR), were calculated with stratification of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and nonviral subgroup, and the heterogeneity between different etiological subgroups was assessed by using an interaction test. Results: Eight eligible studies with a total of 5,646 patients were identified from searching published articles and conference abstracts. ICI therapies were associated with significantly prolonged OS with the pooled HRs of 0.78 (95% CI 0.73–0.84, p < 0.001), 0.71 (95% CI 0.65–0.79, p < 0.001), 0.80 (95% CI 0.69–0.93, p = 0.003), and 0.87 (95% CI 0.77–0.97, p = 0.011) for the whole population, HBV subgroup, HCV subgroup, and non-viral subgroup, respectively. In addition, this analysis reported a significant PFS improvement with ICI therapies with HRs of 0.78 (p = 0.004), 0.53 (p < 0.001), 0.65 (p = 0.011), and 0.81 (p = 0.107) for whole population, HBV, HCV, and nonviral subgroup, respectively. The HBV-related HCC patients showed the more distinctive HRs for OS and PFS than other etiology subgroups, and this difference was significant in PFS (p for heterogeneity = 0.001), and there was a tendency of significance in OS (p for heterogeneity = 0.079). Furthermore, the ORR advantages of ICI therapies over control were also confirmed with the pooled ORs of 3.62 (p < 0.001), 3.84 (p < 0.001), 3.05 (p < 0.001), and 2.99 (p < 0.001) for whole population, HBV, HCV, and nonviral population, respectively (p for heterogeneity = 0.743). Conclusions: ICI therapies significantly improve OS, PFS, and ORR for HCC patients with different etiologies. HBV-related HCC patients could be the highlighted population to benefit from ICI treatment.
Stimulant or Depressant? Resource-Related Income Shocks and Conflict
Authors: Gehring Kai , Langlotz Sarah , Kienberger Stefan
Published: October 2023

We provide evidence on the mechanisms linking resource-related income shocks to conflict, focusing on illegal crops. We hypothesize that the degree of group competition over resources and the extent of law enforcement explain whether opportunity cost or contest effects dominate. Combining temporal variation in international drug prices with spatial variation in the suitability to produce opium, we show that higher prices increase household living standards and reduce conflict in Afghanistan. Analyzing shifts in conflict tactics and using geo-referenced data on drug production networks and territorial control highlight the importance of opportunity costs, and reveal heterogeneous effects consistent with our theory.
The Anatomy of a Hospital System Merger: The Patient Did Not Respond Well to Treatment
Authors: Gaynor Martin , Sacarny Adam , Sadun Raffaella , Syverson Chad , Venkatesh Shruthi
Published: October 2023

Despite the continuing US hospital merger wave, it remains unclear how mergers change, or fail to change, hospital behavior and performance. We open the “black box” of hospital practices through a mega-merger between two for-profit chains. Benchmarking the merger's effects against the acquirer's stated aims, we show they achieved some of their goals, harmonizing electronic medical records and sending managers to target hospitals. Post-acquisition managerial processes were similar across the merged chain. However, these interventions failed to drive detectable gains in performance. Our findings demonstrate the importance of organizations for merger research in health care and the economy more generally.
The Impact of Projected Changes in Hurricane Frequencies on U.S. Hurricane Wind and Surge Damage
Authors: Jewson Stephen
Published: October 2023

We use a simple risk model for U.S. hurricane wind and surge economic damage to investigate the impact of projected changes in the frequencies of hurricanes of different intensities due to climate change. For average annual damage, we find that changes in the frequency of category-4 storms dominate. For distributions of annual damage, we find that changes in the frequency of category-4 storms again dominate for all except the shortest return periods. Sensitivity tests show that accounting for landfall, uncertainties, and correlations leads to increases in damage estimates. When we propagate the distributions of uncertain frequency changes to give a best estimate of the changes in damage, the changes are moderate. When we pick individual scenarios from within the distributions of frequency changes, we find a significant probability of much larger changes in damage. The inputs on which our study depends are highly uncertain, and our methods are approximate, leading to high levels of uncertainty in our results. Also, the damage changes we consider are only part of the total possible change in hurricane damage due to climate change. Total damage change estimates would also need to include changes due to other factors, including possible changes in genesis, tracks, size, forward speed, sea level, rainfall, and exposure. Nevertheless, we believe that our results give important new insights into U.S. hurricane risk under climate change.

Significance Statement

We investigate how changes in the frequencies of hurricanes of different intensities as a result of climate change may contribute to changes in U.S. economic damage due to wind and surge. We find that economic damage will likely increase as a result of projected increases in the frequency of landfalling hurricanes. Analysis of our results shows that increases in the frequency of category-4 storms are the main driver of the changes. Our best estimate results, based on a multimodel ensemble, give modest increases in damage, but within the ensemble there are individual scenarios that give much larger increases in damage. The large range of individual damage estimates is a motivation for continuing efforts to reduce the uncertainty around hurricane projections under climate change.
Book review: Tansen Sen and Brian Tsui (eds.), Beyond Pan-Asianism: Connecting China and India, 1840s–1960s
Authors: Doddi Chandu
Published: October 2023

Tansen Sen and Brian Tsui (eds.), Beyond Pan-Asianism: Connecting China and India, 1840s–1960s (India: Oxford University Press, 2021), pp. 489, ₹899. ISBN 9780190129118 (Hardcover).
Social media and social impact assessment: Evolving methods in a shifting context
Authors: Sherren Kate , Chen Yan , Mohammadi Mehrnoosh , Zhao Qiqi , Gone Keshava Pallavi , Rahman HM Tuihedur , Smit Michael
Published: October 2023

Among many by-products of Web 2.0 come the wide range of potential image and text datasets within social media and content sharing platforms that speak of how people live, what they do, and what they care about. These datasets are imperfect and biased in many ways, but those flaws make them complementary to data derived from conventional social science methods and thus potentially useful for triangulation in complex decision-making contexts. Yet the online environment is highly mutable, and so the datasets are less reliable than censuses or other standard data types leveraged in social impact assessment. Over the past decade, we have innovated numerous methods for deploying Instagram datasets in investigating management or development alternatives. This article synthesizes work from three Canadian decision contexts – hydroelectric dam construction or removal; dyke realignment or wetland restoration; and integrating renewable energy into vineyard landscapes – to illustrate some of the methods we have applied to social impact assessment questions using Instagram that may be transferrable to other social media platforms and contexts: thematic (manual coding, machine vision, natural language processing/sentiment analysis, statistical analysis), spatial (hotspot mapping, cultural ecosystem modeling), and visual (word clouds, saliency mapping, collage). We conclude with a set of cautions and next steps for the domain.
Tackling negative thinking in the classroom
Authors: Minahan Jessica
Published: October 2023

Anxiety has been on the rise since the pandemic, yet teachers are often unsure how to help students with anxiety. Anxiety is characterized by rumination and negative or distracting thoughts, and teachers can help by changing those inaccurate thoughts. In this updated version of a November 2019 Kappan article, Jessica Minahan provides a series of practical strategies for helping students recognize their inaccurate negative thoughts and replace them with more accurate thoughts. For instance, teachers might help students see that only one part of a daunting task is actually difficult or that experiences students previously dreaded turned out to not be so bad. Over time, with the daily support of their teachers, students can learn to think more accurately, allowing them to develop anxiety-reducing strategies and fully engage in the classroom.
Effective Pro-environmental Communication: Message Framing and Context Congruency Effect
Authors: Song Jiehang , Lin Zhibin , Zheng Chundong
Published: October 2023

This research investigates the effectiveness of two types of message framing in pro-environmental communication: prescriptive versus proscriptive appeals in daily and tourism contexts. Two experimental studies were conducted. Study 1a focused on natural park and street park scenarios, while Study 1b examined hotel and office scenarios. Study 2 replicated Study 1 and further explored the mediating role of anticipated pride and guilt. The results indicate that in tourism contexts, prescriptive-framed appeals are more effective than proscriptive-framed appeals, whereas in daily contexts, proscriptive-framed appeals are more effective. Furthermore, the message framing-context congruency effect is mediated by the anticipated pride and guilt. These findings fill a literature gap by revealing the interaction between message framing and context in pro-environmental communication, providing insights for managers to customize appeals, using prescriptive-framed messages in tourism contexts and proscriptive-framed messages in daily contexts, while leveraging anticipated pride and guilt to motivate eco-friendly actions.
Educational Technology to Support Written Expression: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Goldman Samantha R. , Carreon Adam , Smith Sean J. , Zimmerman Kathleen N.
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this descriptive review of nine research studies was to explore the types of educational technologies used with SWDs to support written expression (WE), the implementation of the educational technology for WE, and the methods and domains WE outcomes are measured. This review focused on: (1) the technologies utilized in combination with WE outcomes; (2) student demographics, background experience and knowledge of technology, and the training they received for the educational technology in the intervention; (3) strategy use for WE and the accompanying student training; and (4) the instrumentation and WE criteria assessed. Based on the results of this review, we provide recommendations for future research around educational technologies to support WE.
Charlemagne’s Legacy: A Consensus Analysis of Affective Meanings in French and German Culture
Authors: Dametto Diego , Vieira Luc , Schröder Tobias , Blaison Christophe
Published: October 2023

We investigate between- and within-country consensus about affective meanings of social identities along the evaluation, potency, and activity dimensions from the affect control theory research tradition. Ratings for 387 (194 male and 193 female) identities were collected from two samples representative of the French (N = 700) and German (N = 700) populations for age, gender, and region. Guided by two preregistered hypotheses based on previous cross-cultural research, our analysis points to considerable cultural consensus between French and Germans who seem to share a common “Carolingian” affective culture; yet some culture-specific patterns concerning the evaluation dimension and evaluation-potency interactions were found to be statistically significant. We interpret these results in terms of known cross-cultural features such as power distance and conceptions of power.
Negotiating Authenticity and Social Identity: Rural Women's Engagement With Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert
Authors: Berg Miriam
Published: October 2023

This study examines the perceptions of authenticity among rural women in the village of Büyükkarabag, located in western Türkiye, in their engagement with the popular Turkish television program Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert (commonly known as the Müge Anlı Show). Drawing on social identity theory, the paper explores the concept of authenticity and its connection to local values and beliefs, including class, gender roles, honour, and family values. Ethnographic methods such as informal conversations, structured and unstructured interviews, and participant observations were employed to gain insights into the experiences of 40 adult women villagers during the summer and autumn of 2022. The findings of this study reveal that rural women, spanning different generations, perceive authenticity in their engagement with the Müge Anlı Show through the lens of their local values and beliefs. The show and its host are regarded as providing a voice to the voiceless, and upholding conservative Turkish values, with acts such as crime, adultery, and other illicit behavior seen as indicators of moral decay. However, there are notable generational differences in how authenticity is interpreted. Younger women view the show as challenging societal norms and addressing broader social issues, while older women emphasize the show's role in exposing societal wrongs and reinforcing traditional gender roles.
Validation of a quality of life measure (VIQoL) for adults living with vision impairment
Authors: Cheng Hoi Ying , Fellenor John , Parry Ffion , Proulx Michael
Published: October 2023

Quality of life (QoL) measures are often used to assess the effectiveness of services and interventions. For individuals living with vision impairment (VI) this is potentially problematic, given that QoL is characteristically assessed using instruments designed with non-VI norms and may not accurately represent issues specifically associated with VI. Hence, the authors designed an instrument (Vision Impaired Quality of Life [VIQoL]) tailored for adults living with VI. This article reports on VIQoL’s psychometric properties and outlines its utility for the VI sector. Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) was used to assess VIQoL’s construct validity, conducted on a combined dataset of adults with VI ( n = 582), and adults without VI ( n = 1992). To assess factor integrity, analyses were conducted on these groups separately. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. VIQoL display high construct validity and reliability. PAF analysis presented a two-factor solution: ‘functional confidence’ (items encompassing autonomy and frequent demands of life), and ‘personal flourishing’ (items related to affect and feeling). VIQoL is a valid and reliable tool for assessing QoL for people living with VI. It affords a basis for meaningful evaluations and insights into how differences in QoL are appraised by VI and non-VI populations; although factors were fundamentally similar, the importance of the two factors was reversed across the groups, which highlights the importance of condition-specific QoL measures and implies the need for research to assess other variables that can affect the QoL of people living with VI.
Psychological Factors Influencing College Students’ Mobile Phone Use While Walking
Authors: Liu Jianrong , Wei Yating , Zhu Xutong , Shi Ziyang
Published: October 2023

The likelihood of pedestrians exhibiting aberrant walking behaviors and being involved in traffic collisions increases substantially if they are distracted while walking because of using their mobile phones. To reduce the frequency with which pedestrians use their phones while walking, a detailed analysis of the elements that influence this behavior is required. This research studied people’s behavior and behavioral intentions to use mobile phones while walking, using an expanded version of the theory of planned behavior. Four hundred sixty-three college students completed an online survey that assessed attitudes and behaviors related to mobile phone use. The results showed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, mobile phone addiction, crash history, and prototype similarity significantly affected behavioral intentions, whereas subjective norms, descriptive norms, perceived risk, and prototype favorability did not. In addition, behavioral intentions, perceived behavioral control, mobile phone addiction, and crash history had significant impacts on behavior, whereas perceived risk did not. The results from this study could be utilized to develop interventions to reduce the frequency with which college students use their mobile phones while walking, which is essential for improving road safety.
Paposo and the Genealogy of the Changos in the Atacama Desert Coast
Authors: Castelleti Dellepiane José , Torres José Alflorino
Published: October 2023

There is some degree of inaccuracy around the ethnic and kinship categories frequently assigned (eighteenth to nineteenth centuries) to Paposo colonial local groups on the Atacama Desert coast (25°S). Furthermore, the data referring to colonial Paposo does not give a clear insight into the number of settlements that formed it, its exact geographical location, and its occupational frequencies due to how inaccessible this Chango indigenous enclave was to the Spanish crown. This problem has been analyzed with a documented genealogy of the native coastal families and a review of Atacama's Estancia and mining colonization paradigms.
Weekly intraperitoneal steroid infusion to treat recurrent ascites in a patient with early stage of peritoneal dialysis–related encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis: A case report
Authors: Chen Huai-Liang , Hung Cheng-Chieh , Tian Ya-Chung , Chen Kuan-Hsing
Published: October 2023

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare and potentially fatal complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). EPS-induced large volume and recurrent ascites represents a challenging condition. We report a 51-year-old man with kidney failure treated with PD for 13 years who eventually developed early stage of EPS accompanied with poor intake and recurrent ascites. After management including discontinuing PD and switching to haemodialysis, as well as oral steroids and tamoxifen administration, the patient had refractory ascites. An intervention of weekly intraperitoneal steroid infusion with methylprednisolone was implemented for a year. Gradually, we observed a reduction in ascites drainage, an improvement of clinical symptoms and the patient’s nutritional status. The PD catheter was successfully removed as there was no recurrence of ascites. Intraperitoneal corticosteroid administration represents a new intervention for patients with early stage of EPS and recurrent ascites after PD cessation.
Can green finance effectively mitigate PM2.5 pollution? What role will green technological innovation play?
Authors: Cui Yiniu , Zhong Cheng , Cao Jianhong , Guo Mengyao
Published: October 2023

This study employs panel data encompassing a time frame from 2012 to 2020, collected from 30 provinces in China. By employing a geographic Durbin model and introducing green technological innovation as an intermediary variable, the study explores the relationship between green funds and PM2.5 levels on a spatial scale. The research takes a spatial perspective to explore the links between green finance and PM2.5 emissions, with a specific focus on the intermediary role played by green technology innovation. The findings offer comprehensive insights into enhancing air quality in China, promoting the country's transition towards sustainability, improving the overall human living environment, and generating novel ideas for tackling air pollution challenges. The findings of this study are as follows: (1) The progress of green finance proves to be an effective means of reducing local PM2.5 emissions. Additionally, it generates spillover effects on neighboring regions, promoting the growth of green finance and consequently leading to a decrease in PM2.5 emissions in adjacent areas. (2) In the study exploring the relationship between green financing and PM2.5, green technological innovation plays a crucial mediating role. By efficiently allocating financial resources during China's pivotal green revolution phase, green finance offers funding support to enterprises for the advancement of green technology. This, in turn, contributes to the reduction of PM2.5 emissions. As a consequence, this leads to a decline in energy consumption, pollution emissions, and PM2.5 levels. Additionally, with the continuous improvement in green technological innovation, the reverse effect between green finance and PM2.5 is becoming stronger and stronger. (3) The relationship between the two has obvious regional heterogeneity between the north and south regions of China.
Consumers’ Legal Claims: Motives, Expectations and the Complaint Journey of Indian Consumers
Authors: Arora Swapan Deep , Chakraborty Anirban , Pal Singh Vijay
Published: October 2023

While consumer complaining behaviour (CCB) has seen phenomenal scholarly interest, its effortful facets, such as complaints to regulators or the legal system, remain under investigated. Viewing complaints as deeper patterns of systemic malaise, this study has explored consumers’ legal claims from the perspective of individual complainers. Relying on informants’ lived experiences explicated through semi-structured interviews and a blend of inductive and deductive inferencing, a complaint journey framework based on the dispute tree paradigm was charted. The study’s findings map relevant complaint antecedent and exacerbator themes to the formative stages of naming, claiming, blaming and disputing and visualize consumer problems as they reach the law after germinating through these stages. The work contributes to theory and practice by broadening the understanding of CCB motives, emphasizing the role of emotions, identifying consumers’ recovery expectations and revealing legal action as a blend of agentic choice and structural necessity. In delineating the individual vigilant consumers’ role in shaping the consumer protection framework into motion and their experience of legality, we also raise the need for policy refinements.
A Novel Tumor Glycolysis Inhibitor: 4-Methylumbelliferone
Authors: Li Zi-Yao , Yang Qin , Cheng Xiao-Ge , Zhou Yan-Li , Piao Xiang-Ling , Qiu Li , Zhou Bo-Jun , Wu Song-Tao
Published: October 2023

Background and Objectives

4-Methylumbelliferone (4-MU) is a coumarin compound that can be extracted from the medicinal plant with anti-cancer properties, Smilax china L. In recent years, studies have revealed its potential as an anti-tumor and anti-metastasis drug with promising effects in cancer treatment. Despite an increase in research on the metabolic patterns of tumor cells, no prior research has suggested that 4-MU inhibits tumor proliferation by blocking glycolysis. This thesis presents evidence that 4-MU binds to proteins involved in glycolysis, thus mediating its anti-tumor effects.

Materials and Methods

Network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and molecular docking were utilized to forecast the potential targets and probable pathways of 4-MU’s anti-cancer activity, and the affinity of 4-MU towards potential targets was discovered using microscale thermophoresis (MST) detection.

Results

The results of transcriptome analysis brought to light that the genes with differential expressions were primarily enriched in metabolic pathways, including glycolysis-related proteins. Using network pharmacology and molecular docking, our study identified Heat Shock Protein 90 Alpha Family Class A Member 1 (Hsp90AA1), mitochondria, phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD2), and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) as potential targets of 4-MU. The strong binding affinity between 4-MU and these proteins was confirmed by the MST assay.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that 4-MU can hinder glycolysis by binding to glycolysis-associated proteins such as Hsp90AA1, PGK2, GPD2, and GPI. This results in the prevention of the energy supply to the tumor tissue, which ultimately curbs tumor growth, thereby demonstrating its anti-tumor properties. These results conclude that 4-MU has the capacity to be a novel glycolysis inhibitor for cancer treatment. Moreover, the identification of these glycolysis-associated proteins as possible targets for cancer therapy offers new avenues for research in the field of cancer treatment, thus providing further valuable evidence for the anti-cancer mechanism of 4-MU.
Robodebt, Kafka and institutional absurdism in Australia
Authors: Naylor Samuel
Published: October 2023

The report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme was published in July 2023. It found that the scheme was a ‘costly failure of public administration, in both human and economic terms’. The Trial by Franz Kafka is a seminal literary metaphor for how bureaucracy can give way to corruption and dystopia. In a brief parallel reading, I show how the findings made by Commissioner Holmes conform with Kafka's blueprint of an absurd bureaucratic machine. I also explore some broader implications of this argument.
Is Self-Care Sustainable Without Structural Support? A Systematic Review of Self-Care Interventions
Authors: Kaapu Kristi , McKinley Catherine E. , Barks Lauren
Published: October 2023

Purpose: Social workers navigate systemic stressors while managing self-care amid scant institutional support. The purpose of this systematic review is to critically examine the state of social work intervention research for self-care practices. Methods: This review includes empirical research articles focusing on self-care interventions in social work between 2011 and 2022 ( N =  22). Results: All self-care interventions focused on modifying individual behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge. Discussion: Most (83%) research on self-care interventions focused on mindfulness, which tended to be associated with improvements in mindfulness, distress management, and clinical self-efficacy. The remaining interventions tended to be associated with improvements in self-care attitudes, knowledge, practices, and wellness. Conclusion: Structural factors and socioeconomic privilege have been found to be predominant predictors of whether social work students, educators, and practitioners engaged in self-care practices, yet no interventions incorporated structural or institutional variables. Multilevel interventions addressing structural, institutional, and relational determinants of burnout are needed.
Shockwave Treatment vs Surgery for Proximal Fifth Metatarsal Stress Fractures in Soccer Players: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ramon Silvia , Lucenteforte Giacomo , Alentorn-Geli Eduard , Steinbacher Gilbert , Unzurrunzaga Rocío , Álvarez-Díaz Pedro , Barastegui David , Grossi Sebastián , Sala Esther , Martinez-De la Torre Adrián , Mangano Giulia Rita Agata , Cuscó Xavier , Rius Marta , Ferré-Aniorte Alfred , Cugat Ramón
Published: October 2023

Background

To compare the clinical, radiologic, and functional outcomes between shockwave and operative treatments for proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures in soccer players in a pilot study.

Methods:

Between 2017 and 2019, 18 soccer players with fifth metatarsal stress fractures attended at Mutualidad de Futbolistas Españoles–Delegación Catalana were included. Patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups receiving either surgery with an intramedullary screw (group 1) or high-energy focused extracorporeal shockwave treatment (group 2 performed once a week for 3 weeks using 2000 impulses at an energy flux density of 0.21 mJ/mm2 and 4 Hz frequency). Clinical (pain), radiologic (bone healing), and functional (Tegner Activity Scale and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society [AOFAS] ankle-hindfoot scales) outcomes before and after receiving the treatment were compared between both groups. In addition, ability and time to return to play was also compared between groups.

Results:

No patients were lost to follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences at last follow-up between surgery and extracorporeal shockwave treatment for bone healing, pain relief, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, Tegner score, and time return to play. No complications were reported in either of the 2 groups.

Conclusion:

In this pilot study, extracorporeal shockwave treatment and operative treatment were found to be equally effective at reducing pain, achieving bone healing, and allowing the soccer players to return to play after proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures. This study suggests that ESWT may be a good option for the management of proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures in soccer players. If this approach proves successful in larger trials, the shockwave approach might help avoid known complications of the surgical treatment like wound problems, nerve injury, and hardware intolerance. Further investigations with larger sample size should be conducted in order to confirm the present conclusions.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, therapeutic, pilot randomized controlled trial.
Empathy With Muslim Victims of Discrimination: Can Personalization and Emotionalization in News Reporting Pave the Way?
Authors: Kim Minchul , Grabe Maria Elizabeth
Published: October 2023

Hate crimes against Muslims in the United States have been on the rise since 2016 (FBI, 2022), discouraging this group’s participation in public life. Most Americans, therefore, encounter Muslims only via media representations. We investigated if two journalistic storytelling devices can kindle in white non-Muslim Americans empathy and supportive attitudes toward Muslim women who are victims of discrimination. Indeed, personalization and emotionalization of news stories increased empathy for Muslim victims among participants with high Muslim prejudice. Gender differences moderated the effect of emotionalization, with women participants reporting more empathy and willingness to help victims than men.
Between-ing: Collaborative Writing and the Unfoldings of Relational Space
Authors: Gale Ken , Wyatt Jonathan
Published: October 2023

In conversation with Claire Parnet, Deleuze is quoted as saying, “(w)e were only two, but what was important for us was less our working together than this strange fact of working between the two of us.” Deleuze’s concept of “between-the-two” has been used by “Gale and Wyatt,” as a leitmotif for the collaborative writing with which they have engaged “between the two” and also in collaboration with others. The persistence and longevity of this usage has led to the possibility that an “image of thought” has been brought to life which is constitutive of the “us” rather than the “betweened.” In this, have “Gale and Wyatt” continued to swim in the calm, unquestioning, and welcoming waters of qualitative inquiry? Have they, in so doing, avoided those eddies, swirls, rip currents, and deep, dark waters of post qualitative inquiry that might be working to pull them out into the turbulent seas of free and wild concept making where, in becoming, their writing might move away from the applications and representations of simply human-centric thought and action and be of a more immanent doing? In this article, “Gale and Wyatt” address their alertness to the doing of this image of thought. They ask, does their collaborative writing rest more on the “two” of them, the people doing the writing, than on the “between” that talks more the materiality of relational space(s) unfolding amid them? In this article, they affirmatively critique this possibility. They ask: Between the two? How does this betweening work? What does this betweening do? Only two?
“They Are Lost Souls”: Medicare Home Care Nurses’ Perceptions of Medicare’s Inadequate Coverage of Homebound Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Cabin William
Published: October 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a major and increasing cause of illness and death in the United States, imposing significant social, economic, and psychological burdens on patients and their caregivers. This article explores the perceptions of Medicare home health nurses as to the impact of Medicare home health requirements on their decisions to admit, treat, cope with, and meet patient care needs of Alzheimer’s disease patients. It presents an exploratory study, which resulted from a gap in the literature review that found only 3 studies and 1 article since 1965. The study is based on interviews of a convenience sample of 37 home care nurses from 5 home health agencies in the New York City metropolitan area. Analysis followed the grounded theory 3-stage coding of interview data: open, axial, and selective coding. This research methodology was used because it was developed for interpreting qualitative data in the absence of a pre-existing theory. Five themes emerged from interviews: (1) Most Medicare home health patients have some level of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Medicare home care regulations: (2) restrict nurses’ admissions of persons with AD and lack a mandatory evidence-based assessment for AD; (3) restrict the care that nurses can order for persons with AD; (4) do not cover evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions for AD patients ; and (5) nurses use 3 coping strategies to deal with the restrictions: most as conformists, others as innovators, some as rebels. Policymakers are urged to consider legislation expanding coverage of home-based, evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions for persons with Alzheimer’s disease; expanding Medicare home care social work services to allow delivery of appropriate services; requiring an evidence-based Alzheimer’s disease assessment at intake and as part of the OASIS; additional reimbursement for home health agencies treating Medicare homebound persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
Uncovering the Spectrum of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Nephrology Department’s Analysis of 14 Cases
Authors: Hajji Meriam , Barbouch Samia , Kaaroud Hayet , Ben Abdelghani Khaoula , Ben Hamida Fethi , Harzallah Amel , Abderrahim Ezzeddine
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a disease of multi-organ dysfunction due to excessive immune activation causing widespread inflammation and tissue destruction. It is a severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early identification is crucial for prompt treatment. The objective of this case series is to underscore the intricacy of managing HLH in individuals with renal dysfunction.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with HLH in a nephrology department over a period of 30 years. We retrospectively reviewed the medical files by applying the Revised HLH-2004 criteria.

Results:

Among the 14 female patients included, the mean age was 45.2 years (range 23-78). Nine patients presented with sudden onset of fever and chills. Physical examination revealed purpura in 3 cases, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in 6 and 5 cases respectively, and peripheral lymphadenopathy in 1 case. Hemorrhagic complications were observed in 5 cases, hypertriglyceridemia in 9 cases, and hyperferritinemia in all cases. Hypothyroidism was observed in all cases, and impaired renal function was detected in 11 of them, with 5 experiencing it as a result of lupus nephritis, and 1 case attributed to pre-eclampsia. Hemophagocytosis was confirmed through sternal puncture in 11 cases. Treatment involved etiological therapy with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants and/or anti-infectives. Intravenous immunoglobulins were administered in 6 cases, while 2 cases required coagulation factor transfusions. Unfortunately, 9 patients did not survive.

Conclusion:

The study highlights the need for increased awareness and prompt recognition of HLH, particularly in patients with associated renal complications.
Putin’s puppets in the West? The far right’s reaction to the 2022 Russian (re)invasion of Ukraine
Authors: Wondreys Jakub
Published: October 2023

While an argument that the far right supports Putin is popular, comparative analysis of far-right parties’ stances on Russia is generally lacking. In the wake of the 2022 Russian (re)invasion of Ukraine, this becomes increasingly problematic. This study aims to fill this gap and provide an initial answer(s) to an increasingly important question of who supports Putin's Russia within the Western world. First, I examine the immediate reactions to the 2022 (re)invasion of far-right parties across the European Union. Based on the findings, new sub-categories within the far-right in terms of stances on Putin’s Russia are proposed. Second, I provide a comparative analysis of the roll-call votes in the European Parliament on resolutions condemning Russia’s actions and test the proposed sub-categories.
Good and bad effects of corruption and political uncertainty on tourism-growth linkage: World-wide evidence
Authors: Sharma Chandan
Published: October 2023

This research looks at how plausible the tourism-led growth hypothesis is in the midst of corruption and political unpredictability. For empirical investigation, we utilize panel data from 1995 to 2018 for across the world. A dynamic panel data estimation method is employed for the estimation purpose. The outcomes of our analysis show that tourism-led growth is a phenomenon, but this is contingent on institutional factors. Specifically, high levels of corruption, political instability, and violence pose a significant barrier to beneficial effects of tourism on economic prosperity. We also employ panel quantile regression to estimate the asymmetric effects of tourism. Results of the analysis show that tourism is particularly beneficial for low-income economies. However, results also confirm that institutional factors such as corruption and political instability prevent countries, especially developing nations, from taking advantage of tourism.
Positive emotions and intrinsic motivation: A self-determination theory perspective on using co-created stories in the language acquisition classroom
Authors: Printer Liam
Published: October 2023

A surge in empirical investigations in second language (L2) learning motivation in recent years has revealed a growing link between emotions in the foreign language classroom and language learner motivation. Nonetheless, there remains a distinct focus on the impact of negative emotions such as frustration and anxiety. The current year-long study investigates the links between positive emotions such as enjoyment, interest and excitement, and intrinsic motivation. The enquiry explores the influence of the Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) strategy on students’ motivation and emotions using a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) lens. The study analyses the extent to which a group of French language students perceive that TPRS satisfies SDT’s three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. It employs a mixed-methods, longitudinal case study approach, using data obtained from motivational questionnaires, reflective journals, classroom observations, focus group interviews and individual interviews at four stages throughout one academic year. The findings conclude that TPRS results in sustained, heightened positive emotions in the FL classroom and can be a highly effective tool to intrinsically motivate students of FLs. The autonomous nature of co-created stories results in an increased sense of language ability, whilst also fostering strong connections within the class. The students’ positive motivational and emotional trajectories were maintained at the end of the academic year. The findings resonate with conclusions from other studies on the importance of positive emotions in the FL classroom for engagement and motivation whilst reflecting previous studies linking increased student motivation to increased teacher motivation.
Development of propulsion solutions for river-sea ships of the northern Black Sea
Authors: Hordiienko Oleksandr L , Pechenyuk Andriy V
Published: October 2023

Conception of hull form and propulsion design of river-sea ships essentially depends on the restrictions of specific inland waterways. River-sea ships of the Northern Black Sea were historically designed for operation through the locks of European inland waterways of the former Soviet Union. River-sea vessels of the late Soviet Union were designed as simple and technological. After dramatic economical changes the ships of new generation acquired completely different features of general and propulsion design. The vessels had unusually full hull forms and azimuthal thrusters. As is shown in the paper, the full hull forms have sound economic grounds for the considered ship type. However, azimuthal thrusters have controversial features and are not non-alternative. Based on analysis of previous and current propulsion solutions their further development is proposed within the considered ship type. Hull forms designed with specially developed CFD methods are recommended as a further step toward propulsion optimality.