bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of partial deletion and mosaicism using quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction: Case reports and a review of the literature
Authors: Xu Chenxia , Peng Jianming , Zhang Yanfang , Liang Shaoxia , Wang Degang
Published: June 2022

Background

Aneuploidy of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y can be detected by the quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF‐PCR) performed with short tandem repeat (STR) markers. Although QF‐PCR is designed to detect whole chromosome trisomy, the partial deletion or mosaic of chromosomes may also be detected.

Methods

Partial deletion or mosaic of chromosomes in three cases was detected by QF‐PCR. Karyotyping and chromosome microarray analysis(CMA) were performed. We further reviewed the clinical utility of QF‐PCR in detecting mosaicisms and deletions/duplications.

Results

QF‐PCR demonstrated structurally abnormal 21, X, and Y chromosomes in primary amniotic cells. QF‐PCR results in these three cases showed abnormal peak height/peak area, which could not be interpreted according to the kit instructions. QF‐PCR results suggested that there were partial deletions or mosaicism, which were confirmed by karyotyping and CMA.

Conclusion

In addition to detecting trisomies of whole chromosomes, QF‐PCR can also detect deletion and mosaicism of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y, which could suggest the presence of copy number variants (CNVs). Additional testing with genetic technologies, such as karyotyping or microarrays, is recommended when an uninformative pattern is suspected.
Insight into magnesium ions effect on chromosome banding and ultrastructure
Authors: Dwiranti Astari , Mualifah Mualifah , Kartapradja Raden Hannie Dewi Hadyani , Abinawanto Abinawanto , Salamah Andi , Fukui Kiichi
Published: June 2022

Magnesium ion (Mg2+) plays a fundamental role in chromosome condensation which is important for genetic material segregation. Studies about the effects of Mg2+ on the overall chromosome structure have been reported. Nevertheless, its effects on the distribution of heterochromatin and euchromatin region have yet to be investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Mg2+ on the banding pattern and ultrastructure of the chromosome. Chromosome analysis was performed using the synchronized HeLa cells. The effect of Mg2+ was evaluated by subjecting the chromosomes to three different solutions, namely XBE5 (containing 5 mM Mg2+) as a control, XBE (0 mM Mg2+), and 1 mM EDTA as cations‐chelator. Chromosome banding was carried out using the GTL‐banding technique. The ultrastructure of the chromosomes treated with and without Mg2+ was further obtained using SEM. The results showed a condensed chromosome structure with a clear banding pattern when the chromosomes were treated with a buffer containing 5 mM Mg2+. In contrast, chromosomes treated with a buffer containing no Mg2+ and those treated with a cations‐chelator showed an expanded and fibrous structure with the lower intensity of the banding pattern. Elongation of the chromosome caused by decondensation resulted in the band splitting. The different ultrastructure of the chromosomes treated with and without Mg2+ was obvious under SEM. The results of this study further emphasized the role of Mg2+ on chromosome structure and gave insights into Mg2+ effects on the banding distribution and ultrastructure of the chromosome.
Magnetic Targeting of Gadolinium Contrast to Enhance MRI of the Inner Ear in Endolymphatic Hydrops
Authors: Le Trung N. , Oakden Wendy , Mukherjee Subhendu , Ferdous Zannatul , Kuroiwa Maya , Liu Violet M. , Zhang Zhifen , Situ Yumai , Paul Brandon , Stanisz Greg
Published: June 2022

Objectives

1. Determine the feasibility and efficiency of local magnetic targeting delivery of gadolinium (Gad) contrast to the inner ear in rodents. 2. Assess any potential ototoxicity of magnetic targeting delivery of Gad in the inner ear. 3. Study the utility of magnetic targeting delivery of Gad to visualize and quantify endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in a transgenic mouse model.

Study Design

Controlled in vivo animal model study.

Methods

Paramagnetic Gad was locally delivered to the inner ear using the magnetic targeting technique in both rat and mouse models. Efficiency of contrast delivery was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ototoxicity of Gad was examined with histology of the cochlea and functional audiological tests. The Phex mouse model was used to study EH, hearing loss, and balance dysfunction. Magnetic targeting delivery of Gad contrast was used in the Phex mouse model to visualize the effects of EH using MRI.

Results

Magnetic targeting improved the delivery of Gad to the inner ear and the technique was reproducible in both rat and mouse models. The delivery method did not result in microstructural damage or any significant hearing loss in a normal animal. Magnetic targeting of Gad in the Phex mouse model allowed detailed visualization and quantification of EH.

Conclusion

This study provided the first evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of the local magnetic targeting delivery of gadolinium contrast to the inner ear and its application to the visualization and quantification of EH. Laryngoscope, 133:914–923, 2023
Regularization of a backward problem for composite fractional relaxation equations
Authors: Wu Yao‐Qun , Wei He Jia
Published: June 2022

A backward problem for composite fractional relaxation equations is considered with Caputo's fractional derivative, which covers as particular case of Basset problem that concerns the unsteady motion of a particle accelerating in a viscous fluid in fluid dynamics. Based on a spectral problem, the representation of solutions is established. Next, we show the maximal regularity for the corresponding initial value problem. Due to the mildly ill‐posedness of current backward problem, the fractional Landweber regularization method will be applied to discuss convergence analysis and error estimates.
An analytical approach to solve the fractional‐order (2 + 1)‐dimensional Wu–Zhang equation
Authors: Patel Trushit , Patel Hardik
Published: June 2022

This paper considers time‐fractional ‐dimensional Wu–Zhang nonlinear system of partial differential equation describing a long dispersive wave. An approximate analytical solution of the dispersion relation of the long wave has been obtained by the fractional reduced differential transform method (FRDTM). The effect of fractional‐order on the wave profile of the solution is discussed graphically and comparing the exact solution of Wu–Zhang equation when . The result shows that the present method reveals the effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability of computed mathematical results to easily solve the fractional‐order Wu–Zhang (WZ) system of differential equations.
Real time volumetric MRI for 3D motion tracking via geometry‐informed deep learning
Authors: Liu Lianli , Shen Liyue , Johansson Adam , Balter James M. , Cao Yue , Chang Daniel , Xing Lei
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To develop a geometry‐informed deep learning framework for volumetric MRI with sub‐second acquisition time in support of 3D motion tracking, which is highly desirable for improved radiotherapy precision but hindered by the long image acquisition time.

Methods

A 2D–3D deep learning network with an explicitly defined geometry module that embeds geometric priors of the k‐space encoding pattern was investigated, where a 2D generation network first augmented the sparsely sampled image dataset by generating new 2D representations of the underlying 3D subject. A geometry module then unfolded the 2D representations to the volumetric space. Finally, a 3D refinement network took the unfolded 3D data and outputted high‐resolution volumetric images. Patient‐specific models were trained for seven abdominal patients to reconstruct volumetric MRI from both orthogonal cine slices and sparse radial samples. To evaluate the robustness of the proposed method to longitudinal patient anatomy and position changes, we tested the trained model on separate datasets acquired more than one month later and evaluated 3D target motion tracking accuracy using the model‐reconstructed images by deforming a reference MRI with gross tumor volume (GTV) contours to a 5‐min time series of both ground truth and model‐reconstructed volumetric images with a temporal resolution of 340 ms.

Results

Across the seven patients evaluated, the median distances between model‐predicted and ground truth GTV centroids in the superior‐inferior direction were 0.4 ± 0.3 mm and 0.5 ± 0.4 mm for cine and radial acquisitions, respectively. The 95‐percentile Hausdorff distances between model‐predicted and ground truth GTV contours were 4.7 ± 1.1 mm and 3.2 ± 1.5 mm for cine and radial acquisitions, which are of the same scale as cross‐plane image resolution.

Conclusion

Incorporating geometric priors into deep learning model enables volumetric imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution, which is particularly valuable for 3D motion tracking and has the potential of greatly improving MRI‐guided radiotherapy precision.
Treatment patterns in fibromyalgia including the use of opioids
Authors: Valladales‐Restrepo Luis F. , Oyuela‐Gutiérrez María C. , Alzate‐García Mariana , Osorio‐Rodas Isabella , Quintero‐Flórez Valentina , Restrepo‐Muñoz Juan F. , Suárez‐Cardona Julián A. , Barroso‐Fernandes Sergio T. , Machado‐Alba Jorge E.
Published: June 2022

Objective

Opioids (except for tramadol) have not been shown to be effective in patients with fibromyalgia, but they can increase the risk of adverse drug reactions. The aim was to determine the treatment patterns of a group of patients with fibromyalgia and to identify the factors associated with the use of opioids in Colombia.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of a group of patients with fibromyalgia from a pain clinic in Colombia. Sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological variables were identified. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results

A total of 559 patients were analysed, 88.6% of whom were women, and the mean age was 53.4 ± 12.6 years. A total of 40.6% received nonpharmacological management, and the majority were treated with acetaminophen (96.1%) and pregabalin (62.8%). A total of 69.6% received opioids, the most common of which was hydrocodone (36.3%). The average morphine equivalent milligrammes was 36.9 ± 91.2 (range: 2.3–750 mg), and 43.8% had intermediate/high doses. Being male (OR: 3.12; 95% CI: 1.40–6.91), having arterial hypertension (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.04–2.69), obesity (OR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.18–4.24), degenerative disease of vertebral discs (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 1.10–4.88) and comedication with gabapentinoids (OR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1,15–2.65) were associated with a higher probability of receiving opioids, while patients treated with muscle relaxants had a lower risk of opioid treatment (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.41–0.98).

Conclusions

A significant proportion of patients were treated with opioids, the most common of which was hydrocodone, which goes against the recommendations of clinical practice guidelines.
An unconditionally stable explicit finite element algorithm for coupled hydromechanical problems of soil mechanics in pseudo‐static conditions
Authors: Monforte Lluís , Carbonell Josep Maria , Arroyo Marcos , Gens Antonio
Published: June 2022

In this article, we present a novel explicit time‐integration algorithm for the coupled hydromechanical soil mechanics problems in a pseudo‐static regime. After introducing the finite element discretization, the semidiscrete ordinary system of equations is integrated explicitly in time with the Runge–Kutta method. It is noted that this formulation is conditionally stable in time. By introducing a stabilization technique, the Polynomial Pressure Projection, and selecting appropriately the stabilization parameter, the formulation becomes unconditionally stable. To illustrate the performance of the method several numerical analysis are reported, considering both elastic and elasto‐plastic soil behavior.
PGT‐A: The biology and hidden failures of randomized control trials
Authors: Wang Li , Wang Xiaohong , Li Min , Liu Yun , Ou Xianghong , Chen Lei , Shao Xiaoguang , Quan Song , Duan Jinliang , He Wei , Shen Huan , Sun Ling , Yu Yuexin , Cram David S. , Leigh Donald , Yao Yuanqing
Published: June 2022

Objective

Preimplantation Genetic Testing ‐ Aneuploidy (PGT‐A) for embryo selection has undergone significant advancements in the last 2 decades and yet many studies still fail to demonstrate any clinical benefits over traditional embryo morphology selection (Mo‐S). To understand this conundrum, we performed a multi‐center clinical study of PGT‐A patients, where Mo‐S and euploid selection (Eu‐S) outcomes were directly compared.

Method

All suitable blastocysts were biopsied and analyzed for chromosome copy number. Outcomes (positive beta hCG, implantation, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth rates) for Eu‐S were compared to Mo‐S using single embryo transfers.

Results

Compared to Eu‐S embryos, Mo‐S embryos resulted in significant reduction of outcomes for positive beta hCG (p = 0.0005), implantation (p = 0.0008), ongoing pregnancy (p = 0.0046), livebirth (p = 0.0112), babies per transfer (p = 0.0112), and babies per embryo transferred (p = 0.0112). Morphology selection resulted in patients of all age groups having non‐euploid embryos chosen for transfer. Post‐hoc evaluation of individual clinic performances showed variable transfer outcomes that could potentially confound the true benefits of PGT‐A.

Conclusion

Embryo chromosome status is central to improved embryo transfer outcomes and sole reliance on current morphology‐based selection practices, without Eu‐S, will always compromise outcomes. Often overlooked but a major effector of successful PGT‐A outcomes are individual clinic performances.
Effect of the reduced graphene oxide on the tribological behavior of UHMWPE/rGO nanocomposites under sliding contact conditions
Authors: Soares Pedro Henrique Vilela , de Oliveira Poliane N. , Viáfara Cristian C. , Silva Glaura G. , Amurin Leice Gonçalves , da Silva Aline Bruna
Published: June 2022

In this work, the effect of the addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanofillers to UHMWPE was investigated. The UHMWPE/rGO nanocomposites were prepared at rGO contents of 0.010, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 wt%. The morphological, mechanical, and surface properties of the nanocomposites and the neat UHMWPE were evaluated and related with their tribological behavior. For that, DSC, SEM, contact angle, MO, and profilometry techniques, besides shore D hardness tests, instrumented indentation tests and pin‐on‐disc sliding wear tests were performed. The results showed that nanocomposites with rGO contents of 0.10 and 0.25 wt% exhibited higher crystallinity degree than the neat UHMWPE, which improved significantly their mechanical and tribological behavior through increases of around 40% in the instrumented hardness and the elastic modulus, and a significant reduction of up to 48% in the coefficient of friction when compared to the neat UHMWPE. Additionally, the presence of rGO decreased the work of adhesion of the nanocomposites/counterface pairs, resulting in friction and wear mechanisms changes in comparison with the neat polymer.
Psychological distress, understanding of cancer and illness uncertainty in patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary
Authors: Wolyniec Kamil , Sharp Jessica , Fisher Krista , Tothill Richard W. , Bowtell David , Mileshkin Linda , Schofield Penelope
Published: June 2022

Objective

Patients diagnosed with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) experience high levels of psychological distress and report poor understanding of their cancer. We aimed to investigate: (1) if CUP patients with poorer understanding of their cancer diagnosis and testing experience more symptoms of psychological distress than those with better understanding; (2) if the relationship between patients' understanding of their cancer and psychological distress is mediated by illness uncertainty; and (3) explore whether patients' degree of understanding of their cancer can be predicted by clinical and socio‐demographic factors.

Methods

209 CUP patients completed a questionnaire measuring anxiety, depression, illness uncertainty, fatigue, pain, sleep and understanding of their cancer. Using an apriori theoretical framework, we employed structural equation modelling to investigate predictors of patient's understanding of their cancer and psychological distress and the relationships between understanding, illness uncertainty and distress.

Results

The structural equation model displayed good fit indices and supported the hypothesised relationship of patient's understanding of their cancer and the extent of psychological distress, which was mediated via illness uncertainty. Physical symptoms were positively associated with psychological distress and illness uncertainty. Younger age was predictive of lower patient's understanding of their cancer and higher levels of psychological distress.

Conclusions

Patients with CUP, particularly those who are younger and experiencing more physical symptoms, report higher levels of psychological distress and may require additional mental health support. Our findings highlight a need to improve CUP patient's understanding about their illness, which could help reduce their illness uncertainty and alleviate psychological distress.
Modified mortar for wireless powered lighting systems
Authors: Seixas Esteves David , da Fernandes Silva João Manuel , Diniz Fonseca Joana , Poças Gonçalves José Joaquim , da Cerqueira Silva Filipe , de Jesus Sequeira Serra Nunes Ângela Maria , Aires Vermelhudo Vitor Manuel , Matos Ferreira Tavares Correia Diana Lara , Monteiro Serafim João Pedro
Published: June 2022

A lighting system embedded in a mortar structure powered by an inductive system is described. Different additives with high magnetic permeability were tested to increase power transference efficiency. The best results were obtained using natural magnetite, therefore the impact of different natural magnetite concentrations on the mortar mechanical and electromagnetic properties was investigated. The best results were achieved for samples with 75 wt.% of magnetite. With this composition, three proofs‐of‐concept were fabricated to show the potential of the technology.
Assessing the implicit bias research program: Comments on Brownstein, Gawronski, and Madva versus Machery
Authors: Spaulding Shannon
Published: June 2022

Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva, and Bertram Gawronski articulate a careful defense of research on implicit bias. They argue that though there is room for improvement in various areas, when we set the bar appropriately and when we are comparing relevant events, the test–retest stability and predictive ability of implicit bias measures are respectable. Edouard Machery disagrees. He argues that theories of implicit bias have failed to answer four fundamental questions about measures of implicit bias, and this undermines their utility in further scientific research and policy making. In this article, I offer my perspective on this important debate. I argue that there is a theoretical mismatch in debating the merits of a research program on the terms of a specific theory within the research program. Nevertheless, the discussion allows us to see which questions are answered from within the perspective of a particular theory. I argue that the emphasis should be on whether implicit bias theories predict novel facts.

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Theory and Methods

Philosophy > Psychological Capacities
Epidemiological challenges in pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID‐19): Role of artificial intelligence
Authors: Dasgupta Abhijit , Bakshi Abhisek , Mukherjee Srijani , Das Kuntal , Talukdar Soumyajeet , Chatterjee Pratyayee , Mondal Sagnik , Das Puspita , Ghosh Subhrojit , Som Archisman , Roy Pritha , Kundu Rima , Sarkar Akash , Biswas Arnab , Paul Karnelia , Basak Sujit , Manna Krishnendu , Saha Chinmay , Mukhopadhyay Satinath , Bhattacharyya Nitai P. , De Rajat K.
Published: June 2022

World is now experiencing a major health calamity due to the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus clade 2. The foremost challenge facing the scientific community is to explore the growth and transmission capability of the virus. Use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as deep learning, in (i) rapid disease detection from x‐ray or computed tomography (CT) or high‐resolution CT (HRCT) images, (ii) accurate prediction of the epidemic patterns and their saturation throughout the globe, (iii) forecasting the disease and psychological impact on the population from social networking data, and (iv) prediction of drug–protein interactions for repurposing the drugs, has attracted much attention. In the present study, we describe the role of various AI‐based technologies for rapid and efficient detection from CT images complementing quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and immunodiagnostic assays. AI‐based technologies to anticipate the current pandemic pattern, prevent the spread of disease, and face mask detection are also discussed. We inspect how the virus transmits depending on different factors. We investigate the deep learning technique to assess the affinity of the most probable drugs to treat COVID‐19.

This article is categorized under:

Application Areas > Health Care

Algorithmic Development > Biological Data Mining

Technologies > Machine Learning
The future of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Heinzel Frank R. , Shah Sanjiv J.
Published: June 2022

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a multi-organ, systemic syndrome that involves multiple cardiac and extracardiac pathophysiologic abnormalities. Because HFpEF is a heterogeneous syndrome and resistant to a “one-size-fits-all” approach it has proven to be very difficult to treat. For this reason, several research groups have been working on methods for classifying HFpEF and testing targeted therapeutics for the HFpEF subtypes identified. Apart from conventional classification strategies based on comorbidity, etiology, left ventricular remodeling, and hemodynamic subtypes, researchers have been combining deep phenotyping with innovative analytical strategies (e.g., machine learning) to classify HFpEF into therapeutically homogeneous subtypes over the past few years. Despite the growing excitement for such approaches, there are several potential pitfalls to their use, and there is a pressing need to follow up on data-driven HFpEF subtypes in order to determine their underlying mechanisms and molecular basis. Here we provide a framework for understanding the phenotype-based approach to HFpEF by reviewing (1) the historical context of HFpEF; (2) the current HFpEF paradigm of comorbidity-induced inflammation and endothelial dysfunction; (3) various methods of sub-phenotyping HFpEF; (4) comorbidity-based classification and treatment of HFpEF; (5) machine learning approaches to classifying HFpEF; (6) examples from HFpEF clinical trials; and (7) the future of phenomapping (machine learning and other advanced analytics) for the classification of HFpEF.
Ambulant vor stationär? – Versorgungswirklichkeit und ökonomische Analyse von kleinen urologischen Eingriffen in Deutschland von 2013 bis 2018
Authors: Leuchtweis Isabel , Groeben Christer , Flegar Luka , Zacharis Aristeidis , Baunacke Martin , Thomas Christian , Schmidt Marcel , Schneider Andreas , Schultz-Lampel Daniela , Volkmer Björn , Eisenmenger Nicole , Salem Johannes , Huber Johannes
Published: June 2022

Hintergrund und Fragestellung

Obwohl eine ambulante Leistungserbringung ökonomisch erstrebenswert ist, erfolgen viele kleine urologische Eingriffe in Deutschland aktuell noch stationär. Ziel unserer Analyse ist zu prüfen, ob der aktuelle gesundheitspolitische Rahmen zu einer Ambulantisierung beiträgt.

Material und Methode

Datenbasis ist eine nach Alter und Regionen repräsentative Stichprobe von 4,9 Mio. Versichertenanonymen aus der Forschungsdatenbank des Instituts für angewandte Gesundheitsforschung GmbH (InGef). Wir berichten Hochrechnungen für die Anzahl ambulanter und stationärer Leistungen in ganz Deutschland zwischen 2013 und 2018. Ergänzend führen wir eine ökonomische Analyse für zwei ausgewählte Eingriffe durch.

Ergebnisse

Im Studienzeitraum fiel die Gesamtzahl der Prostatastanzbiopsien (Prostatabiopsien) von 184.573 auf 174.558. Der Anteil ambulanter Biopsien fiel kontinuierlich um 0,9 % pro Jahr von 81 % auf 76 % (p < 0,001). Bei der Injektion von Botulinumtoxin in die Blase (Botox-Injektion) stieg die Gesamtzahl von 15.630 auf 26.824. Der ambulant durchgeführte Anteil stieg dabei um 2,7 % pro Jahr von 3 % auf 19 % (p = 0,01). Für die übrigen untersuchten Eingriffe (Anlage suprapubischer Blasenkatheter, das Einlegen, Entfernen und Wechseln von Ureterschienen, Zystoskopien und die Harnröhrenbougierung) zeigten sich keine signifikanten Veränderungen beim Anteil der ambulanten Leistungserbringung.

Schlussfolgerung

Die deutliche Zunahme ambulant erbrachter Botox-Injektionen zeigt den erfolgreichen Steuerungseffekt durch angepasste Vergütungsoptionen. Bei den Prostatabiopsien konnte eine Verschiebung in den stationären Sektor beobachtet werden. Möglicherweise ist dies auf höhere hygienische Standards sowie gestiegene technische Anforderungen im Rahmen der MRT-Fusion zurückzuführen.
Systematic review about complementary medical hyperthermia in oncology
Authors: Liebl Christina Maria , Kutschan Sabine , Dörfler Jennifer , Käsmann Lukas , Hübner Jutta
Published: June 2022

Hyperthermia is a generic term for different techniques using heat in cancer therapies. Temperatures of about 42° Celsius in combination with chemo- or radiotherapy may improve the effectiveness of those treatments. Clinical benefit is shown in “standard hyperthermia” with tumour temperatures assessed during treatment. This systematic review thoroughly assesses the state of evidence concerning the benefits and side effects of electro hyperthermia or whole-body hyperthermia (“alternative hyperthermia”) in oncology. From 26 April 2021 to 09 May 2021, a systematic search was conducted searching five electronic databases (Embase, Cochrane, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Medline) to find studies concerning the use, effectiveness and potential harm of alternative medical hyperthermia therapy on cancer patients. From all 47,388 search results, 53 publications concerning 53 studies with 2006 patients were included in this systematic review. The patients were diagnosed with different types of cancer. The hyperthermic methods included whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) with different methods and electro hyperthermia (EH). The majority of the included studies were single-arm studies, counting in total 32 studies. Six studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT). In addition, one systematic review (SR) was found. The most critical endpoints were tumour response, survival data, pain relief, myelosuppression and toxicities. Outcome was heterogeneous, and considering the methodological limitations, clinical evidence for the benefit of alternative hyperthermia in cancer patients is lacking. Neither for whole-body hyperthermia nor for electro hyperthermia there is any evidence with respect to improvement of survival or quality of life in cancer patients.
The Influence of Stigma and Trust in Young People Seeking Support for Their Own or a Friend’s Symptoms: The Role of Threat Appraisals
Authors: Pimenta Sofia M. , Hunter Simon C. , Rasmussen Susan
Published: June 2022

Background

Stigma and trust influence how adolescents seek support for mental illness, though it is unclear how these influence their decisions to approach a range of potential sources of support. Moreover, even less is known about the ways in which these issues are related when a friend discloses symptoms of mental illness.

Objective

The study’s aims were to understand the role of stigma, trust, and threat appraisals in adolescents’ support seeking when exposed to their own, or to a friend’s, symptoms of mental illness.

Method

A vignette-based study comparing reports of support (friends, parents, teachers, professionals, and online) was completed with reference to either (i) experiencing symptoms of mental illness or (ii) having a friend disclose these types of symptoms. Two hundred and fifty adolescents (M = 12.75 years) answered questions pertaining to stigma (public and self), trust levels, threat appraisals, and support seeking.

Results

When dealing with their own symptoms, threat accounted for 4.8 and 2.5% of the variance when seeking support from parents and professionals, respectively. Self-stigma accounted for 2.4% of variance when seeking support from parents and 0.8% of variance when seeking support from professionals. Trust moderated the association between threat and the use of online support. When responding to a friend’s disclosure, higher levels of public-stigma were associated with lower support seeking from friends, parents, and professionals.

Conclusions

This study showed a distinction in how adolescents deal with their own or a friend’s symptoms of mental illness, and what resources they choose to ask for support from. Self-stigma, threat, and trust levels were particularly relevant when experiencing their own symptoms, while dealing with a friend’s disclosure was related to levels of public-stigma.
MultiRocket: multiple pooling operators and transformations for fast and effective time series classification
Authors: Tan Chang Wei , Dempster Angus , Bergmeir Christoph , Webb Geoffrey I.
Published: June 2022

We propose MultiRocket, a fast time series classification (TSC) algorithm that achieves state-of-the-art accuracy with a tiny fraction of the time and without the complex ensembling structure of many state-of-the-art methods. MultiRocket improves on MiniRocket, one of the fastest TSC algorithms to date, by adding multiple pooling operators and transformations to improve the diversity of the features generated. In addition to processing the raw input series, MultiRocket also applies first order differences to transform the original series. Convolutions are applied to both representations, and four pooling operators are applied to the convolution outputs. When benchmarked using the University of California Riverside TSC benchmark datasets, MultiRocket is significantly more accurate than MiniRocket, and competitive with the best ranked current method in terms of accuracy, HIVE-COTE 2.0, while being orders of magnitude faster.
The effect of the tracking technology on students’ perceptions of their continuing intention to use a learning management system
Authors: Al-Shaikhli Dhuha
Published: June 2022

This research examines the effect of having a tracking technology in a learning management system (LMS) that reports the effect of perceiving other students’ interactions on a learner’s intention to keep using LMS in the future. The main underlying theory is herd behaviour theory which argues that crowd behaviour affects the perceptions of the observers. In this paper, we proposed and found that tracking technology will affect a learner’s perceptions of cognitive absorption and that perception of self-regulation from using an LMS. These perceptions are found to influence the learner’s intention to keep using the LMS in the future positively. This research developed a new tracking technology in response to weaknesses noted in the literature and validated by interviewing teachers. Its effects were tested on 151 university students taking a computer science module. This research contributes to knowledge by integrating herd behaviour theory into the design of LMS and offers a new perspective on learners’ interactions with educational technologies.
Pollution and health risk assessment of trace metal in vegetable field soils in the Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt
Authors: Ibrahim Ehab A. , Selim El-Metwally M.
Published: June 2022

The accumulation of trace metals in vegetable field soils is of increasing worry because of the potential health hazards and their detrimental effects on soil ecosystems. To investigate the state of trace metal pollution in vegetable field soils, 60 surface soil samples were collected from vegetable fields across the Eastern Nile Delta region, Egypt. The results concluded that the concentrations of Cu, Mn, and Ni were lesser than their corresponding background values, while the concentrations of Cd, Co, Pb, and Zn were exceeding their background values. The pollution indices showed that the studied soil experienced low to moderate contamination and the Cd and Cr contamination was serious. The hazard index values of nine trace metals signified that there was no adverse non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children. The carcinogenic risk of Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb for both age groups was within acceptable limits, while Cr had critical carcinogenic hazards for children. Overall, the quality of studied soils is relatively safe, although some samples impose serious pollution problems of Cd and Cr. Thus, properly monitored trace metals and soil management action should be applied to reduce further soil pollution in vegetable fields in the Eastern Nile Delta.
Developing the Parent-Coaching Assessment, Individualization, and Response to Stressors (PAIRS) Tool for Behavior Analysts
Authors: Pacia Cressida , Gunning Ciara , McTiernan Aoife , Holloway Jennifer
Published: June 2022

Parent engagement in early behavioral intervention is essential to achieving meaningful intervention outcomes. However, parents may experience multiple barriers to engagement. The Parent-coaching Assessment, Individualization, and Response to Stressors (PAIRS) was developed to help practitioners assess families’ barriers and facilitators, individualize their intervention, and respond to stressors using a contextual, functional approach. An expert panel of Board Certified Behavior Analysts ® (BCBAs) evaluated the content validity of the PAIRS. Average scale values (S-CVI/Ave) were 0.92 for relevance, 0.85 for effectiveness, and 0.91 for appropriateness. The PAIRS was revised, and a follow-up evaluation was conducted to rate the tool’s utility. This led to the final version of the PAIRS. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
Baby Triple P: A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Efficacy in First-Time Parent Couples
Authors: McPherson Kerri E. , Wiseman Kirsty , Jasilek Adam , McAloney-Kocaman Kareena , Morawska Alina , Haig Caroline
Published: June 2022

In a randomized controlled trial, we tested the efficacy of Baby Triple P in a community sample of first-time parent couples. The intervention was developed to promote better mental health, a positive couple relationship, positive parenting, and a better parent-infant relationship. One hundred and fifty six couples were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 78) or care as usual (n = 78) conditions. The intervention was delivered in four antenatal face-to-face group sessions followed by four early postnatal individual telephone sessions. Couples completed self-report assessments at baseline, immediately postintervention and at 12 and 24 months. The study had one primary (the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) and 11 secondary outcomes. Over half of the intervention and care as usual participants remained in the study for the full 24 months. Intention to treat analysis of the full sample yielded positive results in some mental health domains for mothers and fathers, but this was not evident when follow up sensitivity analysis was conducted on a subsample of the data. There was limited support for the intervention in relation to secondary outcomes such as the couple relationship, social support and parenting. However, the parent couples were positive about the intervention and described it as providing the support that they wanted. This trial provides some evidence in support of Baby Triple P as an early intervention for new parent couples. High levels of satisfaction with the intervention are promising, especially in relation to the engagement of fathers.

Trial Registration: ISRCTN31955576
Attentional Gated Res2Net for Multivariate Time Series Classification
Authors: Yang Chao , Wang Xianzhi , Yao Lina , Long Guodong , Jiang Jing , Xu Guandong
Published: June 2022

Multivariate time series classification is a critical problem in data mining with broad applications. It requires harnessing the inter-relationship of multiple variables and various ranges of temporal dependencies to assign the correct classification label of the time series. Multivariate time series may come from a wide range of sources and be used in various scenarios, bringing the classifier challenge of temporal representation learning. We propose a novel convolutional neural network architecture called Attentional Gated Res2Net for multivariate time series classification. Our model uses hierarchical residual-like connections to achieve multi-scale receptive fields and capture multi-granular temporal information. The gating mechanism enables the model to consider the relations between the feature maps extracted by receptive fields of multiple sizes for information fusion. Further, we propose two types of attention modules, channel-wise attention and block-wise attention, to better leverage the multi-granular temporal patterns. Our experimental results on 14 benchmark multivariate time-series datasets show that our model outperforms several baselines and state-of-the-art methods by a large margin. Our model outperforms the SOTA by a large margin, the classification accuracy of our model is 10.16% better than the SOTA model. Besides, we demonstrate that our model improves the performance of existing models when used as a plugin. Further, based on our experiments and analysis, we provide practical advice on applying our model to a new problem.
Sisyphus and the Present: Time in Modern and Digital Legalities
Authors: Tranter Kieran
Published: June 2022

Albert Camus’ reflection in The Myth of Sisyphus presents the absurd, the intrusion of the meaningless and irrational universe into the order and future focus of modern life. Central to Camus’ reading of Sisyphus and his dammed eternal labour, was time. Camus clearly saw that modernity and modern life was predicated on tensions in time. Moderns perceived, and lived, in the timescale of past-present-future. A commitment to chronology that promised an allusion of meaning within a world of essential meaninglessness. Modern law, the law forged by the structural violence of positivism and sovereignty, shared this commitment to time. However, transitions to the digital are presenting different relationships of law and time. Emergent digital legality manifests a Sisyphean closed loop of repeat, return and enclosure, past and future become a blurred undistinguished present. The modern terror of mundane life that Camus tried to recast, seems intensified and totalised in the digital. However, rather than the possibility of the joy of the absurd, there is something else. Sisyphus, Camus imaged, had weathered to look like his rock, but he never merges with it. But in the unfolding of the digital and its legality, the secure subjectivity that Camus exalted is less then certain. This might not be bad.
Assessment of hygiene practices and microbial safety of milk supplied by smallholder farmers to processors in selected counties in Kenya
Authors: Mogotu Miriam W. , Abong George O. , Mburu John , Ndambi Oghaiki Asaah
Published: June 2022

Smallholder farmers dominate the Kenyan dairy sector producing 95% of the total milk. However, several concerns have been raised on the quality and safety of the milk they produce. This study assessed the hygienic practices and microbial safety of milk supplied by smallholder farmers to processors in Bomet, Nyeri, and Nakuru counties in Kenya. Interviews and direct observations were carried out to assess hygiene and handling practices by farmers and a total of 92 milk samples were collected along four collection channels: direct suppliers, traders, cooperatives with coolers, and cooperatives without coolers. Microbial analysis was done following standard procedures and data analysed using GenStat and SPSS. This study revealed that farmers did not employ good hygienic practices in their routine dairy management. They used plastic containers for milking and milk storage (34.2%); they did not clean sheds (47.9%) and did not set aside cows that suffered from mastitis factors (83.6%), resulting in poor microbial quality of raw milk along the collection channels. The highest mean total viable counts (8.72 log10 cfu/ml) were recorded in Nakuru while Nyeri had the highest mean E. coli counts (4.97 log10 cfu/ml) and Bomet recorded the highest mean counts of 5.13 and 5.78 log10 cfu/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes respectively. Based on all above-mentioned parameters, the microbial load in most samples from all three counties exceeded the set Kenyan standards. Farmer training, improving road infrastructure, use of instant coolers at cooperatives, and quality-based payment systems are recommended as measures to curb microbial growth.
Investigating longitudinal changes to frontal cortico-striatal tracts in Huntington’s disease: the IMAGE-HD study
Authors: Tan Brendan , Shishegar Rosita , Oldham Stuart , Fornito Alex , Poudel Govinda , Georgiou-Karistianis Nellie
Published: June 2022

The striatum is the principal site of disease pathology in Huntington’s disease and contains neural connections to numerous cortical brain regions. Studies examining abnormalities to neural connections find that white matter integrity is compromised in HD; however, further regional, and longitudinal investigation is required. This paper is the first longitudinal investigation into region-based white-matter integrity changes in Huntington’s Disease. The aim of this study was to better understand how disease progression impacts white matter tracts connecting the striatum to the prefrontal and motor cortical regions in HD. We used existing neuroimaging data from IMAGE-HD, comprised of 25 pre-symptomatic, 27 symptomatic, and 25 healthy controls at three separate time points (baseline, 18-months, 30-months). Fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity were derived as measures of white matter microstructure. The anatomical regions of interest were identified using the Desikan-Killiany brain atlas. A Group by Time repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted for each tract of interest and for each measure. We found significantly lower fractional anisotropy and significantly higher radial diffusivity in the symptomatic group, compared to both the pre-symptomatic group and controls (the latter two groups did not differ from each other), in the rostral middle frontal and superior frontal tracts; as well as significantly higher axial diffusivity in the rostral middle tracts only. We did not find a Group by Time interaction for any of the white matter integrity measures. These findings demonstrate that whilst the microstructure of white matter tracts, extending from the striatum to these regions of interest, are compromised during the symptomatic stages of Huntington’s disease, 36-month follow-up did not show progressive changes in these measures. Additionally, no correlations were found between clinical measures and tractography changes, indicating further investigations into the relationship between tractography changes and clinical symptoms in Huntington’s disease are required.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of associations between self-regulation and morality in preschool and elementary school children
Authors: Schütz Jessica , Koglin Ute
Published: June 2022

The importance of self-regulatory skills for the socio-emotional competencies of children is being researched and discussed extensively. However, in order to make a clear statement about the impact of self-regulation on children’s morality, a systematic review of the literature is urgently needed. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to analyze associations between self-regulation and morality of preschool and elementary school children. In this context, distinctions among different definitions and operationalizations of self-regulation and morality are considered. Search terms were entered in the bibliographic databases PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. To meet the inclusion criterion, studies needed to report empirical associations between self-regulation and morality in children of preschool and elementary school age. Furthermore, the studies should report primary data and be published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. Studies with secondary or summarized data, special populations or with certain designs were excluded. A total of 37 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. 35 of these studies were included in the meta-analysis. The narrative synthesis showed that different definitions and operationalizations were used for both self-regulation and morality. There also seems to be no consensus regarding the association between the constructs. Meta-analysis results revealed a small positive combined effect between self-regulation and morality, especially between temperament-related self-regulation and moral behavior and moral emotions. In order to gain a better understanding of the effects of self-regulation on morality, longitudinal research and further research addressing different forms of these constructs are essential.
Performance assessment modeling for managing transport enterprises based on modified fuzzy TOPSIS analysis
Authors: Dimitriou Dimitrios , Sartzetaki Maria
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance assessment modeling for managing transport enterprises and provide a framework that explains the conditions under which performance of enterprises optimized. In doing so, the multiples streams built upon the different stakeholders and shareholders as well as social actors play in the transport enterprise performance optimization. The novelty of this paper is the development of a computational modeling framework addressing the added value footprint by large transport operators providing mobility and accessibility to a regional economy. The analysis outputs promoting explanations towards operational efficiency and business productivity on one hand; and supporting decisions toward sustainable development, business intelligence and new investments on the other. The assessment methodology is based on "Fuzzy TOPSIS" modelling, where a series of key performance indicators have been introduced, providing results over time to assess business innovation and illustrate drivers of action towards sustainable development and business intelligence. Managerial implication of the paper is the development of a multi-objective assessment framework providing essential support for managing real business applications in transportation and support decisions towards resources optimization, adjustments in cooperate governance model and policies, assessment of new investments and short-term or/and long-term action plans.
Mantik und Sokratik
Authors: Sichler Ralph
Published: June 2022

Mit dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Versuch unternommen, bei in der griechischen Antike angesiedelten Vorläufern der psychologisch orientierten Beratung das vorherrschende Beratungsverständnis und die damit verbundene Praxis zu analysieren. Um die kulturelle radikale Differenz zwischen Antike und Moderne hermeneutisch wenigstens ansatzweise zu überbrücken, wird hier ein weit gefasster Beratungsbegriff zugrunde gelegt. Daran anschließend wird zunächst der Fokus auf die Kunst der Weissagung (Mantik) im griechischen Orakelwesen gelegt. Kontrastierend dazu wird sodann die den dialogischen Gedankenaustausch ins Zentrum stellende philosophische Beratung von Sokrates erörtert. Es zeigt sich, dass sich schon im Kontext der Mantik die Frage des Spielraums menschlichen Handelns im Zusammenhang mit dem von den Göttern bestimmten Los zumindest virulent stellt. Bei Sokrates erhält diese Frage auf der Grundlage eines in Athen neu erwachten Bewusstseins technischer Könnerschaft und im Rahmen der Rede und Antwort stehenden Sorge um die eigene Lebensführung zentrale Bedeutung.