bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous Infusion of Ketamine in Mechanically Ventilated Patients with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Phan Brian , Agyemang Afua , Klein Walter , Thapamagar Suman B.
Published: May 2024

Background. Widespread drug shortages led to higher utilization of ketamine in our intensive care unit, especially among patients with SARS-CoV-2. Objectives. To evaluate the impact of continuous infusion of ketamine on vasopressor requirements in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Method. This was a single-center, retrospective, cohort study comparing mechanically ventilated (MV), adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 receiving either propofol or ketamine for at least 72 hours. Results. 84 patients (mean age of 61-year-old, 68% male) were analyzed. 31 patients received ketamine, and 53 patients received propofol. Mean vasopressor doses were not significantly different between ketamine and propofol groups at prespecified timepoints. However, mean arterial pressures (MAP) were higher in the ketamine group at 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h postsedative initiation. The median opioid infusion requirements were 3 vs. 12.5 mg/hr (p<0.0001) for ketamine and propofol groups, respectively. Comparing to propofol, C-reactive protein (CRP) values were significantly lower in the ketamine group at 24 h (7.53 vs. 15.9 mg/dL, p=0.03), 48 h (5.23 vs. 14.1 mg/dL, p=0.0083), and 72 h (6.4 vs. 12.1 mg/dL, p=0.0085). Conclusion. In patients with SARS-CoV-2 on MV, there was no difference in the vasopressor requirement in patients receiving ketamine compared to propofol. Nevertheless, the use of ketamine was associated with higher MAP, reductions in CRP in select timepoints, and overall lower opioid requirements.
A Comprehensive Review on Weight Gain following Discontinuation of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Obesity
Authors: Abdullah bin Ahmed Ibrahim
Published: May 2024

Obesity is considered the leading public health problem in the medical sector. The phenotype includes overweight conditions that lead to several other comorbidities that drastically decrease health. Glucagon-like receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) initially designed for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) had demonstrated weight loss benefits in several clinical trials. In vivo studies showed that GLP-1RA encourages reduced food consumption and consequent weight reduction by stimulating brown fat and enhancing energy outlay through the action of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) pathways. Additionally, GLP-1RAs were found to regulate food intake through stimulation of sensory neurons in the vagus, interaction with the hypothalamus and hindbrain, and through inflammation and intestinal microbiota. However, the main concern with the use of GLP-1RA treatment was weight gain after withdrawal or discontinuation. We could identify three different ways that could lead to weight gain. Potential factors might include temporary hormonal adjustment in response to weight reduction, the central nervous system’s (CNS) incompetence in regulating weight augmentation owing to the lack of GLP-1RA, and β-cell malfunction due to sustained exposure to GLP-1RA. Here, we also review the data from clinical studies that reported withdrawal symptoms. Although the use of GLP-1RA could be beneficial in multiple ways, withdrawal after years has the symptoms reversed. Clinical studies should emphasize the downside of these views we highlighted, and mechanistic studies must be carried out for a better outcome with GLP-1RA from the laboratory to the bedside.
Trait Impulsivity as a Feature of Parkinson’s Disease Treatment and Progression
Authors: Spencer Holly , Anderton Ryan S.
Published: May 2024

Heightened trait impulsivity in both subclinical and pathological senses is becoming increasingly recognised in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Impulsive behaviours and impulse control disorders (ICDs) are a consequence of perturbation to the rewards pathway leading individuals to conduct activities in a repetitive, excessive, and maladaptive fashion. Commonly linked to PD, heightened trait impulsivity has been found to primarily manifest in the forms of hypersexuality, pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, and binge eating, all of which may significantly impact social and financial standing. Subsequent burden to quality of life for both individuals with PD and caregivers are common. Although risk factors and indicators for ICDs in PD are currently lacking, it is recognised that the condition is often precipitated by dopamine replacement therapies, primarily dopamine agonist administration. While this nonmotor symptom is being increasingly diagnosed in PD populations, it remains relatively elusive in comparison to its motor counterparts. Through discussion of impulsivity characteristics, neuroanatomy, and neurochemistry, in addition to reviewing existing research on the potential contributing factors to impulsivity in PD, this review highlights impulsivity as a significant and detrimental PD symptom. Thus, emphasising the imperative need to establish efficacious diagnostic tools and treatments.
A Simultaneous Study on Wire-Loop, Plate-Loop, and Plate Antennas for Wideband Circular Polarization
Authors: Hirose Kazuhide , Hirose Mitsuki , Nakano Hisamatsu
Published: May 2024

We investigate three square-shaped antennas to increase the bandwidth of circular polarization. Each antenna has two adjacent corners excited with the same amplitudes and a phase difference of 90° using a branched feedline vertical to the ground plane. We evaluate the 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth as a function of the loop-arm width using the moment method. It is found that the axial ratio bandwidth reaches 38% for an arm width of 0.04 wavelengths, wider than that of a wire-loop antenna by a factor of three. The simulated results are verified by experimental ones.
Depressive symptoms are not associated with predementia CSF amyloid pathology
Authors: Eriksson Cecilia Magdalena , Kirsebom Bjørn-Eivind , Espenes Ragna , Siafarikas Nikias , Waterloo Knut , Rongve Arvid , Selnes Per , Aarsland Dag , Fladby Tormod , Hessen Erik
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Depressive symptoms are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but their neurobiological and neuropsychological correlates remain poorly understood. We investigate if depressive symptoms are associated with amyloid (Aβ) pathology and cognition in predementia AD.
METHODS: We included Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD, n= 160) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, n=192) from the Dementia Disease Initiation cohort. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Aβ pathology was determined using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42/40 ratio. Associations between depressive symptoms and cognition were assessed with logistic regression.
RESULTS: Only the Aβ negative MCI group (MCI-Aβ-) was associated with depressive symptoms (OR=2.65, p=.005). Depressive symptoms were associated with worse memory in MCI-Aβ- (OR=0.94, p=.039), but with better performance in MCI-Aβ+ (OR=1.103, p=.001).
DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that depressive symptoms in MCI are neither associated with Aβ pathology, nor AD-associated memory impairment. However, memory impairment in non-AD MCI may relate to depressive symptoms.
Music from Noise-Canceling Headphones Is Beneficial against Anxiety in Male Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow-Up Cystoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Trial
Authors: Cho Hyun-Jin , Chung Ho Seok , Hwang Eu Chang , Jung Seung Il , Kwon Dongdeuk , Park Kwangsung , Patel Darshan P. , Hsieh Tung-Chin
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Bladder cancer, with a greater incidence in males than in females, requires frequent cystoscopies. We aimed to evaluate the effect of music played through noise-canceling headphones on male bladder cancer patients during follow-up cystoscopy. Methods: A total of 160 male bladder cancer patients undergoing follow-up flexible cystoscopy were randomly divided into the noise-canceling headphones without music group and the noise-canceling headphones with music group (groups 1 and 2, respectively; n = 80 per group). The patients’ clinical characteristics were examined, and objective and subjective measurements were compared before and after cystoscopy. The primary outcomes that were evaluated included the visual analog scale (VAS, 0–10) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, 20–80). Other outcomes, including vital signs and scores for assessing satisfaction and the willingness to repeat the procedure, were also examined. Results: The characteristics of the patients in groups 1 and 2, and their pre-cystoscopy status, did not differ significantly. Although post-cystoscopy vital signs for the objective parameters and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups, subjective parameters were not. When compared with group 1, post-cystoscopy STAI-state scores were significantly lower in group 2, whereas patients’ satisfaction scores and the willingness to repeat the procedure were significantly higher in group 2 (p = 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Additionally, in group 2, STAI-state scores changed significantly after the procedure when compared with before the procedure (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Providing music to male bladder cancer patients through noise-canceling headphones was found to reduce anxiety during cystoscopy and to improve patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo repeat cystoscopy.
The Interfunctional Relationship Between Theory of Mind and Private Speech
Authors: Rivera Valdez Leonardo Daniel , López Cortés Vicente Arturo
Published: May 2024

Background. Theory of mind is the capacity to explain and predict the behavior of others. Charles Fernyhough’s dialogical model of psychological functions offers a vision of theory of mind that considers the social dimension and the importance of language, especially inner and private speech, for a person’s ability to represent and manipulate multiple perspectives, and its connection to executive function. Objective. There is little direct research on Fernyhough’s model. The present study addressed that gap by studying the relationship between theory of mind, private speech, and executive function (planning) in the preschool years. Design. Data were collected from a total of 86 preschool children from the Mexican state of Tlaxcala; 24 were from the first grade of preschool, 30 from the second, and 32 from the third. Their degree of internalization and their speech types (i.e., social and private) were obtained by coding their utterances during free play and during performance of a Tower of London task. Lastly, their theory of mind was assessed with a change of location and an unexpected contents task. Results. No correlation was found between children’s theory of mind and their degree of internalization. However, inaudible private speech was correlated (negatively) to theory of mind performance in the third grade of preschool. Furthermore, their scores on the Tower of London task were negatively correlated with social speech and positively correlated with inaudible private speech, while the reverse was true for time of execution. Conclusion. The results suggested that the degree of internalization is a measure of the regulative function of language, not the ability to manipulate perspectives, and that it is inadequate for capturing subtle differences between performance and speech types. Role-playing conditions were recommended as better tasks for exploring the capacities for manipulating and understanding different perspectives during the preschool years.
The Needs of Adolescents to Communicate with Their Parents in Online and Offline Formats: The Creation and Validation of a Questionnaire
Authors: Larin Ilia A. , Sadovnikova Tatiana Yu.
Published: May 2024

Background. Modern society is characterized by the widespread use of social media, which provides users with new communication, leisure, work, and study opportunities. The growth of online communication time leads to the development of new special communicative needs. These circumstances prompted us to develop the “Questionnaire on Adolescents’ Needs to Communicate with Their Parents Online and Offline” (QANCP). Objective. We set out to study the relationship between adolescents’ hierarchy of communicative needs and the characteristics of child-parent relations by developing and testing the psychometric characteristics of the QANCP. Design. One hundred and twenty-eight teenagers (56 boys and 72 girls, age 15-17) took part in the research. The research methods included theoretical analysis, modeling, questionnaires, and statistical analysis. The tools used were: 1) the customized (authorial) “Questionnaire of adolescents’ needs to communicate with their parents online and offline” (QANCP); and 2) the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) by Armsden and Greenberg (1987) in the Sadovnikova and Eliseeva adaptation (Eliseeva, 2013). Results. The results of the qualitative research proved the acceptability of the QANCP scales. Expert assessments showed that the test had sufficient face and content validity. Statistically significant differences in the parameters measuring adolescents’ communicative needs in groups with different types of relations with their parents were established. Conclusion. Testing of the QANCP questionnaire showed that the QANCP is a valid and reliable instrument to measure adolescents’ communication with their parents in online and offline formats. It was established that there is a connection between the characteristics of child-parent relations in adolescence and the hierarchy of communication needs of “adolescent-parent” communication online and offline.
Exploring the Emotional Pathway from Motivation to Facebook* Addiction in a Vietnamese Undergraduate Sample
Authors: Le Duy-Hung , Dao Pham Quang
Published: May 2024

Background. Facebook* is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. The use of Facebook* can lead to several problems, such as Facebook* addiction. Previous studies have investigated the effects of reinforcing factors on problematic Facebook* use, but negative factors have been little studied. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and Facebook* addiction, and examine the influence of positive and negative emotions, which serve as reinforcement and punishment when using Facebook*. Design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 294 university students in Vietnam, with a mean age of 19.93 and a standard deviation of 1.27. The Bergen Facebook* Addiction Scale, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and the Motives for Facebook* Use Scale were used to collect the data. SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 20 software were used for data analysis. Results. The results indicated that the students’ motivations to maintain relationships and pass time were positively associated with Facebook* usage, while motivations for virtual community, entertainment, “coolness,” and companionship did not significantly influence Facebook* usage. This use of Facebook* was found to elicit both positive and negative emotions. Both these emotions were associated with an increase in Facebook* addiction among the students. Conclusion. These results support the view that Facebook* addiction is positively associated with satisfaction with Facebook* use, and that both positive and negative emotions are associated with an increase in Facebook* addiction. Several limitations of the study are clarified.
Self-Attitude and Reflection in Codependent Women: A Comparative Study
Authors: Kolenova Anastasya S. , Kukulyar Anna M. , Denisova Ekaterina G. , Ermakov Pavel N.
Published: May 2024

Background. Currently, psychological knowledge integrates theories on codependent behavior, advancing our understanding of this phenomenon. However, empirical research is lacking to understand its specific manifestations in relation to different types of addiction. Objective. To identify the features of self-attitude and reflection in codependent women. Design. The study included 233 women (ages 18–70), including 102 in relationships with a person addicted to alcohol, drugs, or suffering from a non-chemical addiction). The study was conducted using the following methods: Self-Attitude Questionnaire (Stolin & Panteleev, 1988); Differential Type of Reflection Questionnaire (Leontiev, 2009); and Codependency Self-Inventory Scale (CSIS; Weinhold & Weinhold, 1989; translated by A. G. Cheslavskaya, 2002). Results. Significant differences were observed in self-attitude and reflection. Women with high codependency have lower self-esteem and tend to underestimate their abilities, compared to the control group. They also exhibit a lower sense of control over their lives, lower self-consistency; they tend to focus on their weaknesses and shortcomings and are more inclined to self-blame. Quasi-reflexivity is more common in codependent women who have relationships with non-chemical addicts or do not identify an addict in their lives. Conclusion. There are significant differences in self-attitude and reflection between the control group and subgroups of women in relationships with different types of addicts; the same differences were observed in comparison of women with low and high codependency levels. The study contributes to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying codependent behavior in women and has implications for future research and clinical practice.
Transubstantiation, Absurdity, and the Religious Imagination: Hobbes and Rational Christianity
Authors: Chandran Amy
Published: May 2024

This article evaluates the political implications of Thomas Hobbes’s extensive treatment of religion by taking up the motif of the Eucharist (and accompanying doctrine of transubstantiation) in Leviathan. Hobbes holds out transubstantiation as an exemplar of absurdity and an historical outgrowth of Christianity’s inauspicious meeting with pagan practices. At the same time, Leviathan contains allusions to eucharistic imagery in its narration of the generation of the “Mortal God,” the commonwealth, as the incorporation of a civil body. These conflicting sentiments are illustrative of a wider tension running through Hobbes’s thought. Although Hobbes’s repudiation of superstition is well-known, it stands in stark contrast to Leviathan’s treatment of Christianity as an exemplar of “true” religion. The varied allusions to eucharistic doctrine illustrate how proper use might be made of a persistent “natural religiosity.” Both in its consonance with reason and its political logic, Christianity remains a politically constructive expression of “power invisible.”
On Wine and Fālūdhaj: Questions of Literary Influence and Creativity in the Plagiarism Dispute between al-Sarī al-Raffāʾ and the Khālidī Brothers
Authors: Naaman Erez
Published: May 2024

Any critical engagement with the controversial fourth/tenth century plagiarism dispute between the poet al-Sarī al-Raffāʾ and the two Khālidī brothers poses a challenge. This challenge applies to evaluations made by both medieval and modern scholars who address the parties’ arguments with a varying degree of depth. In this article, I attempt to assess the plagiarism allegations and their textual basis within the context of the poetic norms and practices prevalent during that period. Following a discussion of medieval and modern views of the arguments made by the two parties, I will conduct an in-depth analysis of a relevant poetic case to explore questions of literary influence and creativity related to this dispute. The results, disappointing as they may be, show that it is impossible to confidently identify the culprit(s) in this dispute, and yet they shed light on the intricacies of intertextuality in Abbasid-era poetry.
Receptivity to the Weight and Heft of the Natural World in our Inner Selves
Authors: Clarkson Lindsay L. , Rockwell Shelley
Published: May 2024

Through the literary explorations and poetry of Alice Oswald, and through analysis of detailed clinical material from a Kleinian perspective, the authors expand the bounds of reverie as it is usually construed in psychoanalytic consulting rooms. The authors draw attention to the presence of a relationship to the more-than-human world as an integral aspect of our internal experience, and to the value of consideration of the quality and dynamic meaning of connections to the natural world in ordinary analytic work. The relationship to the primary object heavily influences the form taken by the relationship to the natural world, but once established, this connection has the possibility for a life of its own, that can provide a different kind of containment than the human variety, allow experimentation with new ways of being, and can strengthen the ego. The authors address the clinical implications of listening enhanced by an ear for affiliation to the natural world.
The Oedipal Virtual Citadel: Varieties of Isolation, Oedipal Conflict, and Cover-Up
Authors: Cooper Steven H.
Published: May 2024

The author elaborates some of the fantasies and defenses that protect some patients in their oedipal fixations, particularly those related to forms of personal isolation. To some extent, cover-up is intrinsic to oedipal conflict and fantasy, but what is covered up is quite variable. In this paper, the author highlights elements of personal isolation that the patient cultivates in order to protect love for a desired oedipal parent and the conscious and unconscious fantasies associated with this love. The patients described here use forms of personal isolation to cover up and secure the gratification of oedipal fantasies. Their isolation also serves to protect them from fantasies of unique forms of destructiveness in relation to self and the desired other. The citadel, a concept from Guntrip’s description of defenses protecting the schizoid patient’s fear of destructive love, is characterized here for the neurotic patient as virtual because in some ways, each of the participants in oedipal conflict turn a “blind eye” to a staged cover-up. Clinical illustrations examine the transference-countertransference process of shifts from turning a blind eye to sustaining a process of seeing what is being covered up but has already been seen.
Book review: Paulo Afonso B. Duarte, Francisco José B. S. Leandro and Enrique Martínez Galán (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Globalization with Chinese Characteristics: The Case of the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Nogara Tiago Soares
Published: May 2024

Paulo Afonso B. Duarte, Francisco José B. S. Leandro and Enrique Martínez Galán (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Globalization with Chinese Characteristics: The Case of the Belt and Road Initiative (New York: Springer, 2023), pp., 791, USD 249.99, ISBN: 978-981-19-6699-6. (Hardcover Book).
Capivasertib
Authors: Hitt Emily M. , Baker Danial E.
Published: May 2024

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are available online to subscribers. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433.
‘Is it worth doing this or is it better to commit suicide?’: On ethical clearance at a university
Authors: Alvesson Mats , Stephens Anna
Published: May 2024

The article examines the formal process of ‘ethical clearance’ for social science research at a large university and illuminates how it functions to undermine its stated purpose. We find that rather than promoting ethical standards, the bureaucratic process creates negative and cynical attitudes and game playing. For almost all participants, the entire procedure is counterproductive and experienced as absurd, creating a boomerang effect. The findings reveal how a specific rationalization effort leads to widespread experiences of irrationality, where detailed and strict organization merges with experiences of the bizarre. The article develops concepts capturing the experience and resulting organizational type: ‘orbizzarization’ and ‘absurdocracy’. These concepts enrich our understanding of toxic/irrational organizations, including Kafkaesque organizations.
Everyday Caste and Everyday Resistance: An Ethnographic Account From Western Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Singh Yaduvendra Pratap
Published: May 2024

In the last three decades or so, there have been considerable political changes in Uttar Pradesh (UP), particularly where caste is concerned. This is linked to the anti-caste movements in the state and the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party, which is seen to address issues of Jatavs and other Scheduled Castes that had been politically marginalised. In the years since it first came to power, dalits in the city of Meerut have not witnessed the kind of brutal state aggression they did in Shergarhi after an Ambedkar statue was installed in a local park in 1994. And yet casteism and the fear of it continue to shape the everyday lives of dalits in the city. This article is based on fieldwork conducted in three neighbourhoods in Meerut city in western UP. It explores the ways Jatavs experience casteism as well as the modes of resistance and the multiple strategies employed by them to gain dignity and self-respect.
Assisted Versus Unassisted Domiciliary Alcohol Detoxification: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Suresh Sneha B. , Rane Anil V.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Detoxification stands as a crucial phase in the treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD), yet only limited data is available on the outcomes of home-based detoxification. Assisted domiciliary detoxification involves monitoring an individual’s withdrawal progress, while offering psychosocial support and detoxification services in the comfort of their home.

Aim:

To study outcomes of assisted over routine domiciliary alcohol detoxification in randomized controlled trials.

Methodology:

100 consenting male patients who were advised of domiciliary detoxification were randomized into intervention ( n = 49) and control ( n = 51) groups. A predesigned semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic and drinking-related variables. Both groups received routine care for alcohol withdrawal from respective treating doctors. Additionally, the intervention group received two sessions of brief intervention for alcohol and daily phone call assistance. Records were kept for adverse events. Phone calls were discontinued once detoxification was completed. Outcomes were measured for successful completion of detoxification and abstention from alcohol at the end of one month.

Results:

The intervention group had significantly higher successful detoxification rates (85.7% vs. 62.7%, p = .008) and significantly higher abstinence days at the end of one month compared to the control group (22 vs. 10 days, p < .001) with an effect size of 1.2 (confidence interval (CI) 0.69–1.53).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that receiving assistance in the acute phase of domiciliary detoxification helps in a successful detoxification and achieving a significant level of abstinence at the end of one month compared to the control group.
Development and Validation of an Android-based Trail Making Test Application (TMT App) for Cognitive Evaluation in Healthy and Depressed Individuals
Authors: Verma Rohit , Dhyani Ishita
Published: May 2024

Background:

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a famous neuropsychological test that is frequently used. The structure of a paper-and-pencil-based TMT is highly likely to be adapted to a mobile app.

Objective:

The current study aimed to develop and validate an Android-based tablet version of TMT.

Methods:

The application (TMT App) was developed using an Android-based platform. Healthy and depressed individuals ( n = 133) were assessed on both the TMT versions (paper-based version and app-based version) in a random cross-over design. The device’s usability was ascertained using the system usability scale (SUS) in a subset of individuals ( n = 65).

Results:

There was a significant positive correlation between the individual processing times for the paper-based TMT-A and the app-based TMT-A in both healthy and depression groups [r(63) = 0.55, p < .001; and r(66) = 0.77, p < .001, respectively]. The individual processing times of the paper-based TMT-B and the app-based TMT-B also showed a significant positive correlation in both healthy control and depression groups [r(63) = 0.67, p < .001; and r(66) = 0.89, p < .001, respectively]. There was a positive correlation of age with TMT-A and TMT-B for either version. Both groups had similar positive responses to the usability of the TMT App.

Conclusion:

The preliminary validation results for the TMT App suggest that it is significantly correlated with existing paper-and-pencil methods, and that it is user friendly.
Hybrid feature selection in a machine learning predictive model for perioperative myocardial injury in noncoronary cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Li Qian , Lv Hong , Chen Yuye , Shen Jingjia , shi Jia , Zhou Chenghui
Published: May 2024

Background

Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) is associated with increased mobility and mortality after noncoronary cardiac surgery. However, limited studies have developed a predictive model for PMI. Therefore, we used hybrid feature selection (FS) methods to establish a predictive model for PMI in noncoronary cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective study conducted at the Fuwai Hospital in China. Patients aged 18-70 years who underwent elective noncoronary surgery with CPB at our institution from December 2018 to April 2021 were enrolled. The primary outcome was PMI, defined as the postoperative cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels exceeding 220 times of upper reference limit (URL). Statistical analyses were conducted by Python (Python Software Foundation, version 3.9.7 and integrated development environment Jupyter Notebook 1.1.0) and SPSS software version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, USA).

Results

A total of 1130 patients were eventually eligible for this study. The incidence of PMI was 20.3% (229/1130) in the overall patients, 20.6% (163/791) in the training dataset, and 19.5% (66/339) in the testing dataset. The logistic regression model performed the best AUC of 0.6893 (95 CI%: 0.6371-0.7382) by the traditional selection method, and the random forest model performed the best AUC of 0.6937 (95 CI%: 0.6416-0.7423) by the union of Wrapper and Embedded method, and the CatBoost model performed the best AUC of 0.6828 (95 CI%: 0.6304-0.7320) by the union of Embedded and forward logistic regression technique, and the Naïve Bayes model achieved the best AUC with 0.7254 (95 CI%: 0.6746-0.7723) by forwarding logistic regression method. Moreover, the decision tree, KNeighborsClassifier, and support vector machine models performed the worse AUC in all selection forms. Furthermore, the SHapley Additive exPlanations plot showed that prolonged CPB, aortic clamp time, and preoperative low platelets count were strongly related to the PMI risk.

Conclusions

In total, four category feature selection methods were utilized, comprising five individual selection techniques and 15 combined methods. Notably, the combination of logistic regression and embedded methods demonstrated outstanding performance in predicting PMI risk. We also concluded that the machine learning model, including random forest, catboost, and Naive Bayes, were suitable candidates for establishing PMI predictive model. Nevertheless, additional investigation and validation are imperative for substantiating these finding.
Integration of primary care and palliative care services to improve equality and equity at the end-of-life: Findings from realist stakeholder workshops
Authors: Mitchell Sarah , Turner Nicola , Fryer Kate , Aunger Justin , Beng Jude , Couchman Emilie , Leach Isabel , Bayly Joanne , Gardiner Clare , Sleeman Katherine E , Evans Catherine J
Published: May 2024

Background:

Inequalities in access to palliative and end of life care are longstanding. Integration of primary and palliative care has the potential to improve equity in the community. Evidence to inform integration is scarce as research that considers integration of primary care and palliative care services is rare.

Aim:

To address the questions: ‘how can inequalities in access to community palliative and end of life care be improved through the integration of primary and palliative care, and what are the benefits?’

Design:

A theory-driven realist inquiry with two stakeholder workshops to explore how, when and why inequalities can be improved through integration. Realist analysis leading to explanatory context(c)-mechanism(m)-outcome(o) configurations(c) (CMOCs).

Findings:

A total of 27 participants attended online workshops (July and September 2022): patient and public members ( n = 6), commissioners ( n = 2), primary care ( n = 5) and specialist palliative care professionals ( n = 14). Most were White British ( n = 22), other ethnicities were Asian ( n = 3), Black African ( n = 1) and British mixed race ( n = 1). Power imbalances and racism hinder people from ethnic minority backgrounds accessing current services. Shared commitment to addressing these across palliative care and primary care is required in integrated partnerships. Partnership functioning depends on trusted relationships and effective communication, enabled by co-location and record sharing. Positive patient experiences provide affirmation for the multi-disciplinary team, grow confidence and drive improvements.

Conclusions:

Integration to address inequalities needs recognition of current barriers. Integration grounded in trust, faith and confidence can lead to a cycle of positive patient, carer and professional experience. Prioritising inequalities as whole system concern is required for future service delivery and research.
Sweden’s race to the bottom: advancing a racial security state
Authors: Schclarek Mulinari Leandro
Published: May 2024

This article provides a close reading of the Swedish prime minister’s speech to the nation in September 2023 during a spiral of deadly shootings. From a criminological perspective it engages with the relation between policing a crisis and the crafting of a state project. Sweden’s punitive turn stands in sharp contrast to the previous ‘Nordic model’ which was regarded as exceptionally humane. What, asks the author, are the main ideological features of the current Swedish government’s security state project? Theoretically, the article draws from critical contributions on racism and security. The analysis shows that the discourse of the Swedish head of government targets racialised populations, within and without the borders of the nation. The policing of the current crisis should be conceptualised as a race to the bottom − in a dual sense. Firstly, it is a reconfiguration of Sweden’s race relations. Second, it is a drift along a militarisation continuum.
Giving the Devil His Diu: Malik Ayyaz, the Estada da India and Reassessing Comparative Naval Power in the Early Modern Indian Ocean
Authors: Winter Cameron
Published: May 2024

The 1509 Battle of Diu is regularly cited as a definitive example of European naval superiority over the Asian powers of the Indian Ocean. Some authors, like the late Jan Glete, have gone so far as to assert that, after Diu, no Indian Ocean state was ever able to challenge the Portuguese at sea again. Yet these analyses ignore that Portugal’s primary adversary in India, Gujarati governor Malik Ayyaz, not only survived the battle of Diu but also continued to wage a private war against the Estada da India until shortly before his death in 1522. This article examines Ayyaz’s war against Portugal from beginning to end and uses his career as a lens through which to offer a re-evaluation of Gujarati naval strength in the early sixteenth century. Its findings suggest that the conflict between Ayyaz and the Estada da India was ultimately a draw, with neither side possessing a meaningful technological or military advantage over the other.
Book review: Amarjit Singh Narang, Region, Religion and Politics: Hundred Years of Shiromani Akali Dal
Authors: Chatterjee Chhanda
Published: May 2024

Amarjit Singh Narang, Region, Religion and Politics: Hundred Years of Shiromani Akali Dal, New Delhi: Manohar Publishers & Distributors 2022, 411 pp., ₹1995. ISBN: 9789391928230 (Hardback).
Predicting Students’ Genuine Learning Interest in Socio-Scientific Issues within an Engaged Learning Context
Authors: Jack Brady Michael , Chen Chi-Chen , Smith Thomas J. , Wang Hsin-Hui
Published: May 2024

This study investigated the predictive effect of 11th grade Taiwanese students’ ( N = 878) self-assessed critical thinking, group participation self-efficacy, and active learning on their genuine learning interest (GLI) in socio-scientific issues (SSI). Results showed that active learning had a direct effect on GLI, while critical thinking and group participation self-efficacy had indirect effects on GLI as mediated by active learning. Critical thinking showed a significant direct effect on active learning, and a significant indirect effect on active learning that was mediated by group participation self-efficacy.
Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate-induced cytotoxicity and its associated mechanisms in human A549 cells
Authors: Feng Yixing , Li Ming , Yin Jie , Shi Jiachen , Jiang Qian , Zhang Jing
Published: May 2024

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) is a widely used organophosphorus flame retardant and has been detected in various environmental matrices including indoor dust. Inhalation of indoor dust is one of the most important pathways for human exposure to TDCIPP. However, its adverse effects on human lung cells and potential impacts on respiratory toxicity are largely unknown. In the current study, human non-small cell carcinoma (A549) cells were selected as a cell model, and the effects of TDCIPP on cell viability, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated. Our data indicated a concentration-dependent decrease in the cell viability of A549 cells after exposure to TDCIPP for 48 h, with half lethal concentration (LC50) being 82.6 µM. In addition, TDCIPP caused cell cycle arrest mainly in the G0/G1 phase by down-regulating the mRNA expression of cyclin D1, CDK4, and CDK6, while up-regulating the mRNA expression of p21 and p27. In addition, cell apoptosis was induced via altering the expression levels of Bcl-2, BAX, and BAK. Our study implies that TDCIPP may pose potential health risks to the human respiratory system and its toxicity should not be neglected.
Eco-imperial Tensions: Decarbonization Strategies in Times of Geopolitical Upheaval
Authors: Brand Ulrich , Wissen Markus
Published: May 2024

The neoliberal world order has given way to a geopolitical disorder, shaped by the climate crisis and increasing rivalries between dominant powers. This poses a challenge to the social sciences. Neither theories searching for the problem-solving potentials of ‘global governance’ nor critical notions of imperialism seem to be equipped to fully grasp the rapidly changing circumstances. Instead, we suggest to understand the recent upheavals as eco-imperial tensions. They result from the contradictions of what we have called the imperial mode of living, that is, resource- and emissions-intensive patterns of production and consumption, which produce enormous socioecological costs and externalize them in space and time. With the rise of China and other countries of the Global South, the imperial mode of living is generalized globally and threatened in its precondition, namely the unlimited access to nature and labor power on a world scale. This is intensified by the competition for the raw materials needed for decarbonizing the advanced capitalist economies.
Simulating the sealing performance of the double rubber cylinder assembly in an intelligent pipeline isolation tool
Authors: Zhang Kang , Geng Tao , Yang Jiannan , Ma Ruize
Published: May 2024

Intelligent pipeline isolation tools (IPITs) are widely used for pipeline maintenance and repair. Therefore, authors mainly study the sealing performance of double rubber cylinder IPIT. This study first analyzed the material and geometric properties of the rubber cylinders in an IPIT to establish a numerical finite element model of cylinder mechanical behavior. The influence of the cylinder hardness, camber angle, and short-side length on the sealing performance was subsequently investigated by systematically altering the established model according to the control variable method. Next, the response surface methodology was employed to evaluate the change in model sealing performance according to the coupled action of multiple rubber cylinder parameters and identify their optimal values.
Proposing a new control method for active stabilizer bars using an intelligent self-learning algorithm
Authors: Nguyen Tuan Anh
Published: May 2024

This article’s main content is directed toward designing and applying a new control algorithm for automotive stabilizer bars. Previous studies often only used classical control algorithms or simple fuzzy algorithms to control hydraulic anti-roll systems on cars based on safety criteria. In this article, a self-learning algorithm (ANFIS) is established based on inheriting the advantages of previous algorithms. Additionally, this algorithm is modified and improved to increase the convergence of the results after the end of the steering process. Simulations show that when the self-learning solution is applied to active anti-roll bars, the roll angle value and the attenuation of the vertical force at wheels decrease significantly. In complex motion conditions (second case, v3), rollover occurs if the automobile does not have an anti-roll bar. However, roll stability and road holding ability are always ensured when applying the ANFIS algorithm to control active anti-roll bars. According to these findings, the minimum value of the vertical force at the rear wheel can be up to 1384.02 N even when the car is traveling in extremely harsh conditions (second case, v4). In addition, the response speed and convergence of values are always well-controlled when the intelligent self-learning algorithm is applied to the anti-roll control system.
Drivers of Adoption: Mechanical Harvesting in the Corporate Sector Tea Plantations in Sri Lanka
Authors: Mahinda T. G. Nimal , Esham Mohamed , Rosairo H. S. Rohitha , Shyamalie H. W.
Published: May 2024

Tea industry experts emphasize that selective manual harvesting is the best way to maintain leaf quality while preserving tea plant health. However, tea plantations tend to adopt mechanical harvesting to overcome labour shortages and harvesting costs. But the adoption of mechanical harvesting is still low, prompting further investigations. The purpose of this study is to investigate tea plantation managers’ concerns about the factors influencing mechanical harvesting adoption based on a case study as the research strategy. The results demonstrated that the majority of determinants that emerged, as drivers are consistent with the latent constructs, defined in adoption theories. Key drivers are employees’ attitudes, facilitation, continuous monitoring, training of women and skill development through regular practice. The organizational factors that cannot be explained through adoption theories were isolated. The findings concluded that multi-dimensional factors have emerged as the driving force, which will be useful to anyone looking into the real application.
Assessment of Mental Health Status and Its Association With Willingness to Take Vaccine Against COVID-19 Among the Students of Public and Private Universities in Bangladesh
Authors: Nadvi Md Rohan , Yesmine Saquiba , Masud Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan , Rozario Henryata Eileen , Tapti Farah Naima , Kabir Rudaba , Siddiqa Urmi , Khan Maniza Mahrin
Published: May 2024

The study investigated mental health status of the students of public and private universities, their willingness to take vaccine against COVID-19, and its association with fear, anxiety, and depression. A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted from July 26 to September 15, 2021, using a well-structured questionnaire among 504 university students. The average age of the participants was 22.92 ± 2.28 years and 76.98% of them were willing to vaccinate against COVID-19. The fear of COVID-19 was found mild, and depression level was demonstrated moderate among the students irrespective of the university types. Moreover, Masters/MPhil/PhD students and the students living in semi-urban areas had the highest rate of willingness to vaccinate. The study demonstrated that level of fear, anxiety, and depression was directly associated with increased willingness to vaccinate among the tertiary level students in Bangladesh. The outcome of this study sketched a positive association of knowledge and education with better management of pandemic in a society.
Structural and Cultural Othering: An Organizational Culture Perspective on Young People’s Participation in Decision-making in Sport Organizations
Authors: Strittmatter Anna-Maria , Skille Eivind Å. , Stenling Cecilia , Fahlén Josef
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this article is to examine the role played by organizational culture in young people’s continuing underrepresentation in decision-making bodies, despite structural changes, in the context of Norwegian sport organizations. Data is based on a questionnaire centred on the experiences of young people in sport governance ( n = 32 youth representatives) and semi-structured interviews with young (under 26 years) and older representatives of organizations affiliated with the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederations of Sports ( n = 10). Findings show that Norwegian sport organizations foster a cultural understanding of young people which takes its structural expression in the separation of elements that are ‘othering’ the youth. Youth have also limited access to resources of power as a result of a lack of trust in older leaders. Prevailing culture mirrors an adult society in which young people need to upgrade their level of professionalism through education before they are invited to decision-making processes.
A Psychometric Network Analysis Approach for Detecting Item Wording Effects in Self-report Measures across Subgroups
Authors: Bulut H. Cigdem , Bulut Okan , Clelland Ashley
Published: May 2024

In this study, we explored psychometric network analysis (PNA) as an alternative method for identifying item wording effects in self-report instruments. We examined the functioning of negatively worded items in the network structures of two math-related scales from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS); Students Like Learning in Mathematics (SLLM); and Students Confident in Mathematics (SCM). We also explored how the negatively worded items functioned in network structures across demographic subgroups. Data were drawn from eight countries that represented diverse levels of math performance and cultural attitudes toward school ( n = 75,972). We found that negatively worded items were distinct from the positively worded items in the SLLM and SCM item networks, and that this effect was consistent across all age- and country-level subgroups. Based on these findings, we recommend PNA as a data-driven approach for detecting wording effects effectively.