bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel trajectory online planning and under-actuated control method on positioning and anti-swing for bridge cranes
Authors: Fan Bo , Cao Zhe , Wang Chunguang , Niu Zongxian , Yang Chenhui , Wu Xiaodan
Published: October 2022

The conventional bridge crane hoisting control method is limited by the complex factors of working conditions and generally adopts cumbersome off-line planning. In view of the problem of the inertia swing of the load caused by the trolley hauling the lifting rope during the transportation of the bridge crane, the trajectory off-line planning methods with the open-loop bring the control parameters to be complicated and tedious. A novel trajectory online planning and under-actuated control method on positioning and anti-swing for the bridge crane is proposed. According to the smooth positioning trajectory, the relationship among the motion parameters of the trolley, load swing angle, and other model parameters in the dynamic model are analyzed. With the dynamic coupling relationship between trolley motion and load swing, the function of anti-swing is designed online without changing the positioning performance. The trajectory online planning of the positioning and anti-swaying is accomplished. With the experimental and programming, the proposed method is compared with other different planning methods. The results show that this method can effectively realize the positioning and eliminating pendulum, and has the convenience of online adjusting parameters and fast response.
Barriers Faced by American Indian Women in Urban Wisconsin in Seeking Help Following an Experience of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Luebke Jeneile , Kako Peninnah , Lopez Alexa , Schmitt Marin , Dressel Anne , Klein Kathryn , Mkandawire-Vahlmu Lucy
Published: October 2022

American Indian 1 (AI) women experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and face many barriers when help-seeking. This study aims to understand better the context of IPV and help-seeking behaviors for urban AI women after experiences with IPV. Postcolonial and Indigenous feminist frameworks framed this critical ethnography study. Semistructured interviews with 34 AI IPV survivors 2 living in Wisconsin urban areas were conducted. Our findings highlight context-specific structural barriers to help-seeking after experiences of IPV heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Context-specific and survivor-led interventions are necessary to address and reduce barriers that urban AI women face.
Hemodialysis patients and complications management costs in Italy: Plastic cannulae a potentially cost-effective strategy
Authors: Tito Federica , Davidson-Peck Donna , Roettger Amy Denise , Borghetti Francesca , Corbo Mara , Tozzi Matteo
Published: October 2022

Background:

The treatment of end-stage chronic renal failure involves substantial costs for health care, which could be higher considering hemodialysis access complications management costs. Complications could be addressed by cannulation technique, but also by the needle. In particular, the use of a metal needle for cannulation is responsible for several complications that compromise dialysis delivery and require interventions. This analysis aims to evaluate, from a hospital perspective, the direct costs related to complications that may occur in hemodialysis patients in Italy.

Methods:

To identify the main complications to consider in our analysis and related patient pathway for their management, we conducted an international literature search on PubMed and validated the data for Italy with an Italian Key Opinion Leader (KOL). A micro-costing analysis was developed to precisely assess the economic costs of healthcare interventions to manage complications due to vascular access cannulation.

Results:

The major complications identified, and the average cost/per episode for their management are the following ones: Local infection € 1455 (min € 745 and max € 2160); Sepsis, that requires hospitalization in ward € 4401 (min € 3693 and max € 4623); Sepsis (ICU) € 17,190; Hematoma € 304 (min € 252 and max € 728); Aneurysm € 3632 (min € 3139 and max € 4014); Pseudoaneurysm € 3695 (min € 3615 and max € 4014); Stenosis € 2229 (min € 1874 and max € 4857); Thrombosis € 2151 (min € 1941 and max € 3395).

Conclusions:

In making decisions, hospital administration, and payer should take into consideration, not just the price of devices, but the entire patient’s pathway. The use of plastic cannulae in hemodialysis patients shows improved outcomes compared to traditional metal needles. Furthermore, combining it with accurate and efficient cannulation techniques reduces complication rates, improves patients’ quality of life, and reduces healthcare resource consumption.
Effect of Seasonal Land Surface Temperature Variation on COVID-19 Infection Rate: A Google Earth Engine-Based Remote Sensing Approach
Authors: Nafiz Rahaman Sk. , Shehzad Tanvir , Sultana Maria
Published: October 2022

This study aims to identify the effect of seasonal land surface temperature variation on the COVID-19 infection rate. The study area of this research is Bangladesh and its 8 divisions. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform has been used to extract the land surface temperature (LST) values from MODIS satellite imagery from May 2020 to July 2021. The per-day new COVID-19 cases data has also been collected for the same date range. Descriptive and statistical results show that after experiencing a high LST season, the new COVID-19 cases rise. On the other hand, the COVID-19 infection rate decreases when the LST falls in the winter. Also, rapid ups and downs in LST cause a high number of new cases. Mobility, social interaction, and unexpected weather change may be the main factors behind this relationship between LST and COVID-19 infection rates.
Enterovirus 71-Induced Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in a Boy
Authors: Pattanakitsakul Ploy , Sirachainan Nongnuch , Tassaneetrithep Boonrat , Priengprom Thongkoon , Kijporka Pimpun , Apiwattanakul Nopporn
Published: October 2022

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can be induced by recent or concomitant infections. Many infectious agents are postulated to be associated with this condition. Treatment of infection induced AIHA still varies. This report describes a previously healthy Thai boy who developed AIHA associated with enterovirus-71 infection. He was successfully treated with oral prednisone.
Economic evaluation of remote monitoring of patients with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (REMOTE-CIED study)
Authors: de Graaf Gimon , Timmermans Ivy , Meine Mathias , Alings Marco , Pedersen Susanne S , Mabo Philippe , Zitron Edgar , Redekop Ken , Versteeg Henneke
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) of heart failure patients has the potential to reduce healthcare resource use and costs, but current evidence has been inconclusive. This study aims assess the impact of RPM of heart failure patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator on medical resource use, direct medical costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and travel time of patients, and to estimate its commercial headroom in the Netherlands and Germany.

Methods

Data from the REMOTE-CIED randomized controlled trial were used to calculate differences in length of hospital stay, outpatient clinic visits, telephone consults, emergency room visits, and travel time between patients on in-clinic follow-up and RPM in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Incremental cardiac-related healthcare costs and QALYs were calculated and used to calculate the commercial headroom of RPM in the Netherlands and Germany. The impact of imputation, parameter, and case-mix uncertainty on these outcomes was explored using probabilistic analysis.

Results

Length of hospitalization, number of unscheduled admissions, and number of outpatient visits were lower in the remote monitoring group in all three countries. Number of hospital admissions was higher, and number of calls was lower in the Netherlands and Germany but not in France. Costs were lower in both the Netherlands (−€1041, 95% confidence interval (CI): −€3308, €1005) and Germany (−€2865, 95% CI: −€7619, €1105), while incremental effectiveness differed: −0.003 (95% CI: −0.114, 0.107) QALY in the Netherlands and +0.086 (95% CI: −0.083, 0.256) in Germany. Commercial headroom was estimated at €881 (95% CI: −€5430, €7208) in the Netherlands and €5005 (95% CI: −€1339, €11,960) in Germany.

Discussion

RPM was found to result in reduced medical resource use and travel time. Whether it is cost saving or cost effective strongly depends on the costs of remote monitoring.

Trial registration number and trial register

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01691586.
Applicability and benefits of telemedicine in the monitoring of monkeypox close contacts
Authors: Seah Benjamin Zhi Qiang , Koh Eugene Thong Chuan , Lim Elaine Wei Ting , Vasoo Shawn , Chong Si Jack
Published: October 2022

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus and classically presents as a vesicular rash accompanied by fever and lymphadenopathy. Singapore reported the first imported case of monkeypox infection on 21 June 2022, the first local unlinked case on 6 July 2022, and the first local linked case on 5 August 2022. Telemedicine was used in the management of monkeypox close contacts to (1) screen for the development of signs and symptoms consistent with monkeypox infection, (2) assess for successful post-exposure prophylaxis via direct visualisation of vaccination site morphological progression, (3) detect serious reactions arising from post-exposure prophylaxis administration, and (4) evaluate for deterioration in mental health status during the 21-day quarantine period. A case series of 13 close contacts who received post-exposure prophylaxis in the form of the ACAM2000 live Vaccinia virus preparation is presented, illustrating the safe and efficacious application of telemedicine in the clinical follow-up of quarantined close contacts throughout the 21-day incubation period, and post-exposure prophylaxis monitoring. Inherent limitations included difficulties in the assessment of sensitive areas such as the peri-genital and peri-anal regions and video quality–related issues.
The dead wait: Material afterlives in sepulchral spaces
Authors: Walton Jeremy F.
Published: October 2022

This essay examines the heterotopic and heterochronic material afterlives of cemeteries through a comparative focus on two cities of the dead: Zagreb's Mirogoj Cemetery, which was established during the late 19th century, and Thessaloniki's Zeitenlik World War I Military Cemetery, which entombs Allied victims from the Salonika Front. My principal aim is to highlight the contrasts and contradictions between nationalized collective memories and unsettling imperial legacies that define the material afterlives of each of these cemeteries. In Mirogoj, material afterlives take shape as a palimpsest of eras, only some of which are monumentalized as collective memories. In Zeitenlik, the material afterlife of a single event of death-dealing, the Great War, constitutes an archive of bygone imperial socialities that defy the homogenizing logics of national identity in the present.
Resident training in psychopathology and uncertainty in a clinical situation
Authors: Hamui Sutton Alicia , Sánchez-Guzmán María Alejandra
Published: October 2022

The central theme of this article is the way in which psychiatry physicians-in-training deal with uncertainty in the discussion of clinical cases in Mexico. Methodologically, it is approached from the field of clinical ethnography and the narrative interpretation of plots in performative actions where there are sequences of communicative exchanges. In this way, it focuses on a detailed description of situations where clinical cases are reviewed to decipher, explain, and understand intersubjective meanings in the face of the emergence of uncertainty, its management, and the implications on decisions and actions. The study finds that limitations within the field of psychiatry lie in the nosographic construction of disease and its translation into the diagnostic hypotheses made by clinicians, where there are wide margins of ambiguity. The strategies implemented in the face of uncertainty are use of drugs, the collegiate review of the case, and utilization of intuition as a spontaneous, preconscious daily practice. The specific case described here provides a microscopic observation of the complex scenarios in which uncertainty occurs in educational and teaching processes, clearly revealing how patient care is articulated. The narratives and their interpretation are materials for training/curriculum and psychiatric clinical practice.
Ministerial stability during presidential approval crises: The moderating effect of ministers’ attributes on dismissals in Brazil and Chile
Authors: González-Bustamante Bastián
Published: October 2022

This article analyses the effect of ministers’ exposure to periods of low presidential approval in Brazil and Chile between 1990 and 2014. Approval is explored with quarterly estimates using a dyad-ratios algorithm and merged into a time-dependent cabinet data set to evaluate individual ministerial terminations ( N = 4245). The empirical strategy combines time-varying exposure Cox regressions with observational data and propensity score and matching to estimate the effect of low approval on ministerial survival and perform a moderation analysis with three profiles associated with presidential strategies: (1) nonpartisan ministers to limit agency loss and moral hazard; (2) economists as ministers to optimise cabinet performance and send positive signals to the electorate; and (3) party leaders as ministers to optimise legislative support. The main findings show that risk increases by 135.1% in periods of low approval. In addition, approximately only one in five nonpartisan ministers is removed compared to party members.
From public health to public good: Toward universal wellbeing
Authors: Heimburg Dina Von , Prilleltensky Isaac , Ness Ottar , Ytterhus Borgunn
Published: October 2022

We aim to consolidate recent trends in public health into a reconceptualization of the field as public good. We build on several strands of theory, research and action to formulate a more impactful future for the field. Our argument comprises three main parts. In the first part, we describe the central components of the proposed public good: conditions of justice, experiences of mattering, and outcomes of subjective and objective wellbeing. In the second section, we identify continua of practices that paint a trajectory from traditional public health to ecological and participatory public health, to universal wellbeing framed as a public good. The continua are defined in terms of assumptions, practices and roles. Among others, these continua pertain to capabilities, scope of the field, ecological focus, timing of intervention, role of citizen, role of professional, role of settings and role of government. Finally, the third section introduces a series of strategies and recommendations to make the narrative of universal wellbeing as public good a reality.
Evidence in public health: An integrated, multidisciplinary concept
Authors: Smith Jervelund Signe , Villadsen Sarah Fredsted
Published: October 2022

Aims:

Traditionally, evidence in public health has been founded in health sciences using the hierarchy of evidence. In this Commentary, we argue that we need a combination of evidence based on a broad range of scientific disciplines and methodologies to best translate research into improved public health.

Methods:

Using existing concepts of evidence such as the hierarchy of evidence and the evidence typology, we discuss their pitfalls in public health science and suggest a way forward. We use the case of the MAMAACT intervention to exemplify our claims.

Results:

Public health does not apply an either/or perspective, but an integrated, theoretically informed approach based on mixed and multiple methods to understand complex health problems and how to tackle them. Ideally, public health decisions should always incorporate scientific evidence, although we need to fully acknowledge that the quality of evidence is defined by more than just being placed highest in the hierarchy of evidence. No method or study design is superior in obtaining evidence, but we need the combined and supplemented contributions from a range of scientific approaches to form a whole. Thus, we propose an integrated, multidisciplinary concept of evidence in the form of cogwheels, where the public health problem followed by the research question(s) will guide the components to be studied and the use of method(s) in an interplay with the decisions of the scientific perspective(s) that include choice of theories.

Conclusions:

We cannot understand or solve public health challenges without multidisciplinary approaches in a complimentary formation.
Two-dimensional sparse Bayesian learning compressive beamforming with planar microphone array for acoustic source identification
Authors: Fan Shengping , Yang Yongxin , Li Linyong , Chu Zhigang
Published: October 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) compressive beamforming (CB) with planar microphone array for acoustic source identification has attracted much attention due to its advantages of wide identification space, applicability to both coherent and incoherent acoustic sources, and clear imaging. It realizes acoustic source identification by establishing and solving the underdetermined equations between the sound pressure measured by the microphone array and the source strengths of the discretized grid points in the target area. Convex relaxation algorithms and greedy algorithms are often used to solve these underdetermined equations. CB based on convex relaxation requires the sensing matrix to satisfy the restricted isometry property and needs large calculating consumption, which is unsuitable for large-scale problems. CB based on greedy algorithms may achieve a locally optimal solution instead of the global optimum, and it is easily affected by the coherence of the sensing matrix columns, so its performance is sensitive to the grid spacing. To take into account both the robustness of acoustic source identification performance and high computational efficiency, we adapted sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) to solve the above underdetermined equations and proposed a 2D-SBL-CB in this paper. It first assumes the signal prior and noise prior to derive the posterior probability distribution of the source strength, and then adaptively estimates the hyperparameters of the sparse prior of source strength based on a type-II maximum likelihood, i.e., by maximizing the evidence, to achieve source identification. Both simulations and experiment show that the proposed 2D-SBL-CB is robust to grid spacing and has stable source identification performance. It also enjoys high computational efficiency, strong spatial resolution ability, and strong anti-noise interference, with optimal overall performance.
Motivated by political beliefs, not only by language: How Russian speakers in Germany compose their transnational news repertoires
Authors: Ryzhova Anna
Published: October 2022

Extant research in media and migration has been largely apolitical, focusing on how migrants use media to culturally connect with their homeland and keep their family ties. However, in times of increasing international conflicts and polarisation, such as the years leading up to the Russia's war against Ukraine in 2022, migrant audiences find themselves in a situation when the coverage of national and international politics in the homeland and host country media can differ dramatically. Against this backdrop, this study investigated how Russian speakers living in Germany create and navigate their transnational news repertoires. Grounded in 42 semi-structured interviews with the Russian speakers of the 1 and 1.5 generations in Germany, conducted between May and October 2021, this article identifies three types of transnational news repertoires: (1) politically-motivated news repertoire, (2) truth seeking-motivated news repertoire and (3) situation-motivated news repertoire. The results show that all the news repertoires of all participants are transnational. I argue that in the context of international conflict, not only language but also the participants' political beliefs play an essential role in their news choice. Future research on migrants in political communication should distinguish research not only along with the language of the media outlets but also along with the political ideologies that they project.
Mitochondrial mitophagy protection combining rivaroxaban and aspirin in high glucose-exposed human coronary artery endothelial cell. An in vitro study
Authors: Zekri-Nechar Khaoula , Zamorano-León José Javier , Cortina-Gredilla Mercedes , López-de-Andrés Ana , Jiménez-García Rodrigo , Navarro-Cuellar Carlos , López-Farré Antonio , Martínez-Martínez Carlos Hugo
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Combination of Rivaroxaban plus Aspirin improved cardiovascular outcome in patients with stable cardiovascular disease. The aim was to determine if Rivaroxaban and acetylsalicylic acid alone or in combination may protect mitochondrial mitophagy in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) exposed to D-glucose.

Methods

HCAEC were incubated under different conditions: 5 mmol/L glucose D-glucose (control), 30 mmol/L D-Glucose with and without 50 nmol/L Rivaroxaban (Rivaroxaban), 0.33 mmol/L ASA (ASA) or Rivaroxaban (12.5 nmol/L)+ASA (0.33 mmol/L; (Riva+ASA).

Results

HCAEC incubated with D-glucose showed an increased Factor Xa expression. The mitochondrial content of Pink-1 and Parkin were significantly reduced in high glucose-incubated HCAEC compared to control. Rivaroxaban+ASA significantly increased the mitochondrial content of Pink-1 and Parkin, and the mitochondrial membrane potential compared to D-Glucose group. Both ASA alone and Riva+ASA reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tissue factor production induced by high glucose exposure.

Conclusion

Under high glucose condition combining Rivaroxaban+ASA increased the mitochondrial content of Pink-1 and Parkin, restored mitochondria membrane potential and reduced ROS and tissue factor expression in HCAEC. It suggests potential effects induced by dual use of Rivaroxaban and ASA on the coronary endothelium subjected to high glucose condition.
Impact of diabetes on outcomes of cardiogenic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Luo Chao , Chen Feng , Liu Lingpei , Ge Zuanmin , Feng Chengzhen , Chen Yuehua
Published: October 2022

To provide synthesized evidence on the association of diabetes with clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and associated cardiogenic shock (CS). We analyzed observational studies on patients with AMI and CS, identified through a systematic search using PubMed and Scopus databases. The main outcome was mortality and other outcomes of interest were risk of major bleeding, re-infarction, cerebrovascular adverse events, and need for revascularization. We conducted the meta-analysis with data from 15 studies. Compared to patients without diabetes, those with diabetes had an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.17–1.54) and cerebrovascular complications (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11–1.48). We found similar risk of major bleeding (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.43–1.09), re-infarction (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.48–1.98) and need for re-vascularization (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.75–1.22) as well as hospital stay lengths (in days) (WMD 0.00; 95% CI, −0.27–0.28; n = 4; I2 = 99.7%) in the two groups of patients. Patients with diabetes, acute MI and associated cardiogenic shock have increased risks of mortality and adverse cerebrovascular events than those without diabetes.
Pipeline Construction as “Soft Power” in Foreign Policy. Why the Soviet Union Started to Sell Gas to West Germany, 1966–1970
Authors: Schattenberg Susanne
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article is to explain why and how two formerly hostile states such as the USSR and West Germany concluded a gas deal in 1970 that lasted not only the 20 years that had been initially contracted, but until 2022. Based on new documents from Russian archives, this paper will analyse how natural gas for the Politburo turned from a minor natural resource to a worthy political tool and a ‘soft power’. While the Soviet gas minister had already advocated the global sale of gas in 1966 and the Politburo used it in 1966 itself as a means to bind Austria to its sphere of influence, Moscow changed its mind towards West Germany only in 1969 due to political developments. In order to bring Willy Brandt to power, put China in its place and teach Italy a lesson, Moscow changed its policy towards West Germany from risk avoidance to danger containment. Both sides independently developed the idea that binding the other's market to their own would prevent the partner from imposing another embargo (the West) or stopping deliveries (the USSR). The entanglement of markets was supposed to serve as a guarantee for the reliability of the respective contractor – the result of which we see today.
Media usage and political trust among young adults in China: The role of media credibility, trust in sources and political membership
Authors: Gong Qiong , Verboord Marc , Wang Yijing
Published: October 2022

On the basis of an online survey conducted among young Chinese adults, this study examines how the association between media usage and political trust can be explained by three factors: the mediating roles of the perceived credibility of traditional and social media; the moderating roles of trust in sources – media and non-media sources alike; and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) membership. Analyses support the idea that (1) the perceived credibility of political information obtained from traditional and social media is a significant mediator, and that (2) traditional media credibility has a stronger effect than social media credibility.
Introduction: Placing youth at the forefront of active citizenship for social justice
Authors: Brennan Mark , Dolan Pat , Smith Alan
Published: October 2022

Historically major social movements seeking change, equality, and social justice have been driven by youth. In more recent decades, youth have been at the forefront of challenging the social, political, and ethical blind spots of their age. Continuing the historical role of youth in facilitating social change, their relevance is particularly important today. Much like past movements, in recent years youth have continued to advance the human condition in existing and new, critical directions. Nonetheless, direct youth engagement in social change is far from encouraged, and has declined, especially in situations that question the prevailing social, political, economic, and other ideologies. Youth are also easily dismissed as being idealistic, ill-informed, and unrealistic in their calls for social justice. In most settings, youth are treated as adults in waiting with little voice or ownership over efforts that impact society. In this special issue, and in direct contrast to the scenario outlined above, we seek to present a series of theoretical, empirical, and policy/practice related articles surrounding youth citizenship and action in the context of advancing social justice. Such engagement places youth at the forefront of both grassroots youth lead change and adult led youth engagement as a mechanism for systemic change.
Examining the difference in error detection when listening to native and non-native speakers
Authors: Sanders Grace , de Bruin Angela
Published: October 2022

As communication with non-native speakers becomes increasingly common, it is important to understand how foreign-accented speech might influence language processing. Non-native speech can require the listener to process errors, such as grammatical violations or unexpected word choices. The present study examines how listeners process different types of errors across native and non-native speakers. Using a self-paced listening task measuring reaction times to target words, 30 participants listened to sentences that contained either no-error, a grammatical error (e.g., “Do you wanting anything?”), or a contextual formal/informal word-choice error (e.g., “Do you require anything?” in an informal context). Participants responded more slowly while processing grammatical and word-choice errors compared with control sentences, especially when listening to non-native speech. This suggests that errors spoken by non-native speakers take longer to process, both in the case of grammatical errors and when contextually inappropriate words are used.
Management of men with lower urinary tract symptoms referred for prostate radiotherapy
Authors: Holloway Nicola , Ribeiro Luis , Bosco Cecilia , Van Hemelrijck Mieke , Seth Jai , Nitkunan Tharani , Nicol David , Cahill Declan , Withington John , Kinsella Janette , Wong Kathie
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To report on the experience of the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men referred for prostate radiotherapy (RT) in a large tertiary referral centre.

Methods:

Between February and November 2018, 156 men referred for radiotherapy were seen and assessed according to their LUTS history: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), flow rate (FR) and post-void residual (PVR). Patients with LUTS were offered management options depending on severity including lifestyle advice, oral medication or surgery. A subset of patients ( n = 102) were reassessed post-RT, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to predict symptoms improvement.

Results:

Prior to referral for RT and assessment at our dedicated LUTS clinic, 65% of men had a documented history of LUTS, 14% had completed an IPSS questionnaire and only 13% had a urinary FR; 17% (27/156) had prior treatment in the form of medication or surgery. In our assessment, 77/156 (49%) had mild, 66/156 (42%) moderate and 13/156 (8%) severe LUTS determined by IPSS. Out of 156, 71 (46%) had a quality-of-life score >3. Of the men, 81% were offered lifestyle advice, 47 patients were started on alpha blockers and 20 (12.8%) went onto Transurethral Resection of the Prostate prior to RT; 6 weeks following RT, 61 (50%) patients had higher IPSS scores. Patients who were started on alpha blockers ( p = 0.022) or had TURP ( p = 0.015) were less likely to have an increase in IPSS score on multivariate analysis.

Conclusion:

Men undergoing RT for prostate cancer often have co-existing LUTS. Consideration and evaluation of their LUTS and offer of treatment either medication or surgery could improve urinary symptoms in men undergoing prostate radiotherapy in the short term. Longer term data are still needed to understand the full long-term impact on patient’s symptoms and quality of life. We recommend that patients have formal LUTS assessment pre-RT.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable.
Developing and Maintaining Intra/Interprofessional Collaborative Relationships for Student Success: A Grounded Theory Study on School Counselor Collaboration
Authors: Oehrtman Jeremy P.
Published: October 2022

This qualitative, grounded theory research study examined how school counselors can develop and maintain positive intra/interprofessional collaborative relationships with other school professionals. Nineteen school counselors representing various demographics, levels, and geographic settings participated in the study. This article explains the emergent theory and model that resulted from the analysis of the data and discusses implications for school counselor practice and education.
Economic Growth in Saudi Arabia through Sectoral Reallocation of Government Expenditures
Authors: Alam Fakhre , Singh Harman Preet , Singh Ajay
Published: October 2022

The article employs auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration and error-correction modelling to study the long-run impact of investment, exports, imports, and three components of government expenditures (expenditures on health, education, and other government spending) on GDP growth in Saudi Arabia from 1985 to 2018. We observe the long-run positive relationship between GDP, investment, exports and government education expenditure, but a negative relationship between GDP, imports, government health spending, and government other expenditures. The analysis reveals that investment, exports, and government educational expenditures all have long-run positive effects on the GDP growth, while imports, government health expenditures, and government other expenditures negatively affect GDP growth in Saudi Arabia. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test that applies the Modified Wald test establishes causality from exports, government education spending, and government health spending to GDP. We deduce that education expenditures stimulate economic growth in Saudi Arabia in contrast to health expenditures. Additionally, we infer that the various categories of government expenditures have varying effects on GDP. This necessitates a prudent sectoral allocation of public expenditures to maximize its positive effects on GDP growth and stimulate economic growth in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the above findings have policy implications for the government in Saudi Arabia while allocating its expenditures. Allocating more government expenditures to education, cutting down inessential spending, and downsizing government healthcare expenditures will enhance long-run economic growth in Saudi Arabia.

JEL Classification: O470; I15; I25
Association of Preoperative Vitamin D Deficiency With Retear Rate and Early Pain After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Jun , Lou Juexiang , Wang Weikai , Xu Guohong
Published: October 2022

Background:

Although the function of vitamin D in bone metabolism has been well studied, the question remains whether vitamin D deficiency impairs tendon healing after rotator cuff repair.

Purpose:

To investigate the correlation between preoperative vitamin D deficiency and the retear rate and pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between January 2018 and August 2019 were enrolled. Included patients were divided into a control group (vitamin D level ≥20 μg/L) and a deficiency group (vitamin D level <20 μg/L). We investigated the association between preoperative vitamin D level and patient characteristics, MRI findings, pain and function scores (visual analog scale [VAS] for pain; Constant-Murley; University of California, Los Angeles; and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores), and healing status using the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient. The clinical characteristics were compared between the groups using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test.

Results:

Included were 89 patients (control group, 44 patients; deficiency group, 45 patients). The mean vitamin D levels were 25.07 ± 5.38 and 14.61 ± 3.43 μg/L in the control and deficiency groups, respectively ( P < .001); otherwise, there were no significant differences between the groups in the variables under study. Vitamin D levels were not related to age, symptom duration, tear size, extent of retraction, VAS pain score preoperatively and at 6 and 24 months postoperatively, or any function scores. Supraspinatus fatty infiltration and VAS scores at 1 and 3 months postoperatively were significantly associated with vitamin D level ( r = –0.360, –0.362, and –0.316, respectively; P < .05 for all). VAS scores were significantly lower in the control group than in the deficiency group at postoperative 1 month (1.09 ± 0.56 vs 1.47 ± 0.66, respectively) and 3 months (1.14 ± 0.77 vs 1.44 ± 0.66) ( P < .05 for both). The retear rate was significantly lower in the control group than in the deficiency group (9.09% vs 26.67%, respectively; P < .05).

Conclusion:

Our study revealed that preoperative vitamin D deficiency was associated with a higher retear rate and early pain (1 and 3 months) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
Are Robots Really Stealing Our Jobs? Perception versus Experience
Authors: Dahlin Eric
Published: October 2022

Popular narratives warn that we should beware of robots replacing employees in the workplace. However, prior research has been limited by data availability. Studies typically use data based on geographic locations and aggregated industrial robot and employment variables and do not directly measure whether someone has lost their job to a robot. In this data visualization, the author presents results from a national survey that includes questions that address this issue. The results reveal that almost 14 percent of respondents in the sample report having lost their jobs because of employers replacing their jobs with robots. The results also show that respondents’ perceptions of the percentage of employees who have been replaced by robots is inflated. The difference between respondents’ perceptions and their own experience is exacerbated for those who report having lost jobs to robots.
Heads Up! Interlinked Amyloidogenic and Axonal Transport Pathways in Concussion-Induced Neurodegeneration
Authors: Almenar-Queralt Angels , dos Santos Chaves Rodrigo , Kwon Ester J. , Shah Sameer B
Published: October 2022

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a condition in which brain function is transiently disrupted by a mechanical force, is a major risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. In this commentary, we summarize recent findings in human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, detailing early neuronal events following mild injury that may seed future neurodegeneration. In particular, we discuss interlinked relationships between mTBI and several biological pathways hypothesized to underlie AD progression, including amyloidogenic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), impairment of axonal transport, and the development of APP-associated axonal swellings. We also describe the implications of these findings for future mechanistic and translational studies.
Ethnic disproportionality in the school teaching workforce in England
Authors: Demie Feyisa , Huat See Beng
Published: October 2022

The disproportionality in the school workforce in England’s schools has drawn little interest from policymakers and education practitioners. This article addresses the noted gap in the literature and provides trends empirical evidence in England’s teachers workforce by ethnic background and its disproportionality when compared to the pupils they teach. Our main data source was the School Workforce Census, the largest and most comprehensive source of data on teachers available in England. It used the diversity gap and the teacher-student parity index, for comparing the proportions of teachers and students from different ethnic groups to gain an understanding of the demographic reality of today’s schools. The main findings of the research confirm without doubt the education system in England is characterised by ethnic disproportionality in the school teaching workforce and the ethnic background of the teaching staff does not mirror the profile of the pupils. The evidence clearly shows that there is a growing mismatch between the ethnic diversity of the pupil population and that of the teachers in their schools. This is detrimental to the growth and learning of students. Conclusions and policy implications are given in the final section of the research article.
Self-perceived burden predicts lower quality of life in advanced cancer patients: the mediating role of existential distress and anxiety
Authors: Xiaodan Lin , Guiru Xu , Guojuan Chen , Huimin Xiao
Published: October 2022

Background

Self-perceived burden (SPB) is an important predictor of quality of life (QoL) in patients with advanced cancer. However, the mechanism how SPB affects patients’ QoL remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the potential mediating roles of existential distress (ED) and anxiety in the relationship between SPB and QoL.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. 352 advanced cancer patients were recruited from three hospitals in southeast of China. The Self-perceived Burden Scale, the Existential Distress Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Quality-of-Life Concerns in the End of Life Questionnaire were adopted to collect data. Hayes’s bootstrapping method was used to analyze the data.

Results

SPB was negatively associated with QoL (P < 0.01). ED and anxiety partially mediated the relationship between SPB and QoL (P < 0.01). Moreover, ED had direct effects on anxiety, and sequentially QoL (P < 0.01). The serial multiple mediation model of SPB accounted for 73.25% of the variance in QoL in advanced cancer patients.

Conclusions

ED and anxiety are important mediating factors between SPB and QoL in advanced cancer patients. To improve patients’ QoL, comprehensive interventions for reducing anxiety and ED are highly recommended in clinical practices.
NeRD: a multichannel neural network to predict cellular response of drugs by integrating multidimensional data
Authors: Cheng Xiaoxiao , Dai Chong , Wen Yuqi , Wang Xiaoqi , Bo Xiaochen , He Song , Peng Shaoliang
Published: October 2022

Background

Considering the heterogeneity of tumors, it is a key issue in precision medicine to predict the drug response of each individual. The accumulation of various types of drug informatics and multi-omics data facilitates the development of efficient models for drug response prediction. However, the selection of high-quality data sources and the design of suitable methods remain a challenge.

Methods

In this paper, we design NeRD, a multidimensional data integration model based on the PRISM drug response database, to predict the cellular response of drugs. Four feature extractors, including drug structure extractor (DSE), molecular fingerprint extractor (MFE), miRNA expression extractor (mEE), and copy number extractor (CNE), are designed for different types and dimensions of data. A fully connected network is used to fuse all features and make predictions.

Results

Experimental results demonstrate the effective integration of the global and local structural features of drugs, as well as the features of cell lines from different omics data. For all metrics tested on the PRISM database, NeRD surpassed previous approaches. We also verified that NeRD has strong reliability in the prediction results of new samples. Moreover, unlike other algorithms, when the amount of training data was reduced, NeRD maintained stable performance.

Conclusions

NeRD’s feature fusion provides a new idea for drug response prediction, which is of great significance for precise cancer treatment.
Genetic susceptibility of bladder cancer in the Lebanese population
Authors: Kourie Hampig Raphael , Succar Bahaa , Chouery Eliane , Mehawej Cybel , Ahmadieh Nizar , Zouein Joseph , Mardirossian Avedis , Jalkh Nadine , Sleilaty Ghassan , Kattan Joseph , Nemr Elie
Published: October 2022

Background

Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most frequent tumor worldwide. Evidence shows an association between elevated risk of BC and various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). BC incidence was the highest in Lebanon according to Globocan 2018 report, but little is known about the genetic susceptibility of Lebanese people to this disease. We aim to evaluate whether this prominent incidence of BC in Lebanon is attributable to known coding genetic variants.

Methods

A case-control study was conducted at Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut. A cohort of 51 Lebanese patients with BC were recruited between 2017 and 2020. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was performed on peripheral blood samples to detect coding genetic variants in the patients. An in-house database including WES data from 472 Lebanese individuals served as control. Literature review of the genetic predisposition to BC was conducted to establish a database of variants known to influence the risk of BC. In-common SNPs were identified between cases and the aforecited database, and their allelic frequencies was quantified in the former and in controls. Comparative analysis of the allelic frequencies of each in-common SNP was carried out between cases, controls, and the genome aggregation database (gnomAD). Analysis was performed by applying the binomial law and setting the p-value to 10− 10.

Results

484 polymorphisms associated with BC were extracted from the literature review ;151 of which were in-common with the 206 939 variations detected by WES in our cases. Statistically significant differences (p-value < 10− 10) in allelic frequencies was seen in 11 of the 151 in-common SNPs, but none of which corresponds with a higher BC risk. Moreover, rs4986782 variant in the NAT1 gene is not associated with BC in the Lebanese population. `.

Conclusion

This is the first next-generation sequencing (NGS)- based study investigating BC risk in a Lebanese cohort of 51 patients. The majority of known exonic variants in the literature were not associated with BC in our patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to explore the association of BC in our population with known non-coding genetic variants, and the remainder of WES-generated private Lebanese variants.
Hydrogen gas alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammatory response in mice
Authors: Yin Hongling , Feng Yajing , Duan Yi , Ma Shaolin , Guo Zhongliang , Wei Youzhen
Published: October 2022

Background

Chronic inflammation and oxidant/antioxidant imbalance are two main pathological features associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The following study investigated the protective role of hydrogen (H2), a gaseous molecule without known toxicity, in LPS-induced lung injury in mice and explored its potential molecular mechanisms.

Methods

Mice were randomly divided into three groups: H2 control group, LPS group, and LPS + H2 group. The mice were euthanized at the indicated time points, and the specimens were collected. The 72 h survival rates, cytokines contents, pathological changes, expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and oxidative stress indicators were analyzed. Moreover, under different culture conditions, RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages were used to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of H2 in vitro. Cells were divided into the following groups: PBS group, LPS group, and LPS + H2 group. The cell viability, intracellular ROS, cytokines, and expression of TLR4 and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were observed.

Results

Hydrogen inhalation increased the survival rate to 80%, reduced LPS-induced lung damage, and decreased inflammatory cytokine release in LPS mice. Besides, H2 showed remarked anti-oxidative activity to reduce the MDA and NO contents in the lung. In vitro data further indicated that H2 down-regulates the levels of ROS, NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated macrophages and inhibits the expression of TLR4 and the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB).

Conclusion

Hydrogen gas alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammatory response most probably through the TLR4-NF-κB pathway.