bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demand forecasting accuracy in the pharmaceutical supply chain: a machine learning approach
Authors: Yani Luh Putu Eka , Aamer Ammar
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Demand foresting significantly impacts supply chain (SC) design and recovery planning. The more accurate the demand forecast, the better the recovery plan and the more resilient the SC. Given the paucity of research about machine learning (ML) applications and the pharmaceutical industry’s need for disruptive techniques, this study aims to investigate the applicability and effect of ML algorithms on demand forecasting. More specifically, the study identifies machine learning algorithms applicable to demand forecasting and assess the forecasting accuracy of using ML in the pharmaceutical SC.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a single-case explanatory methodology. The exploratory approach examined the study’s objective and the acquisition of information technology impact. In this research, three experimental designs were carried out to test training data partitioning, apply ML algorithms and test different ranges of exclusion factors. The Konstanz Information Miner platform was used in this research.

Findings

Based on the analysis, this study could show that the most accurate training data partition was 80%, with random forest and simple tree outperforming other algorithms regarding demand forecasting accuracy. The improvement in demand forecasting accuracy ranged from 10% to 41%.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides practical and theoretical insights into the importance of applying disruptive techniques such as ML to improve the resilience of the pharmaceutical supply design in such a disruptive time.

Originality/value

The finding of this research contributes to the limited knowledge about ML applications in demand forecasting. This is manifested in the knowledge advancement about the different ML algorithms applicable in demand forecasting and their effectiveness. Besides, the study at hand offers guidance for future research in expanding and analyzing the applicability and effectiveness of ML algorithms in the different sectors of the SC.
Long memory in Bitcoin and ether returns and volatility and Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Sosa Miriam , Ortiz Edgar , Cabello-Rosales Alejandra
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to analyze the Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) long memory and conditional volatility.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical approach includes ARFIMA-HYGARCH and ARFIMA-FIGARCH, both models under Student‘s t-distribution, during the period (ETH: November 9, 2017 to November 25, 2021 and BTC: September 17, 2014 to November 25, 2021).

Findings

Findings suggest that ARFIMA-HYGARCH is the best model to analyze BTC volatility, and ARFIMA-FIGARCH is the best approach to model ETH volatility. Empirical evidence also confirms the existence of long memory on returns and on BTC volatility parameters. Results evidence that the models proposed are not as suitable for modeling ETH volatility as they are for the BTC.

Originality/value

Findings allow to confirm the fractal market hypothesis in BTC market. The data confirm that, despite the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, the dynamics of BTC returns, and volatility maintained their patterns, i.e. the way in which they evolve, in relation to the prepandemic era, did not change, but it is rather reaffirmed. Yet, ETH conditional volatility was more affected, as it is apparently higher during Covid-19. The originality of the research lies in the focus of the analysis, the proposed methodology and the variables and periods of study.
Predicting the impacts of climate change on the biological control of Plutella xylostella by Diadegma semiclausum
Authors: Wang Leyun , Zhao Zihua , Walter Gimme H. , Furlong Michael J.
Published: November 2022

The parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum Hellén (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) has been widely adopted as a biological control agent for Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) over the last 80 years. Earlier studies have found differential responses to temperature between the host and its parasitoid and demonstrated the multiple ways in which the parasitoid is more susceptible to elevated temperatures.

Using data from experimental studies, the modelling package CLIMEX was used to investigate the suitability of current climates for the host and its parasitoid and the effects on their potential global geographical distributions. The study was then extended to investigate possible changes to these distributions that might result under different climate change scenarios by 2080. The models predict that the global distributions of both the host and parasitoid will be reduced. These changes will not be proportionate and many areas in tropical, sub‐tropical, and temperate regions that are currently suitable for D. semiclausum are predicted to become unsuitable for the parasitoid, whereas retaining suitability for P. xylostella. The seasonal dynamics of both the host and parasitoid are also predicted to be significantly reshaped under climate change.

Analysis of associations between annual P. xylostella outbreaks and weather conditions in three provinces in China with field data collected between 1995 and 2017 indicated significant effects of temperature on P. xylostella outbreaks at the beginning of the peak season in warmer provinces where P. xylostella can overwinter; such associations were not found in the colder provinces where it is unable to survive harsh winters.
Effectiveness and costs of a stepwise versus an all‐in‐one approach to diagnose mild bleeding disorders
Authors: Heubel‐Moenen Floor C. J. I. , Ansems Loes E. M. , Verhezen Paul W. M. , Wetzels Rick J. H. , van Oerle Rene G. M. , Straat Ron J. M. H. E. , Megy Karyn , Downes Kate , Henskens Yvonne M. C. , Beckers Erik A. M. , Joore Manuela A.
Published: November 2022

The diagnostic work‐up of patients referred to the haematologist for bleeding evaluation is performed in a stepwise way: bleeding history and results of screening laboratory tests guide further diagnostic evaluation. This can be ineffective, time‐consuming and burdensome for patients. To improve this strategy, the initial laboratory investigation can be extended. In a model‐based approach, effectiveness and costs of a conventional stepwise versus a newly proposed all‐in‐one diagnostic approach for bleeding evaluation were evaluated and compared, using data from an observational patient cohort study, including adult patients referred for bleeding evaluation. In the all‐in‐one approach, specialized platelet function tests, coagulation factors, and fibrinolysis tests were included in the initial investigation. Final diagnosis, hospital resource use and costs and patient burden were compared. A total of 150 patients were included. Compared to the stepwise approach, in the all‐in‐one approach, 19 additional patients reached a diagnosis and patient burden was lower, but total costs per patient were higher [€359, 95% bootstrapped confidence interval (BCI) 283–518, p = 0.001]. For bleeding evaluation of patients referred to the haematologist, an all‐in‐one diagnostic approach has a higher diagnostic yield and reduces patient burden, at a higher cost. This raises the question what costs justify the diagnosis of a bleeding disorder and a less burdensome diagnostic strategy.
Let‐7b‐5p inhibits colon cancer progression by prohibiting APC ubiquitination degradation and the Wnt pathway by targeting NKD1
Authors: Dai Yuyang , Liu Jinsong , Li Xuyan , Deng Jianzhong , Zeng Cheng , Lu Wenbin , Hou Yongzhong , Sheng Ying , Wu Honglin , Liu Qian
Published: November 2022

Naked cuticle homolog 1 (NKD1), which is expressed at low levels in many tumors, is considered an inhibitor of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, but it is highly expressed in colon cancer and can promote colon cancer cell proliferation. miRNAs are involved in the occurrence and progression of many tumors. However, miRNAs that can regulate NKD1 and the mechanisms by which NKD1 regulates tumor progression remain ambiguous. This research aims to reveal the potential regulatory network of NKD1 in colon cancer. miRNA data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were analyzed by bioinformatics to screen for potential miRNAs targeting NKD1. Let‐7b‐5p was found to inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells targeting NKD1. Further studies suggested that let‐7b‐5p can modulate Wnt signaling activity, and the nuclear accumulation of β‐catenin was significantly restrained by let‐7b‐5p through targeting NKD1. Moreover, NKD1 could prohibit the expression of the APC protein. Further studies manifested that NKD1 bound to APC and promoted the ubiquitination degradation of APC through restraining the expression of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP15 and blocking the combination between USP15 and APC. Functionally, NKD1 enhanced the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells by inhibiting APC expression. This research revealed a novel mechanism by which the let‐7b‐5p‐NKD1‐APC‐β‐catenin signaling pathway inhibited colon cancer cell progression.
Median raphe cysts: A clinico‐pathologic and immunohistochemical study of 52 cases
Authors: Carrasco Loreto , Torre‐Castro Juan , Ortiz Sebastián , Cuevas Santos Jesús , Jo Margarita , Rodríguez Peralto Jose Luis , Beer Trevor , Requena Luis
Published: November 2022

Background

Median raphe cysts (MRC) are epithelial‐lined cystic lesions of the genital area that do not communicate with the urethra or the overlying epidermis. Immunohistochemically, MRC show positivity for cytokeratin (CK) 5‐6, CK 7, carcinoembryonic antigen, p63 and uroplakin III (URO III). GATA3 and human milk fat globulin 1 (HMFG1) are immunohistochemical markers that have been not previously studied in MRC.

Methods

We conducted a study of 52 patients diagnosed with MRC in the Pathology Departments of eight hospitals between 1990 and 2016. The monoclonal antibodies used were CK5‐6, CK7, CK20, URO III, p63, GATA3, and HMFG1. HMFG1 was studied in five cases of apocrine hidrocystomas and compared with five cases of MRC from our series.

Results

CK 5‐6, CK7, and p63 expression showed strong positivity in the urothelial epithelium of 48 cases. CK20 was focally positive in areas of mucinous differentiation in three cases. GATA3 showed intense nuclear staining in 30 cases. HMFG1 was positive in three cases of MRC and in three cases of apocrine hidrocystoma.

Conclusion

Positivity of GATA3 and CK7 in MRC supports the urothelial origin of these cysts. We found no differences in HMFG1 expression between MRC and apocrine hidrocystomas.
Validation of a risk prediction model for early chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: Data from the German/Austrian Diabetes Prospective Follow‐up registry
Authors: Kress Stephan , Bramlage Peter , Holl Reinhard W. , Möller Christian Dominik , Mühldorfer Steffen , Reindel Jörg , Seufert Jochen , Landgraf Rüdiger , Merker Ludwig , Meyhöfer Sebastian M. , Danne Thomas , Fasching Peter , Mertens Peter R. , Wanner Christoph , Lanzinger Stefanie
Published: November 2022

Aim

To validate a recently proposed risk prediction model for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and Methods

Subjects from the German/Austrian Diabetes Prospective Follow‐up (DPV) registry with T2D, normoalbuminuria, an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 60 ml/min/1.73m2 or higher and aged 39‐75 years were included. Prognostic factors included age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and HbA1c. Subjects were categorized into low, moderate, high and very high‐risk groups. Outcome was CKD occurrence.

Results

Subjects (n = 10 922) had a mean age of 61 years, diabetes duration of 6 years, BMI of 31.7 kg/m2, HbA1c of 6.9% (52 mmol/mol); 9.1% had diabetic retinopathy and 16.3% were smokers. After the follow‐up (~59 months), 37.4% subjects developed CKD. The area under the curve (AUC; unadjusted base model) was 0.58 (95% CI 0.57‐0.59). After adjustment for diabetes and follow‐up duration, the AUC was 0.69 (95% CI 0.68‐0.70), indicating improved discrimination. After follow‐up, 15.0%, 20.1%, 27.7% and 40.2% patients in the low, moderate, high and very high‐risk groups, respectively, had developed CKD. Increasing risk score correlated with increasing cumulative risk of incident CKD over a median of 4.5 years of follow‐up (P < .0001).

Conclusions

The predictive model achieved moderate discrimination but good calibration in a German/Austrian T2D population, suggesting that the model may be relevant for determining CKD risk.
School‐as‐Institution or School‐as‐Instrument? How to Overcome Instrumentalism without Giving Up on Democracy
Authors: Biesta Gert
Published: November 2022

In contemporary societies, there is a strong push toward seeing education as an instrument for the delivery of particular societal agendas. On such a view, the only questions that remain are how effective education is at delivering such agendas and how its effectiveness can be increased. While this might be a desirable way forward for those who believe that a consensus about the agenda for education can easily be achieved, it is at odds with the idea that a democratic society is characterized by a fundamental plurality of visions about what schools are supposed to be for. Yet the democratic critique of educational instrumentalism cannot be confined to giving each and every vision its own school, as this would simply multiply educational instrumentalism rather than oppose it. A true democratic response thus needs to take education's own interest seriously as well, which, as Gert Biesta argues in this paper, amounts to a defense of the school as institution.
On Retroactive Instrumentality
Authors: Mendel Maria
Published: November 2022

The topic of instrumentalism has engaged many scholars of contemporary educational thought. One can distinguish the positions of anti‐instrumentalism from those that stress noninstrumental values of education, both conceived in the context of neoliberal/neoconservative and consumption‐driven reality. In this text, Maria Mendel enters into this engagement from the perspective of the current political consumption of memory. While taking up the problem of the role public pedagogy plays in contemporary nation‐states — especially in the current turn toward the past — Mendel focuses on both educational and sociopolitical issues in the context of what she calls “retroactive instrumentalism.” When return to the past is the “principle of the contemporary,” she argues, instrumentalism does not necessarily result from intentional planning ex ante. If education is broadly understood as a practice of public space formation, it may be composed of experiences that do not have to be “traditionally” purposeful and oriented toward the future. They may gain their instrumental character ex post. To illustrate this possibility, Mendel analyzes snippets of Polish reality concerning the construction of “the good nation.” Many of the elements of public pedagogy in this case contain unifications that pertain directly to the instrumental character of the learning experiences employed by a society as it transforms into a nation. The instrumentalism of those elements is discovered post factum. In its ontological dimension, then, education may gain or solidify its instrumental character ex post. Based on the analysis proposed in this text, one could say that when instrumentality is retroactive, it becomes displaced intentionality — that is, it provides an instrumental story that disguises the intentions of the one writing the narrative. Mendel concludes by using the Aristotelian notion of phantasia, which regards “being without a matter,” to encourage productive thought about how to create public narratives that are free of instrumentalism. This grounds a version of public pedagogy that is oriented toward the animation of people's active imagining and thus becoming public. By epistemologically shifting learning into a public space, such public pedagogy serves to recultivate society and humanity as plurality, diversity, and coproduction of the public.
Strongyloides westeri infection on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Ireland (2014–2019): Prevalence, risk factors and peripartum ivermectin
Authors: Kirtland Abbe , McAloon Conor , Walshe Nicola , Duggan Vivienne
Published: November 2022

Background

The mean proportion of Strongyloides westeri (S. westeri) infected foals on Thoroughbred breeding farms in central Kentucky has been reported as 30%. The prevalence of S. westeri in Ireland and the effect of peripartum ivermectin treatment of the dam are unknown.

Objectives

The objectives of the study were to determine the proportion of foals infected and the prevalence of positive S. westeri faecal egg count (FEC) tests within defined age groups on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Ireland between 2014 and 2019 inclusive and, furthermore, to identify risk factors for infection and the effect of peripartum ivermectin treatment. We hypothesised no significant difference in S. westeri infection in progeny <365 days of age, where the dam received peripartum ivermectin treatment between 30 days pre‐ and 7 days post‐foaling, versus no treatment.

Study design

Retrospective observational cohort.

Methods

Farm records of 1420 FECs for 459 foals were reviewed. Positive test prevalence and proportion of foals infected were determined using days between birth and each FEC result, up to 365 days. A mixed effects logistic regression model was constructed to examine the association between date of sample collection, year, age at sampling, peripartum dam ivermectin treatment and S. westeri patent infection in progeny <365 days of age.

Results

Test prevalence and proportion of foals infected increased from 0.09 to 0.43 and 0.17 to 0.52, respectively. The risk of positive S. westeri infection was linearly and positively associated with day of the year (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.7; p = 0.01) and negatively associated with age (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.59; p = <0.001). Peripartum ivermectin treatment was associated with reduced S. westeri infection in progeny <365 days of age (OR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.79; p = 0.02).

Main limitations

Faecal egg counts performed by trained lay personnel. Dynamic population.

Conclusions

Increasing prevalence of S. westeri infection may reflect cumulative environmental contamination.
Temporal positional lexicon expansion for federated learning based on hyperpatism detection
Authors: Ahmed Usman , Lin Jerry Chun‐Wei , Srivastava Gautam
Published: November 2022

Internet‐based information exchange has resulted in the propagation of false and misleading information, which is highly detrimental to individuals and humankind. Due to the speed and volume of social media news production, supervised artificial intelligence algorithms require many annotated data, which is difficult, costly, and time‐consuming. To address this issue, we offer a novel federated semi‐supervised framework based on self‐ensembling that utilizes the linguistic and stylometric information of annotated news articles and searches for hidden patterns in unlabeled data to denoise labels. Self‐ensembling predicts the labels of unlabeled data by using the outcomes of network‐in‐training from earlier epochs. These cumulative predictions should be a stronger predictor for unknown labels than the output of the most recent training epoch; hence, they may be utilized as a substitute for the labels of unlabeled data. The approach is distinctive in collecting all of the outputs from the neural network's past training periods. It utilizes them as an unsupervised target against which to assess the current output prediction of unlabeled articles. We intend to create a dataset centred on denoising to forward the study. The dataset is mapped using (1) the shifting focus time from published news articles and (2) the semi‐supervised method based on coincidence contexts for a neural contrast embedding model for learning low‐dimensional continuous vectors that generate a focus time‐based query in sequential news articles for temporal comprehension. The model achieved 0.83% F‐measure with lexicon expansion semi‐supervised learning.
Effects of soil physics, chemistry, and microbiology on soil carbon sequestration in infertile red soils after long‐term cultivation of perennial grasses
Authors: Hou Wei , Xu Yi , Xue Shuai , Li Jie , Yang Yang , Yi Zili , Fu Tongcheng
Published: November 2022

Determining the effect of perennial energy crop (PEC) cultivation on soil organic carbon (SOC) in marginal land soil is vital for carbon neutrality and bioeconomy development. However, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of the response of SOC content to different PECs and its underlying drivers is still lacking. We used soil data collected from infertile red topsoil (0–20 cm) after 10 years of cultivation with Miscanthus (MS), Panicum virgatum (SG), and Saccharum arundinaceum (SA) to explore the changes in SOC stock induced by PEC. The roles of physical, chemical, and microbiological factors driving the increase in the SOC stock were investigated. Results revealed that SA and MS enhanced SOC stock by 87.97% and 27.52% relative to the uncultivated control. Conversely, PEC increased the percentage of soil mega‐aggregates, geometric mean diameters, soil chelate iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al) oxides, and reduced soil acidity for the infertile red soils. In addition, fungal richness and diversity for PEC soils were enhanced compared to the unplanted soil. It is possible that PEC cultivation reduced the relative abundance of copiotrophic fungi but increased the relative abundance of oligotrophic fungi. Furthermore, variance partitioning analysis revealed that chemical and microbiological factors accounted for 80.54% of the total variation for the SOC stock. The partial least squares path model showed that PEC cultivation enhanced soil carbon (C) stock via soil deacidification and increased soil bacterial function. In conclusion, this study confirms the SOC sequestration potential of PEC cultivation in marginal land and the underlying mechanism driving SOC stock. The main positive factors controlling soil C sequestration included “pH,” while the negative factors were “bacterial community,” “fungal community,” and “bacterial function.” Our research may help encourage and support decision‐makers of wasted marginal land conversion to PEC cultivation.
A bibliometric review of progress and trends in food factory design research
Authors: Liu Zelong , Zhao Mengmeng , Wang Jing , Zuo Min , Pei Chengli
Published: November 2022

Food factory design (FFD) affects production costs, production safety and food quality. Moreover, as consumer demand, product planning, policies and legislation, raw material supplies, manufacturing philosophies and environmental consciousness change, FFD should also change. In this study, we used bibliometric analysis to examine articles on a wide range of topics related to FFD published in Web of Science from 2012 to 2022. We used collaborative network analysis, co‐occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, timeline mapping and term burst detection to achieve the following objectives: (i) summarising the annual changes in the number of publications; (ii) detecting influential countries and institutions, major research areas, context and history and representative studies at different times; and (iii) identifying frontiers and forecasting development trends in terms of factory construction and new production modes, new processes and product manufacturing technology, optimisation of production systems and processes, intelligent manufacturing, environmental protection and sustainable development. The findings of this study provide an effective means of assessing the performance of FFD research. They also help enterprises and researchers to identify important trends in FFD and provide support for decision‐making and policy formulation, and future directions for research and teaching activities.
Associations between sleep and overweight/obesity in adolescents vary by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status
Authors: Ji Xiaopeng , Covington Lauren B. , Patterson Freda , Ji Ming , Brownlow Janeese A.
Published: November 2022

Aim

To examine the interaction between sleep and social determinants of health (SDOH) [race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES)] on overweight/obesity in adolescents.

Design

Cross‐sectional.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis using the 2017–2018 National Survey of Children's Health data. We included adolescents (10–17 years old) who had sleep and body mass index (BMI) data available (n = 24,337) in analyses (samples with BMI <5th percentile excluded). Parents reported children's sleep duration and regularity. High BMI (≥85th percentile) for age defines overweight/obesity. We selected SDOH (race/ethnicity, family income, primary caregiver education and neighbourhood condition) and covariates (age, sex, smoking, exercise and depression) using a hierarchical model‐building approach. Accounting for complex survey design, logistic regression estimated the interaction between sleep and SDOH.

Results

There were significant interactions between sleep duration and SDOH. The association between increasing sleep and decreasing odds of overweight/obesity only showed in the following subgroups: White, family income ≥400% federal poverty level (FPL) or primary caregiver' education ≥ high school. Compared with these subgroups, Hispanic adolescents and adolescents whose family income was below 100% FPL and whose caregiver education was below high school had weakened and reversed associations. Sleep regularity was not associated with overweight/obesity.

Conclusions

Increasing sleep duration was associated with a decreased risk of overweight/obesity, but the association was not present in adolescents from racial/ethnic minority groups (i.e. Hispanic) and those with low SES.

Impact

The study findings suggest that associations between sleep and overweight/obesity vary by race and SES. Identification of additional mechanisms for obesity is needed for racial/ethnic minority groups and those from families with low SES. Also, the complexity of these relationships underscores the importance of community‐based needs assessment in the design of targeted and meaningful interventions to address complex health conditions such as poor sleep and obesity.
Midwives' perspectives of intravenous fluid management and fluid balance documentation in labour: A qualitative reflexive thematic analysis study
Authors: Bruce Belinda R. , Leask Julie , De Vries Bradley S. , Shepherd Heather L.
Published: November 2022

Aim

To describe current practice, examine the influences and explore barriers and facilitators to accurate documentation, for the administration of intravenous fluids during labour.

Design

A descriptive qualitative study was performed.

Methods

Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with Registered Midwives working across Australia. Midwives were recruited via email and social media advertisements. A maximum variation sampling strategy was used to identify potential participants. Interview questions explored four main areas: (i) understanding of indications for IV fluids in labour; (ii) identification of current practice; (iii) barriers to documentation and (iv) benefits and complications of IV fluid administration. Reflexive thematic analysis of recorded‐transcribed interviews was conducted.

Results

Eleven midwives were interviewed. Clinical practice variation across Australia was recognized. Midwives reported a potential risk of harm for women and babies and a current lack of evidence, education and clinical guidance contributing to uncertainty around the use of IV fluids in labour. Overall, eight major themes were identified: (i) A variable clinical practice; (ii) Triggers and habits; (iii) Workplace and professional culture; (iv) Foundational knowledge; (v) Perception of risk; (vi) Professional standards and regulations; (vii) The importance of monitoring maternal fluid balance and (viii) barriers and facilitators to fluid balance documentation.

Conclusion

There was widespread clinical variation identified and midwives reported a potential risk of harm. The major themes identified will inform future quantitative research examining the impact of IV fluids in labour.

Impact

The implications of this research are important and potentially far‐reaching. The administration of IV fluids to women in labour is a common clinical intervention. However, there is limited evidence available to guide practice. This study highlights the need for greater education and evidence examining maternal and neonatal outcomes to provide improved clinical guidance.
The association of iron status, supplement iron in the first‐trimester pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus: A nested case–control study
Authors: Lin Ying , Wu Chunli , An Rongjing , Liu Huixia , Chen Mengshi , Tan Hongzhuan , Chen Lizhang , Deng Jing
Published: November 2022

Aims

The objective of this study was to examine whether the level of iron and iron supplements in the first‐trimester pregnancy is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods

This was a nested case–control study using data from an established cohort in the Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital (HPMCHH) in South China. A total of 119 patients with GDM and 238 controls were enrolled in the study. Iron status indicators were tested in early pregnancy. Information on iron supplements use was collected by questionnaires. Binary logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratio (OR). The relative excess risk of interaction (RERI) was applied to evaluate the interaction.

Results

We observed that pregnant women with normal ferritin levels (≥30 ng/ml) and iron supplements were associated with a 3.701‐fold increased risk of GDM (OR: 3.701, 95% CI: 1.689–8.112) compared with the ferritin <30 ng/ml and without iron supplements group. Similarly, pregnant women with normal serum iron (SI) levels (≥9 μmol/L) and iron supplements were associated with a 5.447‐fold increased risk of GDM (OR: 5.447, 95% CI: 2.246–13.209) compared with the SI < 9 μmol/L and without iron supplement group. We found an additive interaction between ferritin and iron supplements on the presence of GDM (RERI: 1.164, 95%CI: 0.333–1.994) and SI and iron supplements on the risk of GDM (RERI: 6.375, 95%CI: 4.494–8.256).

Conclusion

Pregnant women with normal ferritin or SI levels and iron supplements could significantly increase the risks for GDM.
Myelin heterogeneity for assessing normal appearing white matter myelin damage in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Johnson Poljanka , Vavasour Irene M. , Stojkova Biljana Jonoska , Abel Shawna , Lee Lisa Eunyoung , Laule Cornelia , Tam Roger , Li David K. B. , Ackermans Nathalie , Schabas Alice J. , Chan Jillian , Cross Helen , Sayao Ana‐Luiza , Devonshire Virginia , Carruthers Robert , Traboulsee Anthony , Kolind Shannon H.
Published: November 2022

Background and Purpose

Conventional MRI measures of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease severity, such as lesion volume and brain atrophy, do not provide information about microstructural tissue changes, which may be driving physical and cognitive progression. Myelin damage in normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM) is likely an important contributor to MS disability. Myelin water fraction (MWF) provides quantitative measurements of myelin. Mean MWF reflects average myelin content, while MWF standard deviation (SD) describes variation in myelin within regions. The myelin heterogeneity index (MHI = SD/mean MWF) is a composite metric of myelin content and myelin variability. We investigated how mean MWF, SD, and MHI compare in differentiating MS from controls and their associations with physical and cognitive disability.

Methods

Myelin water imaging data were acquired from 91 MS participants and 31 healthy controls (HC). Segmented whole‐brain NAWM and corpus callosum (CC) NAWM, mean MWF, SD, and MHI were compared between groups. Associations of mean MWF, SD, and MHI with Expanded Disability Status Scale and Symbol Digit Modalities Test were assessed.

Results

NAWM and CC MHI had the highest area under the curve: .78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: .69, .86) and .84 (95% CI: .76, .91), respectively, distinguishing MS from HC.

Conclusions

Mean MWF, SD, and MHI provide complementary information when assessing regional and global NAWM abnormalities in MS and associations with clinical outcome measures. Examining all three metrics (mean MWF, SD, and MHI) enables a more detailed interpretation of results, depending on whether regions of interest include areas that are more heterogeneous, earlier in the demyelination process, or uniformly injured.
Soluble E‐cadherin promotes invasiveness of neoplastic cells in salivary gland carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma
Authors: Chen Wanling , Ye Sai , Wang Xiaoning , Qian Jiajun , Xia Liang , Tian Zhen
Published: November 2022

Background

Soluble E‐cadherin (sEcad), a tumor suppressor gene, has pro‐oncogenic effects by binding to human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER‐2). In our previous study, 1/3 of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) cases had HER‐2 amplification, which is associated with tumorigenesis and malignancy. This study examines the role of sEcad in HER‐2 amplified CXPA.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to examine E‐cadherin (Ecad) expression in HER‐2‐amplified CXPA samples (n = 35). Western blot and ELISA were used to detect sEcad in two samples with Ecad and HER‐2 overexpression and CXPA cell line. Lentivirus‐mediated transfection was performed to knock down sEcad in CXPA cells. The cell proliferation, wound healing, and transwell assays were used to compare sEcad‐knockdown cells with cells pretreated with recombinant human sEcad (rhEcad/Fc). sEcad and HER‐2 interaction was determined through co‐immunoprecipitation. RNA‐sequencing, differential expression analysis, GO and KEGG analysis were used to identify sEcad‐related signaling pathways and their protein phosphorylation levels were verified by western blotting.

Results

Ecad was overexpressed in 77.1% of HER‐2‐positive CXPA, and sEcad was found in the CXPA cell line and two samples. sEcad promoted CXPA migration and invasion in vitro without sEcad and HER‐2 interaction. sEcad‐related differentially expressed genes were enriched in the IL‐17, cAMP, and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, sEcad activated the phosphorylation of Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways.

Conclusions

Most HER‐2+ CXPAs express Ecad. sEcad could affect the invasiveness and migration of in vitro CXPA cells without HER‐2. sEcad may be a therapeutic biomarker for CXPA patients.
Interprofessional intensive care unit (ICU) team perspectives on physical restraint practices and minimization strategies in an adult ICU: A qualitative study of contextual influences
Authors: Alostaz Ziad , Rose Louise , Mehta Sangeeta , Johnston Linda , Dale Craig M.
Published: November 2022

Background

Guidelines advocate for minimization of physical restraint (PR) use in intensive care units (ICU). Interprofessional team perspectives on PR practices can inform the design and implementation of successful PR minimization interventions.

Aim

To identify ICU staff perspectives of contextual influences on PR practices and minimization strategies.

Study Design

A qualitative descriptive study in a single ICU in Toronto, Canada. One‐on‐one semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 ICU staff. A deductive content analysis of interviews was undertaken using the integrated–Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i‐PARIHS) framework.

Results

Five themes were developed: risk‐averse culture, leadership, practice monitoring and feedback processes, environmental factors, and facilitation. Participants described a risk‐averse culture where prophylactic application of PR for intubated patients was used to prevent unplanned extubation thereby avoiding blame from colleagues. Perceived absence of leadership and interprofessional team involvement situated nurses as the primary decision‐maker for restraint application and removal. Insufficient monitoring of restraint practices, lack of access to restraint alternatives, and inability to control environmental contributors to delirium and agitation further increased PR use. Recommendations as to how to minimize restraint use included a nurse facilitator to advance leadership‐team collaboration, availability of restraints alternatives, and guidance on situations for applying and removing restraints.

Conclusions

This analysis of contextual influences on PR practices and minimization using the i‐PARIHS framework revealed potentially modifiable barriers to successful PR minimization, including a lack of leadership involvement, gaps in practice monitoring, and collaborative decision‐making processes. A team approach to changing behaviour and culture should be considered for successful implementation and sustainability of PR minimization.

Relevance to Practice

The establishment of an interprofessional facilitation team that addresses risk‐averse culture and promotes collaboration among ICU stakeholders will be crucial to the success of any approach to restraint minimization.
Keratitis‐ichthyosis‐deafness syndrome: A comprehensive review of cutaneous and systemic manifestations
Authors: Alsabbagh Manahel Mahmood
Published: November 2022

Keratitis‐ichthyosis‐deafness syndrome is a rare genetic disease presenting with cutaneous, ocular, and otic defects. This comprehensive review provides insight into the clinical presentations, highlighting the cutaneous manifestations including histopathology and treatment options.
The effect of intra‐firm linkages on firm productivity
Authors: Cho Jaehan , Choi Bo‐Young
Published: November 2022

In this study, we investigate the relationship between intra‐firm linkages and firm productivity using a unique dataset from Korean multinational foreign affiliates. In an empirical analysis, we find that while intra‐firm imports are not statistically associated with productivity on an economy‐wide scale, a positive relationship exists among affiliates in industries with high levels of research and development (R&D) intensity. Our findings show that productivity gains from intra‐firm trade are larger for affiliates in high R&D intensity industries, thus providing evidence that intra‐firm trade is an important channel for knowledge transfer related to R&D for foreign affiliates of multinational corporations.
The two‐child limit and fertility decision making: When policy narratives and lived experiences collide
Authors: Patrick Ruth , Andersen Kate
Published: November 2022

The UK's two‐child limit restricts the child element in Universal Credit and Tax Credits to two children in a household. Given that the policy aims to influence the fertility decision making of parents in (or at risk of) poverty, it is important to explore the impact it has here. This article contrasts the policy rationale for the two‐child limit with everyday realities of fertility decision making. We share new empirical findings from qualitative longitudinal research with parents directly affected by the two‐child limit, contrasting these with the assumptions found in government speeches and statements on the policy. This exploration reveals a series of mismatches, which help explain the relative absence of fertility effects, which has been uncovered in previous quantitative analysis. We show how a government narrative of “choice” over fertility decisions is contradicted by situated realities, where choice is often absent or unresponsive to changes in financial incentives. We also find low levels of awareness of the two‐child limit, militating against it affecting fertility decision making. Our findings demonstrate the importance of better and more sustained engagement with qualitative evidence in the design and review of policies, essential if we are to prevent harms like those witnessed as a result of the two‐child limit.
Transitional care programs in Canada for older adults transitioning from hospital to home: a systematic review of text and opinion protocol
Authors: Barber Brittany , Gregg Emily , Macdonald Marilyn , Moody Elaine , Rothfus Melissa , Weeks Lori E.
Published: November 2022

Objective:

The objective of this systematic review is to understand what transitional care programs exist across Canada, and to identify the characteristics and outcomes of these programs.

Introduction:

There is growing evidence of the benefits of transitional care programs to support older adults moving from hospital to home. However, there is limited literature identifying the types of transitional care programs that exist internationally, and very little evidence available within Canada.

Inclusion criteria:

Sources of gray literature published from 2016 that focus on older adults receiving services from transitional care programs to move from hospital to home in Canada will be considered for inclusion. Sources of gray literature will be excluded if interventions are targeted at adults younger than 65, Indigenous adults under the age of 55, or whose primary discharge destination is not an independent community dwelling. Interventions designed for older adults waiting in hospital for long-term care placement will also be excluded from this review.

Methods:

An initial limited search of Canadian national gray literature resources will be undertaken, followed by an advanced Google search of Canadian resources and news media reports. Lastly, an advanced search of Google for all 10 provinces and 3 territories will be undertaken to target examples of local transitional care programs that may not be found through a national search, such as local pilot projects, health region–specific programs, and provincial organizations. All identified sources will be retrieved and full text review of selected citations assessed in detail by two independent reviewers. Data about the characteristics and outcomes of transitional care programs and results will be extracted and synthesized using JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment, and Review of Information (JBI SUMARI), with a meta-aggregation approach for grading according to JBI ConQual method.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42022298821
Gesture Recognition and Master–Slave Control of a Manipulator Based on sEMG and Convolutional Neural Network–Gated Recurrent Unit
Authors: Ge Zhaojie , Wu Zhile , Han Xu , Zhao Ping
Published: November 2022

Surface electromyography signal (sEMG) is the bio-electric signal accompanied by muscle contraction. For master–slave manipulation scenario such as patients with prosthetic hands, their upper limb sEMG signals can be collected and corresponded to the patient's gesture intention. Therefore, using a slave manipulator that integrated with the sEMG signal recognition module, the master side could control it to make gestures and meet their needs of daily life. In this paper, gesture recognition is carried out based on sEMG and deep learning, and the master–slave control of manipulator is realized. According to the results of training, the network model with the highest accuracy of gesture classification and recognition can be obtained. Then, combined with the integrated manipulator, the control signal of the manipulator corresponding to the gesture is sent to the control module of the manipulator. In the end, a prototype system is built and the master–slave control of the manipulator using the sEMG signal is realized.
Projectile Motion in Midair Using Simple Analytical Approximations
Authors: Chudinov Peter , Eltyshev Vladimir , Barykin Yuri
Published: November 2022

The study of the motion of a projectile, thrown at an angle to the horizon, is a wonderful classical problem. This issue has been the subject of great interest to investigators for centuries. Currently, the study of parabolic motion, in the absence of any drag force, is a common example in introductory physics courses. The theory of parabolic motion allows you to analytically determine the trajectory and all important characteristics of the movement of the projectile. Introduction of air resistance forces into the study of the motion, however, complicates the problem and makes it difficult to obtain analytical solutions. This especially applies to the movement of the projectile, subjected to quadratic air drag force. Numerical studies of projectile motion with quadratic dependence on projectile speed have been performed in many works. From an educational point of view, many students are not confident with numerical methods and gain little insight from using them. So the description of the projectile motion by means of simple approximate analytical formulas under air resistance has great methodological and educational importance. The main goal of this work is to give analytical approximations for the projectile trajectory and movement characteristics as simple as possible from a technical point of view, in order to be grasped even by first-year undergraduates.
Developing Playful Devices as a Tool to Learn and Teach Physics
Authors: Gutiérrez M. Esther D. , Barreto Gabriel , Pazmino Arturo , Rubio Erick Lamilla , Montero Eduardo
Published: November 2022

In this work, we will describe a Peer Project Learning assignment focused on the STEM project-based learning activities where students build a custom board game with a series of constraints that guide them to learn (and later teach) about the main concepts of an electromagnetism physics course for undergraduate students.
If Your School Is Old Enough
Authors: Riccardi Pierfrancesco , Pellegrino Francesco , Romano Vittorio
Published: November 2022

The Physics Teacher has published over the years many inspiring papers with an historical slant and we agree with Thomas B. Greenslade, who recently wrote that teaching physics is about “integrating physics with human culture.… if we are going to leave a lasting impact on our students, we should do more than teach them pure physics.” Some of these papers describe scientific tours in places where famous scientists lived and worked. In one of these papers, we read, “There is something very special about standing in the place where scientific history was made or seeing an instrument that was used to make an important discovery.” We had the same feeling, but without moving from our place.
Gold Medal 2022: Michael J. Buckingham
Authors: Buckingham Michael J.
Published: November 2022

The Gold Medal is presented in the spring to a member of the Society, without age limitation, for contributions to acoustics. The first Gold Medal was presented in 1954 on the occasion of the Society's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration and biennially until 1981. It is now an annual award.
Representation of random media in acoustic scattering calculations
Authors: Wilson D. Keith , Ostashev Vladimir E.
Published: November 2022

Turbulence, internal waves, surface roughness, and other environmental variations in the atmosphere and ocean randomly scatter sound. Realistic representation of these variations is important for numerical wave propagation calculations. In principle, there are two primary approaches to create these representations: (1) physics-based, dynamical models for the atmosphere or ocean and (2) kinematic synthesis of random fields with prescribed statistical properties that do not necessarily capture the medium dynamics. The most common kinematic approach involves synthesizing fields from randomly phased Fourier modes. For statistically inhomogeneous media, the Fourier modes generalize to empirical orthogonal functions. An alternative kinematic approach, called filtered Poisson processes, distribute spatially localized functions with randomized positions and orientations. Quasi-wavelets (QWs) are a filtered Poisson process intended for turbulence and other self-similar media. While both the Fourier and QW approaches can be formulated to reproduce specified second moments of the random field, if the representations are constructed too sparsely, higher-order moments such as the kurtosis will be unrealistic. The kinematic approaches also underlie phase screen methods, which can be quite useful when the Markov approximation is valid.