bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An accurate prognostic prediction for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage dedicated to patients after endovascular treatment
Authors: Lu Han , Xue Gaici , Li Sisi , Mu Yangjiayi , Xu Yi , Hong Bo , Huang Qinghai , Li Qiang , Yang Pengfei , Zhao Rui , Fang Yibin , Luo Qiang , Zhou Yu , Liu Jianmin
Published: June 2022

Background:

Endovascular treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has high fatality and permanent disability rates. It remains unclear how the prognosis is determined by the complex interaction between clinical severity and aneurysm characteristics.

Objective:

This study aimed to design an accurate prognostic prediction model for aSAH patients after endovascular treatment and elucidate the interaction between clinical severity and aneurysm characteristics.

Methods:

We used a clinically homogeneous data set with 1029 aSAH patients who received endovascular treatment to develop prognostic models. Aneurysm characteristics were measured by variables, such as aneurysm size, neck size, and dome-to-neck ratio, while clinical severity on admission was measured by both comorbidities and neurological condition. In total, 18 clinical variables were used for prognostic prediction. Considering the imbalance between the favorable and the poor outcomes in this clinical population, both ensemble learning and deep reinforcement learning approaches were used for prediction.

Results:

The random forest (RF) model was selected as the best approach for the prognostic prediction for all patients and also for patients with good-grade aSAH. Using an independent test data set, the model made accurate predictions (AUC = 0.869 ± 0.036, sensitivity = 0.709 ± 0.087, specificity = 0.805 ± 0.034) with the clinical severity on admission as a leading contributor to the prediction. For patients with good-grade aSAH, the RF model performed the best (AUC = 0.805 ± 0.034, sensitivity = 0.620 ± 0.172, specificity = 0.696 ± 0.043) with aneurysm characteristics as leading contributors. The classic scoring systems failed in this patient group (AUC < 0.600; sensitivity = 0.000, specificity = 1.000).

Conclusion:

The proposed prognostic prediction model outperformed the classic scoring systems for patients with aSAH after endovascular treatment, especially when the classic scoring systems failed to make any informative prediction for patients with good-grade aSAH, who constitute the majority group (79%) of this clinical population.
Regulatory approaches to rail competitive entries
Authors: Tomes Zdenek
Published: June 2022

This paper reviews the regulatory approaches to open access passenger rail competition. This kind of competition has developed substantially in the EU during the past decade. There have been major entries into the national main lines in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. These entries have been very popular with passengers and rail ridership has gone up substantially. However, there have also been costs to these entries. The operations of the new entrants are diminishing economies of density, leading to higher unit costs. Further challenges include cherry-picking behaviour, scarce infrastructure capacity, tariff disintegration, and long-term sustainability. The major question is whether the social benefits outweigh the costs. This paper aims to review emerging evidence in the field of open access entries and approaches to their regulation. The scope of this paper is open access passenger rail entries in Europe after 2000 with a particular emphasis on the major entries that took place in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Sweden after 2011. The contribution of this article to the existing literature is threefold. Firstly, it provides an up-to-date review of open access entries in Europe. Secondly, it combines the results of simulation studies with empirical evidence to provide an overview of market impacts. Lastly, it reviews the spectrum of regulatory approaches.
Digital exclusion and its impact on journalism in Kashmir
Authors: Hassan Ruheela
Published: June 2022

With the introduction of personal computer systems and subsequent technologies that make flow of information fast and efficient, a new age emerged that is often termed as ‘digital age’ or ‘digital era’. During this age, the capabilities of individuals and societies to access and use multiple forms of convergent media content got enhanced manifold. It also led to a revolution in the industry of ‘news and views’. This convergent media is popularly known as the ‘New Media’. While this new (digital) media is taking new shapes across the globe, it is still struggling for survival in one part of the world called Kashmir.

Due to frequent suspensions of internet service in the valley, the digital media of Kashmir faces multiple challenges that are mostly unknown to other parts of the world. During 2010, 2012 and 2016 uprisings in Kashmir and more recently in 2019–2020, when Indian government decided to scrap the autonomy and special status of the valley, this place was excluded digitally that had a huge setback not only to the growth of New Media, but on education, health and economy as well. This paper studies this digital exclusion and its impact on journalism and mass communication in Kashmir.
Religion-as-Ethnicity and the Emerging Hindu Vote in India
Authors: Sircar Neelanjan
Published: June 2022

Religious division formed the basis for the subcontinent’s partition and has continued to be a major social cleavage in local relations. Yet remarkably religious parties have rarely been successful in India. This may be changing with an ascendant Bharatiya Janata Party mobilizing the Hindu vote. Accordingly, this article seeks to explicate the conditions under which successful religious parties may emerge. In order to do so, I conceive of electoral mobilization on religion as a form of ethnic mobilization, what I refer to as religion-as-ethnicity voting. I argue that religion-as-ethnicity voting emerges when the religious group meets certain spatial demographic criteria (density and pivotality) and when a governing party representing these interests can use state power to reify boundaries between religious groups. I use this framework to explain the emergence of the Hindu vote in the Indian state of Assam.
Technical and oncological safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer in elderly patients ≥ 80 years old
Authors: Ueda Yoshitake , Shiraishi Norio , Fujishima Hajime , Kawasaki Takahide , Ninomiya Shigeo , Shiroshita Hidefumi , Etoh Tsuyoshi , Inomata Masafumi
Published: June 2022

Background

As the incidence of gastric cancer increases in elderly patients worldwide, laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for elderly patients with gastric cancer is also increasing. However, whether LG is an optimal surgical modality for elderly patients with gastric cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the technical and oncological safety of LG for elderly patients ≥ 80 years old with gastric cancer.

Methods

Patients who received curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 2003 to 2015 were enrolled in the study. They were divided into the LG in elderly patients aged over 80 years (LG-E) group, open gastrectomy (OG) in elderly patients (OG-E) group, and LG in non-elderly patients < 80 years (LG-NE) group. Patients’ demographics and short- and long-term outcomes, such as postoperative complications and 5-year survival rate, were compared between the three groups, retrospectively.

Results

The LG-E, OG-E, and LG-NE groups comprised 45, 43, and 329 patients, respectively. In the comparison between the LG-E and OG-E groups, the incidence of distal gastrectomy (DG) and the proportions of patients with pathological tumor stage T1, pathological N0, and final stage I were significantly higher in the LG-E versus OG-E group (89 vs. 56%, 76% vs. 16%, 82% vs. 37%, and 84% vs. 35%, p < 0.01, respectively). Blood loss and the incidence of overall postoperative complications in the LG-E group were significantly lower than those in the OG-E group (40 vs. 240 g, p < 0.01, and 29% vs. 53%, p < 0.05, respectively). Although the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was not significantly different between the two groups, the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate was significantly higher in the LG-E group versus OG-E group (93% vs. 78%, p < 0.05). Overall comorbidities were significantly higher in the LG-E group versus LG-NE group, but there were no significant differences in short-term outcomes between the two groups. Further, although the 5-year OS rate was significantly lower in the LG-E group versus LG-NE group (67% vs. 87%, p < 0.01), there was no significant difference between the two groups in 5-year DSS rate.

Conclusion

LG is technically and oncologically safe for the treatment of gastric cancer in both elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years and the non-elderly and can be an optimal surgical modality for elderly patients with gastric cancer.
Determinants of fetal macrosomia among live births in southern Ethiopia: a matched case–control study
Authors: Woltamo Deginesh Dawit , Meskele Mengistu , Workie Shimelash Bitew , Badacho Abebe Sorsa
Published: June 2022

Background

Fetal macrosomia defined as birth weight of 4000 g and above regardless of gestational age and associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, especially among women in developing countries like Ethiopia. Despite the observed burden, there is limited evidence on determinants of fetal macrosomia. This study aimed to identify determinants of fetal macrosomia among live births at Wolaita Sodo town Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A facility-based matched case–control study design involved 360 singletons deliveries attended at hospitals in Wolaita Sodo town, southern Ethiopia, with 120 cases and 240 controls included. Cases and control were matched by maternal age. Cases were neonates with a birth weight of ≥ 4000, while controls were neonates with a birthweight between 2500gm and less than 4000gm. Data were collected by interviews, measuring, and reviewing mothers' medical documents. Conditional logistic regression analysis was carried to identify the independent predictor variables. Statistical significance was set using a p-value < 0.05 and 95% CI for AOR.

Results

Male neonates were four times more likely to be macrosomia than female neonates MAOR = 4.0 [95%CI; 2.25–7.11, p < 0.001]. Neonates born at gestational age ≥ 40 weeks were 4.33 times more likely to be macrosomia with MAOR = 4.33 [95%CI; 2.37–7.91, p < 0.001]. Neonates born from physically inactive mothers were 7.76 times more likely to be macrosomia with MAOR = 7.76 [95CI; 3.33–18.08, p < 0.001]. Neonates born from mothers who consumed fruits and dairy products in their diet frequently were 2 and 4.9 times more likely to be macrosomia MAOR = 2.03 [95%CI; 1.11–3.69, p = 0.021] and AOR = 4.91[95%CI; 2.36–10.23, p < 0.001] respectively.

Conclusion

Mothers' physical exercise and consumption of fruit and dairy products were significant predictor variables for fetal macrosomia. Hence, health care providers may use these factors as a screening tool for the prediction, early diagnosis, and timely intervention of fetal macrosomia and its complications.
Burden, patterns, and impact of multimorbidity in North India: findings from a rural population-based study
Authors: Gupta Priti , Patel Shivani A. , Sharma Hanspria , Jarhyan Prashant , Sharma Rakshit , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Tandon Nikhil , Mohan Sailesh
Published: June 2022

Aim

To estimate the prevalence, socio-demographic determinants, common disease combinations, and health impact of multimorbidity among a young rural population.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among participants aged ≥30 years in rural Punjab, North India, from Jan 2019 to April 2019. Multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of ≥two conditions using a 14-condition tool validated in India. We also calculated a multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI), which provides a weight to each disease based on its impact on physical functioning. Logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the association with sociodemographic variables, mental health (PHQ-9), physical functioning (ADL scale), and self-rated health (SRH).

Results

We analyzed data from 3213 adults [Mean age 51.5 (±13), 54% women]. Prevalence of single chronic condition, multimorbidity, and MWI was 28.6, 18% and − 1.9 respectively. Age, higher wealth index and ever use alcohol were significantly associated with multimorbidity. Overall, 2.8% of respondents had limited physical functioning, 2.1% had depression, and 61.5% reported low SRH. Poorer health outcomes were more prevalent among the elderly, women, less educated, and those having lower wealth index and multimorbidity, were found to be significantly associated with poor health outcomes.

Conclusions

The burden of multimorbidity was high in this young rural population, which portends significant adverse effects on their health and quality of life. The Indian health system should be reconfigured to address this emerging health priority holistically, by adopting a more integrated and sustainable model of care.
Anticancer potential of alkaloids: a key emphasis to colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine and vincamine
Authors: Dhyani Praveen , Quispe Cristina , Sharma Eshita , Bahukhandi Amit , Sati Priyanka , Attri Dharam Chand , Szopa Agnieszka , Sharifi-Rad Javad , Docea Anca Oana , Mardare Ileana , Calina Daniela , Cho William C.
Published: June 2022

Cancer, one of the leading illnesses, accounts for about 10 million deaths worldwide. The treatment of cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and drug therapy, along with others, which not only put a tremendous economic effect on patients but also develop drug resistance in patients with time. A significant number of cancer cases can be prevented/treated by implementing evidence-based preventive strategies. Plant-based drugs have evolved as promising preventive chemo options both in developing and developed nations. The secondary plant metabolites such as alkaloids have proven efficacy and acceptability for cancer treatment. Apropos, this review deals with a spectrum of promising alkaloids such as colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine, and vincamine within different domains of comprehensive information on these molecules such as their medical applications (contemporary/traditional), mechanism of antitumor action, and potential scale-up biotechnological studies on an in-vitro scale. The comprehensive information provided in the review will be a valuable resource to develop an effective, affordable, and cost effective cancer management program using these alkaloids.
miR-382-5p promotes cell invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting PTEN to activate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway
Authors: Lv Bo , Liu Xianzhuo , Zhu Xinfeng , Huang Min
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aimed at investigating miR-382-5p expression in tissues and cell lines with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its effects on the invasion of HCC cells, and related mechanisms.

Methods

miR-382-5p expression in HCC tissues, adjacent tissues, cell lines of normal hepatic cells, and HCC cells were detected by qRT-PCR, indicating its upregulation or downregulation in HCC cell lines (Hep3B and HCCLM3). The effect of miR-382-5p on cell invasion was observed by the Transwell experiment. The targeting relationship of miR-382-5p and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was analyzed using bioinformatics tools and the luciferase reporter gene assay. The correlation between miR-382-5p and PTEN was analyzed with Spearman correlation analysis. PTEN expression was observed after upregulation and downregulation of miR-382-5p expression. The effect of miR-382-5p on the expression of key proteins in PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was determined by Western blot.

Results

miR-382-5p expression was upregulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines (both P<0.05). Upregulation or downregulation of miR-382-5p significantly promoted or inhibited the invasion of cell lines, Hep3B, and HCCLM3. The luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that PTEN is a target of miR-382-5p. The expressions of miR-382-5p and PTEN were negatively correlated (r=−0.742, P<0.001). Upregulation of PTEN expression by plasmid transfection can reverse the invasive effect of miR-382-5p on HCC cells. Upregulation of miR-382-5p can activate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and downregulation of miR-382-5p can inhibit PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Conclusions

miR-382-5p can activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by targeting PTEN and promote HCC cell invasion.
Integrated breast massage versus traditional breast massage for treatment of plugged milk duct in lactating women: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Munsittikul Nutchanat , Tantaobharse Supannee , Siripattanapipong Pitiporn , Wutthigate Punnanee , Ngerncham Sopapan , Yangthara Buranee
Published: June 2022

Background

Plugged milk duct during lactation is a common problem in breastfeeding. Traditional breast massage (TBM) has been performed in Thailand with reasonable outcomes, but several follow-up sessions are often required. A new massage technique, the integrated breast massage (IBM), was subsequently developed. This study aimed to compare resolution time, reduction in mass size, and pain score after breast massage between the IBM and TBM techniques.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Lactation Clinic of the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand during February 2019-July 2020. Women presenting with acute plugged milk duct were enrolled and randomly allocated to the IBM or TBM/control groups. Mass size in square centimeters (cm2) was calculated by multiplying the perpendicular axes of the mass. Pain score was self-scored by participants using a numerical rating scale. Median time (95% confidence interval [CI]) to resolution of plugged milk duct was derived using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed.

Results

Eighty-four women (42 per group) were included. All enrolled study participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. Twenty-six (61.9%) and 25 (59.5%) participants from IBM and TBM, respectively, had mass diameter > 5 cm. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) mass size was 30 (20–48) and 20 (12–14) cm2 in IBM and TBM (p = 0.05), respectively. The median (95% CI) time to resolution of plugged duct was 0 (not available) and 1 (0.47–1.53) day in IBM and TBM, respectively (p < 0.01). After the first breast massage, the median (IQR) size of mass reduction was 30 (20–48) and 10 (10–26) cm2 in IBM and TBM, respectively (p = 0.01). The median (IQR) reduction in pain score was 8 (7–8) and 6 (4–7) in IBM and TBM, respectively (p = 0.01). No participants developed skin bruising or hematoma after breast massage.

Conclusions

The IBM technique resolved plugged milk duct significantly faster, with significantly less pain, and with significantly greater reduction in mass size after the first massage compared to TBM.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered in the Thai Clinical Trials Registry on 25 September 2019 (TCTR20190925001).
How can a joint European health technology assessment provide an ‘additional benefit’ over the current standard of national assessments?
Authors: Julian Elaine , Gianfrate Fabrizio , Sola-Morales Oriol , Mol Peter , Bergmann Jean-François , Salmonson Tomas , Hebborn Ansgar , Grande Mathilde , Ruof Jörg
Published: June 2022

Objectives

We conducted a multi-stakeholder survey to determine key areas where a joint European health technology assessment (HTA) could provide ‘additional benefit’ compared to the status quo of many parallel independent national and subnational assessments.

Methods

Leveraging three iterative Delphi cycles, a semiquantitative questionnaire was developed covering evidence challenges and heterogeneity of value drivers within HTAs across Europe with a focus on hematology/oncology. The questionnaire consisted of five sections: i) background information; ii) value drivers in HTA assessments today; iii) evolving evidence challenges; iv) heterogeneity of value drivers across Europe; v) impact of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP). The questionnaire was circulated across n = 189 stakeholder institutions comprising HTA and regulatory bodies, clinical oncology associations, patient representatives, and industry associations.

Results

N = 30 responses were received (HTA bodies: 9; regulators: 10; patients’ and physicians’ associations: 3 each; industry: 5). Overall, 17 countries and EU level institutions were represented in the responses. Consistency across countries and stakeholder groups was high. Most relevant value drivers in HTAs today (scale 1, low to 5, high) were clinical trial design (mean 4.45), right endpoints (mean 4.40), and size of comparative effect (mean 4.33). Small patient numbers (mean 4.28) and innovative study designs (mean 4.1) were considered the most relevant evolving evidence challenges. Heterogeneity between regulatory and HTA evidence requirements and heterogeneity of the various national treatment standards and national HTA evidence requirements was high. All clinical and patient participants stated to have been with EBCP initiatives.

Conclusions

For a European HTA to provide an ‘additional benefit’ over the multitude of existing national assessments key methodological and process challenges need to be addressed. These include approaches to address uncertainty in clinical development; comparator choice; consistency in approaching patient-relevant endpoints; and a transparent and consistent management of both HTA and regulatory procedures as well as their interface, including all involved stakeholder groups.
Effects of DNA methylation on cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Barouti Zahra , Heidari-Beni Motahar , Shabanian-Boroujeni Anahita , Mohammadzadeh Morteza , Pahlevani Vida , Poursafa Parnian , Mohebpour Fatemeh , Kelishadi Roya
Published: June 2022

Background

Epigenetic changes, especially DNA methylation have a main role in regulating cardiometabolic disorders and their risk factors. This study provides a review of the current evidence on the association between methylation of some genes (LINE1, ABCG1, SREBF1, PHOSPHO1, ADRB3, and LEP) and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar and Scopus up to end of 2020. All observational human studies (cross-sectional, case–control, and cohort) were included. Studies that assessed the effect of DNA methylation on cardiometabolic risk factors were selected.

Results

Among 1398 articles, eight studies and twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis and the systematic review, respectively. Our study showed ABCG1 and LINE1 methylation were positively associated with blood pressure (Fisher’s zr = 0.07 (0.06, 0.09), 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.08). Methylation in LINE1, ABCG1, SREBF1, PHOSPHO1 and ADRB3 had no significant association with HDL levels (Fisher’s zr = − 0.05 (− 0.13, 0.03), 95% CI:-0.12 to 0.02). Positive association was existed between LINE1, ABCG1 and LEP methylation and LDL levels (Fisher’s zr = 0.13 (0.04, 0.23), 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.23). Moreover, positive association was found between HbA1C and ABCG1 methylation (Fisher’s zr = 0.11 (0.09, 0.13), 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.12). DNA methylation of LINE1, ABCG1 and SREBF1 genes had no significant association with glucose levels (Fisher’s zr = 0.01 (− 0.12, 0.14), 95% CI:-0.12 to 0.14).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis showed that DNA methylation was associated with some cardiometabolic risk factors including LDL-C, HbA1C, and blood pressure.

Registration

Registration ID of the protocol on PROSPERO is CRD42020207677.
The effect of 100% single-occupancy rooms on acquisition of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales and intra-hospital patient transfers: a prospective before-and-after study
Authors: van der Schoor Adriënne S. , Severin Juliëtte A. , van der Weg Anna S. , Strepis Nikolaos , Klaassen Corné H. W. , van den Akker Johannes P. C. , Bruno Marco J. , Hendriks Johanna M. , Vos Margreet C. , Voor in ’t holt Anne F.
Published: June 2022

Background

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) are a well-known cause of healthcare-associated infections. The implementation of single-occupancy rooms is believed to decrease the spread of ESBL-E. Additionally, implementation of single-occupancy rooms is expected to reduce the need for intra-hospital patient transfers. We studied the impact of a new hospital with 100% single-occupancy rooms on the acquisition of ESBL-E and on intra-hospital patient transfers.

Methods

In 2018, the Erasmus MC University Medical Center moved from an old, 1200-bed hospital with mainly multiple-occupancy rooms, to a newly constructed 522-bed hospital with 100% single-occupancy rooms. Adult patients admitted between January 2018 and September 2019 with an expected hospitalization of ≥ 48 h were asked to participate in this study. Perianal samples were taken at admission and discharge. Patient characteristics and clinical information, including number of intra-hospital patient transfers, were collected from the patients’ electronic health records.

Results

Five hundred and ninety-seven patients were included, 225 in the old and 372 in the new hospital building. Fifty-one (8.5%) ESBL-E carriers were identified. Thirty-four (66.7%) patients were already positive at admission, of which 23 without recent hospitalization. Twenty patients acquired an ESBL-E, seven (3.1%) in the old and 13 (3.5%) in the new hospital building (P = 0.801). Forty-one (80.4%) carriers were only detected by the active screening performed during this study. Only 10 (19.6%) patients, six before and four during hospitalization, showed ESBL-E in a clinical sample taken on medical indication. Fifty-six (24.9%) patients were transferred to other rooms in the old hospital, compared to 53 (14.2%) in the new hospital building (P = 0.001). Intra-hospital patient transfers were associated with ESBL-E acquisition (OR 3.18, 95%CI 1.27–7.98), with increasing odds when transferred twice or more.

Conclusion

Transitioning to 100% single-occupancy rooms did not decrease ESBL-E acquisition, but did significantly decrease the number of intra-hospital patient transfers. The latter was associated with lower odds on ESBL-E acquisition. ESBL-E carriers remained largely unidentified through clinical samples.

Trial registration

This study was retrospectively registered in the Dutch National Trial Register on 24-02-2020, with registration number NL8406.
Always Assess the Raw Electroencephalogram: Why Automated Burst Suppression Detection May Not Detect All Episodes
Authors: Fleischmann Antonia , Georgii Marie-Therese , Schuessler Jule , Schneider Gerhard , Pilge Stefanie , Kreuzer Matthias
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND:

Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based monitors of anesthesia are used to assess patients’ level of sedation and hypnosis as well as to detect burst suppression during surgery. One of these monitors, the Entropy module, uses an algorithm to calculate the burst suppression ratio (BSR) that reflects the percentage of suppressed EEG. Automated burst suppression detection monitors may not reliably detect this EEG pattern. Hence, we evaluated the detection accuracy of BSR and investigated the EEG features leading to errors in the identification of burst suppression.

METHODS:

With our study, we were able to compare the performance of the BSR to the visual burst suppression detection in the raw EEG and obtain insights on the architecture of the unrecognized burst suppression phases.

RESULTS:

We showed that the BSR did not detect burst suppression in 13 of 90 (14%) patients. Furthermore, the time comparison between the visually identified burst suppression duration and elevated BSR values strongly depended on the BSR value being used as a cutoff. A possible factor for unrecognized burst suppression by the BSR may be a significantly higher suppression amplitude (P = .002). Six of the 13 patients with undetected burst suppression by BSR showed intraoperative state entropy values >80, indicating a risk of awareness while being in burst suppression.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results complement previous results regarding the underestimation of burst suppression by other automated detection modules and highlight the importance of not relying solely on the processed index, but to assess the native EEG during anesthesia.
Thomas Aquinas and Dionysian Ecclesiastical Hierarchy
Authors: Reese Ephrem
Published: June 2022

The thought of Thomas Aquinas is rightly understood to be hierarchical, but the word hierarchy is understood diversely across time and place, and important readers of Thomas have praised or blamed him for being less hierarchical than his contemporaries. Early modern critique of hierarchy with its political edge often dominates understanding of the notion, but such critique stems from medieval controversies over religious perfection and sacramental life, which in turn echo the monastic polemics of Pseudo-Dionysius, the probable inventor of the term hierarchy. The massive influence of Dionysius made him a contested authority in Thomas's time, and in his battles with secular clergy the Dominican theologian shows himself a more careful interpreter of the pseudo-Areopagite than his contemporaries, who purported to defend hierarchy against the mendicants. This study presents the reading method of Aquinas as a contemplative project, motivated and delineated by the mendicant controversies of the thirteenth century, and undertaken alongside the obscure Dionysius within their common pursuit of religious perfection.
The Restless Orders of Nature: Multispecies Classification in Jean Corbechon's Livre des propriétés des choses
Authors: Sunderland Luke
Published: June 2022

The description of living beings—the “ornements” of the earth in all their diversity—is a central task of Jean Corbechon's fourteenth-century encyclopedia, the Livre des propriétés des choses, a translation into French of Bartholomaeus Anglicus's thirteenth-century De proprietatibus rerum, undertaken for Charles V of France. This article surveys the system for conceptualizing nature in Corbechon's encyclopedia. The Livre's account of animal, vegetable, and mineral life surpasses that of bestiaries and other vernacular encyclopedias, providing an idiom in French for the expression of natural diversity, complemented by new visualizations in the illustrated manuscripts. The concept of propriétés articulates the principles of diversity from elemental commonalities, through groups and subgroups such as birds and birds of prey, down to individual species. The Livre encourages the formation of analogies between beings, especially in terms of anatomy and modes of motion, reproduction, combat, and nutrition. Visual tools, including image grids, express groupings, and the etymologies of beings’ names gloss their properties and create links to human life. Ultimately, a restless ontological complexity of beings emerges, as the properties of animals, plants, and stones are enmeshed with each other and with human beings.
“Al the town in a rore”: Authority, Revolt, and Rational Obedience in Thomas Usk's Appeal and Testament of Love
Authors: Fry Chandler
Published: June 2022

While much criticism on the fourteenth-century English scribe and politician Thomas Usk characterizes him as a self-interested partisan whose Appeal and Testament of Love lay bare his hopes for material reward from London's rulers, this article argues that Usk's two texts offer a political vision organized around what he and his culture regarded as a virtue: rational obedience to political authority. In his Appeal, the explosive text that was written for the trial of London's mayor in 1384, Usk makes use of charged language tied to the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 in order to depict obedience as fundamental to peace in London. His Testament, written a year later while in prison, revisits the issues that moved him to write the Appeal, this time drawing on medieval ethical and political theory to define the necessity of—and the limits to—obedience in a monarchical society.
Nugae on the Block: Maffeo Vegio (1407–1458), Virgil, and the Early Quattrocento Polemic over Light Verse
Authors: Mottram Brett
Published: June 2022

Studies on the Renaissance reception of Virgil as an epic, georgic, and bucolic poet typically overshadow Virgil’s reception as an author of light, ludic verse. In 1428, Maffeo Vegio (1407–1458) wrote his Supplementum to Virgil’s Aeneid, an earnest attempt to complete the revered ancient epic. A decade later, however, Vegio was alluding to Virgil’s poetry irreverently in distichs and epigrams, regarding Virgil’s example as justification for poetic frivolity. The vogue for such poetic trifles sparked controversy between Vegio and his literary associates over poetic decorum and the moral limits of poetry. This article situates Vegio’s short poems within this literary-historical context, showing how the reception of Virgil intersected with a fierce polemic over the status and legitimacy of light verse. It sheds new light not only on Vegio’s poetics of Virgilian allusion, but also on the role of literary networks in shaping the theory and practice of Renaissance imitation and the construction of poetic identity.
Early Stuart Clergyman Poets: A Prosopographic Approach
Authors: Werlin Julianne
Published: June 2022

This essay is a prosopographic study of the group of published poets, born between 1570 and 1610, who were employed as clergymen. It argues that this period saw an important shift in the organization and occupational structure of the church, which helped to produce a generation of university-educated, high-status clerics who were also accomplished versifiers. Poets such as George Herbert and John Donne were not anomalies but part of a wider trend that profoundly shaped English verse conventions. The essay thus makes a case for considering institutional history as an important influence on literary history.
The Copy Room: Imagining a Huguenot Library in Early Modern London
Authors: Gucer Kathryn A.
Published: June 2022

This essay illuminates an unexplored intersection between recent work on early modern networks, book history, and the history of libraries. It focuses on a letter book, a continuous record of the French Protestant Church of London's correspondence from 1643 to 1650. The church officials who kept this unusual record found themselves imagining their library and its books as working parts in a vibrant information hub for the Huguenot churches in England. Using methods from microhistory (i.e., plausible inference) and literary criticism to uncover an alternative reading of the letters copied into the letter book, as distinct from the original letters, the article traces the beginnings of a lending library in the church officials’ thinking. In illuminating the letter book's impact, the essay places Huguenots, long treated as a marginalized minority, in the spotlight of a global history, which traces the movements of people, ideas, and goods across newly imagined spaces.
Working Paper 39: Behavioural drivers of corruption facilitating illegal wildlife trade
Authors: Baez Camargo Claudia , Burgess Gayle
Published: June 2022

This Problem Analysis is a review of the efficacy and opportunities for using social norm and behaviour change (SNBC) approaches to combat illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and other natural resource-related corruption.

Behavioural science is a rich and expansive field that has received prominent coverage in recent years for the promise it offers as a foundational yet underutilised approach to achieving biodiversity conservation. Extensive literature shows how SNBC initiatives can help combat diverse corruption problems, although for those related to natural resource management the evidence for doing so is sparse.

This report synthesises the available information and suggests the next steps to redress this current lack of evidence. It seeks to:

Understand what SNBC approaches might or might not work in fighting corruption.

Identify entry points for designing SNBC interventions that can effectively reduce corruption related to IWT.

This Analysis has been produced in association with the Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project. The TNRC project is working to improve biodiversity outcomes by helping practitioners to address the threats posed by corruption to wildlife, fisheries and forests. TNRC harnesses existing knowledge, generates new evidence, and supports innovative policy and practice for more effective anti-corruption programming. Learn more at tnrcproject.org.

This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or individual TNRC consortium members.
TRANSHUMANISM AND THE ANTHROPOCENE IN BECKY CHAMBERS’ A CLOSED AND COMMON ORBIT
Authors: ROLDÁN ROMERO VANESA
Published: June 2022

Transhumanism has been rising in both popularity and influence on western societies and philosophical thought. Dreams of mind transfer, immortality, or cloning as well as the fear of sentient and intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) can be traced in some of Netflix’s most popular series such as Altered Carbon (2018), from the novel by Richard K. Morgan, or Orphan Black (2013), to mention just a few. Similarly, transhumanism may be spotted in Becky Chambers’ fiction. The novel analysed in this paper, A Closed and Common Orbit (2016), a sequel in the author’s Wayfarers series, explores the possibility of cloning human bodies, the production of sentient AI, and the subsequent ethical implications of both science fiction tropes. Far from showing transhumanism as a miracle solution to limitations in human bodies and capacity to avoid climate change, the text presents the suspicions and fears transhumanism may raise in the USA. This article provides evidence of how the Anthropocene and transhumanism operate in Becky Chambers’ novel, the ethical effects concerning intrinsic and extrinsic values and their possible subversion through a posthumanist alliance under the Anthropocene.
La salud mental de los médicos que atienden COVID-19 en la Ciudad de México: una investigación antropológica
Authors: Muñoz Martínez Rubén
Published: June 2022

Introducción: el objetivo de este artículo es explorar, desde una perspectiva antropológica, las representaciones sociales que el personal médico que atienden covid-19 en hospitales especializados de la Ciudad de México, respecto a la relación entre su desempeño profesional y el deterioro de su salud mental, así como de los recursos institucionales existentes para atenderla y sus estrategias de búsqueda de atención y de autoatención. Materiales y métodos: para ello, se realizó una investigación cualitativa con entrevistas semiestructuradas a 35 médicos que atienden covid-19. Resultados: a partir de sus puntos de vista se documentan y analizan diversas causas socioculturales y estructurales del padecimiento mental relacionado con su desempeño profesional, así como sus representaciones sobre la inadecuación o ineficacia de los recursos institucionales, grupales o individuales, para atenderlos y algunas modalidades de búsqueda de atención y autoatención alopáticas y no biomédicas. Conclusiones: se realizan recomendaciones para abordar institucionalmente las etiologías del padecimiento reportadas por los entrevistados de una forma cultural y estructuralmente adecuada al contexto de la pandemia.
UK clinical approaches to address post-stroke fatigue: findings from The Nottingham Fatigue after Stroke study
Authors: Ablewhite Joanne , Condon Laura , Nair Roshan das , Jones Amanda , Jones Fiona , Nouri Fiona , Sprigg Nikola , Thomas Shirley , Drummond Avril
Published: June 2022

Background/Aims

Although post-stroke is common and debilitating, there is little published research on how it is managed by clinicians. The aim of this study was to document UK management of post-stroke fatigue and ascertain whether there are any differences in its management compared to fatigue arising from other conditions.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was used with allied health professionals, psychologists, doctors and nurses working clinically in hospitals, the community or both, who routinely provided information, management or treatment to patients with fatigue. Questionnaires were designed and underwent pilot testing. Recruitment was conducted using healthcare professional networks, professional and condition special interest groups and social media, snowballing and personal emails targeting key professional experts.

Results

A total of 305 questionnaires were analysed; the majority of responses were from occupational therapists (56%, n=171). Although there were different opinions about whether post-stroke fatigue was the same as fatigue resulting from other conditions, the strategies suggested for both were similar. Post-stroke management included pacing (67%, n=204), which is spreading activities out during the day or week, keeping a fatigue diary (39%, n=119) and education (38%, n=117). There were variations in how support was offered, and marked variations in length of follow up; some services were flexible and could retain patients for up to 18 months, while others offered one session and no follow up.

Conclusions

People with post-stroke fatigue and fatigue arising from other conditions experience different levels of support to manage their fatigue, but the main strategies used in management are similar.
Camelôs em Feira de Santana (BA): Ordenamento Territorial e Desenvolvimento Local
Authors: Pereira Duarte Pinto Jeferson
Published: June 2022

A partir do levantamento de dados realizado nesta pesquisa e consulta bibliográfica para a construção do referencial teórico desta, torna-se possível notar que o iminente avanço da atividade de comércio informal na cidade de Feira de Santana – BA possui relação exponencial com a taxa de desemprego na região, implicando na busca de vias alternativas para subsistência.
“A HISTÓRIA QUE NÓIS SOFREU”: ATUAÇÃO FEMININA NAS LUTAS SOCIAIS DO SUBMÉDIO DO SÃO FRANCISCO (1968-1994)
Authors: Clara Silva Santiago Joana
Published: June 2022

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo investigar, registrar e discutir a história da atuação de quatro mulheres nas lutas sociais do Submédio do São Francisco, durante o período de implementação e manutenção das barragens da Companhia Hidrelétrica do São Francisco (CHESF) correspondente aos anos de 1968-1994, tempo em que houve conflitos devido a imposição do barregeamento da CHESF sem as devidas contrapartidas às famílias trabalhadoras.
PERCEPÇÕES ACERCA A ESCRITA NA UNIVERSIDADE SOB OS OLHARES DE DOCENTES E DISCENTES DA UEFS
Authors: Santana de Oliveira Andrea
Published: June 2022

A escrita científica possui uma grande relevância no contexto universitário, estando presente nas atividades acadêmicas das mais variadas áreas do conhecimento. Mantendo assim, uma estreita relação com o sucesso ou fracasso acadêmico dos estudantes.
Optical sectioning robotic microscopy for everyone: the structured illumination microscope with the OpenFlexure stages
Authors: Matsui Tatsunosuke , Fujiwara Daigo
Published: June 2022

We report on the 3D-printed structured illumination microscope (SIM) with optical sectioning capability. Optically sectioned images are obtained by projecting a single-spatial-frequency grid pattern onto the specimen and recording three images with the grid pattern at different spatial phases, and then post-processing with simple mathematics. For the precise actuation of the grid for the structured illumination and the positioning of the sample, stages of the open-sourced, 3D-printable OpenFlexure families, which are capable of highly precise positioning control of tens of nanometers based on the flexure mechanism of the flexible plastics, are utilized. Our system has optical sectioning strength of a few microns, which is equivalent to that achievable with the confocal microscopes. The operation of our system can be automated with the Raspberry Pi and can be remotely operated from a PC via a wireless local area network.
Qualitative comparison between different biopolymers for usage in two-photon polymerization towards liver regeneration
Authors: Ežerskytė Eglė , Vengris Mikas , Gineitis Karolis , Merkininkaitė Greta , Leber Bettina , Vargalis Rokas , Stiegler Philipp , Schemmer Peter , Šakirzanovas Simas , Kielaitė-Gulla Aistė , Strupas Kęstutis , Jonušauskas Linas
Published: June 2022

Femtosecond laser-based two-photon polymerization is becoming increasingly popular in biofabrication. One of the key selling points of the technology is the possibility to use a variety of different materials to produce biology-oriented structures, for instance, liver cell regeneration. These include hybrid materials, lithographic resins, and hydrogels to name a few. However, while these materials are investigated separately, there is a severe lack of studies dedicated to directly comparing them in terms of structurability. Therefore, in this work, popular pre-polymers such as SZ2080, SU8, and GelMA are compared side by side in this manner. They are photosensitized using photoinitiators Irgacure 369, Irgacure 2959, and LAP. Structurability is tested using two different popular wavelengths - 800 nm and 515 nm. Acquired differences are subsequently partially explained by two-photon absorption measurement, giving insights into the efficiency of the photopolymerization process. Finally, biocompatibility is compared showing surprisingly small differences between all the tested materials.
Advantages of YLF host over YAG in power scaling at cryogenic temperatures: direct comparison of Yb-doped systems
Authors: Demirbas Umit , Kellert Martin , Thesinga Jelto , Reuter Simon , Kärtner Franz X. , Pergament Mikhail
Published: June 2022

We have investigated the cryogenic performance of Yb:YAG and Yb:YLF crystals in rod-geometry to understand the pros and cons of each material for the development of ultrafast lasers and amplifier systems. We have performed detailed spectroscopic (absorption, emission, lifetime), temperature, lasing, and thermal-lens measurements with Yb:YLF and Yb:YAG crystals under almost identical conditions. Our analysis has shown that despite the higher thermal conductivity of Yb:YAG, due to its smaller quantum defect, the peak/average temperatures reached under similar pumping conditions is lower in Yb:YLF crystals. Moreover, since the YLF host has a negative thermo-optic coefficient, that balances other positive contributions to thermal lensing, overall Yb:YLF rods possess a much weaker thermal lens than Yb:YAG under similar conditions. As a result of these benefits, we have shown that Yb:YLF rods perform better than Yb:YAG in cryogenic lasing experiments in terms of attainable power performance and laser output beam quality. In terms of gain per pass, the Yb:YAG medium is superior, however, the gain bandwidth is much broader in Yb:YLF systems that make it more suitable for ultrafast pulse laser/amplifier development. We have further shown that, the asymmetric thermal lens behavior of Yb:YLF favors laser operation in E//c axis over E//a axis. The comparison in this study has been performed in rod geometry and for Yb-doping, however, we believe that, to first order, the discussion could be extended to YAG/YLF laser systems doped with other ions (Pr, Nd, Er, Tm, Ho) and to other lasing geometries such as slab and thin-disk.
Method to measure the refractive index for photoluminescence modelling
Authors: Bailly Elise , Chevrier Kevin , Perez de la Vega Camilo R. , Hugonin Jean-Paul , De Wilde Yannick , Krachmalnicoff Valentina , Vest Benjamin , Greffet Jean-Jacques
Published: June 2022

Light emission by fluorophores can be computed from the knowledge of
the absorption spectrum. However, at long wavelengths, the calculated
emission may diverge if the decay of the imaginary part of the
permittivity is not modelled with precision. We report a technique to
obtain the permittivity of fluorophores such as dye molecules from
fluorescence measurements. We find that the Brendel-Bormann model
enables to fit the emission spectra accurately.