bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disrupting deficit dialogues with literature
Authors: Connelly Jeanne , Hayden Emily , Tuttle Prince Angela
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to connect disability studies to multicultural education. This paper advances equity discussions and positions educators as interrupters of deficit dialogues that exclude students with social/emotional/behavioural (SEB) differences, disrupting the ableism that is present in schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors studied current children’s and young adult literature with representation of SEB differences to develop a three-dimensional model for educators. The authors synthesized interdisciplinary fields to provide educators guidance for planning, teaching and assessing student learning using such books.

Findings

The 3-D Model: Disrupting Deficit Dialogues with Literature (3-D model) is a framework that educators can use to evaluate SEB differences representation in books, deliver instruction that supports students’ critical thinking and assess student gains in literacy and social–emotional learning. This tool helps educators develop inclusive, interdisciplinary instruction, embedding social–emotional learning competencies in literacy lessons that disrupt deficit dialogues about SEB differences.

Originality/value

While other frameworks exist for evaluating books portraying characters with differences, they are not solely focussed on the assets of children with social/emotional/ behavioural differences. The 3-D model supports interdisciplinary instruction to meet mandated standards, incorporating concepts from disability studies in education into multicultural education. There is little research or guidance for educators in this field. However, challenging assumptions about disability and societal norms foregrounds possibilities for change as a foundation of multiculturalism.
How to generate customer and firm benefits through online game product and brand community engagement – online and offline perspectives
Authors: Chang Chia-Wen , Hsu Chiu-Ping
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to provide a conceptual framework for exploring the relationship between online game product engagement and online brand community engagement and how these two types of customer engagement affect subsequent offline benefit for customers and online and offline benefits for firms. This study also investigates the antecedents of online game product engagement from the virtual experience perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected data from online gamers in Taiwan. Of the 580 responses, 548 were valid. Smart PLS 3 was used to test the measurement model and the hypotheses in the research model.

Findings

The conceptual model is supported. First, the findings show that learning, entertainment, flow and social interaction play key roles in explaining online game product engagement. Second, online game product engagement has a positive effect on online brand community engagement. Finally, online game product engagement and online brand community engagement are crucial drivers of customers’ offline benefit and firms’ online and offline benefits.

Originality/value

Four contributions are made by this study. First, this study explores firms’ online benefit (virtual item purchase intention) and offline benefits, including licensed product and co-branded product purchase intention. Second, this study explores the customer’s offline benefit (offline skill development). Third, it focuses on two types of customer engagement, including online game product engagement and online brand community engagement, and explores the relationship between them. Finally, the concept of virtual experience is used to explore the antecedents of online game product engagement.
Epistemic injustice as a bridge between medical sociology and disability studies
Authors: Mladenov Teodor , Dimitrova Ina
Published: May 2022

This paper explores the potential of the perspective of epistemic injustice to reconcile medical sociology's attention to the micro level of experience and interpersonal exchange, and disability studies' focus on the macro level of oppressive structures. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the concept of epistemic injustice and its key instances—testimonial, hermeneutical, and contributory injustice. We also consider previous applications of the concept in the fields of health care and disability, and we contextualise our investigation by discussing key features of postsocialism from the perspective of epistemic injustice. In the second part, we explore specific epistemic injustices experienced by people who use disability support by drawing on interviews and focus groups conducted with parents of disabled children in present‐day Bulgaria. In our conclusion, we revisit our methodological and theoretical points about the potential of epistemic injustice to facilitate mutually beneficial exchanges between medical sociology and disability studies.
‘There's only so much you can be pushed’: Magnification of the maternity staffing crisis by the 2020/21 COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Cordey Sarah , Moncrieff Gill , Cull Joanne , Sarian Arni ,   the ASPIRE‐COVID 19 Collaborative Group
Published: May 2022

This article includes Author Insights, a video abstract available at: https://vimeo.com/bjogabstracts/authorinsights17203
Dynamic changes in systemic immune‐inflammation index predict pathological tumor response and overall survival in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Demircan Nazım Can , Atcı Muhammed Mustafa , Demir Metin , Işık Selver , Akagündüz Baran
Published: May 2022

Aim

Systemic inflammation has been associated with chemoresistance and prognosis in solid tumors. Systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) is a novel marker derived from complete blood count. We investigated whether differences between SIIs measured before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are associated with tumor regression grade (TRG) and survival in gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer patients.

Methods

Records of gastric and GEJ cancer patients treated with NACT in two centers were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were categorized according to difference between pre‐ and post‐NACT SII values (ΔSII). Association between clinicopathological factors and TRG was analyzed using logistic regression method. Predictors of disease‐free and overall survival (DFS and OS) were determined with Cox regression models.

Results

The study included 140 patients. Patients with ΔSII<0 were more likely to achieve TRG 0/1 (45.2% vs. 19.1%, p = 0.003) and ΔSII<0 was an independent predictor of TRG 0/1 (OR = 6.05, p<0.001). DFS and OS of patients with ΔSII<0 were also significantly longer (p = 0.031 and p = 0.006, respectively). After adjustment for other variables, ΔSII≥0 was an independent prognostic factor for OS (Hazard ratio (HR) = 2.13, p = 0.008).

Conclusions

Changes in SII, which is a low‐cost and easily accessible marker, may be used to estimate prognosis, individualize postoperative treatment and optimize surveillance in gastric and GEJ cancer patients treated with NACT.
A walk‐in clinic as an alternative approach to reaching non‐attenders of the cervical cancer screening program in the North Denmark region—a pilot study
Authors: Bonefeld Rikke Ekkelund , Poulsgaard Frandsen Anna , Christensen Jette , Larsen Thomas , Kahr Henriette Strøm
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Up to 39% of women in Denmark do not participate regularly in the cervical cancer screening program and initiatives to increase participation are called upon. The primary aim of this study was to describe previous screening history and characteristics of women attending screening in a walk‐in clinic. Furthermore, we wanted to investigate barriers to cervical cancer screening.

Material and methods

We designed a walk‐in clinic that was open 2 days a week from 16.00 to 19.00 h, located in the Departments of Gynecology in the two main hospitals of the North Denmark Region. The main purpose of the clinic was cervical cancer screening and the study period was 5 months. Women who were not eligible for screening or had other health complaints were referred to their general practitioner. The women included in the study, filled out a questionnaire regarding educational and occupational status; their screening history was registered using data from the Danish Pathology Register.

Results

During the study period, 255 women visited the walk‐in clinic. The final study population consisted of 249 women who met the inclusion criteria. Age range of participants was 23–77 years, with a median age of 45 years. The majority of the participants were currently employed (81%) or students (10%), the remaining being retired (5%) or unemployed (4%). Screening history showed that 138 (55.4%) of the women were on time for the screening or delayed less than 6 months compared to their recommended screening interval. Sixty‐one women (24.5%) were delayed >6 months but <2 years. Fifty women (20.1%) were classified as non‐attenders, with more than a 2‐year delay in their screening. In the group of non‐attenders, eight women had never been screened. Of the remaining 42 women, the median time since last screening was 8.2 years (range 5.0–25.3 years).

Conclusions

Women attending the walk‐in clinic tended to be primarily actively working or students (91%). All age groups in the screening population were represented. Screening history showed that 44.6% had not followed the recommended screening program.
Predictability of carcass traits in live Tan sheep by real‐time ultrasound technology with least‐squares support vector machines
Authors: Fan Naiyun , Liu Guishan , Zhang Chong , Zhang Jingjing , Yu Jiangyong , Sun Yourui
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to investigate the performance of least‐squares support vector machines to predict carcass characteristics in Tan sheep using noninvasive in vivo measurements. A total of 80 six‐month‐old Tan sheep (37 rams and 43 ewes) were examined. Back fat thickness and eye muscle area between the 12th and 13th ribs were measured using real‐time ultrasound in live Tan sheep. All carcasses were dissected to hind leg, longissimus dorsi muscle, lean meat, fat, and bone to determine carcass composition. Multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares regression (PLSR), and least‐squares support vector machines (LSSVM) were applied to correlate the live Tan sheep characteristics with carcass composition. The results showed that the LSSVM model had a better efficacy for estimating carcass weight, longissimus dorsi muscle weight, lean meat weight, fat weight, lean meat, and fat percentage in live lambs (R = 0.94, RMSE = 0.62; R = 0.73, RMSE = 0.02; R = 0.86, RMSE = 0.47; R = 0.78, RMSE = 0.63; R = 0.73, RMSE = 0.02; R = 0.65, RMSE = 0.03, respectively). LSSVM algorithm was a potential alternative to the conventional MLR method. The results demonstrated that LSSVM model might have great potential to be applied to the evaluation of sheep with superior carcass traits by combining with real‐time ultrasound technology.
The role of the classroom learning environment in students’ mathematics anxiety: A scoping review
Authors: O’Hara Gabrielle , Kennedy Heather , Naoufal Michael , Montreuil Tina
Published: May 2022

Background

Math anxiety is a common experience that interferes with learning and achievement in mathematics. Considering that mathematics learning mostly takes place within the classroom, it is critical to examine how math anxiety develops in this context.

Aims

The purpose of the current scoping review was to identify classroom‐learning environment factors associated with math anxiety in elementary and high school students.

Sample(s)

Out of an initial sample of 3011 studies, 28 were eligible for inclusion.

Methods

Data on author(s), publication year, and study location; sample demographics; classroom variables; intervention details (if applicable); measures; and key results were extracted from articles.

Results

Numerous protective and vulnerability factors were identified.

Conclusions

Directions for future research and methodological implications were explored.
Loss of function mutation in DNAH7 induces male infertility associated with abnormalities of the sperm flagella and mitochondria in human
Authors: Gao Yang , Liu Liting , Shen Qunshan , Fu Feifei , Xu Chuan , Geng Hao , Lv Mingrong , Li Kuokuo , Tang Dongdong , Song Bing , Wu Huan , Xu Yuping , Zhang Ying , Tao Fangbiao , Zhou Ping , Wei Zhaolian , He Xiaojin , Cao Yunxia
Published: May 2022

Male infertility is an increasingly serious health problem affecting couples of reproductive age. Mutations in axoneme‐associated genes cause male infertility. Dynein arm proteins are essential in sustaining normal axonemes and promote flagellar motility. However, the function of DNAH7 in male fertility in vivo remains unclear. Herein, we showed that DNAH7 disruption in humans results in male infertility, which was characterised by multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella. The axoneme structure of the sperm from a DNAH7‐deficient patient revealed the loss of inner dynein arms. Moreover, the mitochondria of the sperm flagella detached and dispersed outside the axoneme, leading to abnormalities in the mitochondrial sheath in the mid‐piece region. Live birth was achieved via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Thus, DNAH7 is critical for axoneme and mitochondrial development in human sperm. These findings further clarify the spectrum of DNAH7 biology and provide new insights for diagnosing infertility and treating patients harbouring DNAH7 mutations.
Packing the donor heart: Is SherpaPak cold preservation technique safer compared to ice cold storage
Authors: Bitargil Macit , Haddad Osama , Pham Si M. , Garg Neha , Jacob Samuel , El‐Sayed Ahmed Magdy M. , Landolfo Kevin , Patel Parag C. , Goswami Rohan M. , Leoni Moreno Juan Carlos , Yip Daniel S. , Sareyyupoglu Basar
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The present study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of heart transplant patients whose donor hearts were preserved with the SherpaPak controlled cold organ system versus the conventional ice storage technique.

Methods

All patients undergoing heart transplantation at our center between January 2019 and April 2021 were divided into two groups according to the technique used during donor heart preservation and transport. The first group consisted of 34 SherpaPak controlled temperature preservation patients, and the second group consisted of 47 patients where the conventional three bags and ice technique was utilized during organ transportation. The two groups were compared based on demographics, operative details, and postoperative outcomes.

Results

There were no significant differences between the groups regarding Vasoactive Inotropic Score (VIS), Primary Graft Dysfunction (PGD), and the need for a transient pacer. However, the VIS, PGD, and pacing trends were lower in the SherpaPak patients even though the total ischemic and cardiopulmonary bypass times were significantly longer. Furthermore, SherpaPak patients exhibited a shorter stay in the ICU with no severe PGD and mortality.

Conclusion

The SherpaPak donor heart preservation provides safe outcomes in heart transplant patients. Further research is needed to utilize this method for longer durations of ischemic time and expand travel distances for organ transportation.
Attentional control in middle childhood is highly dynamic—Strong initial distraction is followed by advanced attention control
Authors: Volkmer Sindram , Wetzel Nicole , Widmann Andreas , Scharf Florian
Published: May 2022

The ability to shield against distraction while focusing on a task requires the operation of executive functions and is essential for successful learning. We investigated the short‐term dynamics of distraction control in a data set of 269 children aged 4–10 years and 51 adults pooled from three studies using multilevel models. Participants performed a visual categorization task while a task‐irrelevant sequence of sounds was presented which consisted of frequently repeated standard sounds and rarely interspersed novel sounds. On average, participants responded slower in the categorization task after novel sounds. This distraction effect was more pronounced in children. Throughout the experiment, the initially strong distraction effects declined to the level of adults in the groups of 6‐ to 10‐year‐olds. Such a decline was neither observed in the groups of the 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds, who consistently showed a high level of distraction, nor in adults, who showed a constantly low level of distraction throughout the experimental session. Results indicate that distraction control is a highly dynamic process that qualitatively and quantitatively differs between age groups. We conclude that the analysis of short‐term dynamics provides valuable insights into the development of attention control and might explain inconsistent findings regarding distraction control in middle childhood. In addition, models of attention control need to be refined to account for age‐dependent rapid learning mechanisms. Our findings have implications for the design of learning situations and provide an additional source of information for the diagnosis and treatment of children with attention deficit disorders.
Public governance and executive perks under a weak corporate governance environment
Authors: Huang Wei , Li Zongyan , Qin Yu , Yuan Shuai
Published: May 2022

We reveal state‐led anti‐corruption campaigns in China can mitigate excess executive perk consumption facilitated by firms' weak internal control environment. Our findings suggest that public governance can substitute for firm‐level governance mechanisms. Since these campaigns enhance the central government's disciplinary power over local state‐owned enterprises (SOEs), the above effects are heightened among SOEs controlled by provincial/municipal governments rather than the central government. Irrespective of political connections, non‐SOEs are also affected, indicating policy effect spillover to China's private sectors. We explore several underlining mechanisms for these effects, including Communist Party Committee governance, chief executive officer/chairperson dismissal, industry competition, and firm productivity.
Initial Assessment on Hydraulic Conductivity of Rock Mass and its Size Effect Using Drilling Data
Authors: He Mingming , Li Panfeng
Published: May 2022

Predicting hydraulic conductivity and characterizing its size effect in jointed rock masses is fundamental to various geoscience and engineering disciplines. A new empirical method, using drilling data, is established to predict the hydraulic conductivity of a rock mass in the scanline direction. The effect of the scanline unit length on the distribution characteristics of hydraulic conductivity for boreholes in jointed rock masses is studied. In addition, the scanline length of boreholes was used to study the size effect of hydraulic conductivity of jointed rock masses, and a new model was proposed to determine the size effect of hydraulic conductivity. A mathematical method for representative volume element (RVE) determination was proposed based on the proposed size effect model of hydraulic conductivity. Some packer tests were conducted to validate the developed method for predicting hydraulic conductivity. The results show that (a) the predicted hydraulic conductivities are close to those determined from the packer tests; (b) the scanline unit lengths influence the distribution characteristics of hydraulic conductivity; (c) a large but fluctuating increase in hydraulic conductivity with increasing scanline length, and the fluctuation decreases with fewer fractures and joints; (d) the mathematical method for predicting RVE andKRVEis effective to make an initial evaluation on jointed rock masses with high fracture frequency.
Telling the difference and the telling differences between hospital in the home and outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy
Authors: Montalto Michael , Ko Stephanie Q.
Published: May 2022

Doctors, authors, funders and hospital managers should take care to distinguish the important differences between hospital in the home (HIH) and outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services. HIH is an inpatient service delivered at home usually by (or on behalf of) hospitals, which aims to substitute for a traditional inpatient stay. It does so by delivering a wide range of hospital treatments to patients at home, or residential aged care, using hospital medical and nursing staff, delivery technologies and venous access, pharmacy, radiology and pathology, and a structured system of on call and governance. OPAT is an outpatient service, usually run through infectious diseases physicians' offices or departments. Most care is delivered in infusion centres and requires patients to travel for their care. Generally, there is no after‐hours support. HIH has supplanted the role of OPAT due to improved governance and a wider clinical and severity scope. HIH is accessible from hospital emergency departments or directly from residential aged care facilities. Inpatient capacity has been expanded during the COVID‐19 pandemic. There is evidence that both HIH and OPAT can successfully treat their selected patient groups. There are no head‐to‐head studies, but in observational comparisons there might be more adverse drug events in OPAT. OPAT places a greater onus of care, supervision and travel needs on the patient and family. Where HIH is not available, OPAT may remain an alternative for some patients. However, HIH seeks to redefine the delivery of inpatient care away from the location of care.
Utilisation of skin blood flow as a precursor for pressure injury development in persons with acute spinal cord injury: A proof of concept
Authors: Tzen Yi‐Ting , Champagne Patricia T. , Rao Varsha , Wang Jijia , Tan Wei‐Han , Klakeel Merrine , Jain Nitin B. , Wukich Dane K. , Koh Timothy J.
Published: May 2022

People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at high risk of developing a pressure injury. It is unclear why some people with SCI develop pressure injury while others with similar predisposing risk factors do not during acute hospitalisation. This may hinder healthcare utilisation to prevent pressure injuries. The purpose of the study was to examine the proof‐of‐concept objective bedside skin blood flow measurements before a pressure injury develops in spinal cord injured patients during acute hospitalisation. This was an observational study. All participants had acute traumatic SCI and were pressure injury‐free upon enrollment. Skin blood flow patterns were collected at both heels under two circumstances: localised pressure for reactive hyperemia, and localised heating for heat hyperemia. Our results showed that reactive and heat hyperemia were successfully induced in all eleven participants. Two participants developed pressure injury and nine did not have pressure injury at discharge. Heat hyperemia was smaller in participants with pressure injury. No difference was observed in reactive hyperemia between the groups. In conclusion, skin blood flow measurements could be obtained at bedside during acute hospitalisation of SCI for the purpose of research. Further examination of a larger group is warranted to determine clinical use of heat hyperemia pattern as predictor for pressure injury development.
Incidence and risk of hypertension with lenvatinib in treatment of solid tumors: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wu Hongxiao , Ding Xiaoyan , Zhang Yongchao , Li Wei , Chen Jinglong
Published: May 2022

This meta‐analysis was performed to assess the relationship between Lenvatinib use for malignancy and hypertension (HTN). A total of 2483 patients met inclusion criteria. The relative risk (RR) for all‐grade and high‐grade (≧3) HTN were 2.61 (p ≦ .001) and 3.35 (p≦ .001), respectively, for Lenvatinib compared with other multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitors or placebo. The cumulative incidence of all‐grade and high‐grade HTN was 70% and 34%, respectively. The studies with median treatment duration (TD) longer than 7.4 months demonstrated a higher incidence of high‐grade HTN than studies with shorter TD (34% vs 28%). The incidence of all levels of HTN increased with TD (68% vs 49%). Trials with median progression‐free survival (PFS) longer than nine months had a higher incidence of both all‐grade (37% vs 28%) and high‐grade (71% vs 48%) HTN. Lenvatinib, a drug commonly used in cancer treatment, is a risk factor for the development of HTN. A longer duration of Lenvatinib treatment was associated with higher frequency of HTN. Further investigation for Lenvatinib of the association between the occurrence of HTN and prognosis will be warranted.
Effect of starvation and refeeding on reactive oxygen species, autophagy and oxidative stress in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi) muscle growth
Authors: Wu Ping , Chen Lin , Cheng Jia , Pan Yaxiong , Zhu Xin , Chu Wuying , Zhang Jianshe
Published: May 2022

In skeletal muscle, autophagy regulates the development and growth of muscle fibres and maintains the normal muscle metabolism. Under starvation and refeeding conditions, the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels on skeletal muscle autophagy is still unclear, although the excessive accumulation of ROS has been shown to increase autophagy in cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of starvation and diet after starvation on the autophagy of adult Chinese perch muscle, and to determine the level of ROS in the muscle. We performed zero (Normal control), three and seven starvation treatments on adult Chinese perch, and returned to normal feeding for 3 days after starvation for 7 days. In the muscles of the adult Chinese perch muscle after 3 days of starvation, the autophagy marker protein LC3 and the number of autophagosomes remained basically the same as in the normal feeding situation. However, on starvation for 7 days, the mitochondrial autophagy was sensitive and the number of autophagosomes increased, but the antioxidant‐related molecules (malondialdehyde, catalase, glutathione S‐transferase, glutathione and anti‐superoxide anion) decreased and the accumulation of ROS was obvious. In addition, the extended starvation time also increased the level of LC3 protein. However, by refeeding after starvation this nutritional stress resulted in a decrease in ROS levels and a partial restoration of antioxidant enzyme activity. Our data show that in the adult Chinese perch muscle, starvation could reduce the antioxidant activity through the accumulation of ROS, and that the number of autophagosomes continues to increase. Refeeding after starvation could effectively compensate for the level of ROS, and restore the mRNA abundance of antioxidant genes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes to reduce autophagy and improve feed efficiency. Further research should optimize starvation conditions to reduce autophagy in muscles and maintain normal muscle metabolism.
Risk‐Sharing and the Term Structure of Interest Rates
Authors: SCHNEIDER ANDRÉS
Published: May 2022

I propose a general equilibrium model with heterogeneous investors to explain the key properties of the U.S. real and nominal term structure of interest rates. I find that differences in investors' elasticities of intertemporal substitution are critical in accounting for the dynamics of nominal and real yields. The nominal term structure is driven primarily by real shocks so that it can be upward sloping regardless of the correlation between nominal and real shocks.
Effect of integrated nutrition‐sensitive and nutrition‐specific intervention package on maternal malnutrition among pregnant women in Rwanda
Authors: Habtu Michael , Agena Alemayehu Gebremariam , Umugwaneza Maryse , Mochama Monica , Munyanshongore Cyprien
Published: May 2022

Maternal undernutrition remains a major public health concern in Rwanda despite significant gains and progress. An integration of nutrition‐specific and nutrition‐sensitive interventions was implemented in five districts of Rwanda to improve maternal and child nutrition. The package included nutrition education and counselling, promotion of agricultural productivity, promotion of financial literacy/economic resilience and provision of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation services. However, there is limited evidence about the effect of such interventions in reducing maternal undernutrition. A postintervention quasi‐experimental study was conducted among pregnant women to determine the effect of the integrated intervention on their nutritional status. It was carried out in two intervention districts, namely Kicukiro and Kayonza, and two control districts, namely Gasabo and Gisagara between November 2020 and June 2021. Five hundred and fifty‐two women were recruited for the intervention arm, while 545 were recruited for the control arm. Maternal undernutrition was defined as either having low mid‐upper arm circumference (<23 cm) during delivery or low body mass index (<18.5 kg/m2) in the first trimester or both. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of the integrated interventions. The prevalence of maternal undernutrition was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (4.7% vs. 18.2%; p < 0.001). After controlling the potential confounders, the risk of maternal undernutrition was 77.0% lower in the intervention group than in the control group [adjusted odds ratio= 0.23; 95% confidence interval = 0.15–0.36; p < 0.001]. Further studies are therefore recommended to establish causation and inform the potential scale‐up of these interventions nationally in Rwanda.
Iran's Water Security: An Emerging Challenge
Authors: Czulda Robert
Published: May 2022

Water and water management are no longer related to environmental studies. There is a very strong link between water and a state's security, as well as its survival and development. A decline in water availability may lead to a collapse or even the extinction of a whole civilization. Sometimes referred to as a “water‐bankrupt” state, Iran is a case that underlines the close relation between water and security, from the perspective of survival and opportunities for development. Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran is among those countries that are the most affected by climate change and low water levels. The main goal of this paper is to analyze challenges related to water in Iran, including the political, security, economic, and social dimensions.
How digital health documentation transforms professional practices in primary healthcare in Denmark: A WPR document analysis
Authors: Duval Jensen Julie , Ledderer Loni , Beedholm Kirsten
Published: May 2022

Historically, recordkeeping has been an essential task for health professionals. Today, this mandatory task increasingly takes place as digital documentation. This study critically examines problem constructions in practical documents on digital documentation strategies in Danish municipal healthcare and how these problem constructions imply particular solutions. A document analysis based on the approach presented in Bacchi's “What's the problem represented to be?” was applied. Forty practical documents in the form of guidelines, strategies, and quality control documents were included. The analysis uncovered three problem representations: lack of coherence between health services in a complex healthcare system, lack of assessable data for management and political prioritization, and inefficiency in the healthcare system. The proposed solution is a digitalized and standardized practice that transforms recordkeeping in the municipalities. However, municipal healthcare is at risk of being fragmented due to digital documentation's focus on the organizational management of health with task‐oriented practices supplied by an anonymous health professional. We find that digital documentation functions as an organizational micromanagement approach that assigns the health professional a subject position as an employee acting according to the organization's framework rather than the profession's normative framework.
The lipoxygenase gene OsRCI‐1 is involved in the biosynthesis of herbivore‐induced JAs and regulates plant defense and growth in rice
Authors: Liao Zhihong , Wang Lu , Li Chengzhe , Cao Mengjiao , Wang Jiani , Yao Zhangliang , Zhou Senya , Zhou Guoxin , Zhang Dayu , Lou Yonggen
Published: May 2022

The pathway mediated by jasmonic acid (JA), biosynthesized via 13‐lipoxygenases (LOX), plays a central role in both plant development and defense. In rice, there are at least fourteen 13‐LOXs. Yet, only two 13‐LOXs have been known to be involved in the biosynthesis of JA and plant defenses in rice. Here we cloned a chloroplast‐localized 13‐LOX gene from rice, OsRCI‐1, whose transcripts were upregulated following infestation by brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), one of the most important pests in rice. Overexpression of OsRCI‐1 (oeRCI lines) increased levels of BPH‐induced JA, jasmonate‐isoleucine, trypsin protease inhibitors and three volatile compounds, 2‐heptanone, 2‐heptanol and α‐thujene. BPHs showed a decreased colonization, fecundity and mass, and developed slowly on oeRCI plants compared with wild‐type (WT) plants. Moreover, BPH‐infested oeRCI plants were more attractive to the egg parasitoid of BPH, Anagrus nilaparvatae than equally treated WT plants. The decreased attractiveness to BPH and enhanced attractiveness to the parasitoid of oeRCI plants correlated with higher levels of BPH‐induced 2‐heptanone and 2‐heptanol, and 2‐heptanone, respectively. Compared with oeRCI plants, WT plants had higher plant height and 1000‐grain weight. These results indicate that OsRCI‐1 is involved in herbivore‐induced JA bursts and plays a role in plant defense and growth.
Left DLPFC activity is associated with plasma kynurenine levels and can predict treatment response to escitalopram in major depressive disorder
Authors: Kamishikiryo Toshiharu , Okada Go , Itai Eri , Masuda Yoshikazu , Yokoyama Satoshi , Takamura Masahiro , Fuchikami Manabu , Yoshino Atsuo , Mawatari Kazuaki , Numata Shusuke , Takahashi Akira , Ohmori Tetsuro , Okamoto Yasumasa
Published: May 2022

Aim

To establish treatment response biomarkers that reflect the pathophysiology of depression, it is important to use an integrated set of features. This study aimed to determine the relationship between regional brain activity at rest and blood metabolites related to treatment response to escitalopram to identify the characteristics of depression that respond to treatment.

Methods

Blood metabolite levels and resting‐state brain activity were measured in patients with moderate to severe depression (n = 65) before and after 6–8 weeks of treatment with escitalopram, and these were compared between Responders and Nonresponders to treatment. We then examined the relationship between blood metabolites and brain activity related to treatment responsiveness in patients and healthy controls (n = 36).

Results

Thirty‐two patients (49.2%) showed a clinical response (>50% reduction in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score) and were classified as Responders, and the remaining 33 patients were classified as Nonresponders. The pretreatment fractional amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (fALFF) value of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and plasma kynurenine levels were lower in Responders, and the rate of increase of both after treatment was correlated with an improvement in symptoms. Moreover, the fALFF value of the left DLPFC was significantly correlated with plasma kynurenine levels in pretreatment patients with depression and healthy controls.

Conclusion

Decreased resting‐state regional activity of the left DLPFC and decreased plasma kynurenine levels may predict treatment response to escitalopram, suggesting that it may be involved in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder in response to escitalopram treatment.
Evaluation of Biological Effects and Transcriptome Changes Induced by LED‐Based Narrow‐Band UVB Phototherapy
Authors: Liu Xinfeng , Chen Huaiyuan , Li Zeyang , Duan Liqiang , Yang Xibin , Jiang Ping , Xu Linyu , Gong Yan , Han Kun
Published: May 2022

Ultraviolet (UV), particularly UVB, is widely used in the treatment of skin diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, mycosis fungoides and pruritus. Recently, there has been a trend of replacing broad‐band UVB (BB‐UVB) units with narrow‐band UVB (NB‐UVB), as studies have demonstrated that NB‐UVB is more efficacious in the treatment of psoriasis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biological effects and transcriptome changes induced by light‐emitting diode‐based NB‐UVB (NB‐UVB LED) phototherapy. Cell viability and the cell migration ability were significantly decreased posttreatment, as well as apoptosis and ROS levels were remarkably increased. NB‐UVB‐induced S phase arrest was observed 12 h postirradiation. Bioinformatics analysis of transcriptome sequencing data revealed that NB‐UVB LED irradiation induced dose‐depended changes in multiple key signaling pathways, such as PI3K and cytoskeletal‐related pathways. The depolymerization of cytoskeleton induced by NB‐UVB was observed 24 h posttreatment. In addition, the expression levels of cytoskeleton‐related proteins FN1, ITGB4, ITGA1, RAC2 and DOCK1 decreased significantly 12 h after irradiation. Our results indicated that NB‐UVB LED may serve as a novel option for the development of NB‐UVB phototherapy devices.
The electoral importance and evolution of climate‐related energy policy: evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Lüth Maximilian , Schaffer Lena Maria
Published: May 2022

In this study, we provide descriptive evidence on the importance and evolution of climate‐related energy policy in Swiss elections over the past 15 years. We combined data collected by us on the issue of energy transition (as the primary policy tool to prevent climate change) in party manifestos with the results of recent Swiss election studies on voter preferences. Our findings indicate that energy and environmental issues have become increasingly polarizing for both parties and voters. This development was mainly driven by the populist right SVP. Simultaneously, the salience of the issue has risen across the electorate and for parties on the right of the political divide. However, issue owning green parties are particularly devoting less attention to energy and environmental issues, narrowing the space in which parties compete along this dimension and disregarding the strong upward trend of these issues among their core voters.
Identification of the novel HLA‐DQB1*04:85 allele by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Zhang Wei , Dong Lina , Chen Nanying , He Ji , Zhu Faming
Published: May 2022

HLA‐DQB1*04:85 differs from HLA‐DQB1*04:02:01:01 by a single nucleotide substitution at position 629 C>G.
Utility of pre‐operative haemoglobin concentration to guide peri‐operative blood tests for hip and knee arthroplasty: A decision curve analysis
Authors: Dhiman Paula , Gibbs Victoria N. , Collins Gary S. , Van Calster Ben , Bakhishli Gardash , Grammatopoulos George , Price Andrew J. , Taylor Adrian , Murphy Mike F. , Kendrick Ben J. L. , Palmer Antony J. R.
Published: May 2022

Objective

Assess the prognostic value of pre‐operative haemoglobin concentration (Hb) for identifying patients who develop severe post‐operative anaemia or require blood transfusion following primary total hip or knee, or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA, UKA).

Background

Pre‐operative group and save (G&S), and post‐operative Hb measurement may be unnecessary for many patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty provided individuals at greatest risk of severe post‐operative anaemia can be identified.

Methods and Materials

Patients undergoing THA, TKA, or UKA between 2011 and 2018 were included. Outcomes were post‐operative Hb below 70 and 80 g/L, and peri‐operative blood transfusion. Logistic regression assessed the association between pre‐operative Hb and each outcome. Decision curve analysis compared strategies for selecting patients for G&S and post‐operative Hb measurement.

Results

10 015 THA, TKA and UKA procedures were performed in 8582 patients. The incidence of blood transfusion (4.5%) decreased during the study. Using procedure specific Hb thresholds to select patients for pre‐operative G&S and post‐operative Hb testing had a greater net benefit than selecting all patients, no patients, or patients with pre‐operative anaemia.

Conclusions

Pre‐operative G&S and post‐operative Hb measurement may not be indicated for UKA or TKA when adopting restrictive transfusion thresholds, provided clinicians accept a 0.1% risk of patients developing severe undiagnosed post‐operative anaemia (Hb < 70 g/L). The decision to perform these blood tests for THA patients should be based on local institutional data and selection of acceptable risk thresholds.
A Reflective Account of the Changes due to the Covid-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Digital Education within an HEI
Authors: Detyna Michael , Koch Marta
Published: May 2022

The coronavirus epidemic was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of March 2020. Two days later, King’s College London enacted plans to encourage all staff and students to teach online. This created a unique opportunity to both review and assess how teaching has changed in this institutional context. This report provides an overview of what has been done in institutions more broadly, the reaction to online learning, and gives feedback from users and from other data sources on the perceived impact on teaching. This research is novel in that it is one of the first largely reflective narrative accounts of how, and in what manner, changes to digital higher education were conducted and perceived during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Hybrid Approach Using Design of Experiment and Artificial Neural Network in a Camless Heavy-Duty Engine
Authors: Jia Zhiqin , Koopmans Lucien
Published: May 2022

Increasingly stricter emission regulations and fleet CO2 targets drive the engine development toward clean combustion and high efficiency. To achieve this goal, planning and conducting experiments in a time- and cost-effective way play a vital role in finding the optimal combinations of all selectable parameters. This study investigated the effects of five engine parameters on two engine-out responses in a camless variable valve actuation (VVA) heavy-duty engine. Five engine parameters were intake valve lift (IVL), inlet valve closing (IVC), injection pressure, start of injection (SOI), and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Initially, a design of experiment (DoE) model was generated to predict both engine-out responses: brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and BSNOx emissions. Due to a poor fit of the BSFC regression model from DoE analysis, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict BSFC instead. A d-optimal design with five engine parameters at five levels was used to design the experiment. Extra test points together with d-optimal design points were utilized to train the ANN model. The well-trained ANN model for BSFC and DoE model for BSNOx were combined with a genetic algorithm (GA) to generate the Pareto-optimal front. The results proved the concept of using a hybrid statistical approach (DoE + ANN) with GA as an effective tool to generate a range of compromise design solutions. By extracting designs along the Pareto-optimal front, the impact of engine parameters on the system can be explained.
Design of a Morphing Compliant Mechanism With Separate Gripping and Retraction Modes Using a Single Actuation
Authors: McGowan Patrick , Hao Guangbo
Published: May 2022

A key aspect of robotics and automation is continuous repetition of predefined travel and actions. One such example is a robotic gripper, gripping an object, retracting, and displacing it. Usually, two separate actuations are needed to implement the decoupled gripping and retraction modes. In this article, a morphing compliant gripper is proposed that grips an object (X displacement) and retracts it linearly (Y displacement) based on one single actuation, to reduce the input efforts. The mechanism is first designed by the rigid body replacement method and is based on the double-slider mechanism. Morphing is successfully achieved through the use of contact-aided features and a pseudo spring beam to decouple the X and Y displacements. The design is comprehensively analyzed through the nonlinear finite element analysis method and is optimized using the integrated design exploration tools. Simulation results closely match an ideal X and Y displacement path and a displacement-activated transition from X displacement to Y displacement while minimizing the input actuation force. Finally, a 3D-printed prototype is made and preliminarily tested to verify the design.
Inadequate pitch-difference sensitivity prevents half of all listeners from discriminating major vs minor tone sequences
Authors: Ho Joselyn , Mann Daniel S. , Hickok Gregory , Chubb Charles
Published: May 2022

Substantial evidence suggests that sensitivity to the difference between the major vs minor musical scales may be bimodally distributed. Much of this evidence comes from experiments using the “3-task.” On each trial in the 3-task, the listener hears a rapid, random sequence of tones containing equal numbers of notes of either a G major or G minor triad and strives (with feedback) to judge which type of “tone-scramble” it was. This study asks whether the bimodal distribution in 3-task performance is due to variation (across listeners) in sensitivity to differences in pitch. On each trial in a “pitch-difference task,” the listener hears two tones and judges whether the second tone is higher or lower than the first. When the first tone is roved (rather than fixed throughout the task), performance varies dramatically across listeners with median threshold approximately equal to a quarter-tone. Strikingly, nearly all listeners with thresholds higher than a quarter-tone performed near chance in the 3-task. Across listeners with thresholds below a quarter-tone, 3-task performance was uniformly distributed from chance to ceiling; thus, the large, lower mode of the distribution in 3-task performance is produced mainly by listeners with roved pitch-difference thresholds greater than a quarter-tone.
Using global optimization methods for three-dimensional localization and quantification of incoherent acoustic sources
Authors: von den Hoff Bieke , Merino-Martínez Roberto , Simons Dick G. , Snellen Mirjam
Published: May 2022

Complex acoustic systems typically present three-dimensional distributions of noise sources. Conventional acoustic imaging methods with planar microphone arrays are unsuitable for three-dimensional acoustic imaging, given the computational demands and the incapability to explicitly account for the presence of multiple sources. This paper proposes the use of global optimization methods to solve these shortcomings. An experiment with three incoherent speakers proved that this method can accurately determine the three-dimensional location and the respective sound level of each individual source. In addition, super-resolution is achieved beyond half the Rayleigh resolution limit.