bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Committee for the Free World and the Defense of Democracy
Authors: Søndergaard Rasmus Sinding
Published: January 2024

The Committee for the Free World (CFW), a U.S.-based advocacy group, constituted a key foreign policy branch of the neoconservative movement in the late Cold War. This article offers the first comprehensive examination of the CFW, tracing the motivations for its establishment, the scope of its activities, its position within the neoconservative movement, and its relations with the Reagan administration. The group sought to ensure that the defense of democracy would be a core component of U.S. foreign policy, but in the 1980s this mainly encompassed the defense of existing Western democracies against Communism rather than an attempt to spread democracy to non-democratic authoritarian states. By tracing the CFW's vision for democracy promotion, the article unearths a key intellectual lineage for the more active democracy promotion agenda in U.S. foreign policy that emerged in the post–Cold War world.
Les sages-femmes catholiques et les bouleversements des possibles procréatifs (France, années 1940-1960)
Authors: Sage-Pranchère Nathalie
Published: January 2024

Les évolutions scientifiques et techniques notables en matière de procréation qui marquent les années 1940 à 1960 (insémination artificielle, inhibition hormonale de la fonction ovarienne) suscitent, au sein de l’Église catholique et parmi ses fidèles, tensions, interrogations et attentes. Ces pratiques confrontent en particulier les auxiliaires catholiques de la naissance, médecins et sages-femmes, à l’appréciation de leur acceptabilité morale. L’Association des sages-femmes catholiques constitue une des arènes où se déploient ces débats.
Effect of intra-seasonal variation in precipitation on seed germination and seedling growth in Iris atrofusca: implications for conservation
Authors: Volis Sergei
Published: January 2024

Understanding the modulating effect of environmental conditions on the germination of seeds constituting a persistent soil seed bank has both theoretical and practical merits. I studied the role of precipitation in the germination of seeds of the imperiled geophyte Iris atrofusca, which exhibits strong seed dormancy and intermittant germination over years. I wanted to know how a single significant rain event in one of the first several seasons after seed maturation and dispersal can affect seed germination and seedling growth in I. atrofusca. This is important because knowing the amount and time of such a rainfall event, one can imitate it by a single watering applied to an artificial soil seed bank, thus initiating or substantially increasing seed germination and improving seedling growth and therefore survival. Overall, the results imply that the most efficient in terms of both seed germination and seedling survival is supplementary irrigation equivalent to 40 mm rainfall applied as a single rain event to the artificial soil seed bank early in the first and second season, plus watering equivalent to 20–40 mm in the months when the amount of precipitation is low (below 20 mm) not only in the first and second, but also in subsequent seasons.
Variation in substrate nutritional composition and its effects on the growth, development, and nutrient composition of Rhynchophorus phoenicis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Debrah S.K. , Anankware J.P. , Malinga G.M. , Asomah S. , Obeng-Ofori D.
Published: January 2024

Consumption of African Palm Weevil larvae is a potential solution to the escalating need for protein in Ghana. Currently, insect farmers rely heavily on agricultural by-products, for their production. However, the changes in nutritional content of these substrates over the duration of the larval stage is not well understood as its decline could have a negative effect on the larval development. The palm weevil larvae were reared on eleven (11) substrates and the changes in the nutrient content of the substrates over time during the larval rearing duration, and their effect on larval survival, larval duration and larval weight were assessed. The substrates tested included cocoyam cake, spoilt onion, banana corm, spoilt garden eggs, coconut coir, cocoa pod, raphia palm, elephant ear corm, sliced false yam, sugarcane and palm yolk. The substrate samples were collected weekly from the first to the fourth week and analysed for crude fat, crude protein, ash and carbohydrate contents. The nutritional content of all the substrates did not differ in the first week. However, crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate significantly differed in the second, third, and fourth weeks. Larval survival, larval duration and weight of larvae were significantly affected by the changes in the nutrient content of the substrates in the second, third and fourth weeks. The results showed that elephant ear corm, sliced false yam and palm yolk have necessary nutritional requirements to sustain the larvae during development.
A Case Study on Wind Speed Oscillations Offshore the West Coast of Central Taiwan
Authors: Chien Fang-Ching , Chang Chun-Wei , Teng Jen-Hsin , Hong Jing-Shan
Published: January 2024

This paper investigates a wind speed oscillation event that occurred near the coastline of central Taiwan in the afternoon of 17 February 2018, using data from observations and numerical simulations. The observed wind speeds at 100-m altitude displayed a fast-oscillating pattern of about 6 cycles between strong winds of approximately 21 m s−1 and weak winds of around 2 m s−1, with periods of about 10 min. The pressure anomalies fluctuated in antiphase with the wind speed anomalies. The synoptic analysis revealed the influence of a continental high pressure system, resulting in a cold-air outbreak over Taiwan. The cold north-northeasterly winds split into two branches upon encountering Taiwan’s topography, with ridging off the east coast and a lee trough off the west coast of Taiwan. Wind oscillations were detected in the low-level cold air offshore the west coast of Taiwan, depicted by wavelike structures in wind speeds, sea level pressure, and potential temperature. The perturbations were identified as Kelvin-Helmholtz billows characterized by regions of strong wind speeds, warm and dry air, sinking motions, and low pressure collocated with each other, while regions of weaker wind speeds, cooler and moister air, ascending motions, and high pressure were associated with each other. With terrain contributing to favorable conditions, the large vertical and horizontal wind shears resulted from the southward acceleration of low-level cold air and the northward movement of the lee trough played an important role in initiating the wind oscillations.
Imprint of Chaos on the Ocean Energy Cycle from an Eddying North Atlantic Ensemble
Authors: Uchida Takaya , Jamet Quentin , Dewar William K. , Deremble Bruno , Poje Andrew C. , Sun Luolin
Published: January 2024

We examine the ocean energy cycle where the eddies are defined about the ensemble mean of a partially air–sea coupled, eddy-rich ensemble simulation of the North Atlantic. The decomposition about the ensemble mean leads to a parameter-free definition of eddies, which is interpreted as the expression of oceanic chaos. Using the ensemble framework, we define the reservoirs of mean and eddy kinetic energy (MKE and EKE, respectively) and mean total dynamic enthalpy (MTDE). We opt for the usage of dynamic enthalpy (DE) as a proxy for potential energy due to its dynamically consistent relation to hydrostatic pressure in Boussinesq fluids and nonreliance on any reference stratification. The curious result that emerges is that the potential energy reservoir cannot be decomposed into its mean and eddy components, and the eddy flux of DE can be absorbed into the EKE budget as pressure work. We find from the energy cycle that while baroclinic instability, associated with a positive vertical eddy buoyancy flux, tends to peak around February, EKE takes its maximum around September in the wind-driven gyre. Interestingly, the energy input from MKE to EKE, a process sometimes associated with barotropic processes, becomes larger than the vertical eddy buoyancy flux during the summer and autumn. Our results question the common notion that the inverse energy cascade of wintertime EKE energized by baroclinic instability within the mixed layer is solely responsible for the summer-to-autumn peak in EKE and suggest that both the eddy transport of DE and transfer of energy from MKE to EKE contribute to the seasonal EKE maxima.

Significance Statement

The Earth system, including the ocean, is chaotic. Namely, the state to be realized is highly sensitive to minute perturbations, a phenomenon commonly known as the “butterfly effect.” Here, we run a sweep of ocean simulations that allow us to disentangle the oceanic expression of chaos from the oceanic response to the atmosphere. We investigate the energy pathways between the two in a physically consistent manner in the North Atlantic region. Our approach can be extended to robustly examine the temporal change of oceanic energy and heat distribution under a warming climate.
How Housing, Employment, and Legal Precarity Affect the Sleep of Migrant Workers: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Chávez Sergio , Bozick Robert , Li Jing
Published: January 2024

In the United States, natural disasters have increased in frequency and intensity, causing significant damage to communities, infrastructure, and human life. Migrant workers form part of a growing occupational group that rebuilds in the aftermath of natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. The work these migrant workers perform is essential but also unstable, exploitative, and dangerous, which stresses their health and well-being. This study focuses on the health and well-being of migrant roofers, a precarious occupational group who restores communities and helps the U.S. population adjust to a climate-changed world. Using surveys (N = 359) and in-depth interviews (n = 58) from a convenience sample of migrant roofers, we examine how precarity in terms of employment, housing, and legal status affect the sleep outcomes of these workers, who derive their income from an industry where instability is the norm, live in substandard and irregular housing, and lack workplace protections given their legal status.
DeeplabV3+-based navigation line extraction for the sunlight robust combine harvester
Authors: Cheng Gong , Jin Chengqian , Chen Man
Published: January 2024

Visual navigation is widely used in intelligent combine harvesters, but the existing algorithms do not have sufficiently high accuracy of the visual navigation line recognition under different sunlight conditions. To address this problem, this article proposes a sunlight-robust DeepLabV3+-based navigation line extraction method for combine harvesters. The navigation lines are extracted by constructing a new dataset and predicting the boundaries of the areas that have been and have not been cut. To address the problem that DeeplabV3+ is not sufficient light in the DCNN part, improvement is proposed by incorporating the MobileNetV2 module. In image segmentation, the prediction time is 22.5 ms, and the mean intersection over union ( FMIOU) is 0.79. After image segmentation, the navigation lines are drawn using the line segment detection algorithm for the harvester. The proposed method is compared with other mainstream networks, and the prediction results are compared using the line segment detection method. The results show that this method can more quickly identify the navigation lines under different conditions of sunlight with less labeled data than the improved U-Net and DeeplabV3+, which uses Xception as the backbone. Compared to the traditional method and the improved U-Net, this method achieves good results and improves the recognition speed by 27 and 9 ms, respectively.
Enacting Migrant Community: Struggles and Unbelonging in the Field of Russian-Speaking Cultural Production
Authors: Akifeva Raisa , Baldassar Loretta , Fozdar Farida
Published: January 2024

In this article, based on ethnographic research conducted in Perth, Western Australia and Madrid, Spain, we consider how community is understood and enacted for Russian-speaking migrants and its role in cultural (re)production. Studies often overlook the important role of struggle, contestation and power relations in everyday practices of community making. Drawing on Bourdieu’s field theory, we describe the Russian-speaking migrant community as a structured social space in which community leaders and migrant institutions compete for the right to represent the community. As a result of power differentials, contested ideas about what Russian-speaking culture is and how it should be transmitted, maintained and produced are established, (re)produced and revised. The community is perceived by its own members as disunited and/or consisting of members with whom migrants do not want to identify, forming a ‘community of unbelonging’.
What Do Successful Military-to-Civilian Transitions Look Like? A Revised Framework and a New Conceptual Model for Assessing Veteran Well-Being
Authors: Karre Jennifer K. , Perkins Daniel F. , Morgan Nicole R. , Davenport Katie E. , Aronson Keith R. , Maury Rosalinda Vasquez , Bradbard Deborah , Armstrong Nicholas J. , Wright Anne , Sargent Randy , Andros Megan
Published: January 2024

Developmental theory indicates that success during a major life change requires attention to multiple life domains (e.g., physical health, mental health, employment, financial, and social). This study presents a revised conceptual framework and offers a new empirical model to assess the well-being of post-9/11 veterans as they transition to civilian life. Data from a large sample of post-9/11 veterans surveyed over 2.5 years revealed that post-9/11 veteran transitions were mixed: veterans improved over time in some domains (e.g., employment), stagnated in some (e.g., social), and struggled more over time in others (e.g., physical health). Even in domains with improvement, a large percent of veterans still struggled (e.g., 34% struggled with mental health at Wave 6). Moreover, certain groups tended to struggle more (e.g., enlisted, women, people of color). The conceptual framework and empirical model are intended to stimulate discussion on how best to understand, evaluate, and support veterans’ military-to-civilian transition.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of GW83 alloy prepared by rotating backward extrusion
Authors: Ji Rongrong , Liu Bin , Zhang Zhimin , Xue Yong
Published: January 2024

In this paper, the influence of rotating backward extrusion (RBE) on the microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of the Mg–8.0Gd–3.0Y–0.5Zr (GW83) (wt%) alloy was investigated. The results show that RBE treatment can refine grains. Analysis of the microstructure at different regions along the height direction shows that the average grain size decreases from Region A to Region C. Especially note that the maximum texture strength of the specimen increases from 6.248 in Region A to 7.477 in Region B, which is an obvious effect of texture strengthen. Finally, after RBE treatment, the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of the Region C of the alloy can reach ∼362 MPa, ∼314 MPa, and 13.8%, respectively.
High entropy Fe–Mn–Ni–Co–Al–C alloys from an industrial steel
Authors: Semin Victor O. , Jiang Jing , Zanaeva Erzhena N. , Wei Daixiu , Yamada Rui , Wada Takeshi , Kato Hidemi , Louzguine-Luzgin Dmitri V.
Published: January 2024

High entropy alloys (multiprinciple element alloys) were produced by dilution of the base component in a Fe–Mn–Al–C alloy. The studied Fe–Mn–Ni–Al–C and Fe–Mn–Ni–Co–Al–C alloys were treated thermally and mechanically. These alloys were studied by X-ray diffractometry and electron microscopy, while mechanical properties were tested by mechanical loading. A dual-phase cF4 and cP2 structure was formed. The alloys showed high-hardness values and high-strain hardening ability but when hot rolled exhibited precipitation of carbides. These alloys are considered to be model alloys for the development of future high-entropy alloys based on industrial steels.
Effect of Pr(NO3)3 doping on the characteristics of TC4 micro-arc oxidation coatings
Authors: Yang Hongpei , Yang Biao , Wang Ping , Li Chao , Yang Shaolan , Wang Xiangjie , Luo Xu , Zheng Youping
Published: January 2024

Micro-arc oxidation coatings were prepared on the surface of TC4 by adding different contents of rare-earth compound Pr(NO3)3 to the aluminate and phosphate-based electrolyte. The results showed that the change in oxidation voltage increased at first and then decreased with the raised of Pr(NO3)3 addition. At 0.05 g L−1, the oxidation voltage reached the maximum, the number of discharge micropores decreased, while the size increased, the thickness and hardness of the coatings reached the peak values. The coatings mainly included Al2TiO5, anatase, γ-Al2O3 and a little of Pr2O3. Pr(NO3)3-doped coatings showed excellent corrosion resistance in 3.5% NaCl electrochemical workstation and oilfield simulation fluid containing 5% NaCl, and the corrosion resistance of the coatings reached the best at 0.05 g L−1.
Testing for statistically significant differences in predictions obtained from competing creep models
Authors: Evans M.
Published: January 2024

It is important to be able to predict the creep life and other creep properties of materials used in power plants and aeroengines. Whilst existing studies have compared different creep models using different measures of predictive performance, none have identified whether these differences are real from a statistical significance perspective. This paper proposes several tests based on a review of the literature. These tests were applied to two creep models using failure time data on 2.25Cr–1Mo steel to develop a recommended approach for practitioners to adopt when selecting a creep model. All such tests concluded that the Evans model produced better long-term life predictions using only short-term data, and that this difference was statistically significant at the 5% significance level.
Exploring the Structural Inequalities of the Individualized Education Program: A Dis/Ability Critical Race Theory Perspective
Authors: Butterworth Lisa N. , Denham Miranda L. , Hestenes Linda L.
Published: January 2024

Disproportionality and inequity exist in the special education services that U.S. children receive based on factors such as race, geographic location, and resources of the school system. Overrepresentation and underrepresentation are both prevalent issues and can vary by region or school district and are likely due to multiple factors. Although several areas of special education services have been examined critically, one missing piece in the literature seems to be the writing and revising of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature and background of special education services and the IEP, followed by an examination of the required portions of the IEP form and where the existing law might allow for implicit biases, specifically racism, to surface in the development of this program and its implementation.
Comparative study of the clinical efficacy of subcostal thoracoscopy and median sternotomy in treating thymoma: a propensity score-matching analysis
Authors: Yin Xunliang , Xue Sha , Guo Yize , Cheng Shaoyi , Feng Zheng , Zhao Zhengwei , Zhou Yongan , Yuan Dongliang
Published: January 2024

Objective

This study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of subcostal thoracoscopy and median sternotomy as surgical approaches for thymoma resection and lymph node dissection. The feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of subcostal thoracoscopy were compared with those of median sternotomy.

Methods

The clinical data of 335 patients with thymoma were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the subcostal thoracoscopy group and the median sternotomy group. Propensity score matching was performed to obtain comparable subsets of 50 patients in each group. A comparative analysis was conducted on various parameters.

Results

All surgeries were successful, and no conversions to open thoracotomy were required in the subcostal thoracoscopy group. Significant differences in the operative time, intraoperative blood loss, chest tube drainage duration, postoperative hospital stay, patient satisfaction scores, pain assessment, and postoperative complications were observed between the two groups. However, there was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes or lymph node stations dissected intraoperatively between the two groups.

Conclusion

Subcostal thoracoscopy is not inferior to median sternotomy as a surgical approach for thymoma resection and lymph node dissection. Our research provides important new comparative data on minimally invasive thymoma resection.
Trajectory tracking control of autonomous vehicles based on Lagrangian neural network dynamics model
Authors: Yang Wei , Cai Yingfeng , Sun Xiaoqiang , He Youguo , Yuan Chaochun , Wang Hai , Chen Long
Published: January 2024

The autonomous vehicles make decisions and plans based on the environmental perception and generate the target command of the control layer. The vehicle dynamics model is an important factor that affects the vehicle control. The dynamic mechanism model has strong interpretability and good stability. However, in extreme conditions, the model accuracy is reduced due to the tire entering the nonlinear region. The data-driven dynamic model achieves high modeling accuracy. However, due to the lack of physical constraints and rationality in the data-driven models, the interpretability and stability of the control is reduced, which in turn increases the unpredictable risk in the driving process. This paper innovatively proposes a deep Lagrangian neural network dynamics model (DeLaN) for autonomous vehicles based on the Lagrangian mechanics and uses a neural network to encode the differential equations. This not only retains the interpretability of the physical model but also makes full use of the learning ability and fitting ability of the neural network to effectively capture the complex dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. To improve the robustness of the control system, this work uses DeLaN as feed-forward control and preview error feedback control to form a closed loop of trajectory tracking control for autonomous vehicles. The experimental results show that the trajectory tracking error of the proposed DeLaN is significantly reduced, the yaw stability and comfort are significantly improved, good longitudinal and lateral cooperative control performance is achieved, and the physical rationality of the neural network is also improved. Therefore, the proposed DeLaN has important engineering application value.
Helmet Therapy for the Management of Deformational Plagiocephaly in Pediatric Patients with Shunted Hydrocephalus
Authors: Johnson Emily A. , Koller Gretchen M. , Jafrani Ryan , Patel Kamlesh , Naidoo Sybill , Strahle Jennifer M.
Published: January 2024

Objective

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of helmet therapy for deformational plagiocephaly in patients with shunted hydrocephalus.

Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Institutional, tertiary-care hospital.

Patients

All patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital between 2014 and 2021 with shunted hydrocephalus who underwent helmet therapy for deformational plagiocephaly.

Interventions

Helmet therapy.

Main Outcome Measures

Cranial vault asymmetry (CVA), cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI), and cephalic index (CI) were measured before and after completion of helmet therapy.

Results

There were 37 patients with shunted hydrocephalus and documented deformational plagiocephaly. Twelve were managed with helmet therapy. Average age at helmeting initiation and time between shunt placement and helmeting initiation was 5.8 and 4.6 months, respectively. Average CVA, CVAI, and CI at helmeting initiation and termination was 11.6, 7.98, and 85.2, and 6.95, 4.49, and 83.7, respectively. Average duration of helmeting was 3.7 months. CVA and CVAI were significantly lower after helmeting ( P = .0028 and .0021) and 11/12 patients had overall improvement in plagiocephaly.

Conclusions

Helmet therapy appears to be a safe and efficacious management strategy for deformational plagiocephaly in patients with shunted hydrocephalus. Despite the occasional need for additional fittings and surveillance beyond the normal schedule, in all cases appropriately fitting helmets were achieved and no major adverse events occurred. This cohort represents a proof of principle for the safety and efficacy of helmet therapy in patients with shunted hydrocephalus. Further work in larger prospective cohorts is needed to confirm these initial findings.
Five Is the Brightest Star. But by how Much? Testing the Equidistance of Star Ratings in Online Reviews
Authors: Kovács Balázs
Published: January 2024

Organizational research increasingly relies on online review data to gauge perceived valuation and reputation of organizations and products. Online review platforms typically collect ordinal ratings (e.g., 1 to 5 stars); however, researchers often treat them as a cardinal data, calculating aggregate statistics such as the average, the median, or the variance of ratings. In calculating these statistics, ratings are implicitly assumed to be equidistant. We test whether star ratings are equidistant using reviews from two large-scale online review platforms: Amazon.com and Yelp.com. We develop a deep learning framework to analyze the text of the reviews in order to assess their overall valuation. We find that 4 and 5-star ratings, as well as 1 and 2-star ratings, are closer to each other than 3-star ratings are to 2 and 4-star ratings. An additional online experiment corroborates this pattern. Using simulations, we show that the distortion by non-equidistant ratings is especially harmful in cases when organizations receive only a few reviews and when researchers are interested in estimating variance effects. We discuss potential solutions to solve the issue with rating non-equidistance.
Trajectory equifinality model and German research on women’s self-negotiation of perceived normativity in a Western society
Authors: Menhart Rebecca
Published: January 2024

This study is concerned with the negotiation of tall women's body height and perceived normativity in our Western society. The introduction aims to describe the role of the body in a cultural context and questions socially embedded norms regarding deviations. Medical procedures and possibilities are presented how body height can be determined already in childhood and how it can be influenced in case of deviations from the norm. Central to this is the procedure of prospective final height determination. Methodically, the Trajectory Equifinality Model (TEM) was used. A total of two persons were interviewed in a semi-structured interview. The participants consisted of a mother and her daughter, who is considered tall. Individual negotiation was found to be related to maternal body height. Counter narratives play a key role in the negotiation of this by attempting to compensate for a deficient characteristic with another idealized construct. The work showed that medical procedures create norms, while at the same time can support affected individuals in their self-negotiation.
Art rocks: Atmospheres of connection and everyday creativity in hybrid public space
Authors: Wilson-Barnao Caroline , Collie Natalie
Published: January 2024

Using the analysis of online activity, autoethnographic reflection, and a participant survey, this article examines Australian rock-decorating groups on Facebook and the role of social media in everyday practices of decorating, hiding, and finding rocks. These groups use the platform to celebrate and share their creativity, generate digital connections between strangers, and in so doing bring about a distinctive hybrid of online and offline space. We draw on a cultural studies approach to issues of placemaking and social media to ask: what kinds of public space – online and offline – are created through these digital and material practices? Our analysis is framed by notions of placemaking, affordances, and public atmosphere to understand these forms of everyday creativity, community, and place.
Radially adjustable stent retriever for mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke: Improved first-pass effect with rapid-inflation deflation technique
Authors: Sreenivasan Sanjeev , Gupta Gaurav , Wu Robert , Nourollah-Zadeh Emad , Sun Hai , Nanda Anil , Sundararajan Srihari , Roychowdhury Sudipta
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Evidence for improved first-pass effect with the novel radially adjustable radio-opaque stent retriever Tigertriever is lacking.

Objective

To compare improvement in first pass success with Tigertriever using two different techniques—rapid inflation deflation (RID) and suction thrombectomy (ST).

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy with Tigertriever at a single comprehensive stroke center.

Results

Thirty patients were included. Mean age was 72.8 years. Twelve patients (48%) experienced successful first passes with Tigertriever. Successful revascularization (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) 2b/3) was achieved in all (100%) patients who received RID or ST technique for thrombectomy. Good clinical outcome (modified Rankin score = 0–2) was noted in 40% (n = 10). Total mortality in the cohort was 8% (n = 2). RID and ST groups comprised of 10 and 15 patients, respectively. Five patients underwent MT with Tigertriever as a rescue device.

RID vs ST

No difference was noted in mean age (p = 0.27), gender (p = 0.29), location of occlusion (p = 0.46), and device used for first pass (p = 0.57). A 70% first-pass success rate in RID group and 37.5% in ST group was noticed (p = 0.06). Mean time from groin puncture to reperfusion (TICI 2b//3) was statistically similar (p = 0.29, RID: 19.9 min vs ST: 25 min). Both groups noted a 100% complete recanalization rate. The rate of mortality between the two groups were not statistically different (p = 0.46).

Conclusion

The preliminary first-pass success rates of RID technique with Tigertriever compared to ST technique, are encouraging. Longitudinal studies with longer follow up are needed to elucidate the smaller learning curve with this device.
Effect of E-leadership on employees’ outcomes in the higher education sector during COVID-19 and beyond: A case study from Vietnam
Authors: Maheshwari Greeni , Clarke Steven , Nguyen Quynh-Anh N , McClelland Robert , Kunte Manjiri
Published: January 2024

E-leadership, a form of leadership facilitated by advanced information technology, has gained prominence over the past decade, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it extends traditional leadership to support remote work environments. This study investigated the impact of e-leadership on employees in the higher education sector, explicitly exploring its effects on work engagement, well-being and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB). Data for this study were collected through an online survey administered to 445 employees working from home during the pandemic in the higher education sector in Vietnam. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to test the study's hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived e-leadership significantly influenced employees’ work engagement, well-being and OCB. This study’s findings hold important implications for effectively managing a diverse workforce, emphasising the importance of appropriate leadership styles in the ever-evolving landscape of remote work. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where remote work has become the norm, this research sheds light on the crucial role of e-leadership in shaping employee outcomes. It provides both practical and theoretical insights that can guide leaders in optimising their approaches to leadership within the context of advanced information technology-mediated work environments. These findings represent a valuable contribution to understanding the evolving dynamics of leadership in the digital age and its impact on employee well-being and performance.
Wrist extensor pathomechanics: implications for tendon and nerve transfer
Authors: Fridén Jan , Lieber Richard L.
Published: January 2024

Central and peripheral nervous system lesions may disrupt the intricate balance of the prime movers of the wrist. In spasticity, hyperactive wrist flexors create a flexion moment and, if untreated, can lead to flexion contractures. In patients with C6 spinal cord injury and tetraplegia, the posterior interosseus nerve is typically affected by a complex pattern of upper and/or lower motoneuron lesions causing radial deviation of the wrist due to loss of ulnar deviation actuators. In this report, we illustrate severe pathomechanics that may occur even with relatively modest changes in wrist balance. These results illustrate how thorough understanding of muscle-tendon-joint interaction aids in designing tendon and nerve reconstructive surgeries to normalize wrist positions and balance in neuromuscular conditions.
Cholestatic Drug-Induced Liver Injury in a Patient Taking High-Dose Niacin for Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Nawaz Nanjiba , Mistretta Tyler , Karime Christian , Lewis Jason , Wolf Emily
Published: January 2024

Niacin, an important component of a balanced diet, is central to lipid metabolism. Occasionally used to treat hyperlipidemia, niacin is widely available without a prescription, making its use often unknown to treating physicians. Severe hepatotoxicity has been reported with niacin use. In the following report, we describe a case of hospitalization for acute decompensated cirrhosis with cholestatic morphology in a patient taking self-initiated large quantities of extended-release niacin. Despite medical management and support, the patient unfortunately expired on day 16 of hospitalization. Given ease of access and unclear long-term benefit in hyperlipidemia, the current case serves to raise awareness of niacin’s potential hepatotoxicity through highlighting a severe outcome. Although mode of liver injury remains unknown, the use of extended-release niacin formulations and prolonged high-dose supplementation is associated with enhanced hepatotoxicity. Careful review and counseling of commonly available supplements remains an important task of both hospital and primary care physicians.
Communication, Cognition and Competency Development in Healthcare: A Model for Integrating Cognitive Ethnography and Communication Skills Training in Clinical Interventions
Authors: Schwalbe Daria , Timmermann Connie , Gregersen Trine A , Steffensen Sune Vork , Ammentorp Jette
Published: January 2024

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication skills training program. The key objective was to investigate (i) how clinical intervention studies can be designed to include cognitive, organizational, and interactive processes, and (ii) how researchers and practitioners could work with integrated methods to support the desired change.

METHODS

The method combined design and implementation of a 12-week Blended Learning communication skills training program based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. The training was implemented in a patient clinic at a Danish university hospital and targeted all healthcare professionals at the clinic. Cognitive ethnography was used to document and evaluate healthcare professionals’ implementation and individual competency development, and support the design of in-situ simulation training scenarios.

RESULTS

Thirteen participants completed the program. The synergy within the teams, as well as the opportunities for participants to coordinate, share, discuss, and reflect on the received knowledge with a colleague or on-site researcher, affected learning positively. The knowledge transfer process was affected by negative feedback loops, such as time shortages, issues with concept development and transfer, disjuncture between the expectations of participants and instructors of the overall course structure, as well as participant insecurity and a gradual loss of motivation and compliance.

CONCLUSION

We propose a novel 3-step model for clinical interventions based on our findings and literature review. This model will effectively support the implementation of educational interventions in health care by narrowing the theory-practice gap. It will also stimulate desired change in individual behavior and organizational culture over time. Furthermore, it will work for the benefit of the clinic and may be more suitable for the implementation of communication projects than, for example, randomized setups.
BCMA- or GPRC5D-targeting bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma: efficacy, safety, and resistance mechanisms
Authors: Lee Holly , Neri Paola , Bahlis Nizar J.
Published: January 2024

Bispecific antibodies that engage T cells to target B-cell maturation antigen or G-protein–coupled receptor class C group 5 member D have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in heavily pretreated relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM), leading to the recent accelerated approval of teclistamab, elranatamab, and talquetamab by health agencies. Future challenges, however, remain to define their optimal dosing schedule and duration, sequencing, and integration with established anti-MM therapeutics as well as delineating the biological and clinical mediators of immune escape.
IRF4 affects the protective effect of regulatory T cells on the pulmonary vasculature of a bronchopulmonary dysplasia mouse model by regulating FOXP3
Authors: Zhu Ying , He Langyue , Zhu Yue , Yao Huici , Jiang Jianfeng , Lu Hongyan
Published: January 2024

Background

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common chronic lung disease in preterm infants, characterised by compromised alveolar development and pulmonary vascular abnormalities. Emerging evidence suggests that regulatory T cells (Tregs) may confer protective effects on the vasculature. Knockdown of their transcription factor, interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), has been shown to promote vascular endothelial hyperplasia. However, the involvement of Tregs and IRF4 in the BPD pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of Tregs by IRF4 and elucidate its potential role in pulmonary vasculature development in a BPD mouse model.

Methods

The BPD model was established using 85% hyperoxia exposure, with air exposure as the normal control. Lung tissues were collected after 7 or 14 days of air or hyperoxia exposure, respectively. Haematoxylin–eosin staining was performed to assess lung tissue pathology. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) level, flow cytometry to quantify Treg numbers, and Western blot to assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3), and IRF4 protein levels. We also examined the co-expression of IRF4 and FOXP3 proteins using immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence double staining. Furthermore, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock down the IRF4 gene and observed changes in the aforementioned indicators to validate its effect on pulmonary vasculature development in mice.

Results

Elevated IRF4 levels in BPD model mice led to FOXP3 downregulation, reduced Treg numbers, and impaired pulmonary vascular development. Knockdown of IRF4 resulted in improved pulmonary vascular development and upregulated FOXP3 level.

Conclusion

IRF4 may affect the protective role of Tregs in the proliferation of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells and pulmonary vascular development in BPD model mice by inhibiting the FOXP3 level.
Antithrombotic prophylaxis following total hip arthroplasty: a level I Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Migliorini Filippo , Maffulli Nicola , Velaj Erlis , Bell Andreas , Kämmer Daniel , Hildebrand Frank , Hofmann Ulf Krister , Eschweiler Jörg
Published: January 2024

Background

Several clinical investigations have compared different pharmacologic agents for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, no consensus has been reached. The present investigation compared enoxaparin, fondaparinux, aspirin and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) commonly used as prophylaxis following total hip arthroplasty (THA). A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed, setting as outcomes of interest the rate of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and major and minor haemorrhages.

Methods

This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension statement for reporting systematic reviews incorporating network meta-analyses of healthcare interventions. All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing two or more drugs used for the prophylaxis of VTE following THA were accessed. PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were accessed in March 2023 with no time constraint.

Results

Data from 31,705 patients were extracted. Of these, 62% (19,824) were women, with age, sex ratio, and body mass index (BMI) being comparable at baseline. Apixaban 5 mg, fondaparinux, and rivaroxaban 60 mg were the most effective in reducing the rate of DVT. Dabigatran 220 mg, apixaban 5 mg, and aspirin 100 mg were the most effective in reducing the rate of PE. Apixaban 5 mg, ximelagatran 2 mg and aspirin 100 mg were associated with the lowest rate of major haemorrhages, while rivaroxaban 2.5 mg, apixaban 5 mg and enoxaparin 40 mg were associated with the lowest rate of minor haemorrhages.

Conclusion

Administration of apixaban 5 mg demonstrated the best balance between VTE prevention and haemorrhage control following THA.

Level of evidenceLevel I, network meta-analysis of RCTs.
DiCleave: a deep learning model for predicting human Dicer cleavage sites
Authors: Mu Lixuan , Song Jiangning , Akutsu Tatsuya , Mori Tomoya
Published: January 2024

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that play a pivotal role as gene expression regulators. These miRNAs are typically approximately 20 to 25 nucleotides long. The maturation of miRNAs requires Dicer cleavage at specific sites within the precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). Recent advances in machine learning-based approaches for cleavage site prediction, such as PHDcleav and LBSizeCleav, have been reported. ReCGBM, a gradient boosting-based model, demonstrates superior performance compared with existing methods. Nonetheless, ReCGBM operates solely as a binary classifier despite the presence of two cleavage sites in a typical pre-miRNA. Previous approaches have focused on utilizing only a fraction of the structural information in pre-miRNAs, often overlooking comprehensive secondary structure information. There is a compelling need for the development of a novel model to address these limitations.

Results

In this study, we developed a deep learning model for predicting the presence of a Dicer cleavage site within a pre-miRNA segment. This model was enhanced by an autoencoder that learned the secondary structure embeddings of pre-miRNA. Benchmarking experiments demonstrated that the performance of our model was comparable to that of ReCGBM in the binary classification tasks. In addition, our model excelled in multi-class classification tasks, making it a more versatile and practical solution than ReCGBM.

Conclusions

Our proposed model exhibited superior performance compared with the current state-of-the-art model, underscoring the effectiveness of a deep learning approach in predicting Dicer cleavage sites. Furthermore, our model could be trained using only sequence and secondary structure information. Its capacity to accommodate multi-class classification tasks has enhanced the practical utility of our model.
mosGILT controls innate immunity and germ cell development in Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Arora Gunjan , Tang Xiaotian , Cui Yingjun , Yang Jing , Chuang Yu-Min , Joshi Jayadev , Sajid Andaleeb , Dong Yuemei , Cresswell Peter , Dimopoulos George , Fikrig Erol
Published: January 2024

Gene-edited mosquitoes lacking a gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase-like protein, namely (mosGILTnull) have lower Plasmodium infection, which is linked to impaired ovarian development and immune activation. The transcriptome of mosGILTnull Anopheles gambiae was therefore compared to wild type (WT) mosquitoes by RNA-sequencing to delineate mosGILT-dependent pathways. Compared to WT mosquitoes, mosGILTnull A. gambiae demonstrated altered expression of genes related to oogenesis, 20-hydroxyecdysone synthesis, as well as immune-related genes. Serendipitously, the zero population growth gene, zpg, an essential regulator of germ cell development was found to be one of the most downregulated genes in mosGILTnull mosquitoes. These results provide a crucial missing link between two previous studies on the role of zpg and mosGILT in ovarian development. This study further demonstrates that mosGILT has the potential to serve as a target for the biological control of mosquito vectors and to influence the Plasmodium life cycle within the vector.
Genome-wide analysis of the Tritipyrum NAC gene family and the response of TtNAC477 in salt tolerance
Authors: Liu Xiaojuan , Zhou Guangyi , Chen Songshu , Jia Zhenzhen , Zhang Suqin , He Fang , Ren Mingjian
Published: January 2024

NAC transcription factors are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and play an important role in the response to various abiotic stresses in plant species. Tritipyrum, an octoploid derived from hybridization of Triticum aestivum (AABBDD) and Thinopyrum elongatum (EE), is an important genetic resource for integrating the desirable traits of Th. elongatum into wheat. In this study, we investigated the tissue distribution and expression of Tritipyrum NAC genes in the whole genomes of T. aestivum and Th. elongatum after obtaining their complete genome sequences. Based on phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, gene synthesis, evolutionary analysis, and expression patterns, we identified and characterized 732 Tritipyrum NAC genes. These genes were divided into six main groups (A, B, C, D, E, and G) based on phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary studies, with members of these groups sharing the same motif composition. The 732 TtNAC genes are widely distributed across 28 chromosomes and include 110 duplicated genes. Gene synthesis analysis indicated that the NAC gene family may have a common ancestor. Transcriptome data and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) expression profiles showed 68 TtNAC genes to be highly expressed in response to various salt stress and recovery treatments. Tel3E01T644900 (TtNAC477) was particularly sensitive to salt stress and belongs to the same clade as the salt tolerance genes ANAC019 and ANAC055 in Arabidopsis. Pearson correlation analysis identified 751 genes that correlated positively with expression of TtNAC477, and these genes are enriched in metabolic activities, cellular processes, stimulus responses, and biological regulation. TtNAC477 was found to be highly expressed in roots, stems, and leaves in response to salt stress, as confirmed by real-time PCR. These findings suggest that TtNAC477 is associated with salt tolerance in plants and might serve as a valuable exogenous gene for enhancing salt tolerance in wheat.