bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors of Self-care Agency in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan
Authors: Mizuno Hikaru , Katashima Mayu , Sakagami Kayoko , Fujimoto Yu , Murauchi Chiyo , Seto Natsuko
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Currently, no self-care measurement tool specific to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exists in Japan. The Instrument for Diabetes Self-care Agency (IDSCA) is a reliable and valid self-care measurement tool for patients with diabetes. Factors affecting self-care ability assessed by IDSCA appear to meet the requirements for patients with IBD. Therefore, we created a self-care ability measurement tool adapted from IDSCA as an original draft for the Instrument for IBD Self-care Agency and extracted factors and items required to measure the self-care ability of patients with IBD. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey was distributed among 226 patients. Exploratory factor analysis examined the relationship of factors from multiple perspectives, identify factors based on their content, and confirm their internal consistency. Statistical analyses were performed using JMP🄬 14.0.0. Results: Five factors with 23 items were extracted from the IDSCA, including [Ability to build a human support system], [Ability to acquire knowledge], [Ability to maintain self-care], [Ability to self-manage], and [Ability to self-assess]. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.765–0.861 for each factor and 0.904 for the entire scale. Conclusion: We could identify the self-care agencies of patients with IBD, including 5 factors and 23 items. Focusing on these self-care factors may provide critical information to guide nurses’ self-care interventions.
Museu Nacional: entre a ruína e o restauro
Authors: Santana Renan da Silva , Herbst Helio
Published: March 2024

Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las propuestas arquitectónicas premiadas en el concurso de proyectos Museu Nacional Vive, organizado en 2020 por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO) y la Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro (UFRJ) para recomponer el edificio después de la incendio ocurrido en septiembre de 2018. El análisis de las respuestas dadas al problema de restauración del edificio histórico, así como las sugerencias expresadas en el anuncio de licitación, se centra en identificar en qué medida estas soluciones aprovechan el repertorio del campo patrimonial. , observando las necesidades contemporáneas y la legibilidad en la salvaguarda del bien cultural en debate. Los interrogantes, entonces, que emergen en la superficie de los análisis son evidenciados por las preguntas: ¿El Museo Nacional/UFRJ es una ruina? ¿En qué medida las soluciones presentadas por los arquitectos dialogan con la expresión de autenticidad defendida por la Conferencia de Nara (1994)? ¿Cómo se entienden los valores patrimoniales como inseparables de las manifestaciones culturales, únicas en sus propias características, de los valores de la memoria colectiva y, por tanto, de los significados intangibles que custodian el patrimonio? A partir de estas indagaciones se pretende arrojar luz sobre la restauración de un monumento que porta aportes humanos de distintas épocas de la formación de la identidad nacional, así como su función científica como sede del Museo Nacional, primera institución de esta naturaleza en el país.
Kurmanji p’irč (f.) ‘hair’
Authors: Asatrian Garnik S.
Published: March 2024

This is an attempt of explaining the origin of Kurmanji p’irč ‘hair’ within the paradigm of forms revealing similar phonetic developments, i.e., hirč ‘bear’ and birčī ‘hungry’.
Red Capitalism and Neoliberal Authoritarianism
Authors: Mahdavi Mojtaba
Published: March 2024

The rise of the brics block has contributed to the emergence of a “multiplex world”. This shift in power dynamics has revealed the crisis of the existing liberal international order, a relative decline in the U.S. power, and a gradual transition towards a post-American order. This article examines the dynamics of Sino-mena relations in a “multiplex world” where both the U.S. and the mena states have chosen “The Look East” policy. The U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry explains a shift in the U.S. foreign policy from the Middle East toward the Far East. The Middle East’s “Look East Policy”, however, is largely due to the needs for an alternative global partner. This article examines three pillars of the Sino-mena relations: the first pillar pertains to a broad category of energy, trade, investment, arms deal, security and geostrategic significance. The second pillar is centred around the Chinese policy of no military intervention and respecting the state sovereignty. The third pillar is pertinent to the “Chinese Model of Development” and what it means for the mena. It examines whether such relations might consolidate autocratic capitalism and neoliberalism without democracy and, or benefit mena civil societies’ quest for a grassroots and egalitarian development and democracy.
النّحو الكلّي والاكتساب الفطري لبعض المقاييس في العربيّة التونسيّة: مقاربة لسانيّة أحيائيّة لحالات عينيّة
Authors: المكّي سميّة
Published: March 2024

الملخّص

تدرس اللّسانيّات الأحيائيّة اللّغةَ من حيث هي نظام عرفانيّ ذو أساس أحيائيّ يكون فيه للتّجهيز الوراثي الدّور الأساسيّ في نموّ اللّغة لدى الأفراد. وما يشرّع لدراسة اللّغة من هذه المساحة البينيّة القائمة بين اللسانيّات وعلوم الأحياء السّرعةُ المذهلةُ التي تسِم مرحلة الاكتساب اللّغوي عند الطّفل، إذ يحدث ذلك بصورة عفويّة دون بذل أيّ مجهود. وهي ظاهرة تفسّرها اللّسانيّات الأحيائيّة بامتلاك الطّفل تجهيزًا أحيائيًّا مسبقًا أطلقت عليه النّحو الكلّيّ. ويتكوّن هذا النّحو من المبادئ المشتركة بين الألسن البشريّة والمختزنة في الذّهن البشري. ويحتوي، إضافة إلى ذلك، مجموعة محدودة من الاختيارات المُفضية إلى التّنوّع اللّساني. فينتقي الطّفل على امتداد فترة الاكتساب مجموعة المقاييس المتوافقة مع التّجربة اللّسانيّة التي يخوضها. لكن قبل تثبيت تلك المقاييس، نلاحظ أنّ الطّفل في سنتيه الثّانية والثّالثة، على وجه الخصوص، ينتج أبنية وعبارات تبدو للمتكلّم الرّاشد “لانحويّة”، والحال أنّ الطّفل آنذاك يتكلّم بتشغيل مبادئ فطريّة بكلّ ما تتيحه من تنوّع ممكن. ذاك ما سنبيّنه من خلال دراسة اكتساب الطّفل للعربيّة التّونسيّة عبر معالجة اختباريّة لظاهرة التّطابق والاستفهام الميمي الطّويل المدى، موجّهين في ذلك بنظريّة النّحو الكلّيّ التي ترى أنّ الكلّيّات اللّسانيّة وتمثيلاتها تظلّ متاحة للطّفل على امتداد مراحل الاكتساب الأولى ولا يطرأ عليها أيّ تغيير، بل هي القدرات النّحويّة ذاتُها المتاحة للكهل. والهدف من ذلك الاستدلالُ الاختباريُّ على وجاهة الأطروحة الفطريّة في مقاربة الاكتساب اللغوي‪.‬
Cayenniola albaserrata n. sp., a geographical relict from a Brazilian hotspot of subterranean biodiversity and the first troglobitic Priodesmini (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae: Chelodesminae)
Authors: BOUZAN RODRIGO S. , MEANS JACKSON C. , IVANOV KALOYAN , FERREIRA RODRIGO L. , BRESCOVIT ANTONIO D. , INIESTA LUIZ F.M.
Published: March 2024

A new troglobitic species of Chelodesmidae, Cayenniola albaserrata n. sp., from the Água Clara cave system, Caatinga Domain, Bahia, Brazil is described. The new species is only the sixth known troglobitic chelodesmid, the first troglobitic species in the Priodesmini, and the first member of the tribe recorded from the state of Bahia. Unique among the Priodesmini, male C. albaserrata n. sp. possess greatly elongated pre-gonopodal tarsal claws and differ from the only congener, Cayenniola styliger (Jeekel, 1963), by a combination of gonopodal and somatic characters including classical troglomorphic traits such as a nearly unpigmented body and remarkably long antennae, legs, and tarsal claws. Cayenniola styliger is only known from the type locality in the Amazon rainforest of coastal French Guiana, suggesting that C. albaserrata n. sp. may represent a relictual species from the Caatinga Domain of Brazil. We provide ecological notes and evaluate the potential threats to the habitat of C. albaserrata n. sp., considering both the subterranean environment and the surrounding areas.
Tanytarsus deimos group (Chironomidae, Diptera) for two distinctive species from the Neotropics
Authors: GIŁKA WOJCIECH , DANTAS GALILEU P.S. , ANDERSEN TROND , ARMITAGE BRIAN J.
Published: March 2024

Two species of the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874 are described: T. deimos Giłka, Dantas et Andersen, sp. nov. (Mexico, Panama) and T. phobos Dantas, Giłka et Andersen, sp. nov. (Peru). Small adult males having wings with a high venarum ratio, unpaired tibial spurs on mid and hind legs, a hypopygial anal point lanceolate without spinulae or bars, a digitus with a well-developed basal tubercle bearing a long seta, a stout median volsella, and a gonostylus distinctly shorter than the gonocoxite, are a set of characters common to the two close species for which a new group is here proposed.
Generation Mechanisms of SST Anomalies Associated with the Canonical El Niño Focusing on Vertical Mixing
Authors: Nakamura Kouya , Kido Shoichiro , Ijichi Takashi , Tozuka Tomoki
Published: March 2024

The mean vertical advection of anomalous vertical temperature gradient is considered the dominant generation mechanism of positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with the canonical El Niño. However, most past studies had a residual term in their heat budget analysis and/or did not quantify the role of vertical mixing even though active vertical turbulent mixing in the upper ocean is observed in the eastern equatorial Pacific. To quantitatively assess the importance of vertical mixing, a mixed layer heat budget analysis is performed using a hindcast simulation forced by daily mean atmospheric reanalysis data. It is found that when the mixed layer depth is defined as the depth at which potential density increases by 0.125 kg m−3 from the sea surface, the development of positive SST anomalies is predominantly governed by reductions in the cooling by vertical mixing, and their magnitude is much larger than those by vertical advection. The anomalous warming by vertical mixing may be partly explained by an anomalous deepening of the thermocline that leads to a decrease in the vertical temperature gradient, giving rise to suppression of the climatological cooling by vertical mixing. Also, an anomalously thick mixed layer reduces sensitivity to cooling by the mean vertical mixing and contributes to the anomalous SST warming. On the other hand, the dominant negative feedbacks are attributed to both anomalous surface heat loss and anomalous deepening of the mixed layer that weakens warming by the mean surface heat flux.
SARS-CoV-2 infection modifies the transcriptome of the megakaryocytes in the bone marrow
Authors: Allaeys Isabelle , Lemaire Guillaume , Leclercq Mickaël , Lacasse Emile , Fleury Maude , Dubuc Isabelle , Gudimard Leslie , Puhm Florian , Tilburg Julia , Stone Andrew , Machlus Kellie R. , Droit Arnaud , Flamand Louis , Boilard Eric
Published: March 2024

Megakaryocytes (MKs), integral to platelet production, predominantly reside in the bone marrow (BM) and undergo regulated fragmentation within sinusoid vessels to release platelets into the bloodstream. Inflammatory states and infections influence MK transcription, potentially affecting platelet functionality. Notably, COVID-19 has been associated with altered platelet transcriptomes. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection could affect the transcriptome of BM MKs. Using spatial transcriptomics to discriminate subpopulations of MKs based on proximity to BM sinusoids, we identified ∼19 000 genes in MKs. Machine learning techniques revealed that the transcriptome of healthy murine BM MKs exhibited minimal differences based on proximity to sinusoid vessels. Furthermore, at peak SARS-CoV-2 viremia, when the disease primarily affected the lungs, MKs were not significantly different from those from healthy mice. Conversely, a significant divergence in the MK transcriptome was observed during systemic inflammation, although SARS-CoV-2 RNA was never detected in the BM, and it was no longer detectable in the lungs. Under these conditions, the MK transcriptional landscape was enriched in pathways associated with histone modifications, MK differentiation, NETosis, and autoimmunity, which could not be explained by cell proximity to sinusoid vessels. Notably, the type I interferon signature and calprotectin (S100A8/A9) were not induced in MKs under any condition. However, inflammatory cytokines induced in the blood and lungs of COVID-19 mice were different from those found in the BM, suggesting a discriminating impact of inflammation on this specific subset of cells. Collectively, our data indicate that a new population of BM MKs may emerge through COVID-19–related pathogenesis.
GraphKM: machine and deep learning for KM prediction of wildtype and mutant enzymes
Authors: He Xiao , Yan Ming
Published: March 2024

Michaelis constant (KM) is one of essential parameters for enzymes kinetics in the fields of protein engineering, enzyme engineering, and synthetic biology. As overwhelming experimental measurements of KM are difficult and time-consuming, prediction of the KM values from machine and deep learning models would increase the pace of the enzymes kinetics studies. Existing machine and deep learning models are limited to the specific enzymes, i.e., a minority of enzymes or wildtype enzymes. Here, we used a deep learning framework PaddlePaddle to implement a machine and deep learning approach (GraphKM) for KM prediction of wildtype and mutant enzymes. GraphKM is composed by graph neural networks (GNN), fully connected layers and gradient boosting framework. We represented the substrates through molecular graph and the enzymes through a pretrained transformer-based language model to construct the model inputs. We compared the difference of the model results made by the different GNN (GIN, GAT, GCN, and GAT-GCN). The GAT-GCN-based model generally outperformed. To evaluate the prediction performance of the GraphKM and other reported KM prediction models, we collected an independent KM dataset (HXKm) from literatures.
Optimal futility stopping boundaries for binary endpoints
Authors: Freitag Michaela Maria , Li Xieran , Rauch Geraldine
Published: March 2024

Background

Group sequential designs incorporating the option to stop for futility at the time point of an interim analysis can save time and resources. Thereby, the choice of the futility boundary importantly impacts the design’s resulting performance characteristics, including the power and probability to correctly or wrongly stop for futility. Several authors contributed to the topic of selecting good futility boundaries. For binary endpoints, Simon’s designs (Control Clin Trials 10:1–10, 1989) are commonly used two-stage designs for single-arm phase II studies incorporating futility stopping. However, Simon’s optimal design frequently yields an undesirably high probability of falsely declaring futility after the first stage, and in Simon’s minimax design often a high proportion of the planned sample size is already evaluated at the interim analysis leaving only limited benefit in case of an early stop.

Methods

This work focuses on the optimality criteria introduced by Schüler et al. (BMC Med Res Methodol 17:119, 2017) and extends their approach to binary endpoints in single-arm phase II studies. An algorithm for deriving optimized futility boundaries is introduced, and the performance of study designs implementing this concept of optimal futility boundaries is compared to the common Simon’s minimax and optimal designs, as well as modified versions of these designs by Kim et al. (Oncotarget 10:4255–61, 2019).

Results

The introduced optimized futility boundaries aim to maximize the probability of correctly stopping for futility in case of small or opposite effects while also setting constraints on the time point of the interim analysis, the power loss, and the probability of stopping the study wrongly, i.e. stopping the study even though the treatment effect shows promise. Overall, the operating characteristics, such as maximum sample size and expected sample size, are comparable to those of the classical and modified Simon’s designs and sometimes better. Unlike Simon’s designs, which have binding stopping rules, the optimized futility boundaries proposed here are not adjusted to exhaust the full targeted nominal significance level and are thus still valid for non-binding applications.

Conclusions

The choice of the futility boundary and the time point of the interim analysis have a major impact on the properties of the study design. Therefore, they should be thoroughly investigated at the planning stage. The introduced method of selecting optimal futility boundaries provides a more flexible alternative to Simon’s designs with non-binding stopping rules. The probability of wrongly stopping for futility is minimized and the optimized futility boundaries don’t exhibit the unfavorable properties of an undesirably high probability of falsely declaring futility or a high proportion of the planned sample evaluated at the interim time point.
Predictive characteristics and model development for acute heart failure preceding hip fracture surgery in elderly hypertensive patients: a retrospective machine learning approach
Authors: Yu Qili , Fu Mingming , Wang Zhiqian , Hou Zhiyong
Published: March 2024

Background

Hip fractures are a serious health concern among the elderly, particularly in patients with hypertension, where the incidence of acute heart failure preoperatively is high, significantly affecting surgical outcomes and prognosis. This study aims to assess the risk of preoperative acute heart failure in elderly patients with hypertension and hip fractures by constructing a predictive model using machine learning on potential risk factors.

Methods

A retrospective study design was employed, collecting preoperative data from January 2018 to December 2019 of elderly hypertensive patients with hip fractures at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Using SPSS 24.0 and R software, predictive models were established through LASSO regression and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The models' predictive performance was evaluated using metrics such as the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve), and decision curve analysis (DCA), providing insights into the nomogram's predictive accuracy and clinical utility.

Results

Out of 1038 patients screened, factors such as gender, age, history of stroke, arrhythmias, anemia, and complications were identified as independent risk factors for preoperative acute heart failure in the study population. Notable predictors included Sex (OR 0.463, 95% CI 0.299–0.7184, P = 0.001), Age (OR 1.737, 95% CI 1.213–2.488, P = 0.003), Stroke (OR 1.627, 95% CI 1.137–2.327, P = 0.008), Arrhythmia (OR 2.727, 95% CI 1.490–4.990, P = 0.001), Complications (OR 2.733, 95% CI 1.850–4.036, P < 0.001), and Anemia (OR 3.258, 95% CI 2.180–4.867, P < 0.001). The prediction model of acute heart failure was Logit(P) = -2.091–0.770 × Sex + 0.552 × Age + 0.487 × Stroke + 1.003 × Arrhythmia + 1.005 × Complications + 1.181 × Anemia, and the prediction model nomogram was established. The model's AUC was 0.785 (95% CI, 0.754–0.815), Decision curve analysis (DCA) further validated the nomogram's excellent performance, identifying an optimal cutoff value probability range of 3% to 58% for predicting preoperative acute heart failure in elderly patients with hypertension and hip fractures.

Conclusion

The predictive model developed in this study is highly accurate and serves as a powerful tool for the clinical assessment of the risk of preoperative acute heart failure in elderly hypertensive patients with hip fractures, aiding in the optimization of preoperative risk assessment and patient management.
The use of individual-based FDG-PET volume of interest in predicting conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia
Authors: Huang Shu-Hua , Hsiao Wen-Chiu , Chang Hsin-I , Ma Mi-Chia , Hsu Shih-Wei , Lee Chen-Chang , Chen Hong-Jie , Lin Ching-Heng , Huang Chi-Wei , Chang Chiung-Chih
Published: March 2024

Background

Based on a longitudinal cohort design, the aim of this study was to investigate whether individual-based 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) regional signals can predict dementia conversion in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

We included 44 MCI converters (MCI-C), 38 non-converters (MCI-NC), 42 patients with Alzheimer’s disease with dementia, and 40 cognitively normal controls. Data from annual cognitive measurements, 3D T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and 18F-FDG-PET scans were used for outcome analysis. An individual-based FDG-PET approach was applied using seven volumes of interest (VOIs), Z transformed using a normal FDG-PET template. Hypometabolism was defined as a Z score < -2 of regional standard uptake value ratio. For the longitudinal cognitive test scores, generalized estimating equations were used. A linear mixed-effects model was used to compare the temporal impact of cortical hypometabolism and cortical thickness degeneration.

Results

The clinical follow-up period was 6.6 ± 3.8 years (range 3.1 to 16.0 years). The trend of cognitive decline could differentiate MCI-C from MCI-NC after 3 years of follow-up. In the baseline 18F-FDG-PET scan of the patients with MCI, medial temporal lobe (MTL; 94.7% sensitivity, 80.5% specificity) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC; 89.5% sensitivity, 73.1% specificity) hypometabolism predicted conversion with high accuracy. 18F-FDG-PET hypometabolism preceded dementia conversion at an interval of 3.70 ± 1.68 years and was earlier than volumetric changes, with the exception of the MTL.

Conclusions

Our finding supports the use of individual-based 18F-FDG-PET analysis to predict MCI conversion to dementia. Reduced FDG-PET metabolism in the MTL and PCC were strongly associated with future cognitive decline in the MCI-C group. Changes in 18F-FDG-PET occurred 1 to 8 years prior to conversion to dementia. Progressive hypometabolism in the PCC, precuneus and lateral temporal lobe, but not MTL, preceded MRI findings at the MCI stage.
Impact of obesity on outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Xinhua , Lin Xiaoqing
Published: March 2024

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used when standard methods of standard treatment methods are not successful. Obese patients present unique challenges during ECMO due to large body size hindering sufficient flows, difficulties with patient positioning and anatomical landmark identification, and restricted radiology scans. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the impact of obesity on the outcomes of patients undergoing ECMO.

Methods

Databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases) were searched to identify relevant studies published until July 2023. Data were reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and the descriptive data were reported as standard difference of means (SDM) by a random effects model.

Results

A literature search identified 345 studies. Of them, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings from the meta-analysis revealed no significant association between obesity and survival outcomes after ECMO (odds ratio (OR): 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70–1.17, p: 0.46). Moreover, no comparative significant differences were found between obese and non-obese individuals on the duration of ECMO procedure (standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.07, -0.03–0.17), length of hospital stay (-0.03, -0.19 to 0.12), and duration of ventilation support (-0.10, -0.44 to 0.24).

Conclusion

The meta-analysis findings suggest no significant impact of obesity on the survival outcomes after the ECMO procedure. There was no significant impact of obesity on the duration of ECMO procedures, length of hospital stay, and duration of ventilation support.
Clinical features of non-syndromic late developing supernumerary teeth: a sign of the third dentition?
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Gong Xu , Yu Min , Gao Xuemei
Published: March 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to summarize the clinical features of non-syndromic late developing supernumerary teeth (LDST) and comparisons with common supernumerary teeth (ST) and explore the association between LDST and the third dentition.

Materials and methods

This study retrospected cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and medical history of 41,903 consecutive patients from January to December 2021. Comparisons between ST and LDST were evaluated by Chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Correlation between chronological age and dental stage age was evaluated by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the features of LDST originating from the third dentition.

Results

Sixty patients with 126 non-syndromic LDST and 1602 patients with 1988 non-syndromic ST were identified. The prevalence of ST and LDST was 3.82% and 0.14%, respectively, with a male-female ratio of 1.78:1 and 1.31:1. LDST patients mainly had LDST in multiple (58.33%) and bilaterally (41.67%), with an average of 2.1/patient. Most LDST were normal-shaped (84.13%), vertically oriented (71.43%), located in the mandible (80.16%), and distributed in the premolar region (82.54%). The study also indicated that the development of LDST was correlated with permanent teeth, with LDST developing 6.48 to 10.45 years later. In this study, 72.22% of LDST met the clinical criteria for the third dentition.

Conclusions

LDST manifested different clinical features from common ST. LDST might be closely related to the third dentition.

Clinical relevance

This work would help to comprehend LDST from a clinical perspective, and may be complementary to the criteria of the third dentition.
Nurses’ perceptions of how their professional autonomy influences the moral dimension of end-of-life care to nursing home residents– a qualitative study
Authors: Gilbert Rachel , Lillekroken Daniela
Published: March 2024

Background

Over the years, caring has been explained in various ways, thus presenting various meanings to different people. Caring is central to nursing discipline and care ethics have always had an important place in nursing ethics discussions. In the literature, Joan Tronto’s theory of ethics of care is mostly discussed at the personal level, but there are still a few studies that address its influence on caring within the nursing context, especially during the provision of end-of-life care. This study aims to explore nurses’ perceptions of how their professional autonomy influences the moral dimension of end-of-life care provided to nursing home residents.

Methods

This study has a qualitative descriptive design. Data were collected by conducting five individual interviews and one focus group during a seven-month period between April 2022 and September 2022. Nine nurses employed at four Norwegian nursing homes were the participants in this study. Data were analysed by employing a qualitative deductive content analysis method.

Results

The content analysis generated five categories that were labelled similar to Tronto’s five phases of the care process: (i) caring about, (ii) caring for, (iii) care giving, (iv) care receiving and (v) caring with. The findings revealed that nurses’ autonomy more or less influences the decision-making care process at all five phases, demonstrating that the Tronto’s theory contributes to greater reflectiveness around what may constitute ‘good’ end-of-life care.

Conclusions

Tronto’s care ethics is useful for understanding end-of-life care practice in nursing homes. Tronto’s care ethics provides a framework for an in-depth analysis of the asymmetric relationships that may or may not exist between nurses and nursing home residents and their next-of-kin. This can help nurses see and understand the moral dimension of end-of-life care provided to nursing home residents during their final days. Moreover, it helps handle moral responsibility around end-of-life care issues, providing a more complex picture of what ‘good’ end-of-life care should be.
Systems for rating bodies of evidence used in systematic reviews of air pollution exposure and reproductive and children’s health: a methodological survey
Authors: Michel Sophie K. F. , Atmakuri Aishwarya , von Ehrenstein Ondine S.
Published: March 2024

Background

Translating findings from systematic reviews assessing associations between environmental exposures and reproductive and children’s health into policy recommendations requires valid and transparent evidence grading.

Methods

We aimed to evaluate systems for grading bodies of evidence used in systematic reviews of environmental exposures and reproductive/ children’s health outcomes, by conducting a methodological survey of air pollution research, comprising a comprehensive search for and assessment of all relevant systematic reviews. To evaluate the frameworks used for rating the internal validity of primary studies and for grading bodies of evidence (multiple studies), we considered whether and how specific criteria or domains were operationalized to address reproductive/children’s environmental health, e.g., whether the timing of exposure assessment was evaluated with regard to vulnerable developmental stages.

Results

Eighteen out of 177 (9.8%) systematic reviews used formal systems for rating the body of evidence; 15 distinct internal validity assessment tools for primary studies, and nine different grading systems for bodies of evidence were used, with multiple modifications applied to the cited approaches. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework, neither developed specifically for this field, were the most commonly used approaches for rating individual studies and bodies of evidence, respectively. Overall, the identified approaches were highly heterogeneous in both their comprehensiveness and their applicability to reproductive/children’s environmental health research.

Conclusion

Establishing the wider use of more appropriate evidence grading methods is instrumental both for strengthening systematic review methodologies, and for the effective development and implementation of environmental public health policies, particularly for protecting pregnant persons and children.
Effects of dry needling on spasticity, cortical excitability, and range of motion in a patient with multiple sclerosis: a case report
Authors: Choobsaz Haniyeh , Ghotbi Nastaran , Ansari Noureddin Nakhostin
Published: March 2024

Background

Dry needling is an intervention used by physiotherapists to manage muscle spasticity. We report the effects of three sessions of dry needling on ankle plantar flexor muscle spasticity and cortical excitability in a patient with multiple sclerosis.

Case presentation

The patient was a 40-year-old Iranian woman with an 11-year history of multiple sclerosis. The study outcomes were measured by the modified modified Ashworth scale, transcranial magnetic stimulation parameters, and active and passive ankle range of motion. They were assessed before (T0), after three sessions of dry needling (T1), and at 2-week follow-up (T2). Our result showed: the modified modified Ashworth scale was improved at T2 from, 2 to 1. The resting motor threshold decreased from 63 to 61 and 57 at T1 and T2, respectively. The single test motor evokes potential increased from 76.2 to 78.3. The short intracortical inhibition increased from 23.6 to 35.4 at T2. The intracortical facilitation increased from 52 to 76 at T2. The ankle active and passive dorsiflexion ROM increased ~ 10° and ~ 6° at T2, respectively.

Conclusion

This case study presented a patient with multiple sclerosis who underwent dry needling of ankle plantar flexors with severe spasticity, and highlighted the successful use of dry needling in the management of spasticity, ankle dorsiflexion, and cortical excitability. Further rigorous investigations are warranted, employing randomized controlled trials with a sufficient sample of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Trial registration IRCT20230206057343N1, registered 9 February 2023, https://en.irct.ir/trial/68454
Fascism's Spatial Imaginary at the Threshold
Authors: Lewis Tyson E.
Published: March 2024

This article returns to the work of Leo Löwenthal and Norbert Guterman to theorize the spatial imaginary of fascism, a dimension missing from existing analyses of the social psychology of the authoritarian personality. The fascist spatial imaginary can be defined in terms of a Manichean sense of world space, a dominance of spatial binaries such as inside versus outside, mythic/romantic spatial imagery, a paranoid mood, and finally, spatial projection in which internal contradictions are externalized. As a historical case study, the article charts the rise and fall of the American fascist compound and its replacement by more flexible and mobile terrorist cells, connecting this change in fascist spatial formations to underlying shifts in the composition of capitalism. In conclusion, the article turns to Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben to argue that, in the last instance, the fascist spatial imaginary cannot conceptualize thresholds, states of indistinction where the inside-outside binary blurs, and that dwelling within the threshold (rather than closing it) might be a tactic to disrupt the power of fascist spatial logics.
The CPLANE protein Fuzzy regulates ciliogenesis by suppressing actin polymerization at the base of the primary cilium via p190A RhoGAP
Authors: Sharma Rhythm , Kalot Rita , Levin Yossef , Babayeva Sima , Kachurina Nadezda , Chung Chen-Feng , Liu Karen J. , Bouchard Maxime , Torban Elena
Published: March 2024

The primary cilium decorates most eukaryotic cells and regulates tissue morphogenesis and maintenance. Structural or functional defects of primary cilium result in ciliopathies, congenital human disorders affecting multiple organs. Pathogenic variants in the ciliogenesis and planar cell polarity effectors (CPLANE) genes FUZZY, INTU and WDPCP disturb ciliogenesis, causing severe ciliopathies in humans and mice. Here, we show that the loss of Fuzzy in mice results in defects of primary cilia, accompanied by increased RhoA activity and excessive actin polymerization at the basal body. We discovered that, mechanistically, Fuzzy interacts with and recruits the negative actin regulator ARHGAP35 (also known as p190A RhoGAP) to the basal body. We identified genetic interactions between the two genes and found that a mutant ArhGAP35 allele increases the severity of phenotypic defects observed in Fuzzy−/− mice. Based on our findings, we propose that Fuzzy regulates ciliogenesis by recruiting ARHGAP35 to the basal body, where the latter likely restricts actin polymerization and modifies the actin network. Our study identifies a mechanism whereby CPLANE proteins control both actin polymerization and primary cilium formation.
FEATURES OF METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS REGIME IN THE FOREST AREA OF “CARBON-POVOLZHYE” CARBON POLYGON
Authors: Auhadeev Timur , Mustafina Aisylu , Lukmanov Anas
Published: March 2024

The provision of heat and moisture are key factors in the issues of vegetation of forest ecosystems. The purpose of the study is to analyze the behavior of the main meteorological parameters in various local conditions, to identify patterns in their temporal course. The data of observations at the meteorological station of Roshydromet, located in the northern part of the city of Kazan, and the automatic station at the forest site of the carbon polygon “Carbon-Povolzhye” in Zelenodolsk district of the Republic of Tatarstan in the period from 01.12.2022 to 31.01.2024 were compared. The selected meteorological stations are located in different conditions, and the terrain features are reflected in the change of meteorological parameters. During the period under review, the influence of the city proximity on temperature differences was noted - the average annual air temperature at the testing site is 1.05℃ lower than at the meteorological station in Kazan. In May and June the temperature difference reached 1.9℃, the differences in winter are less significant (on average 0.5℃). The study of differences between the regimes of meteorological parameters in forest ecosystems is becoming especially relevant in the context of a changing climate and an increasing risk of forest fires. The forest edge conditions are characterized by a high degree of horizon closure-wind shadow. In the annual cycle at the carbon polygon, days (16 days) with a maximum wind speed of > 10 m/s were identified, the vast majority of them occur in the autumn-winter period. No significant differences in cloudiness were revealed between the meteorological stations. During the period under review, there were no cases of heavy precipitation exceeding 15 mm/12 hours. An assessment of the degree of aridity of the vegetation using the Selyaninov hydrothermal coefficient showed that the growing season of 2023 was characterized by arid conditions.
STUDY OF THE OPTIMAL PARAMETERS’ STABILITY OF A TRAILED SPRAYER WHEN CHANGING WORKING CONDITIONS
Authors: Nurmiev Azat , Didmanidze Otari , Khafizov Kamil , Khafizov Kamil , Zalakov Nail
Published: March 2024

Research was carried out to identify changes in energy costs and the stability of the optimal parameters of a trailed sprayer when changing the numerical values of factors affecting its operation, to determine the possibility of stable operation in various conditions. The work was carried out using the example of a trailed sprayer for a 4K4a tractor, type MTZ-82, with an engine power of 80 hp. (optimal working width – 32 m, speed – 10 km/h, wheel diameter – 2 m, tank volume – 5000 l, wheel profile width – 0.2 m, sprayer weight distribution coefficient on its support wheels – 0.83) at changing the following operating conditions of the unit: cultivated field area from 1 to 101 hectares, paddock length from 0.1 to 1.1 km, soil density from 1.1 to 1.7 g/cm3, tanker productivity from 100 to 700 l/min , grain yield from 15 to 70 c/ha, seasonal volume of work per unit from 100 to 3600 ha, application rate of preparations from 50 to 330 l/ha, number of weeds per unit field area from 10 to 460 pcs/ m2. With an increase in the numerical values of the first four of the listed factors that determine the operating conditions of the sprayer, the total energy costs decreased by 200...2800 MJ/ha, an increase in the values of the indicators of the other four factors of the system led to an increase in the total energy costs by 300...5300 MJ/ha. At the same time, the optimal parameters of the sprayer remained unchanged regardless of the variation in the factors under consideration.
Modeling the process of diagnosing leaks based on a two-alternative hypothesis, taking into account interference from stochastic consumption in a hydraulic system
Authors: Sazonova Svetlana , Scherbakova Irina , Smetankina Galina
Published: March 2024

Let's consider mathematical models and methods for diagnosing leaks in hydraulic pipeline systems. As part of the task, two subtasks can be distinguished: identifying the fact of a leak based on the use of a two-alternative hypothesis, as well as mathematical models for determining the location and size of the leak. The task of determining the location and size of the leak has been investigated in sufficient detail. Attention in this work is paid to the development of algorithms for diagnosing hydraulic systems for the presence or absence of leakage. It is proposed to solve both problems as a complex problem of leak diagnostics for hydraulic pipeline systems. The software created based on the results of the research can be used for automated control and monitoring of hydraulic systems. Based on the collected data on the parameters of the hydraulic system, such as pressure, consumption of the target product, etc., a model can be created that can include probability distributions, expected values for parameter variations. The solution to the specific problem of leak detection may vary depending on the type of hydraulic system. The main focus of this work is on leak detection based on a two-alternative hypothesis to determine the existence of a leak in a hydraulic system, taking into account the noise generated by the random selection of the target product by consumption. Leaks are classified as natural, resulting from emergency situations, and leaks also include unsanctioned selections of the target product.
Justification of information and intellectual support for the principles of operation of technical systems
Authors: Vysotskaya Irina
Published: March 2024

Information and intelligent systems are a combination of knowledge, methods and technologies aimed at supporting specialists and engineers in the design, operation and optimization of technical systems. The task of searching for acceptable principles of operation of technical systems is achieved by searching for optimal solutions, analyzing their characteristics and identifying the most preferable options from the point of view of the assigned tasks. When searching for optimal solutions, various options for operating principles should be considered. A rational choice of the fundamental principles of the functioning of a technical system ensures the efficiency and quality of management decisions made. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the information-intellectual system of multivariate analysis, which provides the search for technical solutions. A logging road is considered as the object of study. The features of the organization of work during the construction of logging roads have been studied, and the choice of research method has been justified. An information-intellectual system is described that generates for further development acceptable principles of action in technical solutions in accordance with the formulated task. A description of the information-intelligent system for searching technical solutions is presented. The set of solutions is described in the form of an AND/OR tree, which allows you to efficiently store and select feasible solutions using graph methods.
Search for a set of acceptable management solutions in technical systems
Authors: Vysotskaya Irina
Published: March 2024

Scientific and technological progress leads to a continuous increase in the number and complexity of designed systems, as a result of which there is a need to create modern information and intelligent decision support systems. Such systems will make it possible to predict various scenarios of management decisions, which in turn helps to increase the efficiency and quality of the project. Effective use of automation in the search for management decisions can reduce the time spent on analysis, improve the quality of decisions made and increase the overall productivity and competitiveness of the organization. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the scientific approach to the issue of automated search for acceptable management solutions in technical systems. To describe management decisions, a concept is proposed that allows one to compactly depict the structure of complex hierarchical systems. Many solutions are described, and the problem of finding acceptable management solutions is formulated. A system for automated search for management decisions is described. An algorithm is presented for searching solutions that are feasible with respect to a certain condition from a set of possible ones, based on removing the vertices of the search tree that are invalid according to the specification. A description of the automation of building a model of many technical solutions is presented. Using a model to search for a set of acceptable management decisions allows you to more accurately predict various scenarios for the management decision made and helps to increase the efficiency and improve the quality of the project.
Algorithm for dynamic distribution and load balancing in distributed cloud computing
Authors: Mochalov Valeriy , Bratchenko Natalia , Gosteva Dar'ya
Published: March 2024

A mathematical model and algorithm of a two-level load management system for virtual clusters of a data processing center (data center) have been developed. At the first management level, virtual machines (VMs) are assigned to physical servers. At the same time, a greedy algorithm is used with restrictions on the time of searching for acceptable load distribution alternatives. The second level of management is implemented taking into account the chaotic structure of network traffic between the data center and users. Checking for the randomness of a time series of information traffic is carried out using Lyapunov exponents. The predictive model of the load intensity is implemented using the method of phase space reconstruction based on a set of values of a one-dimensional time series. When constructing a reconstructed phase space attractor, the time delay value is selected from the condition of reaching the zero value of the autocorrelation function, and the dimension of the embedding is determined by the angle of inclination of the straight line approximating the dependence of the value of the correlation integral on the radius of a given threshold point. The Tayler window is used to exclude correlated points in the numerical series. The criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the developed algorithm is an integral indicator of the deviation of the load of each server from a given level. The proposed model can be used to build a data center load balancing system in conditions of its nonlinear nature.
Factors Influencing the Effectiveness and Quality of Inclusive Services in the Sphere of Domestic Tourism in Russia
Authors: Kalinina M.
Published: March 2024

This article is devoted to the study of factors affecting the effectiveness and quality of services in the field of inclusive tourism. This study considers the principles of inclusive tourism to ensure the accessibility of the environment for people with disabilities. The groups of factors influencing the development of inclusiveness in the sphere of domestic tourism in Russia are identified. The role of the state as the main actor in the development of the industry under study is defined.
VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT COUNTERPARTIES AS A TOOL FOR INTERNAL CONTROL OF CONTRACTUAL RELATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION
Authors: Bulatenko Mariya , Mustafin Eldar
Published: March 2024

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of reducing the risks associated with contractual relations with counterparties. The main types of risks that can be identified when checking counterparties are considered - financial, tax, legal, reputational, commercial and operational. The authors substantiate the need for careful verification of counterparties before starting cooperation in order to minimize potential losses and negative consequences. In the article, the authors explore the cases of the construction and functioning of the Gazprom Pererabotka LLC risk management system, the assessment of counterparties by the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz LLC economic Security service and the Severstal Management JSC risk management system. In these cases, the integration of procedures for verifying information about counterparties into the internal control system of contractual relations is implemented. The possibilities of combining the business processes of counterparty verification and internal control are being considered. The authors aim to investigate the feasibility of integrating the counterparty verification process into the organization's internal control system and formulate potential advantages and disadvantages. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded that the introduction of formalized procedures for checking and monitoring counterparties within the framework of the internal control system will improve the overall effectiveness of risk management and protect the organization when certain conditions are met. The authors offer recommendations for solving the problems associated with the restructuring of the organization when combining business processes.