bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A sweet deal for domestic industry: the political economy and framing of Vanuatu’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax
Authors: Elliott Lana M , Waqa Gade D , Dalglish Sarah L , Topp Stephanie M
Published: October 2023

Introduction

The Government of Vanuatu introduced an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2015. While lauded for its alignment with the WHO’s Best Buys recommendations for addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), little is known about the tax’s adoption process or whose interests it serves.

Methods

Using case study methodology, this study examined how and why Vanuatu’s SSB tax was introduced. Policy documents, key informant interviews (n=33) and direct observations were analysed using theories of policy analysis, power analysis and postcolonial theory to map the policy’s adoption, surrounding political economy and the ideas, interests and institutions that shaped the tax and its framing.

Results

The SSB tax emerged during a politically and economically unstable time in Vanuatu’s history. The tax’s links to the national health agenda were tenuous despite its ostensible framing as a way to combat NCDs. Rather, the tax was designed to respond to tightening economic and trade conditions. Spearheaded by several finance-focused bureaucrats, and with limited input from health personnel, the tax targeted less frequently consumed carbonated SSBs (which are mostly imported) without any revenue reinvestments into health. Driven by the desire to generate much-needed government revenue and instal domestic protections via selective implementation and carve-outs for local producers, the Vanuatu SSB tax did meet national objectives, just not the dual health and economic ‘win-win’ projected by the NCD Best Buys.

Conclusion

Vanuatu’s SSB tax adoption process reveals the limitations of decontextualised policy recommendations, such as the NCD Best Buys, whose framing may be overcome by local political realities. This research highlights the need for further political economy considerations in global health recommendations, since contextual forces and power dynamics are key to shaping both how and why policies are enacted and also whose interest they serve.
Cost-effectiveness of decellularised bone allograft compared with fresh-frozen bone allograft for acetabular impaction bone grafting during a revision hip arthroplasty in the UK
Authors: Cowell Kern , Statham Patrick , Sagoo Gurdeep Singh , Chandler James H , Herbert Anthony , Rooney Paul , Wilcox Ruth K , Fermor Hazel L
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Fresh-frozen allograft is the gold-standard bone graft material used during revision hip arthroplasty. However, new technology has been developed to manufacture decellularised bone with potentially better graft incorporation. As these grafts cost more to manufacture, the aim of this cost-effectiveness study was to estimate whether the potential health benefit of decellularised bone allograft outweighs their increased cost.

Study design

A Markov model was constructed to estimate the costs and the quality-adjusted life years of impaction bone grafting during a revision hip arthroplasty.

Setting

This study took the perspective of the National Health Service in the UK.

Participants

The Markov model includes patients undergoing a revision hip arthroplasty in the UK.

Intervention

Impaction bone grafting during a revision hip arthroplasty using either decellularised bone allograft or fresh-frozen allograft.

Measures

Outcome measures included: total costs and quality-adjusted life years of both interventions over the lifetime of the model; and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for both graft types, using base case parameters, univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic analysis.

Results

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the base case model was found to be £270 059 per quality-adjusted life year. Univariate sensitivity analysis found that changing the discount rate, the decellularised bone graft cost, age of the patient cohort and the revision rate all had a significant effect on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Conclusions

As there are no clinical studies of impaction bone grafting using a decellularised bone allograft, there is a high level of uncertainty around the costs of producing a decellularised bone allograft and the potential health benefits. However, if a decellularised bone graft was manufactured for £2887 and lowered the re-revision rate to less than 64 cases per year per 10 000 revision patients, then it would most likely be cost-effective compared with fresh-frozen allograft.
Paediatric oncology nursing education and training programmes: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Majamanda Maureen Daisy , Chisoni Felix , Selemani Apatsa , Kearns Irene , Maree Johanna
Published: October 2023

Introduction

The care of children with cancer is a highly specialised field which requires well-educated, trained and dedicated nurses to provide high-quality care. In low/middle-income countries, the survival rate of children with cancer is low as compared with that of high-income countries due to the limited number of specialised oncology healthcare professionals, especially nurses. To address this problem, a number of paediatric oncology education and training programmes have been developed for nurses. The objective of this scoping review is to describe the existing literature focusing on paediatric oncology nursing education and training programmes; to map the content, delivery methods, duration and mode of assessment.

Methods

The review will include articles published in English, from 2012 to 2022, that describe a paediatric oncology nursing education programme, from any setting. The review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews guidelines. A systematic search of literature will be performed in CINAHL, Dimensions, Embase, PubMed and Scopus. A two-stage standardised screening process will be employed to evaluate eligibility of the articles. All abstracts that will be considered relevant will be reviewed in full text form by the two reviewers independently. Conflicts will be resolved by consensus of all reviewers through a meeting. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using a developed data extraction tool. The results will be reported in extraction tables and diagrams with a narrative summary.

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review is part of the multiphase study which obtained ethical clearance from College of Medicine Research Ethics Committee in Malawi and Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. The scoping review will be published in a peer reviewed journal. The findings will also be presented at national and international conferences.

Trial registration number

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X3Q4H
Secondary analysis of child hospital admission data for dental caries in London, UK: what the data tells us about oral health inequalities
Authors: Kaddour Sarah , Slater Sebastian , Feleke Robel , Doran Gwen , Halpin Louis , Srinivasan Anandagopal , Yusuf Huda
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Dental caries is the most common reason for hospital admissions for children aged 6–10 years in England. The prevalence in the experience of hospital admission is not uniform across all populations. This paper reports on the analysis of secondary data on dental hospital episodes for children residing in London, and its association with oral health inequalities.

Design, setting and participants

Retrospective, non-identifiable patient data sourced from the Hospital Episode Statistics dataset was analysed. Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) were extracted for children aged 1–19 years, residing in London and admitted with a primary diagnosis of caries between 2015/2016 and 2020/2021.

Outcome measures

The number and rates of FCEs with a primary diagnosis of dental caries for children aged 1–19 years old was analysed for six consecutive financial years (2015/2016 to 2020/2021). To assess oral health inequalities in children experiencing hospital admission due to dental caries, several demographic variables were analysed: deprivation, age, and sex.

Results

Between the financial years of 2015–2016 and 2020–2021, there were a total of 57 055 hospital admissions for dental caries for children aged 1–19 years (average rate of admission was 465.1 per 100 000 of children). A year-on-year decline was noted between 2015–2016 and 2020–2021. Regression analysis demonstrated clear social gradients with significant oral health inequalities; those from the most deprived areas experienced over two times the number of hospital admissions (58%). Children aged 4–9 years accounted for 68.9% (39 325) for the total dental hospital episodes from 2015–2016 to 2020–2021.

Conclusion

London’s year-on-year reduction in hospital admission for dental caries is due to various factors including effective prevention interventions and an effective paediatric clinical care pathway. Sociodemographic factors remain to act as key predictors for hospital admission for child with dental caries. While health service level changes may reduce the number of hospital admissions, persistent child oral health inequalities continue to exist.
Global, regional and national burden of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Guan Bin , Anderson David B , Chen Lingxiao , Feng Shiqing , Zhou Hengxing
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the most up-to-date burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) and analyse their leading causes in different countries/territories.

Design

An analysis of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data.

Setting

The epidemiological data were gathered from GBD Results Tool (1 January, 1990─31 December 2019) covering 21 GBD regions and 204 countries/ territories.

Participants

Patients with TBI/SCI.

Main outcomes and measures

Absolute numbers and age-standardised rates/estimates of incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of TBI/SCI by location in 2019, with their percentage changes from 1990 to 2019. The leading causes (eg, falls) of TBI/SCI in 204 countries/territories.

Results

Globally, in 2019, TBI had 27.16 million new cases, 48.99 million prevalent cases and 7.08 million YLDs. SCI had 0.91 million new cases, 20.64 million prevalent cases and 6.20 million YLDs. Global age-standardised incidence rates of TBI decreased significantly by −5.5% (95% uncertainty interval −8.9% to −3.0%) from 1990 to 2019, whereas SCI had no significant change (−6.1% (−17.3% to 1.5%)). Regionally, in 2019, Eastern Europe and High-income North America had the highest burden of TBI and SCI, respectively. Nationally, in 2019, Slovenia and Afghanistan had the highest age-standardised incidence rates of TBI and SCI, respectively. For TBI, falls were the leading cause in 74% (150/204) of countries/territories, followed by pedestrian road injuries (14%, 29/204), motor vehicle road injuries (5%, 11/204), and conflict and terrorism (2%, 4/204). For SCI, falls were the leading cause in 97% (198/204) of countries/territories, followed by conflict and terrorism (3%, 6/204).

Conclusions

Global age-standardised incidence rates of TBI have decreased significantly since 1990, whereas SCI had no significant change. The leading causes of TBI/SCI globally were falls, but variations did exist between countries/territories. Policy-makers should continue to prioritise interventions to reduce falls, but priorities may vary between countries/territories.
Can we collect health-related quality of life information from anticoagulated atrial fibrillation participants who have recently experienced a bleed? An observational feasibility study in primary and secondary care in Wales and through a UK online forum
Authors: Hutchings Hayley Anne , Lanyon Kirsty J , Holland Gail , Alikhan Raza , Jenkins Rhys , Laing Hamish , Hughes Arfon , Lobban Trudie , Pollock Kevin , Tod Daniel , Lister Steven
Published: October 2023

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of recruiting participants diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking oral anticoagulation therapies (OATs) and recently experiencing a bleed to collect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) information.

Design

Observational feasibility study. The study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting participants with minor and major bleeds, the most appropriate route for recruitment and the appropriateness of the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) selected for collecting HRQoL information in AF patients, and the preferred format of the surveys.

Setting

Primary care, secondary care and via an online patient forum.

Participants

The study population was adult patients (≥18) with AF taking OATs who had experienced a recent major or minor bleed within the last 4 weeks.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcomes– PROMs: EuroQol 5 Dimensions-5 Levels, Perception of Anticoagulant Treatment Questionnaire, part 2 only (part 2), atrial fibrillation effect on quality of life.Secondary outcomes– Location of bleed, bleed severity, current treatment, patient perceptions of HRQoL in relation to bleeding events.

Results

We received initial expressions of interest from 103 participants. We subsequently recruited 32 participants to the study—14 from primary care and 18 through the AF forum. No participants were recruited through secondary care. Despite 32 participants consenting, only 26 initial surveys were completed. We received follow-up surveys from 11 participants (8 primary care and 3 AF forum). COVID-19 had a major impact on the study.

Conclusions

Primary care was the most successful route for recruitment. Most participants recruited to the study experienced a minor bleed. Further ways to recruit in secondary care should be explored, especially to capture more serious bleeds.

Trial registration number

The study is registered in the Clinicaltrials.gov database,NCT04921176.
A statistical derivation of Bekenstein–Hawking entropy for Schwarzschild black holes
Authors: Kumar Naman
Published: October 2023

A microscopic derivation of the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy for the Schwarzschild black hole was presented earlier by using a nontrivial phase space. It was argued that the Schwarzschild black hole behaves like a [Formula: see text] quantum mechanical system. In this paper, we show that if we assume the phase space to obey the holographic principle and take the microscopic particles inside the quantum gravitational system to be ideal bosonic gas, we can derive the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy. The assumption of the phase space to follow the holographic principle such that the Schwarzschild black hole behaves as a [Formula: see text] system is very much in the spirit of our understanding of black holes than their behavior as a [Formula: see text] system. However, the argument suggests that the black hole be treated as a system with the equation of state [Formula: see text].
Transition metal dipyrromethenes: Seeking alternatives to BODIPY dyes
Authors: Swavey Shawn
Published: October 2023

This review describes recent advances in the coordination chemistry of transition metal ions with a variety of 2,2′-dipyrromethene bidentate ligands. A brief history of BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) dyes and the role of the BF2moiety is presented. Substituting transition metal cations for BF2adds complexity expressed by partially filled d-orbitals, multiple coordination numbers and geometries, and numerous accessible oxidation states. The spectroscopic, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of a variety of transition metal dipyrrins and their applications as catalysts, light harvesting, and phototherapeutic complexes are described.
Effect of chemically modified natural porphyrins and copper and silver complexes derived from them on oxidative stress induced by paraquat and radiation
Authors: Rasova Elena E. , Velegzhaninov Ilya O. , Rocheva Tatyana K. , Khudyaeva Irina S. , Belykh Dmitry V.
Published: October 2023

In the present work, chlorophyll [Formula: see text] and deuteroporphyrin IX derivatives and copper (II) and silver (II) porphyrinates based on them were investigated for their ability to prevent oxidative stress in human HeLa cells exposed to paraquat (PQ) using fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA). Among the compounds studied Ag-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] and Cu-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] contributed to a statistically significant increase in the survival of PQ-exposed cells. Additionally, ROS levels in HeLa cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate and Ag-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] and Cu-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] were shown to arrest PQ-mediated oxidative stress. Furthermore, these two compounds were tested for radioprotective activity in the experiment with irradiation of HeLa cells at doses of 3 Gy and 6 Gy. According to the FMCA results, the addition of Ag-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] and Cu-methylpyropheophorbide [Formula: see text] to the cell culture had no increase in cell survival compared to the positive control, demonstrating the absence of radioprotective effect of these compounds. It can be assumed that the difference in the effects of these porphyrin derivatives on cell survival is related to different localization of oxidative stress targets in cells exposed to PQ or ionizing radiation.
PACMHCI V7, CSCW2, October 2023 Editorial
Authors: De Choudhury Munmun , Ding Xianghua , Guha Shion , Pinatti de Carvalho Aparecido Fabiano
Published: October 2023

We are again thrilled to be able to present the Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW) community with an issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, containing very interesting and relevant scholarship from its members. This issue includes 138 papers, of which 82 were accepted from the July 2022 cycle, and 56 were accepted from the January 2023 cycle. It reflects great efforts and contributions from external reviewers, Associate Chairs and Editors, who together have conducted a rigorous review process to select contributions of the highest quality advancing the CSCW field. As Track Chairs, we are grateful for the community's collective efforts to continue shaping and sharing CSCW's tradition of high-quality scholarship across the years.
How a Deep Contextualized Representation and Attention Mechanism Justifies Explainable Cross-Lingual Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Ghasemi Rouzbeh , Momtazi Saeedeh
Published: October 2023

The number of applications in sentiment analysis is growing daily, and research in this field is increasing. Despite the rapid growth of data sources in English, low-resource languages suffer from a lack of data for accurate training models. Moreover, users cannot trust such systems without explaining the output. In this study, we propose a cross-lingual deep neural model to improve the accuracy of sentiment analysis for low-resource languages while providing an explainable description of the predictions. The proposed model contains a word representation model where we use XLM-RoBERTa, a pre-trained contextualized transformer-based cross-lingual language model, and a long short-term memory network together with an attention mechanism that helps improve the explainability of the model and detect the informative words that impact text polarity. Our experiments show the superiority of the proposed model compared to the state-of-the-art mono-lingual techniques and cross-lingual models. The results show 0.55% improvement compared to the cross-lingual sentiment analysis proposed by Ghasemi et al. and 15.08% improvement compared to the mono-lingual contextualized sentiment analysis. Moreover, we achieve 0.54% further improvement when using attention mechanisms for enhancing the model with explainability.
Transient Intussusception Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Imamura Hiroshi , Kashima Yuichiro , Hamano Yujiro , Ogawara Aoi
Published: October 2023

Intussusception in adults is rare and usually associated with organic lesions. However, in the current era of computed tomography (CT), cases of idiopathic and transient intussusceptions are being increasingly diagnosed. Herein, we present a case of ileocecal intussusception with symptoms mimicking those of acute coronary syndrome. A male patient in his 80s with a history of myocardial infarction presented to the emergency department with acute onset of severe precordial and epigastric pain, cold sweating, and vomiting. Coronary angiography did not reveal any significant new lesion, while abdominal CT revealed ileocecal intussusception without bowel obstruction. The pain spontaneously subsided without any intervention, and the patient was discharged on the sixth hospital day. Cases of intussusception may go unnoticed in patients suspected of having chest pain with a normal coronary arteriogram, as idiopathic intussusception is relatively common and subsides spontaneously. Therefore, physicians should note that intussusception is one of the differential diagnoses of acute coronary syndrome.
Simultaneous Enantioseparation of Three Chiral Antifungal Pesticides by Hydroxypropyl-γ-CD-Modified Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography
Authors: Yang Xiaoyu
Published: October 2023

Simultaneous enantioseparation of three commonly used chiral antifungal pesticides (diniconazole, hexaconazole, and imazalil) was first studied based on micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with hydroxypropyl-γ-CD (HP-γ-CD) as chiral selector. In this study, the importance of experimental parameters such as chiral selector type and concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration, the ratio of methanol, and separation voltage in optimizing were investigated. The simultaneous enantioseparation of diniconazole, hexaconazole, and imazalil was successfully achieved in 30 mM borate buffer (pH 9.0) containing 10 mM HP-γ-CD and 20 mM SDS with methanol (8%) added as organic modifiers. The resolution of diniconazole, hexaconazole, and imazalil was 15.2, 2.12, and 2.78, respectively, and the peak efficiency (N) was over 566,825 plates/m. This study provides an alternative way to systematically separate chiral antifungal pesticides with high efficiency.
Supplementary Figure S4 from Targeting MALAT1 Augments Sensitivity to PARP Inhibition by Impairing Homologous Recombination in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yadav Anjali , Biswas Tanay , Praveen Ayush , Ganguly Promit , Bhattacharyya Ankita , Verma Ayushi , Datta Dipak , Ateeq Bushra
Published: October 2023

MALAT1 depletion restrains cell cycle progression in prostate cancer.
FIGURE 7 from Targeting MALAT1 Augments Sensitivity to PARP Inhibition by Impairing Homologous Recombination in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yadav Anjali , Biswas Tanay , Praveen Ayush , Ganguly Promit , Bhattacharyya Ankita , Verma Ayushi , Datta Dipak , Ateeq Bushra
Published: October 2023

MALAT1 ablation confers sensitivity to PARPi. A, Mean tumor volume of xenografts generated by implanting 22RV1-SCRM and 22RV1-MALAT1 KO cells in NOD-SCID mice and randomized into two groups (n = 6 each), namely, vehicle control and olaparib (50 mg/kg). B, Bar plot showing percent tumor reduction in the same mice as mentioned in A. C, Scatter dot plot showing the number of cells metastasized to the lungs in xenografted mice as mentioned in A. D, Same as C, except cells metastasized to bone marrow. E, Representative images depicting IHC staining for Ki-67 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor xenograft specimens as in A. F, Scatter dot plot showing quantification of Ki-67 expression in the tumor tissue sections of the mice xenografts as in A. G, Schema depicting that MALAT1 inhibition perturbs HR machinery via miR-421 and this in turn enhances the sensitivity toward PARPi. MALAT1 sponges miR-421 which in turn enhances the DNA repair activity of prostate cancer cells and enables them to proliferate and survive even in the presence of therapy-induced damage. While MALAT1 depletion disrupts the HR machinery, the NHEJ pathway takes over and repairs the damage, and aids in the survival of prostate cancer cells. However, when, MALAT1-depleted cells are treated with pharmacologic inhibitors of PARP1, a type of enzyme that helps to repair damaged DNA via the NHEJ pathway, the cells are unable to repair the breaks brought on by treatment with PARP1 inhibitors and ultimately result in cell death. For A and B, the data represent mean ± SEM and the statistical difference was computed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey multiple comparison test while for C, D and F, the data are presented as median (middle line) with interquartile range and one-way ANOVA with Tukey multiple comparison test was applied.
FIGURE 6 from Targeting MALAT1 Augments Sensitivity to PARP Inhibition by Impairing Homologous Recombination in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yadav Anjali , Biswas Tanay , Praveen Ayush , Ganguly Promit , Bhattacharyya Ankita , Verma Ayushi , Datta Dipak , Ateeq Bushra
Published: October 2023

MALAT1 depletion induces “BRCAness” and confers sensitivity to PARPi. A, Cell cytotoxicity assay for determining IC50 value of olaparib in SCRM control and MALAT1-silenced prostate cancer cells. The IC50 values were calculated by generating a dose–response curve using GraphPad Prism software. B, Line graph showing relative decrease in cell viability on olaparib treatment (10 µmol/L) in MALAT1-silenced 22RV1 and LNCaP cells as compared with scrambled control. The drug was replenished every 24 hours at the indicated time points. C, Foci formation assay in 22RV1-shSCRM and -shMALAT1 cells following treatment with olaparib (5 µmol/L) or vehicle control for 15 days. Inset showing representative images of foci. D, Foci formation assay in LNCaP-shSCRM and -shMALAT1 cells following treatment with olaparib (2 µmol/L) or vehicle control for 15 days. Inset showing representative images of foci. E, Representative confocal images for EdU uptake in MALAT1-deficient 22RV1 and LNCaP cells followed by olaparib (10 µmol/L) treatment for 48 hours. Scale bar, 50 µm. F, Bar graph showing quantification of EdU staining after 48-hour treatment with olaparib in the indicated cells. G, Representative confocal images for γH2AX foci (red) in the same cells as in C upon olaparib (10 µmol/L) treatment for 48 hours. The nucleus was visualized by Hoechst 33342 (blue). Scale bar, 10 µm. Quantification of the number of γH2AX-positive foci in the indicated cells. Bar plot showing the percentage of cells with the indicated number of foci/nuclei in the same cells. The P value for the χ2 test is indicated. H, Same as G, except LNCaP-shSCRM and LNCaP-shMALAT1 cells. I, Flow cytometry–based apoptosis assay using Annexin V-PE and 7-AAD staining in the same cells as in B upon olaparib (10 µmol/L) treatment for 48 hours. The percentage of the apoptotic cell population was calculated using FlowJo software. J, Same as I, except LNCaP-shSCRM and LNCaP-shMALAT1 cells. K, Immunoblot showing the change in expression of cleaved PARP in the same cells as in B upon olaparib (10 µmol/L) treatment for 48 hours. β-Actin was used as an internal control. The experiments were performed with n = 3 biologically independent samples; the data represents mean ± SEM. Extra sums of the square F-test was used to compute the statistical significance and compare the curves in A. The statistical analysis of difference was computed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey multiple-comparison posthoc test for B–D and F–H, while the χ2 test was used for G and H.
INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT OF VOLUNTARY SIMPLE LIFESTYLE ON MENTAL WELL-BEING
Authors: KURNAZ Aysel
Published: October 2023

The main objective of this research is measuring the effect of voluntary simple lifestyle on mental well-being. The ancillary objective of the research is determining the differences in the effect of voluntary simple lifestyle on mental well-being based on gender and educational status. The data were acquired on a voluntary basis from 608 participants aged 18 and over by convenience sampling method in the study. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were implemented on the acquired data. Based on the research findings, individuals’ voluntary simple lifestyles have a significant and positive effect on their mental well-being. Also, at the same time, it was ascertained that there are differences in the effect of people’s voluntary simple lifestyle on mental well-being, according to gender and educational status.
THE INFLUENCE OF FISCAL POLICY ON UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN TÜRKİYE
Authors: COSKUN YILMAZ Sevgi
Published: October 2023

In the context of ongoing economic discussion, the connection between government actions and economic performance remains an important issue. There exist diverse opinions and arguments regarding how fiscal policy affects the unemployment rate from both empirical and theoretical perspective. The objective of this research is to explore the response of unemployment rate to fiscal policy shocks, namely government expenditure and tax revenue shocks. To achieve this goal, we gather annual data spanning from 1990 to 2021 for Türkiye employing recursive Structural VAR model. The results show that a tax revenue shock, corresponding to a one standard deviation change, initially results in a temporary decline in the unemployment but it positively affects the unemployment rate in the long run. Furthermore, the reaction of the unemployment to a government spending shock follows a hump-shape pattern. Hence, we can conclude that the government expenditure shock increases unemployment rate temporarily but decreases it slightly over the long term.
A new species of Trimma of the T. taylori species group (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Red Sea, Indian Ocean
Authors: WINTERBOTTOM RICHARD , BOGORODSKY SERGEY V. , ALPERMANN TILMAN J.
Published: October 2023

A new species of Trimma is described from the Red Sea along the Saudi Arabian coast. Specimens and/or photographs of this species are available from the Egyptian Red Sea to Eritrea. These specimens, formerly identified as T. taylori, differ from all other samples from the Indo-Pacific currently identified as T. taylori in having 9 and 8–9 dorsal- and anal-fin rays respectively (vs. usually 10 and 10 rays), 13 pectoral-fin rays (vs. usually 14 rays), and cycloid scales covering the entire predorsal region from the upper base of the pectoral fin anterior to a convex line posterodorsally to just lateral to the base of the sixth first dorsal-fin spine (vs. predorsal region mostly or entirely covered with ctenoid scales). In addition, specimens from the Red Sea form a monophyletic lineage in a Maximum Likelihood analysis of the COI gene. In this tree, the new species is the sister group to a clade composed of three lineages. One is composed of specimens from the Maldives, which is the sister group of a single available specimen from the Seychelles. These two together are the sister group of specimens of a widespread western Pacific clade.
TRADITIONAL PRACTICES AND SUPPORT FOR THE STRONGMAN
Authors: Pelizzo Riccardo , Kuzenbayev Nygmetzhan
Published: October 2023

The new modernization theory has suggested that the pervasiveness of traditional values has a clear impact on the quality of democratic governance. In this contribution to this special issue on the political consequences of traditional beliefs, we explore whether and to what extent the pervasiveness of traditional values and beliefs has a detectable impact on authoritarian attitudes. Specifically, we analyze the relationship between the support for a “strongman” and the acceptability of traditional practices for Muslim respondents from 27 jurisdictions. The results suggest that those who believe that traditional practices, such as the use of sorcery, appealing to jinn, and to the souls of ancestors, are acceptable under Islam are more likely to prefer a strongman to democracy. Notably, we found that respondents’ religiosity does not significantly affect their support for a strongman, raising questions about how accurately traditionality has been measured so far.
Correlation study of malignant lymphoma and breast Cancer in different gender European populations: mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Chen Xiong , Hu GuoHuang
Published: October 2023

Background

Previous research has already indicated an elevated risk of breast cancer (BC) among survivors of malignant lymphoma, but the underlying reasons remain unknown. Our objective is to elucidate the causal relationship between malignant lymphoma and BC through Mendelian randomization (MR). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from 181,125 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients and 181,289 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients from the FinnGen Consortium were utilized as exposure. We selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly associated with the exposure as instrumental variables to investigate their relationship with BC in a cohort of 107,722 participants. Subsequently, we obtained data from the UK Biobank containing gender-stratified information on HL, NHL, and BC. We validated the findings from our analysis and explored the impact of gender. The Inverse-Variance Weighted (IVW) method served as the primary reference for the two-sample MR, accompanied by tests for heterogeneity and pleiotropy.

Results

The analysis results from the FinnGen consortium indicate that there is no causal relationship between HL and NHL with BC. HL (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98–1.04, p = 0.29), NHL (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.96–1.05, p = 0.64). When utilizing GWAS data from the UK Biobank that includes different gender cohorts, the lack of association between HL, NHL, and BC remains consistent. HL (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.74–1.56, p = 0.69), HL-Female (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.59–1.19, p = 0.33), NHL (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.66–1.19, p = 0.44), and NHL-Female (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.58–1.11, p = 0.18).

Conclusions

The two-sample MR analysis indicates that there is no significant causal relationship between malignant lymphoma (HL and NHL) and BC. The association between malignant lymphoma and breast cancer requires further in-depth research and exploration.
The effect of goal-directed hemodynamic therapy on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yoon Hyun-Kyu , Hur Min , Kim Dong Hyuk , Ku Ja Hyeon , Kim Jin-Tae
Published: October 2023

Background

This study investigated the effects of intraoperative goal-directed hemodynamic therapy (GDHT) on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing open radical cystectomy.

Methods

This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial included 82 patients scheduled for open radical cystectomy between September 2018 and November 2021. The GDHT group (n = 39) received the stroke volume index- and cardiac index-based hemodynamic management using advanced hemodynamic monitoring, while the control group (n = 36) received the standard care under the discretion of attending anesthesiologists during surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of a composite of in-hospital postoperative complications during hospital stays.

Results

A total of 75 patients were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of in-hospital postoperative complications (28/39 [71.8%] vs. 30/36 [83.3%], risk difference [95% CI], -0.12 [-0.30 to 0.07], P = 0.359) between the groups. The amounts of intraoperative fluid administered were similar between the groups (2700 [2175–3250] vs. 2900 [1950–3700] ml, median difference [95% CI] -200 [-875 to 825], P = 0.714). The secondary outcomes, including the incidence of seven major postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay, duration of intensive care unit stay, and grade of complications, were comparable between the two groups. Trends in postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum creatinine, and C-reactive protein did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusions

Intraoperative GDHT did not reduce the incidence of postoperative in-hospital complications during the hospital stay in patients who underwent open radical cystectomy.

Trial registration

This study was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (Registration number: NCT03505112; date of registration: 23/04/2018).
Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging for patients with periprosthetic joint infection: a systematic review
Authors: Shufen Chang , Jinmin Liu , Xiaohui Zhang , Bin Geng
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to provide a critical systematic review of the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a noninvasive method to assess periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs).

Methods

The electronic databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched, since their inception up to March 27, 2022. The included studies evaluated the reproducibility and accuracy of MRI features to diagnose PJIs. The article quality assessment was conducted by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2).

Results

Among 1909 studies identified in the initial search, 8 studies were eligible for final systematic review. The included studies evaluated the reproducibility and accuracy of MRI features to diagnose PJIs. Seven of 8 studies showed good to excellent reliability, but only one article among them in which accuracy was evaluated had a low risk of bias. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen coefficient (κ) varied between 0.44 and 1.00. The accuracy varied between 63.9% and 94.4%. Potential MRI features, such as lamellated hyperintense synovitis, edema, fluid collection, or lymphadenopathy, might be valuable for diagnosing PJIs.

Conclusion

The quality of the evidence regarding the role of MRI for PJIs diagnosis was low. There is preliminary evidence that MRI has a noteworthy value of distinguishing suspected periprosthetic joint infection in patients with total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty, but the definition of specific MRI features related to PJIs diagnosis lacks consensus and standardization. Large-scale studies with robust quality were required to help make better clinical decisions in the future.
Intraspecific anatomical variations of the extensor tendons of the carpus and digits with a reexamination of their insertion sites in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris): a cadaveric study
Authors: Kamali Younes , Almasi Reyhaneh , Moradi Hamid Reza , Fathollahi Saeid
Published: October 2023

Background

The aim of the current study was to investigate the frequency of variations of the extensor tendons of the carpus and digits in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) with a reexamination of their insertions as well as the morphometric measurements of the tendons and the brachioradialis muscle. In total, we investigated 68 paired thoracic limbs of the domestic dog (16 females and 18 males) which were fixed in a 10% formalin solution.

Results

The extensor carpi radialis (ECR) tendons showed striking variations in both splitting and insertion sites. In 4.4% of dissections, ECR had three tendons. Of these tendons, the extra tendon either attached independently on the fourth metacarpal bone (one right) or joined its counterpart tendon at the distal end (cross-connections) (one bilateral). It is worth mentioning that one of the ECR tendons split into two or three slips which inserted on the first, second, third, or fourth metacarpal bone in 11 (16.2%) of the specimens. In addition, we found a long tendinous slip originating from the ECR tendons to digit II or III in 7.4% of the distal limbs. The most common type of contribution to digit III was a third tendon of the extensor digiti I et II (ED III) joining the extensor digitorum lateralis (EDL III) with a frequency of 17.6%. In other types of variations, the contribution to digit III was incomplete. A part of the abductor pollicis longus (APL) deep to the superficial part of the flexor retinaculum seemed to continue up to the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon.

Conclusions

The rare intraspecific variations of the extensor tendons of the manus described in the current research are valuable from both clinical and phylogenetic perspectives. Nonetheless, their functional importance needs more studies.
A fatal respiratory complication of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax
Authors: López Angie R. , Martins Ezequias B. , de Pina-Costa Anielle , Pacheco-Silva Ana Beatriz , Ferreira Marcel T. , Mamani Roxana F. , Detepo Paula J. T. , Lupi Otilia , Bressan Clarisse S. , Calvet Guilherme A. , Silva Michele F. B. , de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz Maria , de Bruycker-Nogueira Fernanda , Filippis Ana Maria B. , Daniel-Ribeiro Cláudio Tadeu , Siqueira André , Brasil Patrícia
Published: October 2023

Background

Malaria is endemic and represents an important public health issue in Brazil. Knowledge of risk factors for disease progression represents an important step in preventing and controlling malaria-related complications. Reports of severe forms of Plasmodium vivax malaria are now becoming a common place, but respiratory complications are described in less than 3% of global literature on severe vivax malaria.

Case presentation

A severe respiratory case of imported vivax malaria in a previously healthy 40-year-old woman has been reported. The patient died after the fifth day of treatment with chloroquine and primaquine due to acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Conclusions

Respiratory symptoms started 48 h after the initiation of anti-malarial drugs, raising the hypothesis that the drugs may have been involved in the genesis of the complication. The concept that vivax malaria is a benign disease that can sometimes result in the development of serious complications must be disseminated. This report highlights, once more, the crucial importance of malaria early diagnosis, a true challenge in non-endemic areas, where health personnel are not familiar with the disease and do not consider its diagnosis promptly.
The correlation between the margin of resection and prognosis in esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma
Authors: Pang Tao , Nie Mingming , Yin Kai
Published: October 2023

Adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (AEG) has become increasingly common in Western and Asian populations. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for AEG; however, determining the distance from the upper edge of the tumor to the esophageal margin (PM) is essential for accurate prognosis. Despite the relevance of these studies, most have been retrospective and vary widely in their conclusions. The PM is now widely accepted to have an impact on patient outcomes but can be masked by TNM at later stages. Extended PM is associated with improved outcomes, but the optimal PM is uncertain. Academics continue to debate the surgical route, extent of lymphadenectomy, preoperative tumor size assessment, intraoperative cryosection, neoadjuvant therapy, and other aspects to further ensure a negative margin in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. This review summarizes and evaluates the findings from these studies and suggests that the choice of approach for patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction should take into account the extent of esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy. Although several guidelines and reviews recommend the routine use of intraoperative cryosections to evaluate surgical margins, its generalizability is limited. Furthermore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are more likely to increase the R0 resection rate. In particular, intraoperative cryosections and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were found to be more effective for achieving negative resection margins in signet ring cell carcinoma.
Aedes aegypti abundance in urban neighborhoods of Maricopa County, Arizona, is linked to increasing socioeconomic status and tree cover
Authors: Coalson Jenna E. , Richard Danielle M. , Hayden Mary H. , Townsend John , Damian Dan , Smith Kirk , Monaghan Andrew , Ernst Kacey C.
Published: October 2023

Background

Understanding coupled human-environment factors which promote Aedes aegypti abundance is critical to preventing the spread of Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever and dengue viruses. High temperatures and aridity theoretically make arid lands inhospitable for Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, yet their populations are well established in many desert cities.

Methods

We investigated associations between socioeconomic and built environment factors and Ae. aegypti abundance in Maricopa County, Arizona, home to Phoenix metropolitan area. Maricopa County Environmental Services conducts weekly mosquito surveillance with CO2-baited Encephalitis Vector Survey or BG-Sentinel traps at > 850 locations throughout the county. Counts of adult female Ae. aegypti from 2014 to 2017 were joined with US Census data, precipitation and temperature data, and 2015 land cover from high-resolution (1 m) aerial images from the National Agricultural Imagery Program.

Results

From 139,729 trap-nights, 107,116 Ae. aegypti females were captured. Counts were significantly positively associated with higher socioeconomic status. This association was partially explained by higher densities of non-native landscaping in wealthier neighborhoods; a 1% increase in the density of tree cover around the trap was associated with a ~ 7% higher count of Ae. aegypti (95% CI: 6–9%).

Conclusions

Many models predict that climate change will drive aridification in some heavily populated regions, including those where Ae. aegypti are widespread. City climate change adaptation plans often include green spaces and vegetation cover to increase resilience to extreme heat, but these may unintentionally create hospitable microclimates for Ae. aegypti. This possible outcome should be addressed to reduce the potential for outbreaks of Aedes-borne diseases in desert cities.

Graphical Abstract
Boundary value problem of weighted fractional derivative of a function with a respect to another function of variable order
Authors: Benia Kheireddine , Souid Mohammed Said , Jarad Fahd , Alqudah Manar A. , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: October 2023

This study aims to resolve weighted fractional operators of variable order in specific spaces. We establish an investigation on a boundary value problem of weighted fractional derivative of one function with respect to another variable order function. It is essential to keep in mind that the symmetry of a transformation for differential equations is connected to local solvability, which is synonymous with the existence of solutions. As a consequence, existence requirements for weighted fractional derivative of a function with respect to another function of constant order are necessary. Moreover, the stability with in Ulam–Hyers–Rassias sense is reviewed. The outcomes are derived using the Kuratowski measure of non-compactness. A model illustrates the trustworthiness of the observed results.