bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work Training, Workplace Relationships, Workload and Job Performance
Authors: Niere (Mecon) Marvin Ian E. , Narsico Lalaine O. , Narsico Peter G.
Published: February 2024

This study explores the optimization of job performance by examining the interplay of work training, workplace relationships, and workload within the dynamic setting of a call center. The overarching goal is to gain a holistic understanding of how these three elements collectively contribute to fostering a positive impact on workforce productivity. Utilizing a descriptive survey method, the research employed a questionnaire to systematically collect data on the perceived positive effects associated with work training, workplace relationships, and workload on job performance. Following data collection, thorough analysis and interpretation were conducted to derive meaningful insights. To assess the significance of differences between the factors influencing job performance, a one-way ANOVA was applied. The study aimed to shed light on several key aspects, including the dynamics of the work environment concerning the identified factors affecting job performance, the levels of agreement among respondents regarding these factors, significant differences in responses, and implications for improvements. In conclusion, the study highlights that work training, workplace relationships, and workload positively influence job performance, as evidenced by responses from call center agents. However, it is noteworthy that all three factors were rated one level below the highest possible classification, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. Significant differences in ratings were identified among work training, workplace relationships, and workload. All three factors were considered for intervention, with a particular emphasis on workload, which received the lowest rating. This prioritization sets the groundwork for strategic improvements to elevate overall job performance in the call center environment.
The Effectiveness of Individual Performance Commitment Review Form as an Evaluation Tool to Improve Teachers’ Performance: Basis for Technical Assistance
Authors: Cadag Christopher E.
Published: February 2024

A well-structured evaluation such as Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF) can provide valuable feedback to teachers and contribute to their growth and effectiveness. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the IPCRF as an evaluation tool for improving teachers' performance. This study utilized the mixed method approach particularly the sequential exploratory, blending both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The participants of the study were 59 composed of teachers and school heads from selected schools in Casiguran District 2. The qualitative phase of this research relied on semi-structured interview guides. For the quantitative phase, a researcher-made survey questionnaire was utilized. Results revealed that teachers were rated primarily as having performed outstandingly. However, the level of effectiveness of IPCRF in assessing the teachers’ performance, as assessed by school heads and teachers, is low in terms of the plus factor. School heads need to provide forms of technical assistance to the teachers, to ensure that necessary resources, such as teaching materials or technology, are made available to support teachers' improvement efforts. Meanwhile, the issues and concerns encountered by the teachers, as assessed by school heads and teachers, are high as to work performance. Thus, the proposed in-house feedback session aims to improve teachers’ performance through the provision of technical assistance. School heads and teachers may participate in seminars and training sessions offered by Department of Education (DepEd) officials in conjunction with teachers to improve their comprehension of the IPCRF.
Mecânica dos sólidos : volume II
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Coda Humberto Breve
Published: February 2024

Este é o segundo volume da obra Mecânica dos sólidos. A mecânica dos Sólidos é entendida neste livro como a combinação de duas disciplinas muito importantes na formação da maioria dos engenheiros, a saber, a Estática das Estruturas e a Resistência dos Materiais. Em geral, textos associados à Estática das Estruturas abordam diversas técnicas de solução estrutural, fazendo muito pouca menção à análise de tensões internas, enquanto textos de Resistência dos Materiais se limitam ao estudo dos níveis de tensão em estruturas muito simples, que dispensam o uso de técnicas mais elaboradas de solução da estática. Assim, o presente texto conjuga os conhecimentos dessas disciplinas de forma natural e breve, fazendo a ligação entre algumas das principais técnicas de solução da estática e o cálculo dos níveis de tensão em estruturas. O enfoque principal do livro é fornecer subsídios ao entendimento dos processos de determinação dos níveis de tensão e deformação em estruturas, bem como das suas consequências na integridade e utilidade das mesmas. Nesse sentido, os princípios básicos, necessários para o entendimento futuro, das normas técnicas e dos procedimentos de cálculo são esclarecidos.
O método dos elementos finitos posicional: sólidos e estruturas - não linearidade geométrica e dinâmica
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Coda Humberto Breve
Published: February 2024

Este livro é dedicado a alunos de pós-graduação em engenharia de estruturas, visando proporcionar subsídios ao desenvolvimento de códigos computacionais para a análise não linear geométrica (estática ou dinâmica) de estruturas e sólidos através do método dos elementos finitos baseado em posições. Para esta finalidade é necessário cobrir um conjunto muito amplo de conhecimentos, incluindo a definição de análise não linear geométrica exata de estruturas, sua relação com princípios energéticos, a cinemática dos corpos deformáveis, o conceito de medidas de deformação objetivas, as relações constitutivas hiperelásticas e os diversos tipos de elementos finitos e suas aproximações cinemáticas. Conhecimentos relacionados à mecânica do contínuo serão necessários e, em alguns pontos, revisitados. Acredita-se que ao final dos estudos os alunos estarão livres das amarras da linearidade, pois a apresentação do conteúdo pretende mudar a história de sua formação, libertando-o o máximo possível dos condicionamentos dos cursos de graduação de nosso tempo.
Cardiovascular Consequences of Uremic Metabolites: an Overview of the Involved Signaling Pathways
Authors: Curaj Adelina , Vanholder Raymond , Loscalzo Joseph , Quach Kaiseng , Wu Zhuojun , Jankowski Vera , Jankowski Joachim
Published: February 2024

The crosstalk of the heart with distant organs such as the lung, liver, gut, and kidney has been intensively approached lately. The kidney is involved in (1) the production of systemic relevant products, such as renin, as part of the most essential vasoregulatory system of the human body, and (2) in the clearance of metabolites with systemic and organ effects. Metabolic residue accumulation during kidney dysfunction is known to determine cardiovascular pathologies such as endothelial activation/dysfunction, atherosclerosis, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cardiac fibrosis, and vascular and valvular calcification, leading to hypertension, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cardiomyopathies. However, this review offers an overview of the uremic metabolites and details their signaling pathways involved in cardiorenal syndrome and the development of heart failure. A holistic view of the metabolites, but more importantly, an exhaustive crosstalk of their known signaling pathways, is important for depicting new therapeutic strategies in the cardiovascular field.
Sex‐ and Gender‐Based Reporting in Antihypertensive Medication Literature Informing Hypertension Guidelines
Authors: Gulamhusein Nabilah , Turino Miranda Keila , Dumanski Sandra M. , González Bedat María Carlota , Ulasi Ifeoma , Conjeevaram Arvind , Ahmed Sofia B.
Published: February 2024

Background

Hypertension is the leading modifiable cardiovascular risk factor with recognized sex‐ and gender‐based differences. We assessed the incorporation of sex and gender reporting in the antihypertensive medication literature informing hypertension guidelines.

Methods and Results

Literature cited in the International Society of Hypertension (2020), European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension (2018), American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (2017), Latin American Society of Hypertension (2017), Pan‐African Society of Cardiology (2020), and Hypertension Canada (2020) guidelines was systematically reviewed. Observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews involving antihypertensive medications were included. Studies with participants of a single sex, guidelines, and commentaries were excluded. Data on study participation‐to‐prevalence ratio by sex, analysis of baseline demographics and study outcomes by sex, and stratification of adverse events by sex were extracted. Of 1659 unique citations, 331 studies met inclusion criteria. Of those, 81% reported the sex of participants, and 22% reported a male‐to‐female participation‐to‐prevalence ratio of 0.8 to 1.2. Three percent of studies stratified baseline characteristics by sex, and 20% considered sex during analysis through statistical adjustment or stratification. Although 32% of studies reported adverse events, only 0.6% stratified adverse events by sex. Most (58%) studies reporting sex/gender used sex and gender terms interchangeably.

Conclusions

Incorporation of sex‐ and gender‐based considerations in study population, analysis, or reporting of results and adverse events is not common in the antihypertensive medication literature informing international hypertension guidelines. Greater attention to sex‐ and gender‐based factors in research is required to optimally inform management of hypertension.
Proteomic Associations of Adverse Outcomes in Human Heart Failure
Authors: Dib Marie‐Joe , Levin Michael G. , Zhao Lei , Diab Ahmed , Wang Zhaoqing , Ebert Christina , Salman Oday , Azzo Joe David , Gan Sushrima , Zamani Payman , Cohen Jordana B. , Gill Dipender , Burgess Stephen , Zagkos Loukas , van Empel Vanessa , Richards A. Mark , Doughty Rob , Rietzschel Ernst R. , Kammerhoff Karl , Kvikstad Erika , Maranville Joseph , Schafer Peter , Seiffert Dietmar A. , Ramirez‐Valle Francisco , Gordon David A. , Chang Ching‐Pin , Javaheri Ali , Mann Douglas L. , Cappola Thomas P. , Chirinos Julio A.
Published: February 2024

Background

Identifying novel molecular drivers of disease progression in heart failure (HF) is a high‐priority goal that may provide new therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes. The authors investigated the relationship between plasma proteins and adverse outcomes in HF and their putative causal role using Mendelian randomization.

Methods and Results

The authors measured 4776 plasma proteins among 1964 participants with HF with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction enrolled in PHFS (Penn Heart Failure Study). Assessed were the observational relationship between plasma proteins and (1) all‐cause death or (2) death or HF‐related hospital admission (DHFA). The authors replicated nominally significant associations in the Washington University HF registry (N=1080). Proteins significantly associated with outcomes were the subject of 2‐sample Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses. After correction for multiple testing, 243 and 126 proteins were found to be significantly associated with death and DHFA, respectively. These included small ubiquitin–like modifier 2 (standardized hazard ratio [sHR], 1.56;
P
<0.0001), growth differentiation factor‐15 (sHR, 1.68;
P
<0.0001) for death, A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs–like protein (sHR, 1.40;
P
<0.0001), and pulmonary‐associated surfactant protein C (sHR, 1.24;
P
<0.0001) for DHFA. In pathway analyses, top canonical pathways associated with death and DHFA included fibrotic, inflammatory, and coagulation pathways. Genomic analyses provided evidence of nominally significant associations between levels of 6 genetically predicted proteins with DHFA and 11 genetically predicted proteins with death.

Conclusions

This study implicates multiple novel proteins in HF and provides preliminary evidence of associations between genetically predicted plasma levels of 17 candidate proteins and the risk for adverse outcomes in human HF.
Potential Protein Signatures for Recurrence Prediction of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Zhang Chengyi , Liu Yang , Zhu Huimin , Huang Xinying , Guo Cang , Cheng Si , Yuan Meng , Jiang Yong , Meng Xia , Johnston S. Claiborne , Wang Yongjun , Jin Wei‐Na , Shi Fu‐Dong
Published: February 2024

Background

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide, with approximately 7.4% to 7.7% recurrence within the first 3 months. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for predicting stroke recurrence.

Methods and Results

We conducted a nested case–control study using a hospital‐based cohort from the Third China National Stroke Registry selecting 214 age‐ and sex‐matched patients with ischemic stroke with hypertension and no history of diabetes or heart disease. Using data‐independent acquisition for discovery and multiple reaction monitoring for quantitative validation, we identified 26 differentially expressed proteins in large‐artery atherosclerosis (Causative Classification of Ischemic Stroke [CCS]1), 16 in small‐artery occlusion (CCS3), and 25 in undetermined causes (CCS5) among patients with recurrent stroke. In the CCS1 and CCS3 subgroups, differentially expressed proteins were associated with platelet aggregation, neuronal death/cerebroprotection, and immune response, whereas differentially expressed proteins in the CCS5 subgroup were linked to altered metabolic functions. Validated recurrence predictors included proteins associated with neutrophil activity and vascular inflammation (TAGLN2 [transgelin 2], ITGAM [integrin subunit α M]/TAGLN2 ratio, ITGAM/MYL9 [myosin light chain 9] ratio, TAGLN2/RSU1 [Ras suppressor protein 1] ratio) in the CCS3 subgroup and proteins associated with endothelial plasticity and blood–brain barrier integrity (ITGAM/MYL9 ratio and COL1A2 [collagen type I α 2 chain]/MYL9 ratio) in the CCS3 and CCS5 subgroups, respectively.

Conclusions

These findings provide a foundation for developing a blood‐based biomarker panel, using causative classifications, which may be used in routine clinical practice to predict stroke recurrence.
Book review: Nazia Akhtar, Bibi’s Room: Hyderabadi Women and Twentieth-Century Urdu Prose
Authors: Jha Shefali
Published: February 2024

Nazia Akhtar, Bibi’s Room: Hyderabadi Women and Twentieth-Century Urdu Prose. Orient Blackswan & The New India Foundation, 2022, 432 pages, ₹995. ISBN: 978-9354420641.
Serial mediation effects of ubiquity and notification on the relationship between habitual social media checking behaviors and self-control failures
Authors: Park Hyun Jee
Published: February 2024

This study investigated the correlation between habitual checking behavior and self-control failure during social media use among South Korean university students. The study also examined how the ubiquity of and immediate responses to social media notifications affect this relationship, both independently and serially. An online survey was conducted with 400 undergraduate students at South Korean universities. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between habitual checking behaviors and self-control failure in South Korean university students’ social media use. Ubiquity mediated habitual checking behaviors and self-control failure; ubiquity and immediate responses to notifications mediated the relationship between habitual checking behavior and self-control failure; and ubiquity and immediate responses to notifications serially mediated the relationship between habitual checking behavior and self-control failure. The results highlight the social media use challenges of university students and the factors that contribute to self-control failure in this context.
Uncomplicated vaginal delivery 5 years after acute traumatic aortic transection and transluminal endovascular aortic repair
Authors: Roseingrave Ruth , Canniffe Carla , McAuliffe Fionnuala , Browne Ingrid , Higgins Mary , Corcoran Siobhan
Published: February 2024

We describe the case of a 40-year-old patient who sustained an aortic transection in 2016 following a road traffic accident and had two subsequent full-term pregnancies. This case adds to the literature on pregnancy after endovascular aortic repair.
A rare case of an unexpected trigger of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the right atrial appendage diverticulum
Authors: Cheng Li , Hu Jianbo , Zhang Yuanping , Geng Zhaohua , Zhang Bo
Published: February 2024

Introduction

We described a rare case of an adolescent girl with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation originating from the right atrial appendage diverticulum and successfully converted to sinus rhythm after surgical intervention.

Methods

A 19-year-old girl was referred to the hospital for a catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. conventional radiofrequency ablation using 3-D mapping were ineffective. Activation mapping showed the root of the free wall atrial appendage was first excited and catheter modeling (3D Carto map) showed a sac-like structure.

Results

We did selective angiography and further Computed tomography angiography (CTA) and Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) which showed diverticulum originating from the right atrial appendage. Hence the patient was referred to cardiac surgery and had no recurrent atrial fibrillation at three months postoperative follow up.

Conclusions

Right atrial appendage diverticulum was an extremely rare malformation that can coexist with atrial tachyarrhythmia. Surgical ligation or excision of the abnormal structure with local ablation can achieve excellent results.
The response of CD27+CD38+ plasmablasts, CD24hiCD38hi transitional B cells, CXCR5−ICOS+PD-1+ Tph, Tph2 and Tfh2 subtypes to allergens in children with allergic asthma
Authors: Zhu Yunying , Jiang Qian , Lei Chenshuang , Yu Qinhua , Qiu Liannv
Published: February 2024

Background

Allergic asthma is a type I allergic reaction mediated by serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE). B cell-mediated humoral immune response to allergens in the pathophysiology of allergic asthma have not been thoroughly elucidated. Peripheral helper T cells (Tph) and follicular helper T cells (Tfh) promote B cell differentiation and antibody production in inflamed tissues.

Objective

To investigate the roles of B cell subsets, Tph cell subsets and Tfh cell subsets in allergic immune responses.

Methods

Circulating B cell subsets, Tph cell subsets and Tfh cell subsets in 33 children with allergic asthma and 17 healthy children were analyzed using multicolor flow cytometry. The level of serum total IgE was also assessed.

Results

Our study found that CD27+CD38+ plasmablasts and CD24hiCD38hi transitional B cells increased and were correlated with serum total IgE level, CD27− naive B cells and CD24hiCD27+ B cells decreased in children with allergic asthma. CXCR5− Tph, CXCR5−ICOS+ Tph, CXCR5−ICOS+PD-1+ Tph, CXCR5+ICOS+ Tfh and CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+ Tfh increased in children with allergic asthma. Further analysis showed increased Tph2, Tph17, Tfh2 and Tfh17 subtypes while decreased Tph1 and Tfh1 subtypes in children with allergic asthma. Most interestingly, Tph2 or Tfh2 subtypes had a positive correlation with serum total IgE level.

Conclusion

Overall, these results provide insight into the allergens elicited B, Tph or Tfh cell response and identify heretofore unappreciated CD24hiCD38hi transitional B cells, CD24hiCD27+ B cells, CXCR5− Tph, CXCR5−ICOS+PD-1+ Tph, Tph2 subtypes and Tfh2 subtypes response to allergens.
Comparative evaluation of multiparametric lumbar MRI radiomic models for detecting osteoporosis
Authors: Zhen Tao , Fang Jing , Hu Dacheng , Shen Qijun , Ruan Mei
Published: February 2024

Background

Osteoporosis is a serious global public health issue. Currently, there are few studies that explore the use of multiparametric MRI radiomics for osteoporosis detection. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of radiomics features from multiple MRI sequences (T1WI, T2WI and T1WI combined with T2WI) for detecting osteoporosis in patients.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on 160 patients who had undergone dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry(DXA) and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at our hospital. Among them, 86 patients were diagnosed with abnormal bone mass (osteoporosis or low bone mass), and 74 patients were diagnosed with normal bone mass based on the DXA results. Sagittal T1-and T2-weighted images of all patients were imported into the uAI Research Portal (United Imaging Intelligence) for image delineation and radiomics analysis, where a series of radiomic features were obtained. A radiomic model that included T1WI, T2WI, and T1WI+T2WI was established using features selected by LASSO regression. We used ROC curve analysis to evaluate the predictive efficacy of each model for identifying bone abnormalities and conducted decision curve analysis (DCA) to evaluate the net benefit of each model. Finally, we validated the model in a sample of 35 patients from different health care institution.

Results

The T1WI + T2WI radiomics model showed better screening performance for patients with abnormal bone mass. In the training group, the sensitivity was 0.758, the specificity was 0.78, and the accuracy was 0.768 (AUC =0.839, 95% CI=0.757-0.901). In the validation group, the sensitivity was 0.792, the specificity was 0.875, and the accuracy was 0.833 (AUC =0.86, 95% CI=0.73-0.943).The DCA also showed that the combined model had better net benefits. In the external validation group, the sensitivity was 0.764, the specificity was 0.833, and the accuracy was 0.8 (AUC =0.824, 95% CI 0.678-0.969).

Conclusions

Radiomics-based multiparametric MRI can be used for the quantitative analysis of lumbar MRI and for accurately screening patients with abnormal bone mass.
Free-hand technique of C7 pedicle screw insertion using a simply defined entry point without fluoroscopic guidance for cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients with C3 to C6 instrumented by lateral mass screws: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jiang Jun , Song Chen-yu , Wu Zheng-zheng , Xie Zuo-zhi , Shi Bo , Xu Tao , Wang Han , Qiu Yong , Wang Bin , Zhu Ze-zhang , Yu Yang
Published: February 2024

Background

Nowadays, both lateral mass screw (LMS) and pedicle screw were effective instrumentation for posterior stabilization of cervical spine. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a new free-hand technique of C7 pedicle screw insertion without fluoroscopic guidance for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) patients with C3 to C6 instrumented by lateral mass screws.

Methods

A total of 53 CSM patients underwent lateral mass screws instrumentation at C3 to C6 levels and pedicle screw instrumentation at C7 level were included. The preoperative 3-dimenional computed tomography (CT) reconstruction images of cervical spine were used to determine 2 different C7 pedicle screw trajectories. Trajectory A passed through the axis of the C7 pedicle while trajectory B selected the midpoint of the base of C7 superior facet as the entry point. All these 53 patients had the C7 pedicle screw inserted through trajectory B by free-hand without fluoroscopic guidance and the postoperative CT images were obtained to evaluate the accuracy of C7 pedicle screw insertion.

Results

Trajectory B had smaller transverse angle, smaller screw length, and smaller screw width but both similar sagittal angle and similar pedicle height when compared with trajectory A. A total of 106 pedicle screws were inserted at C7 through trajectory B and only 8 screws were displaced with the accuracy of screw placement as high as 92.5%.

Conclusion

In CSM patients with C3 to C6 instrumented by LMS, using trajectory B for C7 pedicle screw insertion is easy to both identify the entry point and facilitate the rod insertion.
Incidental detection of Cladosporium in cytology
Authors: Santosh Tummidi , Chakrabarti Indranil , Palit Aparna , Srivastava Sonakshi
Published: February 2024

Background

Fungal infection incidental detection is a common encounter in cytopathology practices. Detection of the fungal organisms and awareness of the morphological features are challenges for the cytopathologist.

Case presentation

We report a case of incidental detection of a fungal organism in a 67-year-old male patient with complaints of bilateral elbow joint swellings. Cytology was done and showed a fungal organism (Cladosporium sps.).

Conclusion

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) along with Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is a rapid, minimally invasive technique used for the diagnosis and detection of various fungi / parasites leading to early and definitive treatment.
Home-based self-management multimodal cancer interventions & cardiotoxicity: a scoping review
Authors: Talty Anna , Morris Roseanne , Deighan Carolyn
Published: February 2024

Background

Due to advancements in methods of cancer treatment, the population of people living with and beyond cancer is dramatically growing. The number of cancer survivors developing cardiovascular diseases and heart failure is also rising, due in part to the cardiotoxic nature of many cancer treatments. Guidelines are being increasingly released, emphasising the need for interdisciplinary action to address this gap in survivorship care. However, the extent to which interventions exist, incorporating the recommendations of cardio-oncology research, remains undetermined.

Objective

The aim of this scoping review is to assess the nature, extent and remit of existing cancer care interventions and their integration of cardio-oncology principles.

Methods

The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Guidelines. Databases were independently searched for articles from 2010 to 2022, by two members of the research team. Data were charted and synthesised using the following criteria: (a) the focus of the intervention (b) the medium of delivery (c) the duration (d) the modalities included in the interventions (e) the research articles associated with each intervention (f) the type of studies conducted (g) key measures used (h) outcomes reported.

Results

Interventions encompassed six key modalities: Psychological Support, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Patient Education, Lifestyle and Caregiver Support. The focus, medium of delivery and duration of interventions varied significantly. While a considerable number of study protocols and pilot studies exist documenting HSMIs, only 25% appear to have progressed beyond this stage of development. Of those that have, the present review did not identify any ‘feasible’ interventions that covered each of the six modalities, while being generalisable to all cancer survivors and incorporating the recommendations from cardio-oncology research.

Conclusion

Despite the substantial volume of research and evidence from the field of cardio-oncology, the findings of this scoping review suggest that the recommendations from guidelines have yet to be successfully translated from theory to practice. There is an opportunity, if not necessity, for cardiac rehabilitation to expand to meet the needs of those living with and beyond cancer.
Transition in metabolic health phenotypes across general adiposity categories and association with the risk of depression: a prospective analysis
Authors: Zhu Yunyi , Yin Yuan , Huang Fei , Liu Yuanjun , Xia Yuge , Zhang Mingying , Wang Yunhe , Jin Lijuan
Published: February 2024

Background

The association between obesity and depression may partly depend on the contextual metabolic health. The effect of change in metabolic health status over time on subsequent depression risk remains unclear. We aimed to assess the prospective association between metabolic health and its change over time and the risk of depression across body mass index (BMI) categories.

Methods

Based on a nationally representative cohort, we included participants enrolled at the wave 2 (2004–2005) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and with follow-up for depression at wave 8 (2016–2017). Participants were cross-classified by BMI categories and metabolic health (defined by the absence of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia) at baseline or its change over time (during waves 3–6). Logistic regression model was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of depression at follow-up stratified by BMI category and metabolic health status with adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

The risk of depression was increased for participants with metabolically healthy obesity compared with healthy nonobese participants, and the risk was highest for those with metabolically unhealthy obesity (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.18–2.20). Particularly hypertension and diabetes contribute most to the increased risk. The majority of metabolically healthy participants converted to unhealthy metabolic phenotype (50.1% of those with obesity over 8 years), which was associated with an increased risk of depression. Participants who maintained metabolically healthy obesity were still at higher risk (1.99, 1.33–2.72), with the highest risk observed for those with stable unhealthy metabolic phenotypes.

Conclusions

Obesity remains a risk factor for depression, independent of whether other metabolic risk factors are present or whether participants convert to unhealthy metabolic phenotypes over time. Long-term maintenance of metabolic health and healthy body weight may be beneficial for the population mental well-being.
Global Immunization Crisis Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Pediatric Oncology
Authors: Bukhari Syed Ibrahim , Jehan Fyezah , Belgaumi Asim
Published: February 2024

Declining herd immunity and severe manifestation of vaccine preventable infections underscores the need for vaccinations campaigns to urgently vaccinate children who missed their routine immunizations.
Reproducing Racial Capitalism: Sexual Slavery and Islam at the Edges of Queer of Color Critique
Authors: Atanasoski Neda , Jaleel Rana M.
Published: February 2024

This article tracks contemporary debates surrounding human trafficking, sex slavery, and the slave trade, in which the specter of the Ottoman empire and its system of slavery—as well as other “Oriental” slave systems—emerge as templates for imagining the place of sex in slavery. At the same time, the authors highlight how Ottoman and “Oriental” slavery is largely considered irrelevant to the genealogy of present-day racial capitalism. By contrast, the authors argue that considering historically parallel and entangled slave systems is important not just to accounts of modern-day slavery but also for how we conceptualize the “racial” in racial capitalism and the “queer” and “of color” in queer of color critique. Building on Black feminist historiography on the transatlantic slave trade, the commitments of queer of color critique, and contemporary research concerning sexual violation and racial capitalism, the authors explore how interconnected struggles across the globe are partitioned by imagined frameworks of racial and sexual difference that isolate entangled systems of gendered and sexual enslavement.
Summer Happiness: Performing the Good Life in a Tibetan Town
Authors: Zhang Fan
Published: February 2024

This ethnographic article focuses on the performance of Alce Lhamo (Sister Goddess) in Lithang, a Tibetan town on the western tip of Sichuan Province in China. It explores the linkages between local ways of residing in the world, the cosmological universe, and cosmopolitan centers. With an analysis of the two local Sister Goddess troupes and their competing claims to authority and authenticity, interactions with the local government, manipulation of state policies, and engagement with the global world, it sheds light on how people incorporate merit, karma, profit, power, the state, and the market in their vision of the good life, and how aspirations to the good life extend beyond the local and the social to include the cosmopolitan and cosmological scales.
Gestores diante da hipertrofia das redes sociais
Authors: Wilner Adriana
Published: February 2024

Há 14 anos, o jornalista Tom Foremski polemizou ao dizer que “toda empresa é uma empresa de mídia”. Desde então, as redes sociais expandiram-se de tal forma que ninguém mais coloca em dúvida tal afirmação.
Como dar descontos aos clientes com consistência
Authors: Ferreira Santos Márcio , Do Prado Lucas Sciencia , Zambaldi Felipe
Published: February 2024

Dez passos para testar e escolher as melhores estratégias de preço promocional
Topological rigidity of quoric manifolds
Authors: Γκενεράλης Ιωάννης
Published: February 2024

Οι πολλαπλότητες Quoric είναι γενίκευση των πολλαπλοτητων quasitoric. Τοπικά, υπάρχει μια καλή δράση του (S^3)^n και το αντίστοιχο πηλίκο είναι ένα πολυτοπο. Δείχνουμε ότι, τοπικά, πολλαπλότητα που επιδέχεται μια γραμμική δράση του (S^3)^n και η οποία είναι ομοτοπικα ισοδύναμη (σχεδόν ίδια) με την quoric, τότε είναι ομοιομορφικα ισοδύναμες (ίδιες). Η απόδειξη είναι γενίκευση των μεθόδων που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν στην περίπτωση των ομάδων Coxeter (τοπολογική ακαμψία για τους πραγματικούς αριθμούς) και των πολλαπλοτητων quasitoric (μιγαδική περίπτωση).
The Formation of Scientific Ethics Principles among Students When Learning a Foreign Language
Authors: Zaycev A. , Agadzhanyan Ruben , Ulanova O. , Gnezdilova E.
Published: February 2024

The paper is aimed at analyzing the scientific information security problems when learning a foreign language. It clarifies the definition of personal security, in general, and information security, in particular, in scientific ethics context. The paper considers the communicatively conditioned approaches to mastering the scientific ethics principles by the researchers from the viewpoint of using linguistic means for different citation types and special learning process organization with moral, cognitive and linguistic aspects having been taken to the account. The research emphasizes the information component importance in the process of mastering linguistic disciplines. It describes the scientific ethics development levels with the foreign language means being used in researchers. The paper compares the outcomes of developing the skills in the field of scientific ethics compliance for experimental and controlling students` groups in foreign language classes.
Ethics of advertising discourse: communicative aspect
Authors: Michurina Daria
Published: February 2024

In the modern information society, the role of various forms of communication is actualized. Advertising, being one of the forms of communication, has a direct impact on the ethical attitudes of society, forming the consciousness of the mass audience. The problem of ethics of advertising messages has been comprehensively studied by the scientific community, but the relationship between ethics and communication as two aspects of the impact of advertising discourse on society is not considered in most works.

The purpose is to analyze the communicative component of the ethics of advertising discourse and to consider the use of ethical concepts in advertising communication.

Methodology. Comparative, comparative, and linguistic scientific methods were used to conduct the analysis. The practical basis of the research is the material of modern advertising discourse.

Outcomes. As a result of the study, the definition of advertising ethics was formulated, taking into account its communicative nature. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the consideration of the ethics of advertising discourse through the prism of communication theory.

The practical significance of the study lies in the consideration of the communicative aspect of advertising communication from the standpoint of ethics, which ensures the formation of a healthy society and reduces the negative impact of the manipulative nature of advertising. The results of the study will be useful both to specialists studying advertising communication and to practitioners of the advertising industry in terms of advertising ethics.
Discriminative Control of Behavioral Variability in Video Game Play
Authors:   , Arias Gabriela Isabel
Published: February 2024

Creativity can be a useful skill in today's classrooms and workplaces. When individuals talk about creativity, it's unclear what the controlling variables are when we tact behavior as "creative." Research in understanding the processes behind behaviors that are considered "creative" would assist in identifying functional relations and provide insight on how to teach creativity. Since creativity is often described as doing something different from the norm, behavioral variability may be a potential aspect of creativity. This study aimed to replicate previous findings by investigating the effects of discrimination training in a multiple schedule of varied and repetitive responding in the context of a video game. Participants played through a 2D online video game made in Bloxels. Different alternating-colored platforms served as the discriminative stimuli for the vary and repeat components. Three parameters of variability were measured (e.g., left jumps, right jumps, and double jumps). The results of the study indicate that participants were able to learn the discrimination of when to repeat and vary their responses depending on which colored platform they encountered.
Inventory Management with Advance Booking Information: The Case of Surgical Supplies and Elective Surgeries
Authors: Chan Jacky , Görgülü Berk , Sarhangian Vahid
Published: February 2024

Problem definition: Medical operations require a large volume and variety of consumable supplies that are kept in hospital inventory and replenished on a regular basis. Stringent requirements on the availability of these supplies, together with high variability in their daily usage, contribute to the high inventory costs of the surgical departments in hospitals. We investigate the value of utilizing Advance Booking Information (ABI) on elective surgeries—which are often booked up to months in advance—in reducing inventory costs. Methodology/results: We study a single-item, periodic-review, stochastic inventory control problem, where the item demand in each period is driven by the number and type of surgeries requiring the item, and with the available information on elective surgeries integrated into the ordering decisions. Given that item usage from each case is uncertain and only realized after the surgery, ABI provides imperfect information on future demand. Through exact analysis of a simplified version of the problem, as well as extensive numerical experiments using synthetic and real data, enabled using a state aggregation technique, we provide insights on and quantify the value of using ABI as a function of the number of periods of ABI integrated into the ordering decisions. We identify a relevant parameter regime—namely, high backlog (relative to holding) costs and when surgeries are booked sufficiently in advance—where the value of using ABI could be significant and the majority of the benefits can be gained through incorporating only one period of ABI beyond the order lead time. In a case study conducted using real data, we observe up to 26% reduction in average inventory levels, without violating the service levels. Managerial implications: By incorporating readily available elective surgery schedules into replenishment decisions of surgical supplies, hospitals could significantly reduce inventory costs without compromising the availability of the supplies.

Funding: This work was partially funded by The Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS). The views expressed in the paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Province.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0063 .
The effects of shock waves and deep oscillations on lipoedema
Authors: Zapata Ledda Alejandra Pérez , Millán Francisco Curro , Fernández Rbetania Magdalena Peña , Almendras Stephanie Jeanne Siegel , Fuentes María José Araneda , Gallardo María JosÉ Oyarzún , Da Silva Rodrigo Marcel Valentim , Meyer Patrícia Froes
Published: February 2024

Lipoedema is characterised by abnormal subcutaneous fat deposition associated with oedema. Given its complexity, different treatments, including shock waves and deep oscillation therapy, are used in its treatment. Objective: To investigate the effects of shock waves and deep oscillations on lipoedema. Methodology: This is an experimental study. Thirty-three women were evaluated using anthropometric analysis (perimetry and bioimpedance) and ultrasonography of the lower limb region. The volunteers were divided into three groups: G1 received the treatment with deep oscillations, G2 with shock waves, and G3 with shock waves and deep oscillations. The intervention was unilateral on the right lower limb, while the left lower limb was considered a control. The duration of treatment was five sessions, being performed once a week. The shockwave treatment followed the parameters: variation of 1, 8, and 2, 5 Bar; 12 Hz; 500 pulses in the ankle area; 500 pulses in the inner knee area (upper third). For deep oscillations, 150 to 70 Hz was used for 3 min; 30 to 10 Hz for 4 min; and 75 to 50 Hz for 3 min, for a total of 10 min on a single limb. Reassessment was done after the last session was performed.
Perioperative and long-term results of ultrasonography-guided single- and multiple-tract percutaneous nephrolithotomy for staghorn calculi
Authors: Cheng Rui-Xiang , Dai Ni , Wang Yan-Min , Qi Pei , Chen Fen
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

It is possible that this condition will lead to urosepsis and progressive deterioration of renal function in the absence of surgical intervention. Several recent clinical studies have shown that multi-tract percutaneous nephrolithotomy (M-PCNL) has a similar stone free rate (SFR) as standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (S-PCNL). As a result, M-PCNL was also recommended as a treatment option for staghorn calculi.

AIM

To examine the perioperative and long-term results of ultrasonography-guided single- and M-PCNL.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study. Between March 2021 and January 2022, the urology department of our hospital selected patients for the treatment of staghorn calculi using percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The primary outcomes were complication rate and SFR, and the characteristics of patients, operative parameters, laboratory measurements were also collected.

RESULTS

In total, 345 patients were enrolled in the study (186 in the S-PCNL group and 159 in the M-PCNL group). The SFR in the M-PCNL group was significantly higher than that in the S-PCNL group (P = 0.033). Moreover, the incidence rates of hydrothorax (P = 0.03) and postoperative infection (P = 0.012) were higher in the M-PCNL group than in the S-PCNL group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that post-operative white blood cell count (OR = 2.57, 95%CI: 1.90-3.47, P < 0.001) and stone size (OR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.27-2.00, P < 0.001) were associated with a higher overall complication rate in the S-PCNL group. Body mass index (OR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.06-1.40, P = 0.004) and stone size (OR = 1.70, 95%CI: 1.35-2.15, P < 0.001) were associated with increased overall complications in the M-PCNL group.

CONCLUSION

Multiple access tracts can facilitate higher SFR while slightly increasing the incidence of acceptable complications.
A Sustainable Green Approach for Synthesis of Bis(indolyl) Methanes in Ionic Liquid
Authors: Chaudhari Rakesh P. , Chaudhari Ganesh R. , Mahajan Hemant A.
Published: February 2024

A novel and eco-friendly synthetic protocol has been established to prepare bisindolyl methanes using an easily recyclable ionic liquid and a minimal amount of sulfuric acid. This synthetic approach involves coupling two indole molecules with aromatic aldehydes under mild conditions. The developed synthetic route has remarkable benefits like high percentage yields, shorter time of reaction, and straightforward product isolation. Additionally, the employed ionic liquid was effectively recycled which indicates the sustainability of the synthetic approach.
Proyecto de aprendizaje-servicio en una investigación-acción participativa: el impacto en el alumnado universitario participante del Grupo Motor en el Instituto-Escuela El Viver (Montcada i Reixac, España)
Authors: Buenaventura Maria Antònia , Durà Clàudia , Cortés Ferran , Morales Ernesto
Published: February 2024

La Escuela de Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Barcelona ha creado el Programa de Aprendizaje-Servicio con un itinerario de proyectos de primer a cuarto curso del grado. Se quiere potenciar un mayor protagonismo del y la estudiante en el proceso de aprendizaje, favoreciendo la conexión teórico-práctica, la reflexión sobre la acción, el desarrollo de competencias personales y profesionales, la responsabilidad social y la ética, el compromiso e implicación con la comunidad. El articulo tiene como objetivo analizar la percepción en los impactos del aprendizaje en el alumnado participante en el proyecto de ApS en el Instituto Escuela El Viver, desarrollado en el marco del proyecto de Investigación-Acción Participativa llevado a cabo en el barrio de Can Sant Joan en Montcada i Reixac con la participación del alumnado de 2º de la ESO del Instituto-Escuela El Viver, en colaboración con NUS Cooperativa y La Periférica Cooperativa. Este proyecto cuenta con el alumnado de la asignatura de Trabajo Social Comunitario de la Universidad de Barcelona (UB) y el alumnado del Máster en Políticas Sociales y Acción Comunitaria del IGOP como parte del Grupo de Investigación-Acción Participativa (GIAP).
Fair non-contact blood pressure estimation using imaging photoplethysmography
Authors: Fang Hongli , Xiong Jiping , He Linying
Published: February 2024

Hypertension is typically manifested as a latent symptom that requires detection through specialized equipment. This poses an inconvenience for individuals who need to undergo long-term blood pressure monitoring in their daily lives. Therefore, there is a need for a portable, non-contact method for estimating blood pressure. However, current non-contact blood pressure estimation methods often rely on relatively narrow datasets, lacking a broad range of blood pressure distributions. Additionally, their applicability is confined to controlled experimental environments. This study proposes a non-contact blood pressure estimation method suitable for various life scenarios, encompassing multiple age groups, diverse ethnicities, and individuals with different skin tones. The aim is to enhance the practicality and accuracy of existing non-contact blood pressure estimation methods. The research extracts the imaging photoplethysmogram (IPPG) signal from facial videos and processes the signal through four layers of filtering operations to obtain an IPPG signal reflecting pulse wave variations. A CNN+BiLSTM+GRU network structure is constructed to improve the accuracy of current non-contact blood pressure estimation methods. In comparison to existing approaches, the mean absolute error (MAE) for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is reduced by 13.6% and 16.4%, respectively.