bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary Localized Small Bowel Amyloidosis: A Rare Cause of Diarrhea Detected by Balloon-Assisted Enteroscopy
Authors: Dias Emanuel , Andrade Patricia , Cardoso Helder , Fonseca Elsa , Macedo Guilherme
Published: November 2022

Gastrointestinal involvement occurs in approximately 4% of cases of systemic amyloidosis and may be associated with heterogeneous and nonspecific clinical manifestations and endoscopic findings, which poses important diagnostic challenges. A 76-year-old female with previous medical history of breast cancer, hypertension, dyslipidemia, asthma, and depression presented to emergency department with a 1-month history of diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, asthenia, and weight loss. Physical examination revealed dehydration and abdominal tenderness. Stool microbiologic studies, Clostridium difficile toxin, fecal leukocyte count, stool fat, and celiac serology were all negative. Remarkably, an axillary lymphadenopathy was also noted and its investigation revealed multiple myeloma, which raised suspicion for gastrointestinal amyloidosis. However, upper digestive endoscopy and colonoscopy did not reveal abnormalities and both gastric and colon biopsies were negative for amyloid, as was abdominal fat biopsy. As the patient also presented hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia suggestive of protein-losing enteropathy, videocapsule endoscopy was performed where petechiae, villous atrophy, and fissures were seen along jejunal mucosa. These findings were confirmed with double-balloon enteroscopy and jejunal biopsies revealed extensive deposition of an amorphous hyaline material in lamina propria and muscularis mucosae that exhibited apple-green birefringence under polarized light after Congo red staining, consistent with localized small bowel amyloidosis secondary to multiple myeloma. Chemotherapy was started, but she would die after 3 weeks. This case illustrates the role of balloon-assisted enteroscopy in diagnosis of localized small bowel amyloidosis with jejunal involvement.
Impact of Preoperative Neutrophil-Lymphocyte and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratios on Long-Term Survival in Patients with Operable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Romano Lucia , Giuliani Antonio , Tomarelli Chiara , Nervini Andrea , Lazzarin Gianni , Pessia Beatrice , Vicentini Vincenzo , Carlei Francesco , Schietroma Mario
Published: November 2022

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor prognosis. The outcomes of patients with cancer are determined not only by tumor-related factors but also by systemic inflammatory response. The objective of the study was to identify whether the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated with the prognosis of PDAC of the pancreas head after curative pancreatoduodenectomy. Materials and Methods: Seventy-six patients were enrolled in this prospective, observational clinical study. The optimal NLR and PLR cut-off values were calculated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. ROC curve analysis revealed an optimal NLR and PLR cut-off point of 5.41 and 205.56, respectively. Consequently, the NLR and PRL scores were classified as NLR <5.41 or ≥5.41 and PLR <205.56 or ≥205.56. The clinical outcomes of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the prognostic value of NLR and PLR. Results: Low preoperative NLR and PLR levels both correlated with better pathological features, including decreased depth of invasion (p < 0.001), less lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), earlier stage (p < 0.001), and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.004). Kaplan-Meier plots illustrated that higher preoperative NLR and PLR had does not influence OS and DFS. Univariate analysis revealed that depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, stage, PLR, and NLR are risk factors affecting OS and DFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that only stage was independently associated with OS and DFS. Conclusions: NLR and PLR measurements cannot provide important prognostic results in patients with resectable PDAC.
2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Authors: Isselbacher Eric M. , Preventza Ourania , Hamilton Black James , Augoustides John G. , Beck Adam W. , Bolen Michael A. , Braverman Alan C. , Bray Bruce E. , Brown-Zimmerman Maya M. , Chen Edward P. , Collins Tyrone J. , DeAnda Abe , Fanola Christina L. , Girardi Leonard N. , Hicks Caitlin W. , Hui Dawn S. , Schuyler Jones William , Kalahasti Vidyasagar , Kim Karen M. , Milewicz Dianna M. , Oderich Gustavo S. , Ogbechie Laura , Promes Susan B. , Gyang Ross Elsie , Schermerhorn Marc L. , Singleton Times Sabrina , Tseng Elaine E. , Wang Grace J. , Woo Y. Joseph , Faxon David P. , Upchurch Gilbert R. , Aday Aaron W. , Azizzadeh Ali , Boisen Michael , Hawkins Beau , Kramer Christopher M. , Luc Jessica G.Y. , MacGillivray Thomas E. , Malaisrie S. Christopher , Osteen Kathryn , Patel Himanshu J. , Patel Parag J. , Popescu Wanda M. , Rodriguez Evelio , Sorber Rebecca , Tsao Philip S. , Santos Volgman Annabelle
Published: November 2022

Aim:

The “2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease” provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients with aortic disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, stable symptomatic, and acute aortic syndromes).

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 2021 to April 2021, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through June 2022 during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee, where appropriate.

Structure:

Recommendations from previously published AHA/ACC guidelines on thoracic aortic disease, peripheral artery disease, and bicuspid aortic valve disease have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with aortic disease have been developed. There is added emphasis on the role of shared decision making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy. The is also an increased emphasis on the importance of institutional interventional volume and multidisciplinary aortic team expertise in the care of patients with aortic disease.
The
FES
Gene at the 15q26 Coronary-Artery-Disease Locus Inhibits Atherosclerosis
Authors: Karamanavi Elisavet , McVey David G. , van der Laan Sander W. , Stanczyk Paulina J. , Morris Gavin E. , Wang Yifan , Yang Wei , Chan Kenneth , Poston Robin N. , Luo Jun , Zhou Xinmiao , Gong Peng , Jones Peter D. , Cao Junjun , Kostogrys Renata B. , Webb Tom R. , Pasterkamp Gerard , Yu Haojie , Xiao Qingzhong , Greer Peter A. , Stringer Emma J. , Samani Nilesh J. , Ye Shu
Published: November 2022

Background:

Genome-wide association studies have discovered a link between genetic variants on human chromosome 15q26.1 and increased coronary artery disease (CAD) susceptibility; however, the underlying pathobiological mechanism is unclear. This genetic locus contains the
FES
(FES proto-oncogene, tyrosine kinase) gene encoding a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase involved in the regulation of cell behavior. We investigated the effect of the 15q26.1 variants on FES expression and whether FES plays a role in atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results:

Analyses of isogenic monocytic cell lines generated by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-mediated genome editing showed that monocytes with an engineered 15q26.1 CAD risk genotype had reduced FES expression. Small-interfering-RNA-mediated knockdown of FES promoted migration of monocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. A phosphoproteomics analysis showed that FES knockdown altered phosphorylation of a number of proteins known to regulate cell migration. Single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed that in human atherosclerotic plaques, cells that expressed
FES
were predominately monocytes/macrophages, although several other cell types including smooth muscle cells also expressed
FES
. There was an association between the 15q26.1 CAD risk genotype and greater numbers of monocytes/macrophage in human atherosclerotic plaques. An animal model study demonstrated that
Fes
knockout increased atherosclerotic plaque size and within-plaque content of monocytes/macrophages and smooth muscle cells, in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed a high fat diet.

Conclusions:

We provide substantial evidence that the CAD risk variants at the 15q26.1 locus reduce FES expression in monocytes and that FES depletion results in larger atherosclerotic plaques with more monocytes/macrophages and smooth muscle cells. This study is the first demonstration that FES plays a protective role against atherosclerosis and suggests that enhancing FES activity could be a potentially novel therapeutic approach for CAD intervention.
Contemporary Incidence and Burden of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Children of the United States
Authors: Otite Fadar Oliver , Vanguru Husitha , Anikpezie Nnabuchi , Patel Smit D. , Chaturvedi Seemant
Published: November 2022

Background:

The incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in children of the United States is unknown, and it is uncertain how the burden of CVT hospitalizations in children changed over the last decade.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the State Inpatient Database and Kid’s inpatient database. All new CVT cases in children (0–19 years) in the New York 2006 to 2018 State Inpatient Database (n=705), and all cases of CVT in the entire US contained in the 2006 to 2019 Kid’s inpatient database (weighted n=6115) were identified using validated
International Classification of Diseases (ICDs
) codes. Incident counts were combined with census data to compute incidence. Between-group differences in incidence were tested using 2-proportions
Z
-test, and Joinpoint regression was used to trend incidence over time.

Results:

Across the study period, 48.2% of all incident CVT cases and 44.6% of all CVT admissions nationally were in girls. Of all incident cases, 27.2% were infants and 65.8% of these infants were neonates. Average incidence across the study period was (1.1/100 000/year, SE:0.04) but incidence in infants (6.4/100 000/year) was at least 5 times the incidence in other age groups (1–4 years: 0.7/100 000/year, 15–19 years: 1.2/100 000/year). Incidence and national burden of CVT admissions was higher in girls in adolescents 15 to 19 years, but overall burden was higher in boys in other age groups. Age- and sex-standardized CVT incidence increased by 3.8% annually (95% CI, 0.2%–7.6%), while the overall burden of admissions increased by 4.9% annually (95% CI, 3.6%–6.2%).

Conclusions:

CVT incidence in New York and national burden of CVT increased significantly over the last decade.
Diurnal Differences in Immune Response in Brain, Blood and Spleen After Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice
Authors: Esposito Elga , Zhang Fang , Park Ji-Hyun , Mandeville Emiri T. , Li Wenlu , Cuartero María Isabel , Lizasoaín Ignacio , Moro María A. , Lo Eng H.
Published: November 2022

Background:

The immune response to acute cerebral ischemia is a major factor in stroke pathobiology. Circadian biology modulates some aspects of immune response. The goal of this study is to compare key parameters of immune response during the active/awake phase versus inactive/sleep phase in a mouse model of transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Methods:

Mice were housed in normal or reversed light cycle rooms for 3 weeks, and then they were blindly subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia. Flow cytometry was used to examine immune responses in blood, spleen, and brain at 3 days after ischemic onset.

Results:

In blood, there were higher levels of circulating T cells in mice subjected to focal ischemia during zeitgeber time (ZT)1–3 (inactive or sleep phase) versus ZT13–15 mice (active or awake phase). In the spleen, organ weight and immune cell numbers were lower in ZT1–3 versus ZT13–15 mice. Consistent with these results, there was an increased infiltration of activated T cells into brain at ZT1–3 compared with ZT13–15.

Conclusions:

This proof-of-concept study indicates that there are significant diurnal effects on the immune response after focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Hence, therapeutic strategies focused on immune targets should be reassessed to account for the effects of diurnal rhythms and circadian biology in nocturnal rodent models of stroke.
Meaning and Use in the Expression of Estimative Probability
Authors: van Tiel Bob , Sauerland Uli , Franke Michael
Published: November 2022

Words of estimative probability (WEPs), such as ‘possible’ and ‘a good chance’, provide an efficient means for expressing probability under uncertainty. Current semantic theories assume that WEPs denote crisp thresholds on the probability scale, but experimental data indicate that their use is characterised by gradience and focality. Here, we implement and compare computational models of the use of WEPs to explain novel production data. We find that, among models incorporating cognitive limitations and assumptions about goal-directed speech, a model that implements a threshold-based semantics explains the data equally well as a model that semantically encodes patterns of gradience and focality. We further validate the model by distinguishing between participants with more or fewer autistic traits, as measured with the Autism Spectrum Quotient test. These traits include communicative difficulties. We show that these difficulties are reflected in the rationality parameter of the model, which modulates the probability that the speaker selects the pragmatically optimal message.
Attitudinal and Emotional Reactions to the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021
Authors: Anderson Jennifer , Coduto Kathryn D.
Published: November 2022

This article reports on two online surveys concerning reactions to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Study 1 occurred between January 8 and 11, 2021; Study 2 took place between July 8 and 15, 2021. In both studies, both Trump and Biden voters reported negative attitudes toward the rioters, but those attitudes became significantly more positive from Study 1 to Study 2 in both groups. As expected, in both studies, Trump/Pence voters had less confidence in, and satisfaction with, the election results, which correlated with more positive attitudes toward the rioters and the president. Biden/Harris voters held more positive beliefs about the election, which correlated with more negative attitudes toward the rioters and the president. In both studies, Biden voters were more likely to report feeling fear, disgust, anger, and sadness than Trump voters, who were more likely to report feeling joy and surprise. Unexpectedly, across all voters and within voting groups, more people in Study 2 reported feeling each emotion, compared with Study 1.
‘Social Relations and Agrarian Labour’: Exploring the Dynamics of Relations Between Former Farm Workers and A1 Beneficiaries in Zimbabwe’s A1 Settlements
Authors: Marewo Malvern Kudakwashe
Published: November 2022

This article examines the evolving nature of social and agrarian relations between A1 villagised beneficiaries of the Fast Track Land Reform in Zimbabwe (FTLRP) and former farm workers. Using a case study from Zvimba District, Mashonaland West, I investigate how after FTLRP farm workers are accessing land and a host of livelihoods through social relations with the A1 beneficiaries. The article argues that after FTLRP, farm workers have established social relations with beneficiaries of FTLRP, which have enabled them to access land, agricultural inputs, and other socioeconomic benefits.
Content Independence and Political Obligation: Scope Limitations of Content-Independent Moral Reasons
Authors: Klosko George
Published: November 2022

Although understanding political obligations as content-independent is standard in the literature, this view cannot be defended. Central to this position is a single content-independent reason to obey virtually all laws because they are laws, as opposed to because of their particular contents. However, intuitively plausible and familiar this view may be, adequate foundational reasons are not to be had. My particular focus is “scope limitations” of content-independent moral reasons. Content-independent moral reasons commonly evoked can be seen to be unable to justify adequate ranges of laws. I demonstrate this problem in regard to what I view as the two strongest contemporary theories of political obligation, based on fair play and natural duties of justice. Accordingly, to preserve the content independence of political obligations, we must do so in a different way. The modified view I suggest combines different scope-limited content-independent reasons to justify an adequate range of laws.
Do Parties Matter for Environmental Policy Stringency? Exploring the Program-to-Policy Link for Environmental Issues in 28 Countries 1990–2015
Authors: Lundquist Sanna
Published: November 2022

Political parties are crucial in crafting effective national climate policies in democratic states. At the same time, there is a practical and academic debate of whether political parties matter for policy output. This article speaks to this debate by investigating the link between what parties say and what parties do with respect to environmental issues. More concretely, it analyzes whether there is a connection between the degree of environmentalism expressed in parties’ electoral manifestos and national environmental policy output. Theoretically, the article draws on existing research on program-to-policy linkages in general and for environmental issues specifically to argue that saliency of environmentalism in party manifestos shapes more stringent environmental policies. This argument is empirically tested by combining data on policy stringency with data on manifesto contents for 28 countries for the period 1990–2015. The findings corroborate the main hypothesis, which has implications for understanding the overall potential for political parties to structure national environmental politics. The article concludes by sketching broader implications for research on parties’ ability to shape national environmental policy across political systems, and across partisan ideologies.
Banks’ Structural Power and States’ Choices on What Structurally Matters: The Geo-Economic Foundations of State Priority toward Banking in France, Germany, and Spain
Authors: Massoc Elsa Clara
Published: November 2022

Since the 2008 financial crisis, Europe's largest banks have largely remained unchallenged. Is this because of the structural power banks continue to hold over states? This article challenges the view that states are sheer hostages of banks’ capacity to provide credit to the real economy—the conventional definition of structural power. Instead, it sheds light on the geo-economic dimension of banks’ power: key public officials conceive the position of “their own” banks in global financial markets as a crucial dimension of state power. State priority toward banking thus results from political choices as to what structurally matters most for the state. Based on a discourse analysis of parliamentary debates in France, Germany, and Spain, as well as on a comparative analysis of the implementation of a special tax on banks, this article shows that power dynamics within states largely shape political priorities toward banking at both domestic and international levels.
Platforms Disrupting Reputation: Precarity and Recognition Struggles in the Remote Gig Economy
Authors: Wood Alex J , Lehdonvirta Vili
Published: November 2022

Digitalisation and the use of algorithms have raised concerns over the future of work, the gig economy being identified by some as particularly concerning. In this article, we draw on 70 interviews in addition to participant observations to highlight the role of gig economy platforms in producing a novel form of reputational insecurity. This insecurity is generated by platforms disrupting the traditional operation of industry reputation in freelance markets. We highlight three areas of transformation (recognition, power relations and transparency) in which platforms disrupt the social regulation of reputation and thus algorithmically amplify uncertainty. We also detail how workers individually and collectively attempt to re-embed reputation within interpersonal relations to reduce this novel insecurity.
The Impact of Price Preciseness, Price Reduction, and Lay Rationalism on Travelers’ Perceptions of Deal Attractiveness, Purchase Intention, and Choice
Authors: Kim Jungkeun , Jhang Jihoon , Kim Seongseop (Sam) , Stylidis Dimitrios
Published: November 2022

This research investigated the role of price preciseness (rounded vs. precise) in perceiving deal attractiveness, purchase intention, and choice in travel decision-making. Two competing hypotheses (price association vs. fluency) were proposed. Across five empirical studies, we found that the perceived attractiveness of a price promotion deal, along with purchase intention and relative preference, were higher when the original price was presented in a rounded (vs. precise) format (Studies 1A, 1B, and 3). This finding supports the price association-based explanation rather than the fluency-based explanation. In addition, the results were replicated in a consequential choice setting (Study 2). We further demonstrated that the effect of the price rounding is stronger for those with high (vs. low) lay rationalism, suggesting its moderating role (Study 4). The empirical findings of the current research have theoretical implications for various fields, including the behavioral pricing of travel and tourism, and practical implications for practitioners.
Fantasies of Revenge: An Evolutionary and Individual Differences Account
Authors: Yoshimura Stephen M. , Boon Susan D.
Published: November 2022

In this study, we examine the descriptive qualities of revenge fantasies and test evolutionary and individual-difference accounts for the experience of them. Participants recalled and described a revenge fantasy, and rated its recency, duration, intensity, and the frequency with which they fantasized about revenge overall. They also completed measures of narcissistic entitlement and vengefulness. Consistent with an evolutionary approach to understanding revenge, the results show that men were twice as likely to report fantasies of direct/overt acts of revenge than were women. Vengefulness and narcissistic entitlement did not relate to whether the fantasized revenge act was direct/overt or indirect/covert, but related to the frequency and intensity of participants’ revenge fantasies and the affective experiences participants reported while thinking of them. The findings add specificity to the three-phase model of revenge ( Yoshimura & Boon, 2018 ), and reveal areas of potential growth in research on revenge, in general, and revenge fantasies specifically.
Numerical Investigation of the Strain Characteristics of a Natural Gas Transportation Pipeline Crossing Tunnel
Authors: Ma Hongqiang , Ding Ruixiang , He Binxian , Liu Qing , Xu Gaosheng , Qian Shaojie , Fu Huan
Published: November 2022

To ensure the safe operation of a natural gas transportation pipeline (NGTP) crossing tunnel, a model is established to analyze the strain characteristics. Some factors affecting the strain are considered in this paper. The results show that the strain failure of a NGTP crossing tunnel may occur in the two elbows of the NGTP located at the tunnel entrance and the position in contact with the fixed pipe clamp near the tunnel entrance. At the same time, the strain of the NGTP crossing tunnel is obviously affected by the temperature change of natural gas. So, the temperature change should be controlled within 8 K in the actual operation process. The wall thickness, the length of the NGTP, and the slope angle of the crossing tunnel are also main factors to affect the strain of the NGTP crossing tunnel, while the operation pressure and mountain slope angle have little effect when the operation pressure is 6–11 MPa. The maximum value of Mises equivalent strain is also obviously affected by the pipe diameter when it is more than 273 mm. Meanwhile, a prediction model for the maximum value of Mises equivalent strain is also established by the nonlinear fitting method and the deviation is within ±15% between the calculations and simulation results. The above conclusions will provide a theoretical basis and data support for the safe operation and design of NGTP crossing tunnels.
Luteolin loaded on zinc oxide nanoparticles ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with insulin resistance in diabetic rats via regulation of PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 pathway
Authors: Ahmed Esraa SA , Mohamed Hebatallah E , Farrag Mostafa A
Published: November 2022

Objective

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a worldwide health problem with high prevalence and morbidity associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and dyslipidemia. Nano-formulation of luteolin with Zn oxide in the form of Lut/ZnO NPs may improve the anti-diabetic property of each alone and ameliorate the insulin resistance thus management of NAFLD. This study aimed to measure the efficiency of Lut/ZnO NPs against insulin resistance coupled with NAFLD and T2DM.

Methods

A diabetic rat model with NAFLD was induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (30 mg/kg I.P). Serum diabetogenic markers levels, lipid profile, and activity of liver enzymes were measured beside liver oxidative stress markers. Moreover, the hepatic expressions of PI3K/AKT/FoxO1/SERBP1c as well as heme oxygenase-1 were measured beside the histopathological examination.

Results

Lut/ZnO NPs treatment effectively reduced hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and ameliorated insulin resistance. Additionally, Lut/ZnO NPs improved the hepatic functions, the antioxidant system, and reduced the oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, the lipid load in the liver, as well as the circulating TG and TC, was minified via the suppression of lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. Moreover, Lut/ZnO NPs activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, hence inactivating FoxO1, therefore enhancing the hepatic cells’ insulin sensitivity.

Conclusion

Lut/ZnO NPs have a hepatoprotective effect and may relieve the progression of NAFLD by alleviating insulin resistance, ameliorating the antioxidant status, and regulating the insulin signal pathway.
Skilled Nursing Facility Participation in Bundled Payments Was Related to Small Increases in Nurse Staffing Levels
Authors: Ying Meiling , Temkin-Greener Helena , Thirukumaran Caroline P. , Joynt Maddox Karen E. , Holloway Robert G. , Li Yue
Published: November 2022

Medicare implemented Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Model 3 in 2013, in which participating skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) were accountable for episode costs. We performed comparative interrupted time series analyses to evaluate associations between SNF BPCI participation and nurse staffing levels, using Medicare claims, resident assessments, and facility-level and market-level files of 2010–2017. For persistent-participating SNFs, BPCI was associated with improved certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing levels (differential change = .03 hours, p = .025). However, BPCI was not related to changes in registered nurse (RN) and all licensed nurse hours, and nurse skill mix. Among drop-out SNFs, BPCI was associated with increased RN staffing levels (differential change = .02 hours, p = .009), leading to a higher nurse skill ratio (0.51 percentage points, p = .016) than control SNFs. Bundled payments for care improvement had no impact on CNA and all licensed nurse staffing levels. In conclusion, BPCI was associated with statistically significant but small increases in nurse staffing levels.
Depression Transmission From Parents to Their Adult Children in China: The Mediating Role of Family Violence
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Zhang Huiping
Published: November 2022

Depression can be transmitted from parents to children through the gene–environment interaction. Previous studies have focused on the short-term effects of parental depression on children and adolescents while neglecting the long-term effects. Furthermore, as a major indicator of stressful environment, the mediating role of different types of family violence has rarely been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effects of parental depressive symptoms on those of adult children and to explore the potential mediating roles of different types of family violence (physical abuse, witnessing interparental violence, and sibling violence) in China. Data came from the 2014 and 2018 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which consisted of 10,973 participants aged 45 years and older. Logistic regression models were performed. The total effect was decomposed into direct and indirect effects by logistic regression based on the Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) method. The results indicated that parental depressive symptoms were related to adult children’s depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.16–1.25]). The KHB method showed that this relationship was mediated by physical abuse (OR, 1.01; 95% CI [1.00–1.01]) and witnessing interparental violence (OR, 1.01; 95% CI [1.01–1.02]). In China, depression can be transmitted from parents to their adult children through family violence. The findings suggest that regular mental health screening across entire lifespan and family violence prevention programs targeting depressed parents may bring long-term benefit to adult children’s mental health.
Improving reliability by increasing the level of balancing and by substitution
Authors: Todinov Michael
Published: November 2022

Problems with the current methods for reliability improvement are discussed as well as two generic methods for reliability improvement. The paper argues that reliability improvement is underpinned by common principles that provide key input to the design process. The domain-independent methods change the way engineers and scientists approach reliability improvement. The presented generic methods encourage simple low-cost solutions as opposed to some traditional high-cost solutions based on introducing redundancy, condition monitoring, reinforcement and use of expensive materials. The domain-independent methods allow engineers and scientists in a particular domain to access excellent solutions and practices for eliminating failure modes in other domains. In this way, the constant ‘reinventing of the wheel’ is avoided. As part of the presented approach, a generic method for increasing reliability by increasing the level of balancing and by substitution have been presented. In addition, a new classification of techniques related to increasing the level of balancing has been introduced and discussed for the first time. The paper also proves rigorously that if two components must be selected from n batches containing reliable and faulty components with unknown proportions, the likelihood that both components will be reliable is maximised by selecting the components from a randomly selected batch.
Relationships of Local Food and Physical Activity Environments With Overweight in 5- to 17-Year-Old Malaysian Children
Authors: Mohamad Maria Safura , Mahadir Naidu Balkish , Virtanen Suvi M. , Lehtinen-Jacks Susanna , Abdul Maulud Khairul Nizam
Published: November 2022

Evidence on the associations between built environment and overweight in children outside developed countries is scarce. We examined associations between access to local food and physical activity environments and overweight in 5- to 17-year-old Malaysians in two states with differing overweight levels. Information on children was measured in the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 and combined with Geographic Information System–derived data on local food and physical activity environments. Access to the built environment was measured by presence and distance from child’s residence. Complete data were available for 880 children. Access to local food outlets and parks was higher and associated with higher occurrence of overweight in children living in the state with higher overweight prevalence. When adjusted for sociodemographic factors, higher presence of and shorter distance to convenience stores and parks were associated with overweight. Both built environment and children’s sociodemographic backgrounds should be considered when planning interventions to curb the overweight epidemic in Malaysia.
Constructing Professional Intervention with IPV Across Generations in a Faith-Based Society: An Intersectional Perspective
Authors: Tuito Ilanit , Band-Winterstein Tova , Eisikovits Zvi
Published: November 2022

The intersectionality between the social and personal dimensions influencing the construction of intimate partner violence in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community is examined by studying attitudes toward professional intervention among community members coping with IPV. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 38 information-rich participants coping with IPV, from three generations in the ultra-Orthodox community. Three themes emerged: “Don't think you can do it alone”: Professional intervention as a preferred option; “I did everything to hide the situation”: The end of the era of shame?;“If it's not his problem, then it's my problem”: Professional intervention as a concept of reference. The study findings indicate the ways in which professional intervention among ultra-Orthodox couples coping with IPV is affected and affects the community.
Survey of Belgian owners’ perspectives on quality of life and difficulties during a weight-loss programme in obese cats
Authors: Baptista da Silva Camila , Lyu Yang , Ruiz-Suárez Norberto , Pastoor Francis , Heip Lobke , Wambacq Wendy , Hottat Marie Celine , Hesta Myriam
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The aims of this study were to determine owners’ perception of their cats’ quality of life (QoL), and whether there is a correlation with weight-loss variables, as well as to identify the main difficulties owners encounter during controlled weight loss in their obese cats.

Methods

The study was carried out as an e-questionnaire survey addressed to owners of cats starting a weight-loss programme. The e-questionnaire was provided at a single time point after the conclusion of the study (24 weeks).

Results

Nineteen completed questionnaires were included. Eighteen cats had a lower weight at the end of the weight-loss period, two of which had successfully reached their target weight. Mean weight loss was 13.84% body weight at a rate of 0.53% weight loss/week. Although the perceived QoL was not correlated with weight-loss variables ( P >0.05), it increased over time, even in cats that did not reach their target weight, and was statistically correlated with increased activity ( r = 0.73; P <0.01), mobility ( r = 0.78; P <0.01) and play time ( r = 0.61; P <0.01). The main difficulties encountered by owners were not giving (32%) or permitting the cat to eat extra food (26%). The main presumed difficulty for the cat was having its food decreased over time (53%). Most owners considered their cats happy (42%) and quite happy (53%) during the study, and no statistically significant correlations were found between the weight loss, food-seeking behaviour and stress parameters ( P >0.05).

Conclusions and relevance

Although several difficulties were encountered throughout the study, increased QoL and energy levels in their cats were noticed by owners. A positive perspective on weight-loss programmes is important to keep owners motivated and achieve the target weight in their cats. Furthermore, this survey provides insights into the perceived difficulties of weight-loss regimens in cats.
DNA Methylation Changes in Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients
Authors: Mohanraj Lathika , Wolf Hope , Silvey Scott , Liu Jinze , Toor Amir , Swift-Scanlan Theresa
Published: November 2022

Background

Blood cancers may be potentially cured with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT); however, standard pre-assessments for transplant eligibility do not capture all contributing factors for transplant outcomes. Epigenetic biomarkers predict outcomes in various diseases. This pilot study aims to explore epigenetic changes (epigenetic age and differentially methylated genes) in patients before and after autologous HCT, that can serve as potential biomarkers to better predict HCT outcomes.

Methods

This study used a prospective longitudinal study design to compare genome wide DNA methylation changes in 36 autologous HCT eligible patients recruited from the Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant clinic at a designated National Cancer Center.

Results

Genome-wide DNA methylation, measured by the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 850K BeadChip, showed a significant difference in DNA methylation patterns post-HCT compared to pre-HCT. Compared to baseline levels of DNA methylation pre-HCT, 3358 CpG sites were hypo-methylated and 3687 were hyper-methylated. Identified differentially methylated positions overlapped with genes involved in hematopoiesis, blood cancers, inflammation and immune responses. Enrichment analyses showed significant alterations in biological processes such as immune response and cell structure organization, however no significant pathways were noted. Though participants had an advanced epigenetic age compared to chronologic age before and after HCT, both epigenetic age and accelerated age decreased post-HCT.

Conclusion

Epigenetic changes, both in epigenetic age and differentially methylated genes were observed in autologous HCT recipients, and should be explored as biomarkers to predict transplant outcomes after autologous HCT in larger, longitudinal studies.
Screening of low friction coefficient tribopairs of different rubber with various steels and ceramics under water lubrication
Authors: Min Hao , Wu Defa , Tang Meilihua , Yu Bing , Yu Qian , Liu Yinshui
Published: November 2022

Water is a transmission medium with broad application prospects. In order to screen some excellent tribopairs under water lubrication, the friction behaviors of NBR, HNBR, and EPDM sliding against 11 kinds of counterpart materials including stainless steels and ceramics were investigated. The friction experiments were carried out under different rotation speeds. SEM images of partial tribopairs were exhibited to discuss the reasons for the differences in their friction behaviors. The results indicate that when sliding against different rubber materials under various rotation speeds, 17-4PH regularly has the lowest friction coefficient and the worn surfaces of corresponding rubber material are flat. In contrast, Cr2O3-related materials always have the worst friction performances and the corresponding rubber material surfaces are seriously worn. 17-4PH and 2507 exhibit similar tribological properties, and the tribological properties of the four WC-based materials also resemble highly, which can be inferred from the micro surface morphologies of their corresponding rubber materials. Moreover, the tribological properties of NBR are most affected by the experimental conditions. The tribological performances of HNBR are prior to those of NBR. EPDM has enhanced tribological properties with the increase of rotation speed.
Energy dissipation estimation of steel slit shear panel dampers with tapered links considering the effect of out-of-plane buckling
Authors: Chen Shang , He Liusheng , Li Ming
Published: November 2022

The steel slit shear panel (SSSP) with tapered links is one type of efficient energy-dissipating devices, with tapered shape of the links accommodating the bending moment demand when subjected to lateral shear deformation. To dissipate the maximum amount of seismic energy, full plasticity is expected to be developed. However, out-of-plane buckling, which is almost inevitable for thin plates, significantly reduces its energy dissipation capacity. This work aims to quantify the amount of energy dissipation of SSSPs with tapered links considering the effect of out-of-plane buckling. Quasi-static cyclic loading tests on five SSSP specimens with different design parameters are conducted, based on which the refined numerical model is built and validated. In estimating the energy dissipation, the effect of out-of-plane buckling needs to be considered. Otherwise, the estimated energy dissipation can be as much as over two times the tested value. To consider the effect of out-of-plane buckling, the index of average pinching parameter is adopted. A new method is derived for estimating the energy dissipation of SSSPs with considering the effect of out-of-plane buckling, feasibility of which is validated using the obtained test results.
Women's time and the cinema of Marleen Gorris
Authors: Thornham Sue
Published: November 2022

This article examines the cinema of Dutch feminist filmmaker Marleen Gorris in the light of Julia Kristeva's concept of ‘Women's Time’ and of more recent attempts to conceptualise a temporality that is lived ‘in the feminine’ but is not, as Kristeva's is, either outside historical time – as cyclic and/or monumental – or aligned to the repetitive drudgery of domestic labour. Drawing on Lisa Baraitser's concept of ‘unbecoming time’, a time that ‘will not unfold’ but is lived as endurance, as ‘staying beside others’, and as care, it argues that Gorris's films seek to depict such a temporality. The article first explores the shifting engagements of feminist theory with concepts of time and the relationship of these to ideas of subjectivity and narrative, in particular cinematic narrative. It then examines the cinema of Marleen Gorris in the light of these concepts, focusing on three of her films that span a twenty-five-year period: her second film, Broken Mirrors (1984) ; Antonia’s Line (1995) , her fourth film and winner of the 1996 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film; and her most recent and possibly last film, Within the Whirlwind (2009). It gives most attention to Within the Whirlwind. In many ways, Gorris's most ambitious film, it is also her least discussed, and of her films, the one that focuses most directly on historical time.
Everyday nationhood, diversity and talking about Canada
Authors: Bayar Yesim
Published: November 2022

This article explores ordinary individuals’ understandings of nationhood. In so doing, it focuses on the case of Armenian migrants from Turkey to Canada and their conceptualizations of the host country. The paper captures multiple strands of nationhood and argues that these are pertinent to different boundary-making processes. The outer boundary of nationhood is defined along inclusive and civic lines where difference is recognized and appreciated. Living with difference, on the other hand, brings to the fore the tension between recognizing it on the one hand and accommodating it on the other. The case study further reveals how the exercise of state power and individuals’ encounters with the state shape their understandings of nationhood.
Utilizing the TractSeg Tool for Automatic Corticospinal Tract Segmentation in Patients With Brain Pathology
Authors: Moshe Yael H. , Ben Bashat Dafna , Hananis Zeev , Teicher Mina , Artzi Moran
Published: November 2022

Purpose: White-matter tract segmentation in patients with brain pathology can guide surgical planning and can be used for tissue integrity assessment. Recently, TractSeg was proposed for automatic tract segmentation in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to assess the use of TractSeg for corticospinal-tract (CST) segmentation in a large cohort of patients with brain pathology and to evaluate its consistency in repeated measurements. Methods: A total of 649 diffusion-tensor-imaging scans were included, of them: 625 patients and 24 scans from 12 healthy controls (scanned twice for consistency assessment). Manual CST labeling was performed in all cases, and by 2 raters for the healthy subjects. Segmentation results were evaluated based on the Dice score. In order to evaluate consistency in repeated measurements, volume, Fractional Anisotropy (FA), and Mean Diffusivity (MD) values were extracted and correlated for the manual versus automatic methods. Results: For the automatic CST segmentation Dice scores of 0.63 and 0.64 for the training and testing datasets were obtained. Higher consistency between measurements was detected for the automatic segmentation, with between measurements correlations of volume = 0.92/0.65, MD = 0.94/0.75 for the automatic versus manual segmentation. Conclusions: The TractSeg method enables automatic CST segmentation in patients with brain pathology. Superior measurements consistency was detected for the automatic in comparison to manual fiber segmentation, which indicates an advantage when using this method for clinical and longitudinal studies.
Linking GOLPH3 and Extracellular Vesicles Content—a Potential New Route in Cancer Physiopathology and a Promising Therapeutic Target is in Sight?
Authors: Giansanti Maria Grazia , Piergentili Roberto
Published: November 2022

Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3), a highly conserved phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate effector, is required for maintenance of Golgi architecture, vesicle trafficking, and Golgi glycosylation. GOLPH3 overexpression has been reported in several human solid cancers, including glioblastoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, nonsmall cell lung cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the molecular mechanisms that link GOLPH3 to tumorigenesis require further investigation, it is likely that GOLPH3 may act by controlling the intracellular movement of key oncogenic molecules, between the Golgi compartments and/or between the Golgi and the endoplasmic reticulum. Indeed, numerous evidence indicates that deregulation of intracellular vesicle trafficking contributes to several aspects of cancer phenotypes. However, a direct and clear link between extracellular vesicle movements and GOLPH3 is still missing. In the past years several lines of evidence have implicated GOLPH3 in the regulation of extracellular vesicle content. Specifically, a new role for GOLPH3 has emerged in controlling the internalization of exosomes containing either oncogenic proteins or noncoding RNAs, especially micro-RNA. Although far from being elucidated, growing evidence indicates that GOLPH3 does not increase quantitatively the excretion of exosomes, but rather regulates the exosome content. In particular, recent data support a role for GOLPH3 for loading specific oncogenic molecules into the exosomes, driving both tumor malignancy and metastasis formation. Additionally, the older literature indirectly implicates GOLPH3 in cancerogenesis through its function in controlling hepatitis C virus secretion, which in turn is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma formation. Thus, GOLPH3 might promote tumorigenesis in unexpected ways, involving both direct and indirect routes. If these data are further confirmed, the spectrum of action of GOLPH3 in tumor formation will significantly expand, indicating this protein as a strong candidate for targeted cancer therapy.