bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of combined boundary layer suction on the separation control in a highly loaded transonic compressor cascade
Authors: Li Bai , Mu Guangyuan , Luo Lei , Du Wei , Zhou Xun
Published: October 2023

A numerical investigation is conducted to explore the potential of combined slot suction in controlling the shock wave and flow separation in a transonic compressor cascade. The three slots in the combined scheme are arranged in different directions on the suction surface and endwall. The locations are determined by the shock wave and separation point in the baseline cascade. Based on these locations, two combined schemes and three single schemes are provided to explore the control mechanism. For each suction scheme, five bleed mass ratios are examined at the same inlet Mach number. The results suggested that the cascade throughflow loss could be decreased by three single schemes. However, the cascade performance is improved slightly or even deteriorated when the losses generated by the suction are considered. The key reasons are the local effects of single scheme and the opposite trend between corner stall and the suction surface separation. Both corner stall and the suction surface separation are eliminated by the combined scheme with two slots, and the maximum reduction in throughflow losses is 75%. The new corner separation evolved from the horseshoe vortex limited the performance of combined scheme. When the bleed mass ratio excided 5%, the combined scheme with three slots is better than the two slots scheme in loss control. The reason is the improved endwall boundary layer and the eliminated new corner separation. By inducing the horseshoe vortex into the slot, the interaction of the two endwall slots eliminates the new corner separation.
Returns to digital skills use, temporary employment, and trade unions in European labour markets
Authors: Cutuli Giorgio , Tomelleri Alessio
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates the moderating role of institutional factors on returns to ICT skill usage among different groups of workers in eight European labour markets. Using PIAAC data, the paper leverages the segmentation of contractual status, allowing for heterogeneous wage effects among workers holding permanent and temporary contracts. Furthermore, this study considers how gaps in ICT wage premiums mirror the compositional differences in national-specific trade union densities among contractual groups, demonstrating that wage premiums associated with ICT usage are not univocally defined by task content or demand-supply dynamics for specific sectors and occupations. The results highlight different returns between labour market segments according to national-specific trade union densities of temporary and permanent workers, revealing how the consequences of technological change are shaped by institutional cleavages.
Adaptation in the Scientific Method: An Outline for Mutual Learning and Knowledge Co-production in Climate Science
Authors: Suresh Babu. GS
Published: October 2023

Climate change is taken as a new site of scientific inquiry across the disciplines against the backdrop of the global discourses of the crisis human society confronts today. Our inability to predict and forecast the future and the problems of climate change led to a theoretical vacuum and thereby burden on the scientific communities. Climate change-induced uncertainties manifested in the manifold and their implications on human society, livelihood and ecosystem have increasingly become the objects of analysis for devising empirical tools for field enquiry. It challenges the specificities while looking at the events of uncertainties in context. The new set of evidence on climate change has also redefined the role of the scientific community. This paper discusses climate-related events in the lives of people and the changes in the ecosystem and explores how such factors became an object of scientific inquiry. With the ideas of political ecology, the domain of scientific practices is transformed into an arena of co-production of knowledge in which place, social context and agencies become central. This study explores (1) how the scientific community adapted to outline an interdisciplinary research programme to systematically investigate and register climate-change-affected areas and (2) how the local people in Ladakh Himalaya have participated and reflected on the changing pattern of livelihood and ecosystem through this research enquiry. It has further complicated the analysis on nature-culture dialectics to adapt a robust scientific method to signify the importance of mutual learning and knowledge co-production in climate science.
Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Glabridin Liposome on Imiquimod-induced Mice Psoriasis
Authors: Lu Yongjie , Cheng Lushi , Ren Lu , Chen Dongqiu , Guan Shumin , Zhu Siyang , Xu Xian , Zhang Bing , Tang Minghui , Zhang Chijian , Ai Yong , Zhang Lanyue , He Tinggang
Published: October 2023

Background

Glabridin is one of the main components of the isoflavonoids in Glycyrrhiza glabra and possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects.

Objectives

Herein, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of the glabridin liposome (GL) complex were studied in mice with imiquimod-induced psoriasis.

Materials and Methods

After treatment with GLs, their effectiveness was assessed using parameters, such as Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, histopathology, inflammatory cytokines, and psoriasis-associated proteins.

Results

The results demonstrated that GLs could significantly improve psoriatic symptoms, downregulate mast cell infiltration, and significantly reduce the PASI score of psoriatic mice. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results showed that GLs significantly decreased IL-23 and STAT3 mRNA expression. The results of immunohistochemistry and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that GLs decreased the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-17, and IL-22.

Conclusion

GLs can alleviate psoriasis by inhibiting the expression of keratinocyte-activating proteins. These results suggest that GLs have great potential for the clinical treatment of psoriasis.
Quantification of trunnion damage in a series of intact total hip arthroplasty femoral stems previously identified to be at risk of catastrophic failure
Authors: Lanting Brent A , Sogbein Olawale A , MacDonald Steven J , Shah Nirmit , Kok Tea-Lyn , Willing Ryan , Teeter Matthew G
Published: October 2023

Background:

Corrosion at the head-neck junction of femoral stems is a rare complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with manifestations ranging from subclinical wear to failure. Prior studies have identified a single femoral component design with an increased propensity for catastrophic trunnion failure. The purpose of the present study was to quantify trunnion damage of this femoral component retrieved from patients undergoing revision THA for non-trunnionosis indications.

Methods:

24 femoral components from a single manufacturer were identified for study inclusion. Each prosthesis underwent stereomicroscopic inspection. Corrosion and fretting scores were assigned per the Goldberg criteria to quadrants of the trunnion. Material loss was calculated based on cone angles across trunnion quadrants. This was carried out using a coordinate measuring machine that digitised each trunnion surface. Stems were compared to a series of femoral stems with the same trunnion design.

Results:

20 of the 24 (83%) trunnions demonstrated corrosion, all 24 trunnions demonstrated fretting. Corrosion scores did not statistically differ with respect to trunnion zone ( p = 0.53), while fretting scores were higher in the inferior compared to the superior zones ( p  < 0.001). There was no significant difference in cone angles assessing material loss between stems ( p = 0.25).

Conclusions:

Evidence of trunnion damage was observed in each stem retrieved for non-trunnionosis revision. Fretting occurred more frequently about the inferior quadrants. However, digitised trunnion shapes were similar between compared stems exhibiting no material loss. Therefore, it is possible that previous reports of trunnion failures for this implant are not a systemic issue, and that further investigation is required.
Can improvisation be paradoxical? Learner positionality and the improvised digital disruption
Authors: Arifeen Shehla R , Mughal Farooq
Published: October 2023

Using the case of the COVID-19 lockdown as a disruptive event, this article aims to show the paradox of improvisation by investigating students’ experiences of transitioning from in-person to digital learning spaces across three select business schools in Pakistan. Using Foucault, we analyse the discursive strategies deployed by students as they oscillate between different subject positions under improvised digital conditions. Our analysis reveals contradictory views about the agency of the improvised subjects which is often considered as enterprising in the sense that individuals are willing agents of change. Findings suggest that improvisation can also be paradoxically experienced as it misaligns with predispositions of agents. We show this through the struggles of students in getting to grips with the digital move, giving rise to uncertainty. This study, therefore, makes three distinct, yet interrelated, contributions to the literature on management learning by identifying: the risks of taming embodied subjectivities, the changing positionality of learners and the paradox of improvisation. Our work has implications for understanding improvisation in business schools during disruptive events, as overlooking the predispositions of students can lead to an enterprising agency of a different kind (e.g. resistance) that forfeits the purpose of improvisation.
Misdiagnosis in multiple sclerosis in a Brazilian reference center: Clinical, radiological, laboratory profile and failures in the diagnostic process—Cohort study
Authors: Tieppo Eduardo Macedo de Souza , Silva Guilherme Diogo , Silva Tomás Fraga Ferreira da , Araujo Roger Santana de , Oliveira Mateus Boaventura de , Spricigo Mariana Gondim Peixoto , Pimentel Gabriela Almeida , Campana Igor Gusmão , Castrillo Bruno Batitucci , Mendes Natalia Trombini , Teixeira Larissa Silva , Nunes Douglas Mendes , Rimkus Carolina de Medeiros , Adoni Tarso , Apóstolos Pereira Samira Luisa , Callegaro Dagoberto
Published: October 2023

Background:

Multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis remains a problem despite the well-validated McDonald 2017. For proper evaluation of errors in the diagnostic process that lead to misdiagnosis, it is adequate to incorporate patients who are already under regular follow-up at reference centers of demyelinating diseases.

Objectives:

To evaluate multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis in patients who are on follow-up at a reference center of demyelinating diseases in Brazil.

Methods:

We designed an observational study including patients in regular follow-up, who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at our specialized outpatient clinic in the Hospital of Clinics in the University of Sao Paulo, from 1996 to 2021, and were reassessed for misdiagnosis in 2022. We evaluated demographic information, clinical profile, and complementary exams and classified participants as “established multiple sclerosis,” “non-multiple sclerosis, diagnosed,” and “non-multiple sclerosis, undiagnosed.” Failures in the diagnostic process were assessed by the modified Diagnostic Error Evaluation and Research tool.

Results:

A total of 201 patients were included. After analysis, 191/201 (95.02%) participants were confirmed as “established multiple sclerosis,” 5/201 (2.49%) were defined as “non-multiple sclerosis, diagnosed,” and 5/201 (2.49%) were defined as “non-multiple sclerosis, undiagnosed.”

Conclusions:

Multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis persists in reference centers, emphasizing the need for careful interpretation of clinical findings to prevent errors.
Telehealth competencies for allied health professionals: A scoping review
Authors: Anil Krithika , Bird Adam R , Bridgman Kate , Erickson Shane , Freeman Jennifer , McKinstry Carol , Robinson Christie , Abey Sally
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Telehealth has become one of the main methods of delivering allied health professional services world-wide, yet many professionals do not have sufficient training to deliver high-quality telehealth services. This review aims to identify what competencies allied health professionals require for effective telehealth service delivery.

Methods

This scoping review used the Population Concept Context framework and searched the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, EMBASE, Web of Science, PEDro, United Kingdom Health Forum, WHO, Health Education England, and all UK and Australian AHP professional bodies.

Results

A total of 37 articles were included out of 92,525 identified by the literature search. Competencies were related to two areas: (1) delivery of the telehealth consultation and (2) service management of telehealth consultations. The first area included the following competency themes: clinical reasoning, communication, effectively using technology, person-centred care, practice-based assessment and intervention knowledge/behaviour/skills, privacy, security, and patient safety, professionalism, and setting up the technical environment. The second area included the following competency themes: digital infrastructure, informing practice, and management. Although findings emphasised the importance of telehealth competencies, none have been implemented within education. One-third of the articles were from the discipline of psychology.

Conclusion

This is the first scoping review to combine telehealth competencies reported across allied health disciplines. Although there were a vast range of competencies, they need implementation into teaching and learning to be practically useful. Most competencies were from psychology, but potentially applicable for other allied health professionals. A shared and adaptable standard for telehealth competencies would be useful to ensure high-quality practice across all allied health professionals.
#TheAfricaTheMediaNever ShowsYou: An Afrodiasporic Subaltern Counterpublic
Authors: Ademolu Edward
Published: October 2023

Media representations of African underdevelopment are central to the communicative potential and reach of international development in the mainstream public sphere, but they are not without sustained critique and confrontation. By conceptualising the humanitarian-themed campaign – #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou on Twitter, as an Afrodiasporic Subaltern Counterpublic, this article considers how UK African diasporic communities have utilised this digitalised environment to oppose the popular but problematic ‘face of development’. Applying Nancy Fraser’s counterpublics theorisation and drawing on social media ethnography and multiple participant interviews, it shows how oppositional counter-discourses among these online diasporic communities challenge problematic African representation within ‘white media’. This is realised in three distinct but interrelated discursive practices: (1) Afrodiasporic solidaristic orientations; (2) Diasporic solidarism as an assemblage(d) response to development’s institutionalised whiteness; and (3) Countering Africa(n) misrepresentations.
Learning Sanskrit as a sacred language in the West: A narrative study
Authors: Bassetti Bene , Reinboldt Rosicler
Published: October 2023

Aims and objectives:

This exploratory study investigates experiences and perceptions of Sanskrit language learning in Western non-heritage learners by analysing their language learning narratives.

Methodology:

Sanskrit language learning narratives were elicited through unstructured interviews.

Data and analysis:

Four Italian adults at a Sanskrit language Saturday class in Italy volunteered to participate: The teacher and three students, all yoga practitioners. Narratives were analysed using a combination of structured, thematic, and discursive approaches based on Riessman’s dialogic/performance approach.

Findings:

Sanskrit appears to be a sacred language to these learners, as it is the language of ancient philosophical or spiritual texts, and its sound has special effects on the mind and body. They learn Sanskrit to access texts in the original language and appear to have internalised Sanskritic views of perfection of the sounds of Sanskrit, their effects, and the joy of Sanskrit. Their approach to learning Sanskrit is at the interface of Western and Sanskritic traditions, as they embrace Western grammar-translation and Sanskritic teacher-disciple oral transmission and ignore the Western communicative approach and Sanskritic rote memorisation.

Originality:

This is the first investigation of Sanskrit learning in non-heritage Western settings and one of the first to investigate the learning of a sacred language. Yoga practitioners are a hitherto unexplored population in language learning research. A narrative approach facilitates the exploration of participants’ meaning-making and understanding.

Significance:

The study contributes to the emerging field of research on the learning of sacred languages, revealing some similarities and differences between learners of Sanskrit and other sacred languages. It shows that narrative approaches are suitable for researching sacred language learning.
A Jazz Aesthetic Reprise (on the Work of Tami Spry)
Authors: Alexander Bryant Keith
Published: October 2023

This performative piece serves as a tribute to Tami L. Spry upon her retirement from academic teaching. The piece is considered a reprise because it is based on a shortened version given on a panel at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (2016) that celebrated the publication of her book, Autoethnography and the Other: Unsettling Power through Utopian Performatives. A variation of this piece was presented at the 2022 National Communication Association Convention in New Orleans on the panel: “The Place of Performance and the Performance of Tami L. Spry.” The piece infuses citations in building an incomplete bibliography of her body of work. And like her body of work, this tribute text is a performance script.
Different ratios of Schisandra chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa combination for treating Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Cao Qingyu , Liu Jiaqi , Dong Peiliang , Han Hua
Published: October 2023

Schisandra chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa are traditional Chinese herbs that have been used for many years to treat neurodegenerative diseases. In Chinese medicine, multiple herbs are often used in combination to enhance their efficacy, and different combination ratios can produce different therapeutic effects, thus flexibly responding to the needs of various patients. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different ratios of Schisandra and Evodia herbs on learning and memory impairment in rats with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their specific mechanisms of action. Morris water maze and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of different ratios of Schisandra-Evodia on learning memory in AD model rats. Immunohistochemical experiments were performed to investigate the effects of Schisandra-Evodia on the Aβ1-42 and P-Tau proteins, and protein immunoblotting (WB) was performed to determine the expression of key proteins in two pathways, BDNF/TrkB/CREB and GSK-3β/Tau. Our experimental results show that all Schisandra-Evodia groups showed significant neuroprotective effects, improved learning memory impairment, and reduced levels of Aβ1-42 and P-Tau proteins in AD model rats. Schisandra-Evodia upregulated BDNF, P-TrkB/TrkB, and P-CREB/CREB protein expression and downregulated GSK-3β and P-Tau/Tau protein expression. Among the different Schisandra-Evodia ratio groups, the 2:1 group showed the strongest therapeutic effect on AD. Our research results indicate that Schisandra-Evodia can reduce Aβ1-42 and P-Tau protein content by modulating the activity of two pathways, BDNF/TrkB/CREB and GSK-3β/Tau, thus improving neuronal cell damage and cognitive deficits caused by AD. In addition, we found that a Schisandra-Evodia ratio of 2:1 had the most profound therapeutic effect on AD.
Are you sure? Examining the potential benefits of truth-checking as a learning activity
Authors: Arcos Karen , Hausman Hannah , Storm Benjamin C
Published: October 2023

Learners may be uncertain about whether encountered information is true. Uncertainty may encourage people to critically assess information’s accuracy, serving as a kind of desirable difficulty that benefits learning. Uncertainty may also have negative effects, however, leading people to mistrust true information or to later misremember false information as true. In three experiments, participants read history statements. In one condition, all statements were true, and the participants knew it. In the other two conditions, some statements were true, and others were false. Participants were either told the statements’ accuracy or they guessed the statements’ accuracy prior to feedback, a manipulation we refer to as truth-checking. All participants were then tested on recalling the true information and on recognising true versus false statements. We observed a significant benefit of truth-checking in one of the three experiments, suggesting that truth-checking may have some potential to enhance learning, perhaps by inducing people to encode to-be-learned information more deeply than they would otherwise. Even so, the benefit may come at a cost—truth-checking took significantly longer than study alone, and it led to a greater likelihood of thinking false information was true, suggesting costs of truth-checking may tend to outweigh benefits.
Low-load exercises with concurrent blood flow restriction as rehabilitation for unspecific knee pain to a former American football player: A case report
Authors: Mechlenburg Inger , Nielsen Torsten Grønbech , Kristensen Nick , Bentzen Andreas , Jørgensen Stian Langgård
Published: October 2023

Former athlete, 30 years of age, suffered several months of moderate anterior knee pain during daily life activities where daily life activities such as negotiating stairs and lifting heavy objects were moderately painful. Magnetic resonance imaging showed normal meniscus and cruciate ligaments and no extra joint fluid. The patient was referred to a physiotherapist who introduced a strengthening program. Low-load resistance training with concurrent blood flow restriction can induce significant gains in maximal muscle strength and mass with minimal exacerbation of knee-joint pain. We describe the outcome of 12 weeks low-load resistance training with concurrent blood flow restriction as a rehabilitation method for anterior knee pain. The patient performed low-load resistance training with concurrent blood flow restriction for the lower limbs (goblet squat, single-leg knee extensions and flexions). After the low-load resistance training with concurrent blood flow restriction, the patient increased isometric knee extensor muscle strength (31%), single-leg hop test performance (23%), obtained clinically relevant improvements in patient-reported outcomes and was able to return to his usual high-loading training regime. Low-load resistance training with concurrent blood flow restriction seems promising to transition patients back to a healthy lifestyle of training and being physically active.
A lightweight deep learning approach for COVID-19 detection using X-ray images with edge federation
Authors: Alvi Sohaib Bin Khalid , Nayyer Muhammad Ziad , Jamal Muhammad Hasan , Raza Imran , de la Torre Diez Isabel , Velasco Carmen Lili Rodriguez , Brenosa Jose Manuel , Ashraf Imran
Published: October 2023

Objective

This study aims to develop a lightweight convolutional neural network-based edge federated learning architecture for COVID-19 detection using X-ray images, aiming to minimize computational cost, latency, and bandwidth requirements while preserving patient privacy.

Method

The proposed method uses an edge federated learning architecture to optimize task allocation and execution. Unlike in traditional edge networks where requests from fixed nodes are handled by nearby edge devices or remote clouds, the proposed model uses an intelligent broker within the federation to assess member edge cloudlets' parameters, such as resources and hop count, to make optimal decisions for task offloading. This approach enhances performance and privacy by placing tasks in closer proximity to the user. DenseNet is used for model training, with a depth of 60 and 357,482 parameters. This resource-aware distributed approach optimizes computing resource utilization within the edge-federated learning architecture.

Results

The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in various performance metrics. The proposed method reduces training time by 53.1%, optimizes CPU and memory utilization by 17.5% and 33.6%, and maintains accurate COVID-19 detection capabilities without compromising the F1 score, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of the lightweight convolutional neural network-based edge federated learning architecture.

Conclusion

Existing studies predominantly concentrate on either privacy and accuracy or load balancing and energy optimization, with limited emphasis on training time. The proposed approach offers a comprehensive performance-centric solution that simultaneously addresses privacy, load balancing, and energy optimization while reducing training time, providing a more holistic and balanced solution for optimal system performance.
A hybrid forecasting technique for infection and death from the mpox virus
Authors: Iftikhar Hasnain , Daniyal Muhammad , Qureshi Moiz , Tawiah Kassim , Ansah Richard Kwame , Afriyie Jonathan Kwaku
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The rising of new cases and death counts from the mpox virus (MPV) is alarming. In order to mitigate the impact of the MPV it is essential to have information of the virus's future position using more precise time series and stochastic models. In this present study, a hybrid forecasting system has been developed for new cases and death counts for MPV infection using the world daily cumulative confirmed and death series.

Methods

The original cumulative series was decomposed into new two subseries, such as a trend component and a stochastic series using the Hodrick–Prescott filter. To assess the efficacy of the proposed models, a comparative analysis with several widely recognized benchmark models, including auto-regressive (AR) model, auto-regressive moving average (ARMA) model, non-parametric auto-regressive (NPAR) model and artificial neural network (ANN), was performed.

Results

The introduction of two novel hybrid models, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which demonstrated superior performance compared to all other models, as evidenced by their remarkable results in key performance indicators such as root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), is a significant advancement in disease prediction.

Conclusion

The new models developed can be implemented in forecasting other diseases in the future. To address the current situation effectively, governments and stakeholders must implement significant changes to ensure strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the public. Given the anticipated continuation of increasing trends in the coming days, these measures are essential for mitigating the impact of the outbreak.
Sex Differences in the Cognitive Performance of a South African Cohort of People With HIV and Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Dreyer Anna J. , Nightingale Sam , Andersen Lena S. , Lee Jasper S. , Gouse Hetta , Safren Steven A. , O’Cleirigh Conall , Thomas Kevin G. F. , Joska John A.
Published: October 2023

Women with HIV (WWH) may be more vulnerable to cognitive impairment than men with HIV (MWH), which may be explained by the direct effects of HIV or by sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics. We recruited 105 people with HIV (PWH; 76 women) with incomplete antiretroviral therapy adherence, comorbid major depressive disorder, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants completed neuropsychological testing and measures gathering sociodemographic, medical, and psychiatric information. We compared WWH and MWH cognitive performance using unadjusted and adjusted regressions, and within each respective group, we explored predictors of cognitive performance. Results showed no significant between-sex differences in cognitive performance, both globally and within domains. Fewer years of education ( β = 0.94), illiteracy ( β = 4.55), and greater food insecurity ( β = −0.28) predicted lower cognitive performance in WWH but not MWH. We conclude that sex differences in PWH are likely due to sample characteristics representing broader inequalities, rather than true biological differences.
(Im)personalization in German and English Negative Online Reviews: Contrasts, Comparisons, and Cognitive Implications
Authors: Fastrich Bridgit
Published: October 2023

The current study contributes to the demand for more multilingual analyses of online reviews, comparing English and German-language hotel reviews on Booking.com. Specifically, it seeks to shed light on the linguapragmatic contrast of the German speaker showing a preference for more “content-orientation” and the English speaker more “person-orientation” by exploring the use of the first-person perspective (FPP) in online reviews. It further integrates cognitive linguistic theories of construal, considering whether the results implicate not only a difference in the assumedly intentional rhetorical preferences of speakers but also cognitive differences in ways of experiencing a hotel stay, which might also have important implications for how hotels tailor their language-specific responses and maybe even how hotels design their service and intended customer experience. The findings show that FPP did occur in more English reviews, indicating more personalization and thus a more personalized cognitive processing of the hotel stay. However, when FPP was identified in German reviews, it occurred at a similar frequency to English reviews, reflecting a similar degree of subjective involvement. The findings may thus indicate that while this contrast was robust on a whole, linguacultural differences may play an increasingly smaller role as online genres merge into more global styles, a trend that communications practitioners must increasingly consider.
Trial of Affordable Bone Conduction Headphones to Support a Deaf Child's Education in Malawi
Authors: Bene Modesta , Phiri Mwanaisha , Fitzgerald Oconnor Isobel , de Cates Catherine , Hampton Thomas , Holland Brown Tamsin
Published: October 2023

A 13-year-old child with hearing loss secondary to chronic serous otitis media and bilateral tympanic perforations had been unable to hear the teacher at school and unable to pass end-of-year exams. In 2020, she trialed a bone conduction headset paired by Bluetooth to a remote microphone and used this to support her hearing at school, socializing with friends and in the family home. Due to the COVID (COronaVIrus Disease) pandemic and a cholera epidemic, she was followed up 3 years later. The child (now 16 years old) reported using the headset every day for 3 years. Able to hear the teacher, she reported having passed school exams every year since using the device, and now had ambitions to study medicine.
Changing urban fabrics: Thinking through the lopsided city
Authors: Kirk Richard
Published: October 2023

In response to DeVerteuil's recent article in this forum, “Urban Inequality Revisited: From the Corrugated City to the Lopsided City,” I offer a generally positive appraisal—considering his call to re-focus class in urban studies and providing further context to his arguments about uneven spatial development and inter-city relationality. I also offer something of a critique, or what might be read as a clarification, which serves to further complicate the notion of class inequality and its representation in “lopsided” city fabrics. Perhaps we should pay mind not only to powerful, extreme architectural verticality as a manifestation of growing class inequality, but also to powerful, less spectacular, horizontal built environments that nevertheless prove to be likewise significant reflections of this expanding divide.
Acceptability of physical activity signposting for pre-frail older adults: a qualitative study to inform intervention development
Authors: Money Annemarie , Harris Danielle , Hawley-Hague Helen , McDermott Jane , Vardy Emma , Todd Chris
Published: October 2023

Frailty is a medical condition common in older adults characterised by diminished strength and reduced physiologic function in which individuals are more vulnerable to multiple adverse health outcomes. Pre-frailty is an intermediate stage associated with some minor health outcomes. However, the main risk is progression toward moderate/severe frailty. Evidence shows physical activity interventions to be effective in slowing or modifying the progression of frailty. Researchers at the University of Manchester are developing a behaviour change intervention targeting pre-frail older adults, signposting them to group-based physical activity classes known to be effective for delaying/slowing frailty. This paper reports on the initial intervention development work with key stakeholders exploring the practicality of taking forward this intervention and identifying uncertainties to be explored in the feasibility stage. These included issues around physical activity messaging, the use of the term ‘frail’, identification/recruitment of pre-frail older adults, and the acceptability of behaviour change techniques. There was overwhelming support for a proactive approach to addressing pre-frailty issues. Given that a large proportion of older adults are estimated to be pre-frail, interventions aimed at this group have the potential to support healthy ageing, positively impacting on frailty outcomes and providing wider population health benefits.
Species identification and drug susceptibility testing of non-tuberculous mycobacteria by Line Probe Assay in Lambaréné, Gabon—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ndanga Micheska Epola Dibamba , Abdul Jabar Babatundé Pacome Achimi Agbo , Edoa Jean Ronald , Ibinda Guy Arnault Rogue Mfoumbi , Adegbite Bayodé Romeo , Mevyann Rhett Chester , Biyogho Christopher Mebiame , Mahoumbou Jocelyn , Manguinga Stredice , Roguet Nina Mbenga , Lell Bertrand , Kremsner Peter Gottfried , Alabi Abraham Sunday , Grobusch Martin Peter , Adegnika Ayola Akim
Published: October 2023

Background

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of bacteria that cause rare lung infections and are increasingly recognized as causative agents of opportunistic and device-associated infections in humans. In Gabon, there is a lack of data on NTM species identification and drug susceptibility. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of NTM species and their genotypic susceptibility pattern to commonly used antibiotics for NTM infections in Gabon.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the CERMEL TB laboratory from January 2020 to December 2022, NTM subspecies identification and drug susceptibility testing to macrolides and aminoglycosides were performed using the genotype NTM-DR kit.

Results

The study found that out of 524 culture-positive specimens, 146 (28%) were NTM, with the predominant group being Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC). All MAC isolates were fully susceptible to macrolides and aminoglycosides, while five MABC isolates carried mutations indicative of reduced susceptibility to macrolide and aminoglycoside drugs.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that clinicians may use macrolides and aminoglycosides to manage NTM infections caused by MAC, but further investigation is required to determine MABC drug susceptibility.
The relationship between perceived stress and prolonged grief disorder among Chinese Shidu parents: effects of anxiety and social support
Authors: Xiong Jiexi , Ma Hongfei , Ma Ruiyao , Xu Tianhui , Wang Yang
Published: October 2023

Background

Shidu parents refer to the couple who have lost their only child and have not given birth or adopted another child in China. The number of Shidu parents is increasing annually. The aim of this research was to examine the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of social support between perceived stress and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) among Chinese Shidu parents.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 505 participants who completed a questionnaire including the Prolonged Grief Questionnair-3 (PG-13), the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ). SPSS PROCESS macro was employed to examine the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of social support.

Results

The mediation analysis showed anxiety partially mediated the link between perceived stress and PGD, and the proportion of mediation of anxiety was 39.22%. The moderated mediation analysis revealed the second stage of mediating effects of anxiety on the link between perceived stress and PGD was moderated by social support. Specifically, compared with Shidu parents with higher social support, the association between anxiety and PGD was closer for those with lower social support.

Conclusions

The moderated mediation model can broaden our understanding of how and when perceived stress, anxiety and social support work together to affect PGD. The interventions aimed at improving mental health of Chinese Shidu parents need to work on reducing stress and enhancing social support.
Pyrotinib-based therapeutic approaches for HER2-positive breast cancer: the time is now
Authors: Qi Xiaowei , Shi Qiyun , Xuhong Juncheng , Zhang Yi , Jiang Jun
Published: October 2023

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) is a highly aggressive subtype associated with poor prognosis. The advent of HER2-targeted drugs, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and antibody–drug conjugates, has yielded improved prognosis for patients. Compared with widely used monoclonal antibodies, small-molecule TKIs have unique advantages including oral administration and favorable penetration of blood–brain barrier for brain metastatic BC, and reduced cardiotoxicity. Pyrotinib is an irreversible TKI of the pan-ErbB receptor, and has recently been shown to be clinically effective for the treatment of HER2-positive BC in metastatic and neoadjuvant settings. This review highlights the development on the application of pyrotinib-based therapeutic approaches in the clinical settings of HER2-positive BC.
Effects of fermented herbal tea residue on meat quality, rumen fermentation parameters and microbes of black goats
Authors: Wang Mingyue , Wu Longfei , Guo Yongqing , Sun Jiajie , Deng Ming , Liu Guangbin , Li Yaokun , Sun Baoli
Published: October 2023

Herbal tea residue (HTR) is generally considered to be a reusable resource which has still retains considerable proportion of nutrients and active substances. This study aimed to investigate the effects of substitution of whole corn silage with fermented herbal tea residue (FHTR) on meat quality, serum indices, rumen fermentation, and microbes in Chuanzhong black goats. Twenty-two female Chuanzhong black goats (4 months old) with similar weight (9.55 ± 0.95 kg) were selected and randomly divided into two groups. FHTR was used to replace 0% (CON group) and 30% (FHTR group) of whole corn silage in the diets and fed as a total mixed ration (TMR) for Chuanzhong black goats. The adaptation feeding period was 7 days, and the experimental period was 35 days. Results illustrated that the FHTR group had higher value of a* and concentrations of DM and CP and lower rate of water loss (P < 0.05) than the CON group. For the serum indices, goats fed with 30% FHTR had higher (P < 0.05) concentration of CR on day 35. For rumen fermentation, the pH and ratio of acetic acid/propionic acid (AA/PA) in the FHTR group were significantly lower than those in the CON group (P < 0.05). In addition, we studied the goats’s rumen microbial community composition and found that the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes,and Tenericutes; and the dominant genera were Quinella, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Saccharofermentans. There was a significant difference in the beta diversity of the rumen microbiota between groups (P < 0.05). To sum up, the addition of FHTR can affect the meat quality, serum indices, improved rumen fermentation by adjusted the diversity and function of the rumen microbiota.
The forward–backward splitting method for finding the minimum like-norm solution of the mixed variational inequality problem
Authors: Guan Wei-Bo , Song Wen
Published: October 2023

We consider a general class of convex optimization problems in which one seeks to minimize a strongly convex function over a closed and convex set, which is by itself an optimal set of another mixed variational inequality problem in a Hilbert space. Regularized forward–backward splitting method is applied to find the minimum like-norm solution of the mixed variational inequality problem under investigation.
Determinants of implanon discontinuation among women who ever used implanon in Shashemene district, west Arsi zone, Southern Ethiopia: unmatched case control study
Authors: Lencha Bikila , Daba Sintayehu Gabisa , Ahmed Junayde Abdurahmen , Washo Asefa , Beressa Girma , Yalew Aster , Ganfure Gemechu
Published: October 2023

Background

Despite tremendous work has been done on demand creation, capacity building and ensuring the logistics of Implanon; its discontinuation rate remained high in Ethiopia; the prevalence is reported to be 31% in Shashemene District. However, the factors contributing to the high prevalence of early Implanon discontinuation were not well understood in our study setting.

Objective

This study aimed to identify the determinants of implanon discontinuation among women who had ever used Implanon in Shashemene District, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among randomly selected 264 women (88 cases and 176 controls) in Shashemene District, Southern Ethiopia, from April 12 to May 18, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Cases were women who discontinued Implanon before 3 years and controls were those who used implanon for 3 full years. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify determinants of Implanon discontinuation. An odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the strength of the association, and significance was declared at a P value of less than 0.05.

Result

The mean age of the respondents was 28.23 (± 5.46) years: 27.27 (± 5.38) years for cases and 28.70 (± 5.5) years for controls. Women with no formal education [AOR = 3.09, 95% CI: (1.20, 8.00)], fewer than four children [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI: (1.20, 5.08)], no history of abortion [AOR = 2.84, 95% CI: (1.25, 6.46)], being new acceptors [AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: (1.02, 4. 49)], being counseled for less than fifteen minutes [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI: (1.29, 4.70)], not discussing it with a partner [AOR = 2.88, 95% CI: (1.42, 5.84)] and experiencing side effects [AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: (0.17, 0.71)] were significantly associated with discontinuation of implanon.

Conclusion

Women with no formal education, having less than four children, history of abortion, new acceptors, duration of counseling, discussion with partner, and side effects were determinants of Implanon discontinuation among women. There is a need to ensure adequate pre-implantation counseling and appropriate management of side effects. Furthermore, interventions should target new acceptors and those without formal education.
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet regulates the association between osteopenia and the risk of all-cause mortality in general population
Authors: Ma Chao , Li Liangliang , Zhao Huan , Zhang Jue
Published: October 2023

Background

This study aimed to explore the association of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), osteopenia and the risk of all-cause mortality in general population.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 5452 participants ≥ 50 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The associations of osteopenia and adherence to the MD with all-cause mortality, as well as the interaction and moderating effects between the osteopenia and adherence to the MD on the all-cause mortality, were explored via univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

The follow-up was from October 1, 2006, to December 31, 2019. The median survival time of patients was 81 months. In total, 4724 people were survived and 728 were dead. Osteopenia was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in people [hazards ratio (HR) = 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23–1.99]. No significant risk of all-cause mortality was found in people with high adherence to the MD compared with those with low adherence to the MD (P > 0.05). Compared to subjects with no osteopenia who had high adherence to the MD, osteopenia people who had high adherence to the MD (HR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.17–1.98) or low adherence to the MD (HR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.23–2.66) were at increased risk of all-cause mortality after adjusting for confounding factors. The relationship between osteopenia and the risk of all-cause mortality was decreased in those with high adherence to the MD (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.17–2.11) compared with those with low adherence to the MD (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.08–2.41) after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusion

The adherence to the MD regulated the association between osteopenia and the risk of all-cause mortality, which suggested the importance of adherence to the MD in those with osteopenia, and the MD could be advocated in general people.
Preparation, characterization, and biological activity of the inclusion complex of dihydroquercetin and β-Cyclodextrin
Authors: Xu Yaping , Wang Yue , Li Chujie , Han Tao , Chen Haiming , Chen Wenxue , Zhong Qiuping , Pei Jianfei , Haenen Guido R. M. M. , Li Zhengwen , Moalin Mohamed , Zhang Ming , Chen Weijun
Published: October 2023

Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) is a natural occurring dihydroflavonol that has strong antioxidant and antibacterial activities. However, its application is limited due to its poor solubility. This study aims to improve the aqueous solubility of DHQ by complexing DHQ with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to boost its biological activity. DHQ was encapsulated with β-CD by freeze drying at a 1:1-M ratio. The structure of DHQ/β-CD complex prepared was elucidated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). In addition, molecular docking further revealed two energetically favorable conformations of the DHQ/β-CD complex, in which DHQ interacted with β-CD via hydrogen bonds. Experimental results showed that the solubility of the DHQ increased 22.63-fold by encapsulating with β-CD. Also the dissolution rate, antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity of the DHQ were significantly improved by encapsulating. The encapsulating with β-CD solves the problem of the poor aqueous solubility of DHQ, and broadens the path for a more optimal use of the health promoting effect of DHQ in pharmaceutical and food products.