bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of UK students' financial anxiety amidst COVID‐19: Financial literacy and attitudes towards debt
Authors: Perry Jessica M. , Ravat Halimah , Bridger Emma K. , Carter Pelham , Aldrovandi Silvio
Published: October 2023

Due to the increased financial pressure—exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic—that students in higher education need to endure, considerable attention is being drawn towards the determinants of student financial anxiety. A conflicting picture has been captured about financial literacy, which has been shown to either be associated with better financial well‐being or to be unrelated to financial stress. While discerning between financial knowledge (‘objective’ financial literacy) and perceived ability to manage personal finances (‘subjective’ financial literacy), this study also explores the impact that students' attitudes towards debt may exert on their financial anxiety. In a sample of 174 university students from the UK, we measured students' financial anxiety, objective and subjective financial literacy, attitudes towards debt and perceived impact of COVID‐19 on financial behaviour. Bayesian analyses revealed that only attitudes towards debt and perception of the impact of the pandemic predicted students' financial anxiety. While the evidence in regard to financial literacy was inconclusive, mediation analyses showed that objective financial literacy indirectly impacted financial anxiety by increasing fear of debt. The findings suggest that students' financial anxiety may be reduced by adopting strategies that focus on the subjective perception of debt and of economic circumstances.
Explaining the interplay of value creation and value appropriation in strategic alliances: A developmental perspective
Authors: Ferrigno Giulio , Martin Xavier , Battista Dagnino Giovanni
Published: October 2023

How firms respectively create and appropriate value by means of alliances are questions that management scholars have considered for several decades. Scholars have identified various factors underlying how alliances create value and how partner firms appropriate such value, respectively. Fewer studies have dealt with how both issues relate, and fewer yet have examined the interplay between value creation and value appropriation as an alliance develops. The purpose of this paper is to organize the extant literature through a theoretically coherent developmental framework that informs research on value creation and value appropriation as distinct but inter‐related phenomena. A systematic review of 234 articles reveals factors associated with value creation, factors driving value appropriation, and, especially, interplay factors that explain potential cycles of value creation and value appropriation within an alliance. We also identify some important themes and theoretical directions for future research. This study thus contributes to alliance research by (1) developing a structured framework that explains not only the respective drivers of value creation and value appropriation, but also how they interplay in alliances; (2) explicating theoretically the specific factors that explain the interplay of value creation and value appropriation in cycles of alliance adaptation; and (3) developing recommendations for the further development of theory, especially for these interplay effects.
The Turkish version of Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children: Translation, reliability, and validity
Authors: Surme Koray , Akman Hayri
Published: October 2023

Background

Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES‐QC) has been developed to assess the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) associated with caries.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the CARIES‐QC in the Turkish‐speaking population following its translation and adaptation into Turkish (CARIES‐QC/T).

Design

Two hundred and fifty children between the ages of 5 and 16 years who have active dental caries were included in the study and answered the Turkish‐translated and cross‐culturally adapted final version of CARIES‐QC/T. Test–retest reliability and internal consistency were used to examine the reliability of the CARIES‐QC/T. Factor structure of CARIES‐QC/T was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and convergent validity was determined.

Results

Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's ômega values were 0.907 and 0.908, respectively. For the CARIES‐QC/T scale, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value was 0.933, and polychoric correlations ranged from 0.390 to 0.794. The convergent validity of the items revealed a statistically significant correlation with the global question (rs = 0.821, p < .001). The EFA results of CARIES‐QC/T suggested a one‐factor solution and explained 59.7% of the total variance.

Conclusion

The findings provided supporting evidence that the CARIES‐QC/T could be used as a tool for measuring OHRQoL in healthy Turkish‐speaking children aged 5–16 years with active caries.
Long Term Effects of Social Deprivation during Early Adulthood in the Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)
Authors: Ägren Greta , Meyerson Bengt J.
Published: October 2023

The influence of isolation on ♂‐♀♀ relationships was investigated. Animals isolated between 90 and 200 days of age showed more agonistic behaviour in paired encounters than controls. This difference disappeared when the animals had been housed with a cagemate. A secondary isolation late in life resulted in a more rapid onset of agonistic behaviour in the early isolates than in the controls. Thus it is concluded that the early isolation had a lasting influence, which only became evident after renewed isolation treatment.
EFFECTS OF PROSTAGLANDINS E2 AND I2 ON HUMAN LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION IN THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF INHIBITORS OF PROSTAGLANDIN BIOSYNTHESIS
Authors: GORDON D. , HENDERSON D.C. , WESTWICK J.
Published: October 2023

The reactivity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to phytohaemagglutinin ([3H]‐thymidine incorporation) was enhanced in indomethacin‐ and eicosatetraynoic acid‐treated cells compared with untreated cells, from normal volunteers. This suggests that endogenously synthesized prostaglandins have an inhibitory effect during cell preparation and/or culture.

Prostaglandin E2 inhibited [3H]‐thymidine incorporation induced by suboptimal phytohaemagglutinin concentrations and had a more potent effect on indomethacin‐treated cells than on untreated cells.

Prostaglandin I2 also exhibited an inhibitory effect and, under defined conditions, was more potent than prostaglandin E2 or than prostacyclin which had been allowed to decay at pH 7.4 and 37°C.

These results indicate that, in attempting to define altered lymphocyte reactivity in disease states, the involvement of prostaglandins should be considered both during cell preparation and culture.
INFLUENCE OF FASTING AND CIMETIDINE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ULCEROGENIC AND ANTI‐INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES OF INDOMETHACIN
Authors: DEL SOLDATO P. , MELI A. , VOLTERRA G.
Published: October 2023

Further studies have been carried out on the relationship between ulcerogenic and anti‐inflammatory properties of indomethacin in the rat.

Fasting, which increases gastric and reduces intestinal lesions, enhances the anti‐oedema properties of indomethacin.

The presence of intestinal lesions, greatly increases the anti‐oedema properties of indomethacin through a mechanism(s) unrelated to the specific pharmacological properties of this drug.

Studies with cimetidine, have shown that the enhancement of anti‐oedema effects produced by fasting are due to specific pharmacological properties of indomethacin rather than to non specific effects related to the presence of gastric ulcers.

The greater anti‐inflammatory effects of indomethacin in fasted as compared to fed animals must be attributed to the greater amount of indomethacin available for tissue distribution rather than other mechanisms associated with free fatty acid mobilization.

In view of its ineffectiveness in preventing intestinal lesions, the use of cimetidine for prevention or reduction of indomethacin‐induced gastrointestinal disturbances in humans is contraindicated.
METHYL XANTHINES, ADENOSINE 3′,5′‐CYCLIC MONOPHOSPHATE AND THE SPINAL TRANSMISSION OF NOCICEPTIVE INFORMATION
Authors: DUGGAN A.W. , GRIERSMITH B.T.
Published: October 2023

In spinal cats anaesthetized with either α‐chloralose or sodium pentobarbitone, a study was made of the effects of adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP), mono‐ and di‐butyryl cyclic AMP and the methyl xanthines, theophylline and isobutyl methyl xanthine (IBMX), on the responses of neurones of laminae I, IV and V to noxious and innocuous skin stimuli. The compounds were administered from micropipettes positioned in the substantia gelatinosa. IBMX was also given intravenously.

When administered in the substantia gelatinosa, neither cyclic AMP, its butyryl derivatives, nor the methyl xanthines had any effect on the excitation of neurones of spinal laminae IV and V by noxious heating of the skin or deflection of hairs. When the nociceptive responses of cells had been reduced by electrophoretic morphine, methyl xanthines and cyclic AMP failed to modify the effects of morphine on these deeper neurones. Electrophoretically administered naloxone reversed the effect of morphine.

Intravenously administered IBMX (1 to 2 mg/kg) produced large transient increases in the firing rate of both C fibres and the excitation of dorsal horn neurones by noxious heating of the skin. These increases coincided with decreases in the mean systemic blood pressure, and probably resulted from increased temperatures being attained in the dermis by each noxious stimulus. When dorsal horn neurones were activated by electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve by a stimulus adequate to excite C fibres, intravenous IBMX produced a small or no increase in the number of spikes per stimulus.

These results in the spinal cord do not support the hypothesis that the inhibition of synthesis of cyclic AMP is relevant to the analgesic action of morphine in mammals.
DEVELOPMENT OF TOLERANCE TO THE PROLONGATION OF HEXOBARBITONE SLEEPING TIME CAUSED BY CANNABIDIOL
Authors: BORYS HENRY K. , INGALL GLYNNIS B. , KARLER RALPH
Published: October 2023

The effects of acute and subacute cannabidiol (CBD) administration on hexobarbitone sleeping time and on some constituents of the hepatic microsomal drug‐metabolizing system were assessed in the mouse.

Acutely administered CBD prolonged sleeping time; but with subacute treatment, tolerance to the effect rapidly developed.

Brain hexobarbitone concentration upon awakening was unchanged by either acute or subacute CBD treatment, which suggests that neither the prolongation of sleeping time nor the tolerance is the result of a change in sensitivity of the central nervous system to the barbiturate.

Acute CBD treatment increased the half‐time of hexobarbitone in the brain, which returned toward normal with the development of tolerance.

Acutely, CBD caused a 30% decrease in hepatic cytochrome P‐450 level; with tolerance, the cytochrome concentration returned to normal.

The evidence suggests that the CBD‐induced prolongation of barbiturate sleeping time and the tolerance to this effect are the result of changes in the rate of drug metabolism, which are related to changes in the amount of cytochrome P‐450.

The effects of CBD on the hepatic microsomal drug‐metabolizing enzyme system are different from those attributed to SKF 525‐A and piperonyl butoxide because the cannabinoid does not decrease cytochrome P‐450 quantitatively by complex formation, it does not produce a recovery overshoot in the cytochrome concentration and, finally, it does not cause an induction of the hexobarbitone‐metabolizing enzymes.
PRODUCTION OF CATALEPSY AND DEPLETION OF BRAIN MONOAMINES BY A BUTYROPHENONE DERIVATIVE
Authors: FUENMAYOR LUIS D. , VOGT MARTHE
Published: October 2023

The cataleptic and monoamine‐depleting effects of a butyrophenone derivative (4′‐fluoro‐4‐[[4‐(p‐fluorophenyl)‐3‐cyclohexen‐l‐yl]‐amino]‐butyrophenone hydrochloride, U‐32, 802A) were studied in rats and mice and compared with those of tetrabenazine.

Catalepsy was evaluated by means of a modified grid test which allowed the repetition of the test in the same animal several times without affecting the results. Both drugs produced a dose‐related cataleptic state of similar time course.

Like tetrabenazine, U‐32, 802A induced a large reduction in the content of 5‐hydroxytryptamine, dopamine and noradrenaline in different parts of the brain, with a concomitant elevation in the metabolites 5‐hydroxyindol‐3‐yl acetic acid and homovanillic acid. The time courses of the catalepsy and the reduction in brain monoamines were very similar.

The activity of U‐32, 802A suggested that the drug, although chemically a butyrophenone, might act primarily at the presynaptic organelle for storage of monoamines in a way similar to tetrabenazine.
INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR CALCIUM IN THE CONTROL OF ACID SECRETION IN THE ISOLATED WHOLE STOMACH OF THE RAT
Authors: BUNCE K.T. , HONEY A.C. , PARSONS M.E.
Published: October 2023

An isolated stomach preparation from immature rats has been used to study the role of extracellular calcium in the control of gastric acid secretion. Calcium was removed from both the serosal and mucosal solutions either in the absence of a chelating agent or in the presence of EGTA.

Removal of calcium in the absence of EGTA had no significant effect on basal acid secretion or the acid responses to gastrin and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (db cyclic AMP). Under the same conditions there was a marked potentiation of the acid response to histamine, and a reduction of the acid response to acetylcholine which was readily reversed on restoring calcium to the bathing solutions.

Removal of calcium in the presence of EGTA caused an inhibition of basal acid secretion and of the acid responses to histamine and db cyclic AMP. In each case this reduction in acid output was readily reversed on bathing the stomachs in normal calcium‐containing (2.5 mm Ca2+) EGTA‐free solutions.

The inhibition of the acid response to histamine produced by Ca2+ ‐free solutions which contained EGTA was not reversed on bathing the stomachs in solutions that contained both EGTA (0.1 mm) and an excess of calcium (2.5 mm).

The removal of extracellular calcium in the absence of EGTA provided evidence that the secretion of H+ ions is dependent under some conditions on calcium ions. The possibility cannot be excluded that EGTA itself exerts an inhibitory influence on the process of acid secretion.
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF MEXILETINE (Kö1173) ON CANINE PURKINJE FIBRES AND VENTRICULAR MUSCLE
Authors: ARITA MAKOTO , GOTO MASAYOSI , NAGAMOTO YASUO , SAIKAWA TETSUNORI
Published: October 2023

The effects of mexiletine (Kö1173) were investigated in canine isolated cardiac Purkinje fibres and ventricular muscle with microelectrodes. Some Purkinje fibres were depolarized by mechanical stretch to induce spontaneous activity with slow upstroke velocity. The preparations were stimulated at rates of 1, 2, 3 and 4 Hz. The drug concentrations tested were 0.4, 2 and 10 μg/ml in Tyrode solution (KCl = 5.4 mm).

The ‘therapeutic’ drug concentration (2 μg/ml) shortened action potential duration and effective refractory period of Purkinje fibres, the effect being pronounced at lower stimulation rates. In ventricular fibres, action potential duration changes were not consistent while the effective refractory period was prolonged.

In depolarized Purkinje fibres showing automatic activity, the drug (0.4 or 2 μg/ml) depressed phase 4 depolarization and reduced the firing rate without changing maximum diastolic potential. However, when depolarized Purkinje fibres were electrically driven at a constant rate, the maximum diastolic potential became more negative with a concomitant decrease of pacemaker slope and increase of maximum rate of rise (V̇max) of action potentials.

Moderate (2 μg/ml) to high (10 μg/ml) concentrations of the drug depressed V̇max in Purkinje fibres stimulated at 2 Hz by 12 and 42% respectively and depressed ‘membrane responsiveness’. The decrease in V̇max depended upon the stimulation rate, being minimum at the lowest (1 Hz) and maximum at the highest (4 Hz) stimulation rate.

The drug (2 μg/ml) improved V̇max of the earliest propagated premature action potentials by shifting the takeoff potential to more negative levels in both Purkinje and ventricular fibres.

Membrane conductance in fibres mounted in a single sucrose gap chamber was increased by the drug (2 μg/ml) in both fibre types in normal and in Na+ ‐deficient solutions. This increase was attributed to an increase in membrane K+ permeability produced by the drug.

All these effects are similar to those of lignocaine, diphenylhydantoin or aprindine, and can explain the antiarrhythmic action of mexiletine.
Multiple Aeromonas strains isolated from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) displaying red skin disease signs in Scandinavian rivers
Authors: Lagadec Erwan , Mjølnerød Even Bysveen , Jensen Øyvind Marius , Plarre Heidrun , Nylund Are
Published: October 2023

Since 2014, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) displaying clinical signs of red skin disease (RSD), including haemorrhagic and ulcerative skin lesions, have been repeatedly observed in Swedish rivers. Although the disease has since been reported in other countries, including Norway, Denmark, Ireland and the UK, no pathogen has so far been conclusively associated with RSD. In this study, the presence of 17 fish pathogens was investigated through qPCR in 18 returning Atlantic salmon with clinical signs of the disease in rivers in Sweden and Norway between 2019 and 2021. Several potential pathogens were repeatedly detected, including a protozoan (Ichthyobodo spp.), an oomycete (Saprolegnia spp.) and several bacteria (Yersinia ruckeri, Candidatus Branchiomonas cysticola, Aeromonas spp.). Cultivation on different media from ulcers and internal organs revealed high concentrations of rod‐shaped bacteria typical of Aeromonadaceae. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis of different clones and single gene phylogenies of sequences obtained from the fish revealed concurrent isolation of several bacterial strains belonging to the species A. bestiarum, A. piscicola and A. sobria. While these bacterial infections may be secondary, these findings are significant for future studies on RSD and should guide the investigation of future outbreaks. However, the involvement of Aeromonas spp. as putative primary etiological agents of the disease cannot be ruled out and needs to be assessed by challenge experiments.
Psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the MM‐CGI‐SF in caregivers of people with dementia
Authors: Sánchez‐Alcón Miriam , Sosa‐Cordobés Elena , Garrido‐Fernández Almudena , Sánchez‐Ramos José Luis , Ramos‐Pichardo Juan Diego
Published: October 2023

Background

Caregivers of people with dementia may experience characteristic grief linked to present and anticipated losses before the physical death of the care recipient occurs, which is related to physical and mental health problems. The Marwit–Meuser Caregiver Inventory‐Short Form (MM‐CGI‐SF) is an instrument that assesses this type of grief. Since there are no studies on an adaptation of the MM‐CGI‐SF to the Spanish population, the aim of the study was to evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of caregivers of dementia patients.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was carried out. The tool was translated and adapted into Spanish, which was administered to 250 caregivers of people with dementia in the province of Huelva, together with other related instruments. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency reliability were calculated using Cronbach's alpha, for the total questionnaire and for each subscale. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and the Spanish version of the MM‐CGI‐SF was correlated with the rest of the variables by calculating Spearman's correlation coefficient.

Results

80.4% of the participants were female and had high levels of caregiver grief ( = 64.62, SD = 14.86). Cronbach's alpha for the general questionnaire was 0.927 and between 0.822–0.854 for its subscales. The fit values of the CFA were: x2 = 202.033, degrees of freedom = 121, x2/df = 1.670, TLI = 0.954, CFI = 0.963, SRMR = 0.047, RMSEA = 0.052; and all the correlations were statistically significant.

Conclusions

The Spanish version of the MM‐CGI‐SF shows adequate psychometric properties. Thanks to this instrument, health professionals may measure caregiver grief, get closer to the reality of dementia care, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to manage this grief.
Nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infection among primary school children in Bangladesh: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Aivey Sadia Alam , Rahman Md Moshiur , Fukushima Yasuko , Ahmed Ashir , Prihanto Junaidi Budi , Sarker Mohammad Habibur Rahman , Hawlader Mohammad Delwer Hossain , Moriyama Michiko
Published: October 2023

Aim

Malnutrition and infectious diseases, such as helminthic infections, are widespread among primary school children, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. However, there are limited studies on school health in Bangladesh, particularly in rural settings. This study aimed to explore the nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infections in relation to associated health behavior, awareness, and knowledge regarding malnutrition and helminthic infections which were evaluated by school nurses among primary school children in Bangladesh.

Methods

This was a descriptive, cross‐sectional survey study with a total duration of 1 month, from September to October, 2021. This study formed part of a school nurse project as a cluster non‐randomized clinical trial in Bangladesh. Selected variables from that clinical trial were analyzed and reported in the results section. The study participants were primary school children from four schools in rural Bangladesh.

Results

In total, 604 children participated in the baseline survey and health checkups. Among them, 163 (27.0%) children were classified as malnourished according to the World Health Organization growth reference standard 2007. The prevalence of helminthic infections was 53 (8.8%). Approximately >50% of the children responded that they never/rarely practiced hygiene‐related behaviors and had no awareness and knowledge regarding malnutrition and helminthic infections. However, differences between the variables were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Children's nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infections with related deprived health behaviors, and minimal awareness and knowledge, reinforce the importance of implementing educational interventions in the future.
What do we really know about “don't know”? Re‐assessing the measurement of financial knowledge
Authors: Wilmarth Melissa J. , Kim Kyoung Tae , Pak Tae‐Young
Published: October 2023

Survey protocols measuring financial knowledge typically offer a don't know (DK) response option along with factual statements about personal finance. The potential problem of this practice is that a DK response could capture something other than financial knowledge and mislead empirical research on the association between financial knowledge and behavioral outcomes. In this study, we examined whether the current scales are contaminated by systemic personality effects and how reduced validity influences analytical modeling of the knowledge effect. Two studies with different national datasets were conducted in this investigation. Study 1 found that personality types and emotions are partially correlated with the propensity to give a DK response. Study 2 showed that controlling for DK response options alters the association between financial knowledge and behaviors in regression analyses. Our findings suggest that a DK response reduces construct validity of the financial knowledge score.
Flow of information contributing to medication incidents in home care—An analysis considering incident reporters' perspectives
Authors: Vellonen Marja , Härkänen Marja , Välimäki Tarja
Published: October 2023

Aim

To describe the contributing factors and types of reported medication incidents in home care related to the flow of information in different phases of the medication process, as reported by multi‐professional healthcare groups.

Design

This descriptive, qualitative study used retrospective data.

Methods

An incident‐reporting database was used to collect 14,289 incident reports from 2017 to 2019 in a city in Finland. We used this data to select medication incidents (n = 1027) related to the flow of information in home care and between home care and hospitals. Data were divided into five groups based on the medication phase: (1) prescribing, (2) dispensing, (3) administration, (4) documentation and (5) self‐administration. In addition, the types of medication‐related incidents were described. The data were examined using abductive content analysis. The EQUATOR SRQR checklist was used in this report.

Results

Four main categories were identified from the data: (1) issues related to information management, (2) cooperation issues between different actors, (3) work environment and lack of resources and (4) factors related to healthcare workers. Cooperation issues contributed to medication‐related incidents during each phase. Incomplete communication was a contributing factor to medication incidents. This occurred between home care, remote care, hospital, the client and the client's relatives. Specifically, a lack of information‐sharing occurred in repatriation situations, where care transitioned between different healthcare professionals.

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals, organisations, clients and their relatives should focus on the efficient and safe acquisition of medications. Specifically, the use of electronic communication systems, together with oral reports and checklists for discharge situations, and timely cooperation with pharmacists should be developed to manage information flows.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

These findings demonstrate that healthcare professionals require uniform models and strategies to accurately and safely prescribe, dispense and administer medications in home care settings.

No patient or public contributions.
Wholesale Pricing with Asymmetric Information about a Private Label*
Authors: Paha Johannes
Published: October 2023

A monopolistic manufacturer produces a branded good that is sold to final consumers by a monopolistic retailer who also sells a private label. The costs of the private label are unobserved by the manufacturer, which affects the terms of the contract offered by the manufacturer to the retailer. Given the revelation principle, the manufacturer distorts the quantity of the branded product downwards to learn those costs. The manufacturer can further reduce the retailer's information rent by distorting the quantity of the private label upwards—but this quantity is typically beyond its control. The optimum can nonetheless be achieved when combining a quantity discount with an end‐of‐year repayment.
Rhyming style, persona, and the contested landscape of authentic Chinese hip hop
Authors: Lin Yuhan , Wang Tianxiao
Published: October 2023

Although recent sociolinguistic research on high performance has shown that persona construction is multidimensional and context‐specific, little work has explored how interactions between personae affect their shared semiotic landscape. This study focuses on stylistic practices in 2017′s The Rap of China, China's first hip hop‐themed competition show. A quantitative analysis was conducted to describe the rhyming styles of contemporary Chinese rappers. Based on language uses, visual representations, and lyrical themes, we then identify three rapper personae and discuss the semantic dimensions of hip hop authenticity invoked by each persona. Finally, through an analysis of a combative rap performance and reactions to it, we argue that contestation among different personae shapes the ideological landscape of “authentic Chinese hip hop.” This work demonstrates the potential of the semiotic landscape as a theoretical tool for the analysis of digital communities and cultural forms.
“We've got to get out”—Strategies of human pathogenic fungi to escape from phagocytes
Authors: Sonnberger Johannes , Kasper Lydia , Lange Theresa , Brunke Sascha , Hube Bernhard
Published: October 2023

Human fungal pathogens are a deadly and underappreciated risk to global health that most severely affect immunocompromised individuals. A virulence attribute shared by some of the most clinically relevant fungal species is their ability to survive inside macrophages and escape from these immune cells. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms behind intracellular survival and elaborate how escape is mediated by lytic and non‐lytic pathways as well as strategies to induce programmed host cell death. We also discuss persistence as an alternative to rapid host cell exit. In the end, we address the consequences of fungal escape for the host immune response and provide future perspectives for research and development of targeted therapies.
A cross‐sectional study of pediatric dermatoses in a specialized pigment and skin‐of‐color center in Australia
Authors: Liu Sue , Rodrigues Michelle
Published: October 2023

There is a paucity of literature on pediatric skin conditions in skin of color, of which old epidemiological data are likely to become outdated as the ethnic diversity in developed countries such as Australia continues to grow. We analyzed the prevalence of presenting conditions of pediatric patients with skin of color attending an urban dermatology clinic in Melbourne, Australia over an 18‐month period. The major presenting issues were vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and acne vulgaris, the majority of which did not significantly differ by ethnicity; however, there was a statistically significantly higher proportion of Chinese and Indian patients presenting with atopic dermatitis. Given the varying presentations of these conditions in skin of color, our findings highlight the importance of increasing education for dermatologists and health personnel in pigmentary disorders and the need for further focused studies comparing the prevalence of skin disease across ethnicities.
Norms of Inquiry
Authors: Haziza Eliran
Published: October 2023

This article provides an overview of recent work on norms of inquiry. After some preliminaries about inquiry in §1, I discuss in §2 the ignorance norm for inquiry, presenting arguments for and against, as well as some alternatives. In §3, I consider its relation to the aim of inquiry. In §4, I discuss positive norms on inquiry: norms that require having rather than lacking certain states. Finally, in §5, I look at questions about the place of norms of inquiry within normative epistemology.
Self‐provoked oral illness: When the mouth mirrors the soul
Authors: Hassona Yazan
Published: October 2023

Background

Factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS), also known as Munchausen's syndrome, is a psychological disorder characterized by falsification of physical or psychological symptoms without an obvious external incentive. Oral presentations of FDIS are infrequently reported, and diagnosis might be challenging because affected patients often have impressive skills in fabricating symptoms and deceiving healthcare professionals.

Aim

To describe the diagnostic dilemma and management challenges in a female patient who presented with tooth ache and oral ulcers.

Case Description

A 53‐year‐old female presented with complex medical history, vague symptoms and confusing dental history regarding persistent toothache and generalized oral ulcers. She underwent extensive investigations and multiple dental and oral surgical procedures without reaching a confirmed diagnosis or achieving symptomatic improvement. Thorough review of her medical records revealed multiple admissions to various hospitals across the country and abroad for various reasons, and failed to find any laboratory, clinical, or radiographic evidence of her “claimed” symptoms.

Conclusion

Oral healthcare professionals should suspect FDIS in patients presenting with vague and complex history that is not explained by clinical or radiographic findings. Consultation with psychiatric department and hospital administration might be needed to confirm diagnosis and plan appropriate management of the case.
Influence of nonsuicidal self‐injury functions on suicide risk in individuals with eating disorders
Authors: Schmidt Kendall , Smith April R. , Bodell Lindsay P.
Published: October 2023

Objective

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) display elevated rates of suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation and behaviors) as well as nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) (e.g., self‐harm behaviors without intent to die). NSSI—and particularly the functions of NSSI—predict suicidal ideation in general samples; however, to our knowledge, the relation between NSSI functions and suicidal ideation in ED populations has been unexplored.

Method

This study examined whether specific functions of NSSI are relevant to suicidal ideation in a treatment‐seeking sample of women with EDs (n = 100). Participants completed self‐report measures of suicidal ideation, NSSI, and related psychopathology upon intake to an ED treatment program.

Results

Using the four‐function model of NSSI, we found that intrapersonal and interpersonal‐negative reinforcement, but not interpersonal‐positive reinforcement functions, were related to suicidal ideation in women with EDs. Contrary to expectations, we did not find that endorsement of multiple NSSI functions was related to increased suicide risk.

Discussion

Findings imply that some, but not all, functions of NSSI may be relevant to suicide risk in individuals with EDs. Implications for further research are discussed.
The Multiple Roles of Emotion in Interpretation and Memory of Sexual Consent
Authors: Davis Deborah , Cano Joseph , Miller Gage , Loftus Elizabeth
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we explore the role of emotion in the interpretation and memory of sexual encounters. We consider situations likely to generate negative emotions during sex, and the mechanisms through which the experience of negative emotions can lead to false memories of coercion and mislabeling of an encounter as sexual assault. Specifically, we consider the role of emotion in directing attention during a sexual encounter and the effects of emotion as context for interpretation at the time of the encounter, and for retrieval and interpretation when the encounter is later recalled and reported. Our intent is to provide a greater understanding of the processes of interpretation and memory through which false claims of sexual assault might arise, if and when they do arise.
Experimental Investigation of the Calcified Plaque Material Removal Rate in Coronary Rotational Atherectomy
Authors: Li Xinxiao , Yang Jiaqi , Chernjavsky Patrick , Angjeli Katerina , Liu Yang , Zheng Yihao
Published: October 2023

Rotational atherectomy (RA) is a minimally invasive procedure to remove the calcified atherosclerotic plaque from arteries to restore blood flow. It uses a high-speed, metal-bonded diamond abrasive grinding wheel to pulverize the calcified plaque into absorbable debris via a catheter through the artery. Although RA has been clinically used for over two decades, procedural complications persist and there remains a lack of consensus on the optimal device parameters. This study aims to investigate the material removal rate (MRR) in coronary RA with respect to grinding wheel sizes and rotational speeds based on a tissue-mimicking phantom. Three grinding wheel sizes, 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75 mm in diameter, and three rotational speeds, 1,20,000, 1,50,000, and 1,80,000 rpm, were investigated. The RA MRR was presented as the luminal area gain and measured by microscopy and image processing. The results show the increase in the grinding wheel size or rotational speed leads to a higher MRR and luminal gain in RA. With a 1.75 mm diameter grinding wheel rotating at 1,80,000 rpm in a 2 mm initial diameter lumen, the max MRR and the luminal gain are 2.49 mm2/three passes and 5.09 mm2, respectively. The MRR decreases as the number of grinding passes increases during RA with the same grinding wheel rotating at a constant speed. This study provides a thorough understanding of the wheel size and speed effects on coronary RA MRR for potential improvements in RA devices and clinical operational guidelines.
Cold Crucible Facility for Severe Accident Research at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Authors: David R. , Mitchell B. , Spencer J. H. , Lair N. , Petoukhov S. M.
Published: October 2023

The properties and behavior of corium are important factors in the progression and ultimate consequences of a severe nuclear reactor accident. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is developing a cold crucible facility to create and study small quantities of CANDU corium and, potentially, other molten materials. This paper describes the facility and presents preliminary results with nonradioactive charges and with radioactive, near-prototypical charges.
Integration of a Gas Model Into Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis for the Simulation of Turbine Exhaust Flows With High Steam Loads
Authors: El-Soueidan Mahmoud , Schmelcher Marc , Görtz Alexander , Häßy Jannik , Bröcker Marius
Published: October 2023

The water-enhanced turbofan (WET) is a promising future propulsion concept to reduce aero engine emissions. In the WET-engine, a heat exchanger uses turbine exhaust heat in order to generate superheated steam out of liquid water. For evaporator design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are necessary since correlation-based predictions have a high uncertainty during preliminary design. A common way of modeling steam loaded flows is the integration of gas models into CFD analysis. However, to the author's knowledge, there is no gas model published that accounts for the exact gas composition of turbine exhaust flows with high steam loads and is commonly used by low- and high-fidelity methods. Therefore, a gas model predicting the thermodynamic behavior of the turbine exhaust flow considering high steam loads is presented and integrated into an existing CFD solver. The approach is able to incorporate the implemented gas model into the CFD simulation by two methods: runtime and offline. The offline method has a computational advantage in iteration time compared to the runtime integration. As demonstration case, a single two-dimensional cylinder is considered. A variation of the steam loading of the flow shows a significant effect on local properties and therefore on local and average heat transfer. Increasing the steam loading up to 40% results in an increase of the average Nusselt number of 17%.
Evaluation of Electric Vehicle-Dependent Strategy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Transport System
Authors: Eticha Tesfamichael Chala , Emagnu Yonas Minalu
Published: October 2023

This paper assesses the transport system of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, taking factors such as the number of vehicles, roadway width, speed of vehicles, longitudinal grade, and proportion of both fuel and electrical vehicles by dividing vehicles into seven classes, namely, car, minibus, small bus, coach, small truck, heavy truck, and truck trailer, to determine CO2 emission, CO emission fuel consumption, and electric consumption in addition to the percent to replace ICE vehicles. After selecting eight representative road sections in Addis Ababa city, input data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Simulation of urban mobility (SUMO) is used to model the existing road transport system and two other scenarios, cases being 20% and 40% replacement of internal combustion engine vehicles by electric vehicles. Among the vehicle types studied under this paper, the SUMO results show that coaches are with the highest CO2 emission, releasing an average amount of 28.442 grams of CO2 every time step, while cars are with the lowest CO2 emission value of 6.542 grams. Minibuses are the top CO emitters, releasing an average of 0.420 grams of CO every time step, and truck trailers emit the smallest CO emission, 0.025 grams. Regarding electric consumption, the truck trailer is the vehicle type with the highest electric consumption, with a value of 2.282 kwh (watthour) consumption every time step, and cars are the least electricity-consuming vehicles, with a value of 0.151 kwh. The fourth point is fuel consumption; besides the high CO2 emission, coaches’ consumption of fuel is leading by 8.946 grams, and cars use 2.087 grams of fuel every time step. Totally, public transport vehicles are responsible for higher emissions and huge fuel consumption. Therefore, if our transport system encourages the penetration of electric vehicles into the road transport system, a healthy and energy-efficient environment is reserved. Again, from a financial and environmental standpoint, the replacement of 40% of ICE vehicles by EVs enhances us with reduced costs and a green environment.
Incorporation of Professionals with Training in Interculturality into Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: Feasibility Analysis
Authors: Alcalde-Rabanal Jacqueline Elizabeth , Pelcastre-Villafuerte Blanca Estela , Meneses-Navarro Sergio , Torres-Grimaldo Abdiel Alejandro
Published: October 2023

This study evaluates the political, legal, organizational, and availability of resources for the onboarding of health professionals trained in interculturality for sexual and reproductive health care of the indigenous population in public health services. A case study was carried out using a qualitative methodology that implemented intercultural care strategies in reproductive health in two Mexican states with the presence of indigenous population. In regards of the political feasibility, the interest of the actors, positioning, and power were explored. In regards of legal feasibility, the presence of legal impediments was analyzed. In the case of organizational feasibility, we explored the organizational structure and functions of the personnel. Finally, for evaluating the availability of resources, we analyzed the budget available for hiring personnel with intercultural training. Political feasibility shows that the actors recognize the importance of including personnel with intercultural training for reproductive health care in indigenous population; despite this, in both states, there is no clear position in favor of it. In legal feasibility, no impediment for hiring these personnel was found. In organizational feasibility, the organizational structure of health services does not include a unit to oversee intercultural health services and practices and does not specify intercultural functions in the professional required profiles. In both states, there is no budget allocation for hiring personnel with an intercultural profile. Therefore, intercultural actions implemented are part of the local initiative of decision-makers to respond to reproductive health problems within indigenous population. The overall feasibility assessment does not show clear results in favor of incorporating health professionals trained in interculturality for sexual and reproductive health care for indigenous population. Therefore, it is still necessary to advocate on this issue so that intercultural hiring policies can be explicitly concretized in the acquisition of public health services.
Mitral Valve Echodensities in a Young-Adult Female with Relapsing Polychondritis, Transiently Positive Lupus Anticoagulant, and Systemic Embolism
Authors: Sauer Michael C. , Sharma Vikram , Strouse Jennifer L. M. , El Accaoui Ramzi , Benson Christopher J.
Published: October 2023

Background. Valvular strands seen on echocardiography carry a wide differential diagnosis and may not always have a clear etiology despite taking clinical context into account. The decision of whether to provide anticoagulation for these lesions can be challenging. Case Presentation. A young adult female with an extensive rheumatologic history involving relapsing polychondritis and positive lupus anticoagulant presents to the emergency department with a discolored and painful right toe, as well as right auricular pain and swelling. Initial work-up revealed a possible splenic infarct, vasculitis of the right lower extremity, and mitral valve echodensities on echocardiography, without evidence of infective endocarditis. Due to concern that nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis may be the cause of the patient’s thromboembolic event, her valvular lesions were treated with low molecular weight heparin while awaiting serial imaging. When follow-up echocardiography showed no change in the size of her mitral valve lesions, which would be most consistent with Lambl’s excrescences, the care team still faced a decision about which long-term anticoagulation to prescribe. This patient of childbearing age wished to avoid the teratogenicity and long-term monitoring associated with warfarin therapy. Although warfarin was the preferred agent for the patient’s rheumatologic comorbidities, she elected to receive enoxaparin therapy for long-term thromboembolism prophylaxis. Conclusions. Even when accounting for clinical context, valvular lesions seen on echocardiography often have uncertain etiology and may require time and serial imaging to determine which treatment to pursue. When long-term anticoagulation is provided for females of childbearing age, shared decision-making with consideration of the patient’s personal priorities and comorbidities is essential.
On a Family of Parameter-Based Bernstein Type Operators with Shape-Preserving Properties
Authors: Nouri Bahareh , Saeidian Jamshid
Published: October 2023

This article aims to introduce a new linear positive operator with a parameter. Our focus lies in analyzing the distinct characteristics and inherent properties exhibited by this operator. Additionally, we provide a proof of the convergence rate and present a revised version of the Voronovskaja theorem specifically tailored for this newly defined operator. Furthermore, we provide an upper bound for the error according to the modulus of continuity. Finally, the preservation of monotonicity and convexity by the operator is being investigated.
Study on Preload of Bolted Connections in Pitch Bearing Based on Vibration Modal Analysis
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Chen Tao , Ji Kangkang , Zhu Meng , Ju Chengwei
Published: October 2023

In wind turbine systems, bolted connections are frequently subjected to gravitational and centrifugal loads transmitted by the blades during operation. This can lead to the attenuation of bolt preloading, resulting in bolt loosening or uneven loading, which in turn affects the service life of the generator unit. Therefore, the study of bolt preloading variations is crucial. However, there are numerous factors influencing bolt preloading, and the existing techniques struggle to precisely assess bolt preloading. This paper proposed a bolt preloading evaluation technique based on the hammer modal method. Focusing on the 42CrMo4 bolted connection of a pitch bearing, a test platform for bolt preloading assessment is constructed. Hammer modal tests are conducted under various preloading forces. By combining finite element modal analysis, the correspondence between preloading changes and the bending frequencies and modes of the bolted connection is obtained. The research illustrated that with changes in bolt preloading, variations occur in coherence, phase, and natural frequencies of frequency response functions. The fundamental correlation between bolt preloading and the second-order bending frequency can be utilized to assess changes in preloading. Furthermore, the applicability of this method has been validated, offering a reference for evaluating bolt preloading.