bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoid Withdrawal Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Karoonkatima Matee , Narongroeknawin Pongthorn , Chaiamnuay Sumapa , Asavatanabodee Paijit , Pakchotanon Rattapol
Published: November 2023

Background/Objective. Chronic glucocorticoid (GCS) therapy is associated with increased risk of organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, discontinuation of low-dose GCS might cause withdrawal symptoms. This study is aimed at identifying GCS withdrawal symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among SLE patients. Methods. SLE patients whose prednisolone had been previously withdrawn or taken <5 mg/day were enrolled. Serum morning cortisol levels were collected after 72-hour GCS discontinuation, and low-dose ACTH stimulation test (LDST) was performed. Patient report outcomes (PROs) included SLE-specific quality of life questionnaire (SLEQoL), functional assessment of chronic illness therapy (FACIT), patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Pittsburgh’s sleep quality index (PSQI). Results. Serum morning cortisol of 100 SLE patients was tested. Most patients were female (88%). Seventy-four patients showed remission. The

mean
±
SD

of prednisolone was

0.73
±
1.08

 mg/day. Total SLEQoL and FACIT (

mean
±
SD

) of all patients were

67.05
±
26.15

and

13.7
±
8.87

, respectively. Eighteen percent of patients had moderate-severe depressive symptoms, and 49% were poor sleepers. Adrenal function was determined by LDST in only 39 patients; 5 patients (12.8%) were adrenal insufficiency (AI), and 34 patients were normal adrenal function. Compared to normal adrenal function patients, SLE patients with AI had higher proportion of moderate-severe depressive symptom (

PHQ
−
9
>
9

), but not statistically significant (40% vs. 20.6%,

p
=
0.34

). PROs were comparable between groups. Independent factors associated with SLEQoL were FACIT (adjusted

β

1.31, 95% CI 0.76, 1.86,

p
<
0.001

), PHQ-9 (adjusted

β

5.21, 95% CI 4.32, 6.09,

p
<
0.001

), and PSQI (adjusted

β

4.23, 95% CI 3.01, 5.45,

p
<
0.001

), but not with AI (adjusted

β

-5.2, 95% CI -33.26, 22.93, 0.71,

p
=
0.71

). Conclusion. SLE patients with previous GCS exposure could experience AI and withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disturbance and depression during discontinuation of low-dose GCS. Fatigue, depression, and poor sleeper were significantly associated with poor SLEQoL.
The Effects of ICT-Based Interventions on Physical Mobility of Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kim Hyori , Kim Gahye , Kim Yeonghun , Ha Jiyeon
Published: November 2023

Systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted to integrate and analyze intervention studies dealing with the effects of information and communications technology- (ICT-) based interventions on the physical mobility of older adults in the community. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched for studies published from January 2000 to December 2022. We used the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool to evaluate the quality of the randomized controlled studies in the systematic review. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. The model was used to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for both effect measures. I2 tests were used to measure the presence of heterogeneity. Thirty-seven randomized controlled trials were included (2,419 intervention participants), of which 23 were included in the meta-analysis. ICT interventions significantly improved Timed Up and Go (TUG) as a marker of physical mobility variable in older adults (SMD = −0.33, 95% CI: −0.57 to −0.10,

p
=
0.005

, I2 = 74.7%). A sensitivity analysis was performed on subgroups, and interventions were found to be effective in improving TUG in the exergame group (SMD = −0.40, 95% CI: −0.72 to −0.08,

p
<
0.001

, I2 = 75.0%) and in the exergame with virtual reality (VR) group (SMD = −0.33, 95% CI: −1.01 to 0.35,

p
<
0.001

, I2 = 91.0%) but both groups showed high heterogeneity. A meta-analysis was also performed on Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) but statistically significant results were not found (SMD = −0.19, 95% CI: −0.61 to 0.23,

p
=
0.375

, I2 = 87.7%). For the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the post-intervention scores were significantly better than baseline (SMD = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.48 to 2.57,

p
=
0.004

, I2 = 93.5%). However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was small and heterogeneity was high, so follow-up studies are needed. This study confirmed that exergames, telecommunication, e-health, information applications, and robots were used as effective ICT-based interventions for improving the physical mobility of older adults. It is necessary to develop and apply more diverse ICT-based interventions that will prevent impairments of mobility and encourage older adults to live more independently, with a higher quality of life, based on extensive research on ICT-based interventions.
Does Fiscal Mechanism Affect the Promotion of Outward Foreign Direct Investment in Green Innovation?
Authors: Lei Xiao , Xie Yuanyuan , Chen Xianfeng
Published: November 2023

This study aims to investigate the driving mechanisms behind outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on regional green total factor innovation efficiency (GTFIE), focusing specifically on the external fiscal factor perspective. We measured the GTFIE using the super slacks-based model and established a threshold model using financial agglomeration and fiscal decentralization as moderating variables for empirical analysis. The findings indicate that the level of GTFIE in China is relatively low, with an average value of only 0.588 in the sample provinces. It is worth noting that there is a serious imbalance in China’s regional green innovation development. The eastern region has an average GTFIE of 0.886 and is home to nine of the top ten GTFIE provinces. Moreover, regional financial factors exert a substantial moderating impact on the spillover of OFDI. OFDI exhibits a significant dual threshold effect on GTFIE under external fiscal moderation. Specifically, with an increase in the degree of financial agglomeration, the relationship between OFDI and GTFIE changes from being insignificant to a significant positive correlation, with a gradient enhancement. Meanwhile, the relationship between them exhibits an “inverted U-shaped” nonlinear dynamic pattern under fiscal decentralization moderation.
Employing a Modified Sumudu with a Modified Iteration Method to Solve the System of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Mustafa Junaid Idrees
Published: November 2023

The Sumudu transform is presented in this paper in a modified form which is aimed at improving its performance and employing it along with a modified iteration method in order to determine the solution to a system of nonlinear partial differential equations. This includes a theoretical analysis of the associated modified Sumudu transform. It also includes an explanation of the mathematical method for utilizing the transform in conjunction with the modified iteration technique. The iteration method is employed to determine the nonlinear terms of the equations. The research is valuable in the sense that it allows approximate and exact solution configurations to be determined by combining the modified Sumudu transform with a modified iteration method. As another benefit, the modified Sumudu transform can be developed and enhanced to be applicable to a wide range of equations, making it an effective solution tool. By combining techniques, a final advantage is that the solutions can be derived quickly and easily as a result of the combined approach. Finally, an old transformation which has been modified from the Sumudu transform is combined with the modified iteration method to examine its capability of yielding convergent solutions by incorporating the modified iteration method into it.
The Genetic Diversity and Interspecific Transmission of Circovirus in Rhizomys sinensis in Guangdong, Southern China
Authors: Ren Zhaowen , Yuan Zi-Guo , Luo Shengjun , Sun Chenglong , Zhang Pian , Yu Jieshi , Chen Xiaofan , Chen Jinping , Hua Yan , Wang Gang , Xiang Hua , Cai Rujian , Chen Jing , Huang Yuan , Yuan Hao , Li Na , Wang Xiaohu , Liao Ming
Published: November 2023

Circoviruses are a group of small circular, single-stranded DNA viruses that belong to the family Circoviridae. They are known to infect a wide variety of animals. Rhizomys sinensis is a species of rodent that is the reservoir of many zoonotic pathogens. Our previous study identified many sequencing reads mapped to the genome of viruses in Circoviridae in R. sinensis. However, little is known about the circulation and genetic characterization of circoviruses in R. sinensis. This study identified three different circoviruses in samples from 195 R. sinensis. First, the bamboo rat circovirus is widely prevalent in R. sinensis in Guangdong Province, and all strains could be divided into three clades based on nucleotide substitutions at specific sites. Second, and more important, porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) was isolated for the first time from R. sinensis, which expanded the host range of PCV2 and indicated extra procedures would be required to protect livestock from this virus. Finally, a novel circovirus phylogenetically close to the dromedary stool-associated circular ssDNA virus was detected in 86 (44.1%) samples, which may represent a new circovirus species. These results not only expand our understanding of the circovirus diversity in rodents, particularly in R. sinensis, but also underscore the importance of continued surveillance of viruses in wildlife populations, particularly in rodents, to prevent and control the spread of zoonotic pathogens.
A Pediatric Patient with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Comorbid Depression and Substance Abuse
Authors: Leconte Caitlin E. , Ng Joshua W. , Manzardo Ann M. , Douglass Mitchell M.
Published: November 2023

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), depression, and substance abuse problems share similar symptomatology and have significant interplay. An underlying diagnosis of OSA can often be overlooked in patients with significant psychiatric illness and polysubstance use. Pediatric OSA is often associated with adenotonsillar hypertrophy and frequently requires surgical intervention for resolution of symptoms. Untreated OSA can worsen mental status and encourage polysubstance abuse as a form of self-medication. Proper identification and management of OSA plays an important role in treating psychiatric conditions. We report a 16-year-old with major depressive disorder (MDD), suicide attempts, polysubstance use disorder, and severe OSA admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility. History included sleep and mood disturbances started at age 12. Patient presented with apnea–hypopnea index greater than 50 and started on bilevel-positive airway pressure (BiPAP) prior to admission. Management of OSA led to significant improvement of MDD, insomnia, and polysubstance abuse. OSA can often be overlooked in patients with MDD or substance abuse. Among adolescent patients with poorly managed psychiatric conditions, significant sleep disturbances, and polysubstance abuse, providers should maintain a high degree of suspicion for OSA, as its proper management will aid in the management of the other conditions.
Supplementary Figure S8 from Cancer-prone Phenotypes and Gene Expression Heterogeneity at Single-cell Resolution in Cigarette-smoking Lungs
Authors: Nakayama Jun , Yamamoto Yusuke
Published: November 2023

Myeloid cell analysis of smoker and never-smoker lungs.
Case Series: “Silent” Spinal Epidural Metastases in Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Sabanathan Dhanusha , Parsonson Andrew O. , Park John J. , Gurney Howard
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Spinal epidural metastases (SEM) are an uncommon phenomenon and traditionally occur as a preterminal event in heavily pre-treated patients. The introduction of novel anti-androgen therapies, such as enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate, has greatly improved the survival of patients with metastatic prostate cancer but may be changing the pattern of disease. Case Presentation: Four patients diagnosed with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) were commenced on enzalutamide prior to chemotherapy. Baseline scans in all patients demonstrated extensive bony disease and lymph node involvement. All patients experienced a moderate initial PSA response to treatment (median PSA at baseline 53.5 ng/mL to median nadir 24.5 ng/mL). In all four cases, clinical presentation of spinal cord compression was unexpected with no prodromal neurological symptoms, PSA levels either stable or slowly rising, and CT scans and whole-body bone scans showing stable disease at other metastatic sites. Whole-spine MRI on presentation of neurological deficits showed epidural and dural metastases on the background of stable bone disease. Spinal cord compression occurred at a median of 11.4 months after starting enzalutamide. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of this change in the pattern of CRPC in patients treated with novel anti-androgen therapy. Onset of “silent” spinal cord compression due to SEM rather than bone metastases, can occur relatively early with minimal warning despite stable disease on PSA and standard imaging. Differential progression in nontraditional sites suggests that research into the androgen microenvironment in a wide range of tissue sites should be undertaken, and may explain why prostate cancer metastasizes preferentially to bone and lymph nodes.
A Rare Clinical Case of Secondary Central Nervous System Involvement without Transformation in Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Ito Kenichi , Harada Kunihiko , Uchino Yoshihito , Hirano Kazuhiko , Sekiguchi Naohiro
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an indolent B-cell lymphoma characterized by a specific genetic mutation, BRAF V600E, which affects the specific morphology and oncogenesis. For HCL, few reports regarding secondary central nervous system involvement (SCNSI) are available. Herein, we present the case of an 80-year-old woman who had a relapse of HCL with SCNSI. Case Presentation: The diagnosis of HCL was made in June 2015 after identifying BRAF V600E proteins by immunohistochemical analysis, and the disease was then controlled for 6 years by employing chemoimmunotherapy. In February 2021, the patient was admitted with neurological symptoms such as dizziness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed abnormal enhancement in the cerebrum, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed neoplastic cells without transformation into large cells. Thus, the patient was diagnosed as having SCNSI in HCL. Conclusion: We report a case of a rare clinical presentation of SCNSI in HCL with literature review.
Joint Associations of Pregnancy Complications and Postpartum Maternal Renal Biomarkers With Severe Cardiovascular Morbidities: A US Racially and Ethnically Diverse Prospective Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Hong Xiumei , Rosenberg Avi Z. , Heymann Jurgen , Yoshida Teruhiko , Waikar Sushrut S. , Ilori Titilayo O. , Wang Guoying , Rebuck Heather , Pearson Colleen , Wang Mei‐Cheng , Winkler Cheryl A. , Kopp Jeffrey B. , Wang Xiaobin
Published: November 2023

Background

Pregnancy complications are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known about the role of renal biomarkers measured shortly after delivery, individually or in combination with pregnancy complications, in predicting subsequent severe maternal CVD.

Methods and Results

This study included 566 mothers of diverse races and ethnicities from the Boston Birth cohort, enrolled at delivery and followed prospectively. Plasma creatinine and CysC (cystatin C) were measured 1 to 3 days after delivery. CVD during follow‐up was defined by physician diagnoses in electronic medical records. Associations of renal biomarkers and pregnancy complications with time‐to‐CVD events were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. During an average of 10.3±3.2 years of follow‐up, 30 mothers developed 1 or more CVDs. Only a modest association was observed between creatinine and risk of CVD. In comparison, we found that per 0.1 mg/L increase of CysC was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1–1.4) for CVD after adjusting for covariates. Compared with those without preeclampsia and with normal CysC level (≤75th percentile), mothers with preeclampsia and elevated CysC (>75th percentile) had the highest risk of CVD (HR, 4.6 [95% CI, 1.7–17.7]), whereas mothers with preeclampsia only or with elevated CysC only did not have significantly increased CVD risk. Similar synergistic effects for CVD were observed between CysC and preterm delivery.

Conclusions

In this sample of US, traditionally underrepresented multiracial and multiethnic high‐risk mothers, elevated maternal plasma CysC, independently and jointly with pregnancy complications, increased risk of CVD later in life. These findings warrant further investigation.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03228875.
Proteomics to Identify New Blood Biomarkers for Diagnosing Patients With Acute Stroke
Authors: Marto João Pedro , Carvalho Ana Sofia , G. Mollet Inês , Mendonça Marcelo , Salavisa Manuel , Meira Bruna , Fernandes Marco , Serrazina Filipa , Cabral Gonçalo , Ventura Rita , Sobral‐Pinho André , Beck Hans C. , Vieira Helena L. A. , Viana‐Baptista Miguel , Matthiesen Rune
Published: November 2023

Background

Blood biomarkers are a potential tool for early stroke diagnosis. We aimed to perform a pilot and exploratory study on untargeted blood biomarkers in patients with suspected stroke by using mass spectrometry analysis.

Methods and Results

This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients with suspected stroke admitted within 6 hours of last being seen well. Blood samples were collected at admission. Patients were divided into 3 groups: ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and stroke mimics. Quantitative analysis from mass spectrometry data was performed using a supervised approach. Biomarker‐based prediction models were developed to differentiate IS from ICH and ICH+stroke mimics. Models were built aiming to minimize misidentification of patients with ICH as having IS. We included 90 patients, one‐third within each subgroup. The median age was 71 years (interquartile range, 57–81 years), and 49 participants (54.4%) were women. In quantitative analysis, C3 (complement component 3), ICAM‐2 (intercellular adhesion molecule 2), PLGLA (plasminogen like A), STXBP5 (syntaxin‐binding protein 5), and IGHV3‐64 (immunoglobulin heavy variable 3‐64) were the 5 most significantly dysregulated proteins for both comparisons. Biomarker‐based models showed 88% sensitivity and 89% negative predictive value for differentiating IS from ICH, and 75% sensitivity and 95% negative predictive value for differentiating IS from ICH+stroke mimics. ICAM‐2, STXBP5, PLGLA, C3, and IGHV3‐64 displayed the highest importance score in our models, being the most informative for identifying patients with stroke.

Conclusions

In this proof‐of‐concept and exploratory study, our biomarker‐based prediction models, including ICAM‐2, STXBP5, PLGLA, C3, and IGHV3‐64, showed 75% to 88% sensitivity for identifying patients with IS, while aiming to minimize misclassification of ICH. Although our methodology provided an internal validation, these results still need validation in other cohorts and with different measurement techniques.
Genome‐Wide Assessment of Shared Genetic Architecture Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Guo Yanjun , Chung Wonil , Shan Zhilei , Zhu Zhaozhong , Costenbader Karen H. , Liang Liming
Published: November 2023

Background

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a 2‐ to 10‐fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the biological mechanisms and existence of causality underlying such associations remain to be investigated. We aimed to investigate the genetic associations and underlying mechanisms between RA and CVD by leveraging large‐scale genomic data and genetic cross‐trait analytic approaches.

Methods and Results

Within UK Biobank data, we examined the genetic correlation, shared genetics, and potential causality between RA (N
cases
=6754, N
controls
=452 384) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD, N
cases
=44 238, N
controls
=414 900) using linkage disequilibrium score regression, cross‐trait meta‐analysis, and Mendelian randomization. We observed significant genetic correlations of RA with myocardial infarction (r
g
:0.40 [95% CI, 0.24–0.56), angina (r
g
:0.42 [95% CI, 0.28–0.56]), coronary heart diseases (r
g
:0.41 [95% CI, 0.27–0.55]), and CVD (r
g
:0.43 [95% CI, 0.29–0.57]) after correcting for multiple testing (
P
<0.05/5). When stratified by frequent use of analgesics, we found increased genetic correlation between RA and CVD among participants without aspirin usage (r
g
:0.54 [95% CI, 0.30–0.78] for angina;
P
value
=6.69×10
−6
) and among participants with paracetamol usage (r
g
:0.75 [95% CI, 0.20–1.29] for myocardial infarction;
P
value
=8.90×10
−3
), whereas others remained similar. Cross‐trait meta‐analysis identified 9 independent shared loci between RA and CVD, including
PTPN22
at
chr1p13.2
,
BCL2L11
at
chr2q13
, and
CCR3
at
chr3p21.31
(
P
single trait
<1×10
−3
and
P
meta
<5×10
−8
), highlighting potential shared pathogenesis including accelerating atherosclerosis, upregulating oxidative stress, and vascular permeability. Finally, Mendelian randomization estimates showed limited evidence of causality between RA and CVD.

Conclusions

Our results supported shared genetic pathogenesis rather than causality in explaining the observed association between RA and CVD. The identified shared genetic factors provided insights into potential novel therapeutic target for RA‐CVD comorbidities.
Mapping the wet land
Authors: Kik Oliver
Published: November 2023

Although the well-documented cartographic involvement of painters has received some partial academic interest, this essay makes a contextual and comparative analysis of the phenomenon of the painter-cartographer in the Low Countries between 1480 and 1550. Contrary to a previous generation of painters, these artists’ involvement in cartographic mapping projects exceeded a mere chorographic visual input. As their familiarity with geometrical principles and trigonometry increased, so did their involvement shift from a purely aesthetic role towards an active input on the technical and scientific design process. By combining art historical archival research with architectural history and the history of mapmaking, this paper explores new perspectives on what united art and science during the early sixteenth century. It is argued that painters’ cartographical endeavors were never considered a side-business next to their more regular painting commissions, but rather that their cartographic involvement aided artists such as Lanceloot Blondeel, Pieter Pourbus, and Jan van Scorel to elevate their social position by their display of geometrical knowledge and their expertise as ingenious geometers.
Shifting shores
Authors: Kase Rachel
Published: November 2023

This article explores how Jan Saenredam and Claes Jansz Visscher, two of the Northern Netherlands’ leading printmakers in the early seventeenth century, employ varying graphic strategies to evoke the local coast’s unpredictable and rapidly changing environment. It focuses on two ambitious and relatively large-scale prints with widespread distribution: Saenredam’s 1602 engraving Beached whale near Beverwijk and Visscher’s etching of about 1615 View of Egmond aan Zee. Lively with activity and dense with figures, allegory, text, and civic insignia, the two images integrate cartographic convention, natural history illustration, and landscape imagery. Kase argues that the artists evoke the often imperceptible forces that animate and change the outermost edges of landscape, exhibiting environmental awareness through their concern for the shared facture of the landscape and the resultant prints. Their images, therefore, could act as a proxy through which seventeenth-century Netherlanders engaged with the instability of their coastal environs.
That area of terror
Authors: Heuer Christopher P.
Published: November 2023

New Jersey artist Robert Smithson reveled in sites untouched by civilization: ‘I like landscapes that suggest prehistory’, he told an interviewer in 1973, just before his tragic death. ‘I was always interested in origins and primordial beginnings’. Augur of ecological collapse, Smithson maintained a strange connection to Northern Europe. Broken Circle / Spiral Hill (1971) – now meekly dissolving in a sand pit outside of Emmen – survives as the artist’s most famous ‘land reclamation’ project and the sole earthwork he completed outside of the United States. The Drenthe piece stands as a harbinger of what the artist may have achieved with his – not unproblematic – fusion of culture and land management: ‘With my work in the quarry I somehow re-organized a disrupted situation’. Smithson wrote of Broken Circle, ‘Holland [sic] is (…) completely cultivated and so much an earthwork itself’. Broken Circle, for its sake, extended Smithson’s dismantling of the bordered, overtly retinal artwork. And this, vaguely Duchampian, notion extended to the work’s material ontology.
Danish Students’ Understanding of Fractions: A Replication Study
Authors: Færch Julie Vangsøe , Hodgen Jeremy
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we report on a conceptual replication of a fractions test originally administered in the 1970s in England as part of the ‘Concepts in Secondary Mathematics and Science’ (CSMS) research programme documenting lower secondary students’ understanding of mathematics. We present data from a recent study conducted in Denmark with 336 students aged between 12 and 14 years, presenting descriptive results as in the original research. In addition, we use Rasch modelling — a technique that was not widely used in the 1970s — to further analyse the students’ understanding of fractions and to validate the test. Our findings indicate that Danish students’ fractional understanding in word or diagrammatic contexts is slightly stronger in comparison to that of the English students in the original study, whereas the case for computations involving fractions is the reverse. We discuss the possible reasons for these differences. Our study provides evidence that fractional knowledge involves a number of components and suggest ways in which the test might be improved.

The Impact Sheet to this article can be accessed at 10.6084/m9.figshare.24219673
The Level of Knowledge of Organ Transplantation and Attitudes Toward Organ Donation of Carers of Patients Receiving Hemodialysis
Authors: İlter Sümeyra Mihrap , Tülüce Derya
Published: November 2023

Purpose: Renal transplantation is the most effective treatment method for chronic renal failure and helps improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers.In the present study, the purpose was to determine the knowledge level of the primary caregivers of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment about organ transplantation and their attitudes toward organ donation.

Method: The study was conducted in a descriptive fashion with the relatives of 71 patients who were receiving treatment in the hemodialysis unit for the end-stage renal failure of a state hospital between 01.08.2022 and 15.10.2022. The data of the study were collected face to face with a questionnaire form, Organ Donation Attitude Scale, and Organ Tissue Donation and Transplantation Information Scale. The SPSS 24 package program was used in the analysis of the data. Descriptive statistics, numbers, percentages, and mean values were used in the analysis of the data. The One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test was used to evaluate the homogeneity of the data. The Studentt test, the One-Way Analysis of Variance, the Kruskal–Wallis Test, and the Tukey Post-Hoc Test were used for the analysis between the groups. Statistical significance was taken as p < .05.

Results: The benevolence and moral values/beliefs sub-dimension score average of the participants was found to be 98.44 ± 14.61, the fear of medical neglect was 32.10 ± 10.09, and the mean bodily injury sub-dimension score was 30.45 ± 11.28. It was also found that the mean score of the Organ-Tissue Donation and Transplant Information Scale was 11.41 ± 2.59. A statistically significant and negative relationship was detected between the participants’ medical neglect and bodily injury attitudes and the Organ-Tissue Donation and Transplant Information Scale score averages ( p < .05).

Conclusion and Suggestions: As a result, it was found that the positive attitudes of the caregivers of individuals receiving hemodialysis treatment about organ donation were at a good level, and as the level of organ transplantation knowledge increased, negative attitudes towards organ donation decreased. In this context, it can be suggested that healthcare professionals provide training on organ transplantation and donation to the relatives of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment.
Ukrainian identity in the images and symbols of Olena Kulchytska’s graphic works
Authors: Horichko Yaryna
Published: November 2023

This article introduces the graphic work of Olena Kulchytska (1877–1967) within the cross-cultural context of Austro-Hungary and the Russian Empire pre-1914, where she received her training. Kulchytska is at once an internationalist and European artist and indebted to regional religious practice and local folkloric motifs. She practised her craft designing ex-libris bookplates, an important genre in Ukraine. The article then analyses the iconography of Kulchytska’s graphic works on military themes, emphasizing their significance in the context of Ukrainian identity. The parallels between the horrors she depicted and events from Ukrainian history (from the Early Middle Ages to the second half of the twentieth century) are identified, and the quite timeless character of most of the images and symbols is demonstrated. The practical significance of this study lies in its emphasis on the war theme in modern art, especially in the conditions of the current war in Ukraine.
Narrating war through visual language: Commemorative activity of ordinary people in Central Ukraine (Poltava oblast) in 2014–2021
Authors: Glew Anna
Published: November 2023

This article examines how ordinary people in the Poltava oblast (Central Ukraine) commemorated the Russia-Ukraine war during the 2014–2021 period (prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022). Focusing on physical commemorative objects constructed by ordinary people, this article investigates the commemorative activity of ordinary people in Central Ukraine who are ‘activated’ to carry out commemorative work by this turbulent and emotionally charged event in Ukraine’s recent history and seek to project their individual, private memories into the public arena. This article’s central argument is that ordinary people in Central Ukraine actively exercise their agency in the area of commemoration, to ensure the memory of the Russia-Ukraine war is present in the commemorative landscape, playing an important role in public meaning-making. Thus, by utilising different types of visual language, ordinary people narrate soldiers’ sacrifice in the name of the nation, presenting Ukraine’s response to Russia’s aggression as a righteous and noble struggle. Through linking this event to other periods of Ukraine’s history, they create plotlines of Ukraine’s centuries-long struggle for sovereignty and self-determination. Therefore, ordinary people contribute to the construction of narratives about history and the identity of the Ukrainian nation. This article is an empirical contribution to the body of knowledge on the commemorative activity of ordinary people as social memory actors, and it also contributes to the knowledge of how ongoing violent conflicts are commemorated.
Human Rights and Equality Commissions in Kenya and Their Role in Tackling Poverty and Economic Inequality
Authors: Miyandazi Victoria
Published: November 2023

This article explores the significance of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (‘KNCHR’) and the National Gender and Equality Commission (‘NGEC’), as independent ‘fourth branch’ institutions protecting democracy (‘IPDs’) in Kenya, in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and addressing poverty and economic inequality. It provides a conceptual background for the establishment of the two Commissions and evaluates their functions and effectiveness compared to civil society organisations with similar roles. It then examines the unique role of the Commissions in addressing poverty and economic inequality and their accomplishments in upholding the rule of law, democratic ideals and human rights in Kenya. The article also analyses the challenges faced by the Commissions in achieving their goals and the opportunities arising from their emergence as fourth branch IPDs. Finally, it concludes that the constitutional entrenchment of the KNCHR and NGEC provides them with credibility, legitimacy and freedom to carry out their work effectively. However, resource constraints and dependence on political goodwill may hinder their effectiveness in translating human rights, particularly socio-economic rights, into reality. Despite these challenges, the Commissions’ oversight, investigation and complaint handling roles are critical in preventing and addressing poverty and economic inequality through data-driven transformation and collaborative efforts.
“But I Hate Him Just the Same”: On the Rise of Concessive Markers with Same
Authors: Traugott Elizabeth Closs
Published: November 2023

Concessivity in English is often associated with structures like Although it was hot, she went running. Although introduces a subordinate clause. There are also several markers of concessivity associated with coordinate structures, among them, all the same and nevertheless. The development of coordinate markers of concessivity has received little attention. Here I compare the histories of three markers that arose from expressions of identity: all the same, just the same, and at the same time. All arose at various times in Late Modern English. Rich rhetorical contexts for the development of concessive uses of all the same ‘exactly the same’ are attested in corpora. Contexts for the later development in the US of just the same are less rich, and analogy to all the same is probable. Both came to be well entrenched in concessive use and are used in clause-final as well as clause-initial and occasionally clause-medial position. By contrast, at the same time functions only marginally as a concessive. It is also used as an elaborator and is not attested in clause-final position. Data are analyzed from the perspective of Diachronic Construction Grammar. Implications for some current debates are discussed, specifically for establishing when a construction has come into being, what kinds of contexts enable this emergence, and what level of abstraction is appropriate for analysis of sets of related constructions. Finally, some modifications of hypotheses about position of connectives relative to the clause are suggested.
Global arts on mission: Longitudinal perspectives
Authors: King Roberta R.
Published: November 2023

The conference theme, “Global Arts on Mission: Embedded, Embodied, and Empowered” explored the arts in mission for the first time in the 50-year history of the ASM. This article features the Presidential address from the annual meetings. Its purpose was to consider the dynamics of contextualized arts on mission over the last 45 years drawing from three case studies of my work as a missiologist-cum-ethnomusicologist. The theoretical concept of musicking provides a foundation for exegeting musical cultures, revealing the dialogical nature of shared musical performance. Not only does it point to how the nations around the world continue to discover their unique voices in raising songs of witness and worship to the Lord Jesus Christ, but it also presents longitudinal perspectives of the enduring impact of global arts on mission.
Age differences in emotional support buffering on the relationship between physical disability and psychological distress
Authors: Rohrbeck Cynthia A. , Wirtz Philip W. , Marceron Jennifer E.
Published: November 2023

Greater levels of physical disability are often accompanied by greater levels of psychological distress. Stress Buffering Theory ( Cohen & Wills, 1985 ; Thoits, 2011 ) posits that the level of social support buffers this relationship. Life Stage Theory proposes the previously untested hypothesis that the salience of the buffering offered by social support may decrease with age – i.e., that as individuals age, emotional support offers a weaker buffer of the effect of disability on psychological distress ( Segrin, 2003 ). This research tested a unified Stress Buffering/Life Stage model of psychological distress. We hypothesized that the buffering effect of emotional support is greater for younger adults than for older adults. Study data were drawn from 293 adults who self-identified as having a physical disability. Respondents’ age, emotional support, psychological distress, and disability were assessed. A saturated three-way interaction analysis of covariance model was used to evaluate the association of disability and psychological distress, as buffered by emotional support, for older versus younger people. Results were consistent with a unified Stress Buffering Life Stage model. Greater levels of emotional support attenuated the relationship between disability and psychological distress for younger, but not for older, study participants. Self-reported measures and the cross-sectional design precludes making causal inferences. Emotional support may be particularly salient for younger people in buffering the effects of disability on psychological distress.
Sustainable funding for small businesses: An investigation into the dynamics of the recurring crowdfunding model
Authors: Tan Yee Heng , Reddy Srinivas K
Published: November 2023

In an era of one-off funding, entrepreneurs and small businesses struggle to find sustainable funding sources. A novel solution – the crowd patronage model, has emerged in recent years. This model incorporates elements from traditional crowdfunding but is systematically different due to the lack of a fixed funding goal or duration. To capitalise on the long-term nature of crowd patronage, this article explores whether factors that have an impact in traditional crowdfunding will have a similar impact within an extended duration beyond what traditional crowdfunding typically offers. We posit that incentivising mechanisms will have a long-term impact on crowd patronage, whereas project characteristic measures will exhibit short-term effects. Using data from 3229 crowd patronage projects, we find that our results largely support our hypotheses. Given our findings, we propose using project characteristics to attract contributors before shifting focus to incentivising mechanisms as the project matures in order to maximise crowdfunding returns.
Parents’ Educational Involvement: What is More Important Mothers’ Reports or Adolescents’ Perceptions?
Authors: Nurit Kaplan Toren , Revathy Kumar
Published: November 2023

The present study examined both mothers’ reports and adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ educational involvement and their effects on the adolescents’ functioning in school. The sample was drawn from 5 urban schools in Israel. Participants were 449 eighth grade students/adolescents (Female = 47%) and 126 mothers. Adolescents and their mothers completed parallel parents’ educational involvement questionnaires, and adolescents completed questionnaires on learning strategies and self-evaluation. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses, based on the mothers’ reports and adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ educational involvement revealed three factors: home-based, school-based, and communication-based knowledge of adolescents’ activities in school. The analysis showed no relation between mothers’ reports and adolescents’ perceptions. However, adolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ educational involvement were significant predictors of the adolescents’ learning strategies, self-evaluation, and academic achievement. Findings underline the congruence and incongruence between mothers and their adolescents, and the significant role parents play in their adolescents’ schooling according to the adolescents’ perceptions.
An analytic method to investigate hemodynamics of the cardiovascular system – single ventricular system
Authors: Zhu Yuxin , Ge Wanning , Wu Tingting , Zhang Liudi , Hsu Polin
Published: November 2023

Based on the lumped parameter model (LPM) of the cardiovascular system, an analytic method is developed to derive its hemodynamics theoretically. As soon as the LPM (a series of differential equations) is solved, the hemodynamics would be obtained immediately. However, because of time-varying ventricular elastance and high order, it is difficult to solve analytically. Through simplifying the LPM, the original biventricular system with continuously varying elastance becomes a single ventricular system with discrete elastance which keeps constant during the systolic or diastolic phase. As a consequence, the original time-varying and high-order system becomes a time-invariant and first-order system during each phase. From the analytic solutions of the simplified system, a set of algebraic equations is carried out. Then the hemodynamics are obtained from the solutions of the algebraic equations. The nature of the algebraic equations is an integral form of the differential equations. A connection between the equations and PV loop is established. All of these equations are deduced based on the idealization of replacing the continuous elastance with the discrete elastance. However, there exist algebraic equations, that can be derived directly from volume conservation, still hold for the case of continuous elastance. As a preliminary application, the method is utilized to deduce the hemodynamics of left heart failure (LHF). The results show that the theoretical hemodynamics of LHF are coincident with simulated results. The analytic method can be generalized to investigate biventricular system. A program for developing a more general framework is presented in the last part.
A review of the performance of polymer parts printed on fused deposition modelling under cyclic loading
Authors: Zhang Shaoguo , Zhang Yi , Liu Shoufa , Zhang Yafeng
Published: November 2023

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the most promising and widely used additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. FDM is commonly used to fabricate simple to complex 3D parts from polymeric materials. Different 3D-printed polymeric components manufactured using FDM technology exhibit various mechanical and load-bearing properties. They are utilized in various industries, particularly the medical industry, for load-bearing applications in bio-implants. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanical characteristics, especially the fatigue behaviour, of these 3D-printed parts under cyclic loadings. This paper focuses on the dynamic behaviour of 3D-printed polymeric parts produced through the FDM process and under different loading modes. First, the FDM mechanism, the various polymeric materials used in FDM, and the effective FDM parameters are briefly introduced. Then, the paper comprehensively covers one of the most important mechanical characteristics of 3D-printed parts for load-bearing applications: their fatigue life under different printing conditions and cyclic loadings. The most influential factors on the fatigue behaviour of polymers include the type of polymeric material, surrounding environmental conditions, cyclic loading conditions, the type of testing specimen, and the FDM printing parameters (such as raster angle, infill density, nozzle diameter, and nozzle temperature). In addition to the anisotropic behaviour reported by various studies on 3D-printed parts using FDM, it has been concluded that the layered structure (with a large number of interfaces between the raster) and the presence of microholes are two factors that weaken the fatigue strength of 3D-printed structures compared to other fabrication processes. These conditions can be exacerbated by choosing inappropriate printing parameters, and often, the failure mechanism in 3D-printed parts fabricated with FDM is delamination.
Who Do We Call “Creepy?”: Sex Workers’ Relationships as Targets of Intimate Intervention
Authors: Shdaimah Corey , Becker Todd D. , Franke Nancy D. , Leon Chrysanthi S.
Published: November 2023

Like other forms of problem-solving justice, prostitution diversion programs (PDPs) are designed to (re)shape thinking and behaviors. The authority to surveil and punish stems from criminalization of sex work, itself an act of control over women and their bodies. The court cues normative behaviors through rewards and punishments based on information gleaned through ongoing surveillance in and out of court. Using a critical feminist lens, we draw on ethnographic and interview data from studies of two court-affiliated PDPs to examine the regulation of women's bodies and intimate relationships. We found that criminal justice professionals explicitly viewed constant discussion and surveillance of all facets of PDP participants’ lives as a tool to cause participants to internalize particular understandings of normative relationships. Such normative understandings involve assumptions about which men are “creepy” that do not always reflect women's lived experiences and decontextualize relationships in ways that are incompatible with women's own assessments of these relationships. This analysis contributes to feminist social work by revealing the social control functions of such programs, which employ “creepy” intrusion to police the boundaries between unacceptable and normative behavior while simultaneously disregarding the systemic forces that shape women's choices and constructions of normativity.
Confronting standards-making in food safety: Standards recalibration and regulatory reforms in China’s dairy industry
Authors: Tracy Megan
Published: November 2023

In 2012, the Beijing First Intermediate Court’s ruling reignited public controversy over a 2010 revision of China’s national raw milk standard. A consumer rights activist filed an open information application, requesting that China’s Ministry of Health disclose meeting minutes related to the revision. His request hinged on public perception that China’s dairy corporations helped lower quality and safety thresholds for domestic raw milk supplies, while the country still reeled from the 2008 melamine scandal. The case re-emerged as Chinese policymakers, seeking to strengthen and respond to domestic and international food safety concerns, crafted and revised standards and restructured government agencies to address shortcomings in the 2009 Food Safety Law. As the case unfolded, China was flexing its international power in standards-setting despite criticism of its domestic standards regime. Grounded in fieldwork conducted during this period, I trace the intersection and dissonance between standards, regulations, and best practices crafted by government institutions and private sector actors alongside their recalibration in practice. I use the 2010 revision debate to explore the efforts of scientific experts and government officials to convey the standard to different actors, not as acts of translation but rather as acts of transformation, as regulations and regulatory practices move across disparate sites and media.