bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Studies in a Large Animal Model That Simulates the Cardiac Abnormalities of Human Septic Shock
Authors: Ford Verity J. , Applefeld Willard N. , Wang Jeffrey , Sun Junfeng , Solomon Steven B. , Sidenko Stanislav , Feng Jing , Sheffield Cynthia , Klein Harvey G. , Yu Zu‐Xi , Torabi‐Parizi Parizad , Danner Robert L. , Sachdev Vandana , Solomon Michael A. , Chen Marcus Y. , Natanson Charles
Published: August 2024

Background

Septic shock is associated with increases in end‐diastolic volume (EDV) and decreases in ejection fraction that reverse within 10 days. Nonsurvivors do not develop EDV increases. The mechanism is unknown.

Methods and Results

Purpose‐bred beagles (n=33) were randomized to receive intrabronchial
Staphylococcus aureus
or saline. Over 96 hours, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiograms were performed. Tissue was obtained at 66 hours. From 0 to 96 hours after bacterial challenge, septic animals versus controls had significantly increased left ventricular wall edema (6%) and wall thinning with loss of mass (15%). On histology, the major finding was nonocclusive microvascular injury with edema in myocytes, the interstitium, and endothelial cells. Edema was associated with significant worsening of biventricular ejection fractions, ventricular‐arterial coupling, and circumferential strain. Early during sepsis, (0–24 hours), the EDV decreased; significantly more in nonsurvivors (ie, greater diastolic dysfunction). From 24 to 48 hours, septic animals' biventricular chamber sizes increased; in survivors significantly greater than baseline and nonsurvivors, whose EDVs were not different from baseline. Preload, afterload, or heart rate differences did not explain these differential changes.

Conclusions

The cardiac dysfunction of sepsis is associated with wall edema. In nonsurvivors, at 0 to 24 hours, sepsis induces a more severe diastolic dysfunction, further decreasing chamber size. The loss of left ventricular mass with wall thinning in septic survivors may, in part, explain the EDV increases from 24 to 48 hours because of a potentially reparative process removing damaged wall tissue. Septic cardiomyopathy is most consistent with a nonocclusive microvascular injury resulting in edema causing reversible systolic and diastolic dysfunction with more severe diastolic dysfunction being associated with a decreased EDV and death.
Prognosis of Patients With Ischemic Stroke With Prior Anticoagulant Therapy: Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin
Authors: Chun Kyeong‐Hyeon , Lee Hancheol , Hong Jung Hwa , Seo Kwon‐Duk
Published: August 2024

Background

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been the drug of choice for preventing ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation since 2014. In previous studies, the stroke risk while taking warfarin was 2 per 100 patient‐years and 1.5% per year while taking DOACs. We hypothesized that even if ischemic stroke occurred during anticoagulation therapy with DOACs, the prognosis was likely to be better than that with warfarin.

Methods and Results

Data from 2002 to 2019, sourced from a nationwide claims database, were used to identify atrial fibrillation patients using
International Classification of Diseases
codes. Patients who experienced an ischemic stroke during anticoagulation were categorized by the drugs used (warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban). The primary outcome was mortality within 3 months and 1 year after the ischemic stroke. Among the 9578 patients with ischemic stroke during anticoagulation, 3343 received warfarin, and 6235 received DOACs (965 dabigatran, 2320 apixaban, 1702 rivaroxaban, 1248 edoxaban). The DOACs group demonstrated lower risks of 3‐month (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.550, [95% CI, 0.473–0.639];
P
<0.0001) and 1‐year mortality (adjusted HR, 0.596 [95% CI, 0.536–0.663];
P
<0.0001) than the warfarin group. Apixaban and edoxaban within the DOAC group exhibited particularly reduced 1‐year mortality risk compared with other DOACs (
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions

Our study confirmed that DOACs have a better prognosis than warfarin after ischemic stroke. The apixaban and edoxaban groups had a lower risk of death after ischemic stroke than the other DOAC groups.
The Politics of Religious Non-Interference: Islamic Legal Reform in Colonial India
Authors: Siddiqui Sohaira Z.
Published: August 2024

The 1929 Child Marriage Restraint Act (cmra), initially propounded as the Sarda Bill, became the first law related to marriage enacted in colonial India to be universally applicable to all subjects regardless of personal religious affiliations. Though formally adopted before Indian independence, the crma was advanced and passed by the newly formed Central Legislative Assembly which consisted primarily of Indians. As a result, the cmra garnered vociferous debates within both Muslim and Hindu communities and signaled a new challenge for religious communities which was distinct from British colonial legal logics. The focus of this article will be on one Muslim scholarly engagement with the cmra, that of Mufti Kifāyatallāh Dihlawī, the President of the Jamʿiyyat-i ʿUlamāʾ-i Hind (juh) and a highly influential Deobandi scholar. By navigating the contours of his legal debate surrounding the cmra, this article explores how the process of Islamic legal reform in the late colonial period in India was met with a new set of challenges as Indians gaining legislative authority sought to enact legal reforms that were seen as impinging on the rights of religious communities. And while, in this case, Muslim juristic opinions were sought, they could ultimately be trumped by larger social and political forces. More broadly, this article demonstrates that as India inched towards self-governance, competing groups and entities sought to claim communal representation of Muslims, and in the process, arguments made by religious scholars, even if they were recognized as being representative of broad Muslim sentiments, could be dismissed by emerging legal logics which supported the nationalizing tendencies of the Imperial Legislative Assembly over and above the rights of religious communities.
A Short Report on Newly Identified Manuscripts of Miṣbāḥ al-Arwāḥ: A Treatise Authorizing Takfīr in the Early Sokoto Caliphate
Authors: Kariya Kota
Published: August 2024

Miṣbāḥ al-arwāḥ fī uṣūl al-falāḥ, written by a fifteenth-century Maliki scholar from Tlemcen, Muḥammad al-Maghīlī (d. c. 1505), had a great influence on the religious and legal thought of ʿUthmān b. Fūdī (d. 1817), the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, and the issue of takfīr in the history of his jihad movement. Although this work has not been fully examined because only one manuscript was previously known, I recently identified two manuscripts of this work held at al-Khizāna al-Ḥasaniyya (mss. 13446 and 13722). In the present paper, I provide a brief examination of these newly identified manuscripts, particularly from the perspective of the historical study of the early Sokoto Caliphate.
The Impact Bond Dataset: A Tool to Investigate Socially Motivated Cross-Sector Partnerships
Authors: Carter Eleanor , Velarde Juliana Outes , Paul Ozioma , Macdonald J. Ruairi , Airoldi Mara
Published: August 2024

The indigo Impact Bond Dataset is an open-access dataset that describes a specific form of impact-focused cross-sector partnership adopted worldwide since 2010. These partnerships are data-rich in principle, yet historically, little data is shared and re-used. The dataset is the result of an engaged, collaborative process where different organisations involved in impact bond projects share data with the indigo initiative data stewards so that practitioners and researchers can analyse and learn from these partnerships. This article introduces the dataset in terms of scope, data collection methods, and data model. The authors provide descriptive summaries of the current landscape and demonstrate a practical application of the dataset. In closing, they discuss future avenues for research and dataset development, as well as the limitations of working with a collaborative approach.
A new species of Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965 in the subgenus Eurythosia Krüger, 2015 from Uganda (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)
Authors: DURANTE ANTONIO , POTENZA LUIGI , PELLEGRINO GABRIELE
Published: August 2024

As part of a study of the genus Archithosia Birket-Smith as a whole, this article focuses on the subgenus Eurythosia Krüger, describing a new species from Uganda: Archithosia henricus Durante, Potenza, and Pellegrino n. sp. The authors compare this new species with the other five species previously included in the subgenus, basing their diagnosis primarily on the male genitalia.
Insights into morphology and mechanical properties of architected interpenetrating aluminum-alumina composites
Authors: Matos Carlos , Santos Simão , Duarte Isabel , Olhero Susana M , Miranda Georgina
Published: August 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are unleashing the restrictions imposed by conventional manufacturing, allowing the production of innovative designs tailored to improve properties or performance. AM techniques in ceramic production allow the application of novel designs to ceramic parts, opening new opportunities for combining technologies aiming to obtain architected interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs). In this study, alumina structures with different architectures and Computer Aided Design (CAD) structure porosity oriented unidirectionally or bidirectionally, were fabricated by vat photopolymerization technique, namely Digital Light Processing. Afterwards, these structures were infiltrated with an aluminum alloy through investment casting, thus obtaining aluminum-alumina IPCs. Under compression, the IPCs presented a ductile behavior, conversely to the fragile ceramic counterparts. The IPCs compressive strength and absorbed energy were expressively higher than their ceramic counterparts. Comparing the bidirectional IPCs with the unidirectional ones, a significant increase in compressive strength and absorbed energy was observed, from 36.2% to 42.3% and from 164.8% to 358.1%, respectively, due to the greater amount and interconnection of the metal inside the ceramic structure. This study demonstrates the feasibility of this manufacturing route, combining two distinctive technologies, for the fabrication of metal-ceramic architected IPCs, allowing to tailor their mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity for a given application.
Contextualizing Lean Startup and Alternative Approaches for New Venture Creation: Introducing the Special Issue
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Gruber Marc , Combs James G.
Published: August 2024

The Lean Startup movement fundamentally changed entrepreneurial education and the way new ventures evolve. While Steve Blank and other founders of the movement embraced academic ideas, the movement grew among practitioners largely disconnected from academic entrepreneurship research. The purposes of this special issue are (1) to better connect Lean Startup practice to academic entrepreneurship research and (2) to advance theory regarding Lean Startup practices and their outcomes. After a brief and personal story of Lean Startup’s beginnings by its founder, Steve Blank, the first set of papers in this special issue juxtapose Lean Startup with alternative approaches to new venture creation developed by scholars outside the influence of the Lean Startup movement. The second set of papers describe how Lean Startup might be contextualized for different unique situations. The third set dives into different Lean Startup practices to help researchers and practitioners think more deeply about decisions and trade-offs made during implementation of Lean Startup.
An industry perspective on Open Science: A response to Winke
Authors: LaFlair Geoffrey T.
Published: August 2024

Open science practices are now at the forefront of discussions in the applied linguistics research community. Proponents of open science argue for its potential to enhance research quality and accessibility while promoting a collaborative and equitable environment. Winke advocates integrating open science into language assessment research to enhance research quality, accessibility, and collaboration. This response introduces two additional perspectives to support open science practices. The first is a framework, which identifies five schools of thought on open science that emphasize understanding the various goals of open science and the scientific methods and tools that are used to pursue them. Second, I highlight two additional characteristics of open science: the need for community and the costs of open science. These additional perspectives underscore the significance of making research processes transparent and inclusive, extending beyond traditional academic boundaries to engage the public and industry stakeholders. By integrating these considerations, this response aims to offer a nuanced view of the challenges and opportunities that open science presents in the field of language assessment, suggesting ideas for how researchers outside and inside the language assessment industry can work toward improving open science practices in language assessment research.
Mobility, Print and Trade in Europe: The Case of the Tesini Pedlars (17th–19th Centuries)
Authors: Caramel Niccolò , Rospocher Massimo
Published: August 2024

This article focuses on the itinerant print trade that actively involved the Alpine Tesini pedlars for more than three centuries (between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries) and that profoundly influenced the cultural, social, and economic history of their home valley. The case study of the pedlars from the Tesino valley, in what is now the Trentino region of Northern Italy, offers a privileged perspective for analysing three interrelated broader questions: the dynamics and effects of mobility in Ancien Régime Alpine societies; the spread of cheap print in pre-modern Europe; and the economic system underlying this large-scale trade. Through the analysis of a corpus of previously overlooked notarial sources, this article aims to unravel the complex financial and credit mechanisms that enabled the Tesini pedlars to succeed, but which in many cases were also the cause of their downfall.
The geoeconomics of globalization 2.0
Authors: Poon Jessie
Published: August 2024

The liberal model of globalization 1.0 has taken a hit in recent years beset by claims of deglobalization and slowbalization. This paper argues that deglobalization claims may be a premature verdict and globalization 1.0 is being replaced by a geoeconomic model of globalization 2.0. Globalization 1.0 assumes that the United States-led neoliberal project would develop seamless connections between trading nations. I suggest that globalization 2.0 eschews the building of this modality of connection as discourses about risks shift to discourses of transnational threats.
Artificial intelligence and headache
Authors: Stubberud Anker , Langseth Helge , Nachev Parashkev , Matharu Manjit S. , Tronvik Erling
Published: August 2024

Background and methods

In this narrative review, we introduce key artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) concepts, aimed at headache clinicians and researchers. Thereafter, we thoroughly review the use of AI in headache, based on a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Embase and IEEExplore. Finally, we discuss limitations, as well as ethical and political perspectives.

Results

We identified six main research topics. First, natural language processing can be used to effectively extract and systematize unstructured headache research data, such as from electronic health records. Second, the most common application of ML is for classification of headache disorders, typically based on clinical record data, or neuroimaging data, with accuracies ranging from around 60% to well over 90%. Third, ML is used for prediction of headache disease trajectories. Fourth, ML shows promise in forecasting of headaches using self-reported data such as triggers and premonitory symptoms, data from wearable sensors and external data. Fifth and sixth, ML can be used for prediction of treatment responses and inference of treatment effects, respectively, aiming to optimize and individualize headache management.

Conclusions

The potential uses of AI and ML in headache are broad, but, at present, many studies suffer from poor reporting and lack out-of-sample evaluation, and most models are not validated in a clinical setting.
Discrete Choice Model Applications for Air Passenger Airport Choices: A Literature Review
Authors: Fukushi Mitsuyoshi , Delgado Felipe , Raveau Sebastián
Published: August 2024

Airport development is a critical factor for regional growth, improving connectivity, and stimulating economic growth. Considering the complexity of planning and policy making in this area, multiple models and frameworks have been introduced to support decision-making processes. Among these, Discrete Choice Models (DCM) stand out for their capacity to project market flows, assess the validity and benefits of implementing airport modifications, tailor policies, improve the operations’ service level, and boost revenues. Given their extensive use and importance, a thorough review of DCM applications within the context of air transportation is both timely and necessary. This review organizes and evaluates the use of DCMs in air transport research. Both descriptive and predictive applications of DCMs are analyzed, focusing on choices related to airports and related levels, such as access mode and airline decisions. Each reviewed study is classified based on the type of model used, application context, data characteristics, employed variables, and methodological contributions. Through this analysis, six prevailing gaps are identified in the current state of DCM application in air transportation: improve data quality, enhance models with detailed trip and passenger information, explore advanced modeling techniques, incorporate general correlation and substitution structures, consider non-compensatory decision-making processes, and extend applications to new geographic and temporal contexts.
Culturing Osteochondral Explants Under Rotary Shaking or After Removing Bone Marrow Elements Increases Explant Cellular Viability
Authors: Leite Chilan B.G. , Ormsby Renee T. , Mekhail Julie , Charles Julia F. , Görtz Simon , Merkely Gergo , Lattermann Christian
Published: August 2024

Background:

Reduced viability in the deepest zones of osteochondral allografts (OCAs) can weaken the subchondral interface, potentially increasing the risk of failure. This reduction may result from nutritional imbalances due to uneven media distribution or interference from bone marrow elements.

Purpose:

To investigate whether culturing OCAs using a rotary shaker or removing the bone marrow elements would increase graft cellular viability.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Bovine osteochondral explants were stored for 28 days at 4°C under 3 different conditions (n = 6 explants per group): static (control group), rotary shaker at 150 rpm (shaker group), and static after removal of bone marrow elements using a Waterpik device (Waterpik group). Chondrocyte viability was assessed using live/dead staining across the entire tissue and in each zone (superficial, middle, deep). Subchondral bone viability was assessed using TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidal transferase–mediated biotin–deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling) staining to detect apoptotic cells.

Results:

Both shaker (64.2%; P = .010) and Waterpik (65.6%; P = .005) conditions showed significantly higher chondrocyte viability compared with control (49.8%). When samples were analyzed by zone, the shaker and Waterpik groups displayed higher cellular viability at the middle zone (shaker = 60.6%, P < .001; Waterpik = 56.1%, P < .001) and deep zone (shaker = 63.1%, P = .018; Waterpik = 61.5%, P = .025) than the control group (25.6% at middle zone; 32.8% at deep zone). Additionally, shaker (56.7%; P = .018) and Waterpik (51.4%; P = .007) groups demonstrated a lower percentage of apoptotic cells in subchondral bone compared with control (88.0%). No significant differences were observed between the shaker and Waterpik groups in any of the analyses.

Conclusion:

Both rotary shaking and removal of bone marrow elements during storage of osteochondral explants led to higher chondrocyte viability at the middle and deep zones of the graft compared with the static storage condition. Enhancing nutrition delivery to the graft could improve its quality, potentially improving outcomes of OCA transplantation.

Clinical Relevance:

The use of a rotary shaker or the removal of bone marrow elements may significantly improve the culture conditions, increasing graft viability and integrity after OCA storage.
Longitudinal Assessment of Clinical Outcomes After Arthroscopic Treatment for Hip Synovial Chondromatosis and the Effect of Residual Loose Bodies: Minimum 4-Year and 8-Year Follow-up
Authors: Zhu Yichuan , Gao Guanying , Luan Shuo , Wu Kesheng , Wang Hongli , Zhang Yanni , Zhang Xin , Wang Jianquan , Xu Yan
Published: August 2024

Background:

Arthroscopic treatment is recommended for hip synovial chondromatosis. However, evidence regarding long-term clinical outcomes is limited.

Purpose:

To evaluate long-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and survival, and to determine the potential effect of residual loose bodies, as evaluated by immediate postoperative computed tomography (CT), on clinical outcomes.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A consecutive cohort of patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment and diagnosed with synovial chondromatosis between March 2010 and May 2015 were included in the study. Preoperative radiography, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. Preoperative, midterm (minimum of 4 years), and long-term (minimum of 8 years) PROs were collected for visual analog scale for pain, modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and 12-item international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12). The percentages achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were calculated. PROs and survival were compared between patients with and without residual loose bodies evident on immediate postoperative CT scan.

Results:

A total of 28 patients (20% of patients were lost to follow-up) were included in the study with a mean follow-up period of 104.9 months (range, 96-139 months). PROs including visual analog scale for pain (preoperative, 3.8 ± 1.2; midterm, 0.9 ± 1.7; long-term, 0.8 ± 1.4), mHHS (preoperative, 66.4 ± 14.4; midterm, 92.8 ± 12.3; long-term, 93.5 ± 10.5), NAHS (preoperative, 45.2 ± 16.2; midterm, 81.8 ± 15.3; long-term, 83.1 ± 12.9), and iHOT-12 (preoperative, 48.4 ± 15.6; midterm, 69.3 ± 11.7; long-term, 72.7 ± 11.4) were improved at both midterm and long-term follow-up (all with P < .001). In total, 27 (96.4%), 28 (100%), and 26 (92.9%) patients achieved MCID for mHHS, NAHS and iHOT-12, respectively, at the long-term follow-up. No significant difference was found in any of the PROs and the rate of achieving MCID between midterm and long-term follow-up (all with P > .05). One patient (3.6%) underwent revision surgery. Among the 23 patients who had loose bodies on preoperative CT or radiographs, 14 patients (60.9%) with residual loose bodies evident on immediate postoperative CT demonstrated lower NAHS ( P = .045) and iHOT-12 ( P = .037) scores but a comparable survival ( P > .05) at long-term follow-up compared with those who did not have loose bodies.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic treatment for hip synovial chondromatosis achieved satisfactory long-term clinical outcomes with strong survival. Most patients maintained or improved their overall functional status between midterm and long-term follow-up. Furthermore, patients with residual loose bodies had less favorable clinical outcomes, although the survival rate was comparable.
Help-Seeking from Victim Services, Personal Networks, and Reporting to Police: Stalking Victim Behaviors from the 2019 NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey
Authors: Wengloski Christine E. , Cleary Hayley M. D.
Published: August 2024

Understanding the predictors of stalking victimization, help-seeking behaviors of stalking victims, and their reporting to police can help law enforcement and advocates improve systems and ensure they are accessible and useful to victims. Existing stalking research focuses heavily on campus-based stalking, non-nationally representative populations, and/or dated data collection methods, such as the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey, Supplemental Victimization Survey (NCVS-SVS), an instrument that has been updated according to current stalking definitions. This study employs the latest 2019 NCVS-SVS to analyze its new stalking screening questions and additional variables. We identified predictors of (a) stalking victimization, (b) help-seeking from victim-serving agencies, (c) help-seeking from personal networks, and (d) reporting to police. Predictors of stalking victimization included younger age, identifying as female, identifying as not heterosexual, household incomes below $50,000, and any college attendance. Victims who knew their offenders (intimate or non-intimate) were more likely than victims of stranger stalking to seek help from victim-serving agencies and personal networks. Younger victims were more likely to seek help from personal networks. None of the variables we examined predicted reporting to police. This study shows the characteristics of stalking victims have stayed consistent over time but highlights an ongoing need for resources for victims of stranger stalking, who may not know about or be able to access stalking services that are offered by intimate partner violence agencies. Future research around stalking victim characteristics should focus on populations that are newly included in national stalking data, such as those who identify as transgender and sexual identity minorities.
Study of the comfortable efficiency of the automobile using the seat’s Negative-Stiffness-Structure via two mathematical models
Authors: Li Tao , Yang Guixing
Published: August 2024

The isolating performance of NSS (Negative-Stiffness-Structure) on ameliorating the automotive’s comfortable in all vertical, pitching, and rolling directions has been not studied yet. Thus, two vibration models of the automobile including the two-dimensional (2-D) model and three-dimensional (3-D) model are built to evaluate automobile’s comfortable efficiency under various conditions. The reduction of the seat and automobile accelerations has been used as an evaluation index. Results present that seat’s vertical acceleration using NSS is evidently improved compared without NSS in two models of the automobile. Especially, the seat’s root-mean-square acceleration with NSS is strongly deteriorated by 65.1% with 2-D model and reduced by 69.7% with 3-D model in comparison without NSS. However, the seat’s NSS does not affect the pitching vibration of the automobile’s body. Besides, from the comparison results between 2-D and 3-D models, seat’s NSS could strongly ameliorate the comfortable efficiency in both vertical and rolling vibrations while the seat’s NSS does not affect improving the automobile’s pitching angle of the automobile. Therefore, to fully assess NSS’s isolating performance as well as improve the comfortable efficiency of the automobile in all vibration directions, 3-D model of the automobile should be used.
Evaluation of mixtures of flavor chemicals in a 90-day nose-only exposures in sprague-dawley rats
Authors: Oldham Michael J , Desai Rahat Wadhwa , Randazzo James , Walling Brent E , Lalonde Guy , Weil Roxana
Published: August 2024

Background

One of the challenges to using some flavor chemicals in aerosol products is the lack of route of administration specific toxicology data.

Methods

Flavor chemicals (88) were divided into four different flavor mixtures based upon chemical compatibility and evaluated in 2-week dose-range-finding and subsequent 90-day nose-only rodent inhalation studies (OECD 413 and GLP compliant). Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to vehicle control or one of three increasing concentrations of each flavor mixture.

Results

In the dose-range-range-finding studies, exposure to flavor mixture four resulted in adverse nasal histopathology in female rats at the high dose, resulting in this flavor mixture not being evaluated in a 90-day study. In the 90-day studies daily exposures to the three flavor mixtures did not induce biologically meaningful adverse effects (food consumption, body weights, respiratory physiology, serum chemistry, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and terminal organ weights). All histopathology findings were observed in both vehicle control and flavor mixture exposed animals, with similar incidences and/or severities, and therefore were not considered flavor mixture related.

Conclusion

Based on the absence of adverse effects, the no-observed-adverse-effect concentration for each 90-day inhalation study was the highest dose tested, 2.5 mg/L of the aerosolized high dose of the three flavor mixtures.
Risk Tolerance in Investment Decisions: Are Personality Traits the Real Triggers?
Authors: Mukhdoomi Azra Mehraj , Shah Farooq Ahmad
Published: August 2024

Purpose:

Investment decisions of investors are strongly influenced by their risk tolerance. Previous research suggests that risk tolerance is influenced by various social, economic, demographic and psychological factors. This research aims to extend the investigative line of inquiry regarding the influence of one such psychological factor, that is, personality, on the risk tolerance of small investors without limiting their asset class or classifying them into any groups.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

A quantitative research method is used to measure personality traits and risk tolerance in the investment decisions of small investors in Kashmir. The study uses a structured questionnaire adopted in parts from various established scales to collect data from small investors. Correlations and multiple regression have been used to arrive at the results.

Findings:

Results of the study indicated that extrovert and open-to-experience individuals showed tolerance to risk. In contrast, conscientious, neurotic and agreeable individuals were risk-averse in the geographical location considered for this study. The results imply that financial advisors must consider the personality traits of investors when giving investment advice to small investors.

Practical Implications:

It becomes essential for financial planners and advisors to follow an investor-centric approach wherein they consider the personal characteristics of individuals when giving investment advice, and they must design the portfolios/investment avenues according to the investors’ personalities. The results of this study show that investors with different characters have different risk-taking capabilities, and a particular investor will feel comfortable investing in a specific risk-class asset.

Originality/Value:

There is no study or research about the influence of personality traits on risk tolerance in investment decisions in this particular geographical area, that is, Kashmir. Therefore, this study will contribute significantly towards understanding investor behaviour and help financial advisors and investment bankers suggest appropriate investment avenues.
Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials on Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Pediatric Heart Diseases
Authors: Guan Chaokun , Guo Linjuan , Liang Shucheng
Published: August 2024

Background

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been widely applied in adults for thrombosis prophylaxis. However, the effect of DOACs in pediatric patients with congenital or acquired heart diseases who need anticoagulation therapy remains unclear.

Methods

We systematically searched the databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, as well as the ClinicalTrials.gov registry and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform until June 2024 to identify relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs). If the number of included studies was less than 5, we performed a narrative review to assess the effect of DOACs in pediatric patients.

Results

Four studies were included. In the UNIVERSE study, thrombotic events occurred in 2% of the rivaroxaban group and 9% of the aspirin group, with bleeding events in 36% and 41%, respectively. The ENNOBLE-ATE study showed no thromboembolic events in the edoxaban group and 1.7% in the SOC group (rate difference: −0.07%, 95% CI: −0.22 to 0.07%). Major bleeding rates were similar (rate difference: −0.03%, 95% CI: −0.18 to 0.12%). The SAXOPHONE trial showed no thromboembolic events in either group and similar major bleeding rates (−0.8%, 95% CI: −8.1 to 3.3%). In the DIVERSITY trial, 81% of dabigatran patients achieved the primary outcome versus 59.3% in the SOC group (Odds ratio: 0.342, 95% CI: 0.081–1.229). No major bleeding occurred in either group.

Conclusion

Existing studies suggest that the use of DOACs hold promise as an effective and safe alternative for preventing and treating thromboembolism in pediatric patients with heart conditions.
A Qualitative Study of School Nurses’ Experience of Secondary Trauma
Authors: Grano Catherine
Published: August 2024

This qualitative descriptive study explored school nurses’ experiences of exposure to reports of trauma from those in their care. Online interviews of school nurses practicing in NJ, USA, were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The study found that school nurses were exposed to reports of others’ trauma to varying degrees, with those serving in urban settings reporting more stories of exposure than those in suburban settings. Reports included numerous, layered traumas at the community and individual levels, including students’ poverty-related adversity and psychological distress. Qualitative content analysis revealed four categories: Health Office as Safe Haven, Challenges Working Within the School Model, Things That We Hear: Reports of Trauma, and The Ripple Effect of Trauma. School-based challenges included a lack of collaboration, misunderstanding of the school nurse's role, and workload issues such as competing demands and limited time and resources. School nurses reported focusing on the individual's immediate needs and processing the experience afterward. They acknowledged they can only do so much, and shared stories of coping and resilience. Additional education, resources, and support in addressing student trauma can enhance the provision of school nursing services and support the well-being of school nurses, students, and staff. Further research is warranted with a larger and more diverse sample of school nurses, including attention to school nurse wellness and resilience strategies.
Atypical presentation of a lymphangioma as a conjunctival horn
Authors: Monteiro Catarina , Pires Graça , Veiga Ricardo , Ferreira Mara , Prieto Isabel
Published: August 2024

Conjunctival lymphangiomas are rare hamartomas of lymphatic origin that are usually located in the bulbar conjunctiva. They commonly present either as focal or diffuse bulbar chemosis or as dilatation of lymphatic vessels that resembles an isolated cyst or a group of cysts. There can be bleeding inside the lymphangioma resulting in “chocolate cysts”. 1 We report the unusual case of a conjunctival lymphangioma on a 36 year-old male that presented as a large horn-like protruding structure. The lesion was surgically removed with simple excision associated with cryotherapy to the lesion's borders, as malignancy could not be ruled out preoperatively. Histopathological examination revealed a lymphangioma composed of an ill-defined proliferation of dilated lymphatic channels in the lamina propria, underlying conjunctival epithelium with squamous metaplasia, acanthosis and hyperkeratosis. One year postoperatively, the patient remains asymptomatic and without recurrence of the lesion.
#Nature is trending: Social media, viral landscapes, and digital environmental activism in Oman
Authors: Smith Sean P.
Published: August 2024

Influenced by social media and COVID-19, human relations with ‘nature’ are increasingly shaped by media infrastructures and logics, leading to a global surge of interest in nature tourism and outdoor activities. This article examines the mediatization of relations with nature—or, the more-than-human world—in the Arabian Gulf country of Oman, where nature tourism has developed in the past decade. Through a mixed-methods approach involving fieldwork and interviews between 2022–2024, relations with nature in Oman are shown to be informed by global social media logics, as with the trend of ‘viral landscapes’ in which a nature destination is popularized due to its high value in social media attention economies. However, local practices are also platformed, as Instagram users in Oman exploit three affordances to address the environmental problem of litter. Mediatization may thus entail a circulation of global discourses and practices as well as the emergence of syncretic sociocultural formations.
Intersectional methods to study the intellectual production of a Black female samba composer
Authors: Furtado Lucianna , Guimarães Corrêa Laura
Published: August 2024

We discuss the concept of love presented in a set of songs composed by Brazilian samba singer Dona Ivone Lara about romantic and sexual relationships. Popular music is a pervasive kind of media, reflecting ideas, values, power relations, practices, prejudices and privileges. Black music in the diaspora has been a counter-hegemonic space of knowledge production which provides insight into cultural, social, economic and political matters. To analyze the songs, we created a methodology which intersects themes and categories, reflecting upon the complexity of Black women's experiences depicted in Lara's intellectual production. Adopting an intersectional approach, we concluded that the combined oppressions of gender, race, age and class in Brazil have an important influence in the melancholic aspect of banzo in her songs. The results also show that love, for Lara, is not a fixed or permanent feeling, but a cycle, renewed and reinvented in practice and in constant motion.
Assessment of biodegradability and biocompatibility: An experimental and comparative analysis of magnesium and magnesium-(zinc-tin)/hydroxyapatite composites
Authors: Narayanappa Chandrahasa Chowdeswarihalli , Nagappan Beemkumar , Vignesh P , Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
Published: August 2024

This study presents the fabrication and comparative assessment of biodegradation and biocompatibility behaviors of pure Mg, Mg/HA (Hydroxyapatite), Mg-Zn/HA, and Mg-Sn/HA composites with fixed 5 wt% HA and 1 wt% each of Zn and Sn, using novel ultrasonic-assisted rheo casting technology. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy integrated with energy dispersive spectroscopy, were employed to analyze phase formation, surface morphology, and elemental composition. Microhardness tests were conducted to assess indentation resistance, while in vitro corrosion performance was evaluated in simulated bodily fluid to compare degradation behavior. Results indicate a uniform distribution of reinforced particles within the matrix with minimal casting defects. Intermetallic phases MgZn and Mg2Sn precipitated along grain boundaries in Mg-Zn/HA and Mg-Sn/HA composites. The Mg-Sn/HA composite exhibited peak microhardness (94.8 HV) due to precipitation strengthening. In contrast, Mg-Zn/HA samples showed a low degradation rate (0.19 mm/yr) and H2 gas evolution rate (0.035 ml/mm2), attributed to uniform distribution of secondary phases and fine grains that mitigate galvanic cell formation and control degradation. Cell viability assay results demonstrated that Mg-Zn/HA composite outperformed all other samples, showing a 94% relative cell growth rate of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells after 2 h of incubation, attributed to strong apatite formation (rich in Ca and P) on the surface post-immersion, promoting cell proliferation.
Advancements in the Regulatory Role of microRNAs in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Authors: Deng Wei
Published: August 2024

microRNAs (miRNAs), tiny, non-coding RNA molecules, fine-tune the expression of target genes through interacting with mRNAs. These miRNAs are involved in a wide range of biological processes, encompassing cell division, death, blood cell production, and tumor development. When these miRNAs become dysfunctional, they can promote the invasion and spread of cancer cells in various human malignancies, including leukemia. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the preeminent malignancy affecting children, is a blood cancer marked by the uncontrollable growth of immature lymphoid cells that displace healthy blood precursors in the bone marrow. Despite a decline in ALL mortality rates over the past two decades, a significant proportion of deaths still results from a lack of effective diagnostic and prognostic markers that can guide treatment decisions and overcome drug resistance. The analysis of miRNA expression patterns in ALL could lead to more precise disease classification, earlier diagnosis, and better prognostic outcomes in the near future. The connection between miRNA dysfunction and the biology of ALL suggests that these molecules could represent promising therapeutic targets. Therefore, this review delves into the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in pediatric ALL, exploring how miRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies offer unique advantages and hold promise for clinical applications.
Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Robotic Versus Conventional Completion Thyroidectomy: A 10-year Experience
Authors: Hussein Mohammad , Issa Peter P. , LaForteza Alexandra , Omar Mahmoud , Magazine Brandon , Abdelhady Ali , Hossam Eslam , Shama Mohamed , Toraih Eman , Kandil Emad
Published: August 2024

Background

Robotic thyroidectomy is gaining popularity, yet its role in completion thyroidectomy remains unclear. We aimed to compare robotic vs conventional completion thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed patients undergoing completion thyroidectomy from 2010-2020, either by conventional open technique (n = 87) or a robotic remote-access approach (n = 44). Outcomes were compared between groups.

Results

A total of 131 patients were included. The robotic cohort was younger (45.3 ± 14.0 vs 55.5 ± 14.5 years, P < 0.001) with a lower BMI (25.9 ± 5.5 vs 33.7 ± 7.8 kg/m2, P < 0.001). Operative time was longer for robotic procedures (139 min vs 99 min, P < 0.001). Hospital stay was shorter after robotic surgery, with 25% discharged the same day as compared to 5.7% in the open thyroidectomy cohort ( P = 0.006). Overall rates of complication were comparable ( P = 0.65). Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 4.6% of patients, which was similar between both cohorts ( P = 0.66).

Conclusion

Robotic completion thyroidectomy appears safe and effective, achieving shorter hospitalization than conventional open approaches despite longer operative times. Appropriate patient selection and surgical technique optimization are key. Larger prospective studies should investigate costs and long-term patient-reported outcomes.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Propensity-Score Matched Studies
Authors: Deng Shidong , Liu Lingzhi , Wang Yurou , Zhou Chuan , Zhang Huihui
Published: August 2024

Background

The effectiveness of laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (LNU) vs open nephroureterectomy (ONU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is unclear.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis of studies based on propensity score-matched cohorts to compare the surgical and oncological outcomes of LNU and ONU in UTUC patients. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library until July 12, 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was utilized to assess the quality of eligible studies. Measurements of surgical and oncological outcomes were extracted and pooled including mean difference (MD), risk ratio (RR), hazard ratios (HR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Five high-quality retrospective studies were included, totaling 6422 patients; 2080 (32.4%) underwent LNU, and 4342 (67.6%) underwent ONU. With respect to surgical outcomes, patients in the LNU group experienced less estimated blood loss and had shorter hospital stay than those in the ONU group, but there was no significant difference in complication rates and operation time. In regard to oncological outcomes, there were no significant differences between the LNU and ONU groups in 3-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). However, 3-year intravesical recurrence free survival (IVRFS) was worse in the LNU group compared to the ONU group.

Conclusion

LNU was associated with less estimated blood loss and shorter hospital stays than ONU, but there were no differences in OS and CSS between the surgical modalities. Nonetheless, LNU might result in poorer IVRFS than ONU.
Ideological and Populist Bases of Partisan Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Latin America
Authors: de la Cerda Nicolás , Hartlyn Jonathan , Martinez-Gallardo Cecilia
Published: August 2024

This research note explores variation in how political parties and presidents in Latin America responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on the Chapel Hill Expert Survey-Latin America (CHES-LA), we argue that preferences regarding the trade-off between virus containment and maintaining an open economy were shaped by the ideological positions of presidents and parties, particularly for more programmatic ones. This is largely consistent with findings in other world regions. Yet, beyond ideological orientation, populism, also had an important – though heterogeneous – effect on response preferences, with non-populists, particularly highly programmatic ones, more consistently supporting virus containment. In addition, both incumbents and more populist presidents and parties favoured further concentration of executive power to address the pandemic. These findings provide evidence of the importance of understanding how ideology, populism and programmatic linkages interact in Latin America’s party systems.