bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous neighbourhood effects on the educational attainments of native Norwegian and immigrant-descendant female and male young adults
Authors: Santiago Anna Maria , Galster George C , Magnusson Turner Lena
Published: April 2024

Using longitudinal register data from Oslo, Norway, this article examines how cumulative childhood exposure to family and neighbourhood contexts influences the educational attainments of young adults, paying special attention to how these determinants vary by gender and immigrant status. Specifically, we examine how neighbourhood socioeconomic and immigrant context experienced during childhood affects the completion of secondary school and university enrolment during young adulthood. We assess the extent of effect heterogeneity for three immigrant status groups stratified by gender. We control for geographical selection using a recently developed technique that first models parental selection of neighbourhood attributes and then uses the resulting predicted probabilities of selection as instruments in the neighbourhood-effects-on-education model. We find that neighbourhood affluence, educational levels and non-Western immigrant composition have important impacts on young adult educational outcomes, though results differ sharply by gender and immigrant status.
Learner Experiences of Mobile Apps and Artificial Intelligence to Support Additional Language Learning in Education
Authors: Yuen Connie Levina , Schlote Nadja
Published: April 2024

This study examines learners’ experiences and the use of language learning applications (“apps”) as a primary source of second or additional language learning (“L2”) instruction and assessment in higher education. It purviews the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features that support technology-enhanced language learning experiences. Principles of pedagogy, heutagogy, and self-determination theory are used to inform the appropriate design and application of AI to support language learning. We examine the congruence between learner's goals with perceived outcomes following a 4-week language learning intervention using an app. A survey of n = 151 adult learners across two Canadian universities revealed: (a) apps are perceived as an engaging, convenient, and structured approach to early stages of L2 learning and (b) the integration of AI for conversation-based simulations or speech recognition would enable more adaptive, personalized L2 learning experiences. The authors discuss implications for future developments and AI uptake for language learning apps.
The Cropland Expansionary Dynamics of Agricultural Production in Latin America: A Panel Study of Fourteen Countries, 1970-2016
Authors: Smolski Andrew R. , Clark Timothy P.
Published: April 2024

In this study, we employ a critical political economy framework for an empirical analysis of environmental withdrawals from agricultural production in Latin America. Namely, we focus on the role of export-orientation and trade direction of food as drivers of cropland footprint expansion in (semi-)periphery countries. Following the literature on the treadmill of production, ecological unequal exchange, and extractivism, we reason that (semi-)peripheries are structured to produce agricultural primary goods that rely on expansionary cropland dynamics. To test this claim, we utilize a panel study of fourteen countries in Latin America from 1970 to 2016. We collected data from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Global Footprints Network. Results from the study show that export-orientation and trade direction have a positive relationship with the dependent variable, cropland footprint. The results confirm the basic model presented by critical political economy, that (semi-)peripheries are structured toward increasing environmental withdrawals as a part of their agricultural production.

Este estudio emplea un marco crítico de economía política para realizar un análisis empírico de las formas de extracción de recursos naturales en la producción agrícola de América Latina. Nos centramos en el papel propulsor que juegan la orientación hacia la exportación y la dirección comercial de los alimentos en la expansión y huella ecológica de las tierras de cultivo en países (semi)periféricos.

Basándonos en la literatura que analiza el espiral de la producción, el intercambio ecológico desigual y el extractivismo, sugerimos que las (semi)periferias han sido estructuradas para producir bienes agrícolas primarios que dependen de la dinámica expansiva de las tierras de cultivo. Para probar esta afirmación, utilizamos un estudio de panel de catorce países de América Latina desde 1970 hasta 2016.

Recopilamos datos del Banco Mundial, el Fondo Monetario Internacional y la Red Global de la Huella Ecológica. Los resultados del estudio muestran que la orientación hacia la exportación y la dirección del comercio tienen una relación positiva con la variable dependiente, la huella ecológica que dejan las tierras de cultivo. Los resultados también confirman la existencia del modelo básico sugerido por la economía política crítica, según el cual la estructura de las (semi)periferias se encuentra dirigida hacia el aumento de la extracción ambiental como parte de su producción agrícola.
Effectiveness of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for patients with left ventricular assist device: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Yujin , Wu Yawen , Wei Shilin , Lu Sijie , Zhao Jianting , Zhang Yanchun , Wu Xiangyang , Zhang Xiaowei , Li Yongnan
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) improves functional capacity in heart failure (HF). However, data on the effect of EBCR in patients with advanced HF and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are limited. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of EBCR on the functional ability of LVAD patients by comparing the corresponding outcome indicators between the EBCR and ST groups.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Clinical Trials, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies assessing and comparing the effects of EBCR and standard therapy (ST) in patients following LVAD implantation. Using pre-defined criteria, appropriate studies were identified and selected. Data from selected studies were extracted in a standardized fashion, and a meta-analysis was performed using a fixed-effects model. The protocol was registered on INPLASY (202340073).

Results

In total, 12 trials involving 477 patients were identified. The mean age of the participants was 52.9 years, and 78.6% were male. The initiation of EBCR varied from LVAD implantation during the index hospitalization to 11 months post-LVAD implantation. The median rehabilitation period ranged from 2 weeks to 18 months. EBCR was associated with improved peak oxygen uptake (VO2) in all trials. Quantitative analysis was performed in six randomized studies involving 214 patients (EBCR: n = 130, ST: n = 84). EBCR was associated with a significantly high peak VO2 (weighted mean difference [WMD] = 1.64 mL/kg/min; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-3.08; p = .03). Similarly, 6-min walk distance (6MWD) showed significantly greater improvement in the EBCR group than in the ST group (WMD = 34.54 m; 95% CI, 12.47-56.42; p = .002) in 266 patients (EBCR, n = 140; ST, n = 126). Heterogeneity was low among the included trials. None of the included studies reported serious adverse events related to EBCR, indicating the safety of EBCR after LVAD implantation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that EBCR following LVAD implantation is associated with greater improvement in functional capacity compared with ST as reflected by the improved peak VO2 and 6MWD values. Considering the small number of patients in this analysis, further research on the clinical impact of EBCR in LVAD patients is warranted.
Clinical outcomes and future fertility after uterine artery embolization for postpartum and post-abortion hemorrhage
Authors: Chatani Shohei , Inoue Akitoshi , Lee Tokuko , Uemura Ryo , Imai Yugo , Takaki Kai , Tomozawa Yuki , Murakami Yoko , Sonoda Akinaga , Tsuji Shunichiro , Watanabe Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2024

Background

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and post-abortion hemorrhage (PAH) are life-threatening conditions.

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of uterine arterial embolization (UAE) for PPH and PAH and to investigate future fertility after UAE.

Material and Methods

This study included 57 consecutive patients (mean age = 34 years) who underwent UAE for PPH (n = 46) and PAH (n = 11) at our institution between January 2011 and December 2022. Technical success, non-visualization of the peripheral portion of bilateral uterine arteries on angiography, and clinical success, complete hemostasis after UAE, were assessed. UAE-associated complications and factors related to clinical success were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes after UAE and complications during subsequent pregnancy were investigated in 16 patients who desired fertility and were followed up for >1 year.

Results

The technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 84.2%, respectively. Sepsis (n = 1) and uterine empyema (n = 1) were observed as severe complications. Placental disorder, bleeding within 24 h after delivery or abortion, ≥1.5 shock index, ≥6 units of transfusion erythrocytes, and ≥8 obstetrical disseminated intravascular coagulation score were significantly associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. In total, 16 pregnancies were observed in 12 patients after UAE, three of which were miscarriages and 13 were successful live births. During pregnancy, uterine rupture (n = 1) and accreta (n = 1) were observed.

Conclusion

UAE is an effective treatment for PPH and PAH. Although UAE could preserve future fertility, careful attention should be paid to perinatal management for unusual complications.
COVID-19-induced acute loss of consciousness in Marchiafava–Bignami disease: a case report
Authors: Tian Jie , Wang Hai-li , Li Shuang-jie , Shi Chang-he
Published: April 2024

Among the various manifestations of COVID-19, the neurological implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection are of significant concern. Marchiafava–Bignami disease (MBD), a neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits a clinical spectrum ranging from mild progressive dementia in its chronic form to states of acute coma and varied mortality rates. Acute MBD primarily occurs in chronic alcoholics and malnourished individuals and is characterized by sudden loss of consciousness, seizures, confusion, and psychosis. We herein report a case of MBD presenting as acute loss of consciousness after the development of COVID-19. The patient presented with a history of fever and upper respiratory infection and was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. He developed a neurological syndrome characterized by altered consciousness and convulsions, and brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal signals in the corpus callosum and frontoparietal lobes. Considering his alcohol intake history and the absence of other differential diagnoses, we diagnosed him with acute MBD triggered by COVID-19. After high-dose vitamin B1 and corticosteroid therapy, his clinical symptoms improved. In this case, we observed a temporal sequence between the development of COVID-19 and acute exacerbation of MBD. This case adds to the mounting evidence suggesting the potential effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the neurological system.
Analyzing Aggressive Cycling Behaviors of E-Bikers in Guangzhou through Structural Equation Models
Authors: Liu Jianrong , Huang Xiaohan
Published: April 2024

Road collisions are frequently attributed to aggressive behavior. With electric bicycles gaining substantial popularity as a means of transportation in China, it has become imperative to investigate the factors influencing aggressive cycling behavior among e-bikers. In this study, data on the aggressive riding of e-bikers in Guangzhou City, China, were collected through an online questionnaire. The analysis of this aggressive cycling behavior employed three models: the theory of planned behavior, the prototype willingness model, and an integrative model that combined constructs from both models, along with descriptive norms and trait anger. The prototype willingness model showed a moderately higher capacity for explaining variance compared with the theory of planned behavior, whereas the integrative model performed slightly better than the prototype willingness model in elucidating the variance in the aggressive cycling behavior of e-bikers. Two psychological factors that highlight social situations—subjective norms and descriptive norms—significantly affected the intentions and behaviors related to aggressive riding on e-bikes, respectively. Intention, willingness, and behavior of aggressive cycling were found to be influenced by the individual’s trait anger. Willingness had a much stronger influence on behavior than the other constructs. The study suggests that aggressive riding behavior among e-bikers primarily results from a social reactive pathway rather than a reasoned one.
Investigation on the flexural–tensile behaviour of CFRP tendon composite anchorage system
Authors: Li Xue , Mei Kuihua , Wang Yuanzhi , Li Yu , Sun Shiyu
Published: April 2024

The cable at the anchorage end is in a bending–tension condition in service due to the variable loads. A new composite anchorage system was proposed to study the flexural–tensile behaviour of the anchorage system with CFRP tendon. Four groups of single-tendon composite anchorage and three groups of five-tendon composite anchorage with bend restrictor were tested. Besides, one group of five-tendon composite anchorage without bend restrictor was tested as a control group. The effects of the bending angle, inner cone angle of the steel barrel and pre-tension force on the flexural–tensile behaviour of the anchorage system were investigated. The internal force state of the tendon inducing different failure modes was analysed. A finite element method was used to analyse the failure mechanism of the anchorage system under the bending–tension condition. Moreover, the flexural–tensile behaviours of the anchorage systems with different elastic moduli of the bonding medium were compared. Results showed that the efficiency coefficients of the composite anchorage with multi-tendon exceeded 0.9 when the end bending angle was less than 4.2°. The setting of the bending restrictor improves the flexural–tensile bearing capacity of the anchorage system and increases the maximum allowable bending angle. A larger bending angle will lead to a faster increase in the transverse shear stress at the loading end. Furthermore, increasing the pre-tension force can prompt the cooperation ability of the tendons and reduce the ultimate slips, thus improving the ultimate load-bearing capacity of the anchorage. The increase in the elastic modulus remarkably reduces the slip of the tendon, but increases the shear stress at the loading end under the bending–tension condition.
Core Palliative Care Competencies for Undergraduate Nursing Education: International Multisite Research Using Online Nominal Group Technique
Authors: Hökkä Minna , Ravelin Teija , Coupez Veerle , Vereecke Danny , Brennan Joanne , Mathe Teodora , Brandstötter Cornelia , Paal Piret , Spanu Daniela Elena , Mitrea Nicoleta
Published: April 2024

Background: Nurses should have appropriate education and required competencies to provide high-quality palliative care. The aim of this international multisite study was to list and evaluate core palliative care competencies that European nurses need to achieve in their education to provide palliative care. Methods: The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used as a data collection method. NGT meetings were organized in four European countries. Targeted groups of palliative care professionals with diverse contextual and professional backgrounds participated in the NGTs. The research question was: “What are the core competencies in palliative care that need to be achieved during undergraduate nursing education?” Data analysis was done in two stages: grouping the top 10 answers based on similarities and thematic synthesis based on all the ideas produced during the NGTs. Results: Palliative care core competencies based on the research were (1) competence in the characteristics of palliative care; (2) competence in decision-making and enabling palliative care; (3) symptom management competence in palliative care; (4) competence in holistic support in palliative care; (5) active person- and family-centered communication competence in palliative care; (6) competence in empathy in palliative care; (7) spiritual competence in palliative care; (8) competence in ethical and legal issues in palliative care; (9) teamwork competence in palliative care; and (10) self-awareness and self-reflection competence in palliative care. Conclusions: It was possible to find differences and similarities in the top 10 palliative care core competencies from different countries. Thematic synthesis of all the data showed that there were various competencies needed for nursing students to provide quality palliative care.
Childhood Violence, High School Academic Environment, and Adult Alcohol Use Among Latinas and Black Women: A Structural Equation Modeling Study
Authors: Capasso Ariadna , Tozan Yesim , DiClemente Ralph J. , Pahl Kerstin
Published: April 2024

Objective:

Young Latinas and Black women drink less than women of other racial/ethnic groups but experience more alcohol-related problems in midlife. This study aims to identify modifiable factors to prevent adult onset of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in this population.

Methods:

Data were collected at six time points as part of the Harlem Longitudinal Development Study from 365 Latinas (47%) and Black (53%) women (mean age at time 1 = 14, standard deviation 1.3). Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized pathways from childhood physical and sexual abuse to AUD via depressive mood, anxiety disorders, and somatic complaints in the 20s. We also tested the moderation effect of the high school academic environment by including in the structural equation model two latent variable interaction terms between the school environment and each of the abuse variables.

Results:

Childhood physical and sexual abuse was positively associated with depressive mood, anxiety disorders, and somatic complaints when participants were in the 20s. Depressive mood mediated childhood abuse and AUD when women were in the 30s. The high school academic environment attenuated the effect of physical, but not sexual abuse, on depressive mood (β = −0.59, B = −9.38, 95% CI [−14.00, −4.76]), anxiety symptoms (β = −0.61, B = −14.19, 95% CI [−21.76, −6.61]), appetite loss (β = −0.41, B = −10.52, 95% CI [−15.61, −5.42]), and sleeplessness (β = −0.50, B = −9.56, 95% CI [−13.95, −5.17]) in the early 20s.

Conclusions:

Our findings underscore the need to invest in early violence prevention interventions and in education to ensure equitable access to quality, academically oriented, and safe schools.
A predictive energy management strategy for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using real-time traffic based reference SOC planning
Authors: Wang Rong , Shi Xianrang , Su Yang , Song Tinglun
Published: April 2024

The fuel economy of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) is strongly affected by the battery state of charge (SOC) depletion pattern. This paper proposes and studies a real-time traffic-based SOC reference planning method. The method uses a dataset to collect and capture real traffic information and then enriches the dataset using a data augmentation method developed in this paper. The augmented dataset is optimized by dynamic programing (DP) algorithm to obtain the optimal reference SOC for model training. The traffic information and optimal reference SOC are processed and used to train a long-short term memory (LSTM) neural network, which is used for online reference SOC planning. Finally, a predictive energy management (PEM) strategy is adopted to follow the SOC reference by optimizing instantaneous power allocation with the predicted velocities. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the linear reference SOC planning method in both smooth and congested traffic scenarios.
Experimental study on combustion stability of a gas turbine model combustor under oxygen-lean conditions
Authors: Qin Shunchuang , Zhao Minwei , Zhang Zhihao , Tang Hui , Zhao Ningbo , Liu Xiao , Zheng Hongtao , Deng Fuquan
Published: April 2024

Flue gas recirculation has emerged as a promising low-NOx emission technology in advanced gas turbines, while the slower oxidation rate induced by the low oxygen content could potentially cause combustion instability. We conducted an experimental investigation in a single-nozzle swirl combustor to examine the impact of oxygen content, inlet flow rate as well as temperature on combustion instability under oxygen-lean conditions. The results show that reducing oxygen content from 23.3% to 21% leads to reduced amplitudes of pressure pulsation and exothermic pulsation, indicating improved combustion stability. However, further reduction in oxygen content to 18.6% causes a decrease in the combustion reaction rate, resulting in an increase in the amplitude of pressure pulsation. As the oxygen content drops to below 18.6%, the exothermic intensity decreases, which results in a decrease in the amplitude of pressure pulsation. Besides, under oxygen-lean conditions, increasing the inlet temperature is conducive to reducing the amplitude of pressure pulsation and enhancing combustion stability. Additionally, as the incoming flow rate increases from 7.4 to 9.9 m/s, the refined fuel atomization and improved uniformity of oil-gas mixing contributed to decreased pressure pulsation amplitude. Nonetheless, when the incoming flow rate further increases to 12 m/s, the amplitude of exothermic and pressure pulsation increases.
“Grace Space of Understanding”: The Third Space in Principal Leadership During the Covid Pandemic
Authors: Zoll James A. , Hardee Sheri C. , Hebert Beth
Published: April 2024

COVID-19 resulted in political backlash, public dissatisfaction, and the need for principals to create spaces to foster communication, implement change, monitor dissatisfaction, and foster wellness. Using the concept of the third space, we explore the dialogic and linguistic spaces K-12 leaders created while navigating this crisis. Employing a phenomenological approach, we interviewed 17 principals from 2021–22 who found themselves creating third spaces for collaboration around issues of academics, mental-health, political backlash, and community distrust. Leaders experienced growth, embraced vulnerability, and emerged stronger. Implications illustrate that experiential learning in third spaces could enhance preparation programs as related to future crisis management.
The Effect of Ugandan Coffee Farmers’ Role Identity on Their Experiential Learning
Authors: Ochago Robert , Dentoni Domenico , Mahdad Maral
Published: April 2024

Background: Although the literature on education and learning sciences determined how student identities influence their experiential learning process, this link is less clear in the agricultural context, where farmers have faced unique value chain challenges i.e., production to marketing. Purpose: This study contributes to examining how farmers’ role identities support or hamper farmers’ experiential learning processes. Methodology: First, a qualitative analysis of 91 interviews with coffee farmers in Uganda was carried out to understand the nature and relevance of farmers’ role identities. Second, using partial least squares regression-based path analysis, the moderating effect of 214 coffee farmers’ production role identity on their experiential learning was assessed. Findings: Findings reveal that farmers’ identification as coffee farmers shape what, how, and when they learn from their value chain challenges. Farmers’ role identity, in particular, supports their reflection on past challenges to increase their challenge-solving knowledge, as well as experimentation to solve their challenges. Implications: This study integrates role identity theories in the study of learning processes in rural coffee value chains. Moreover, the findings suggest that agricultural extension workers should understand farmers’ identities and their influence on their learning to select the targets and developments of their training programs.
A Conceptual Thematic Framework of Psychological Adjustment in Caregivers of Children with Craniofacial Microsomia
Authors: Stock Nicola M. , Costa Bruna , Parnell Jade , Johns Alexis L. , Crerand Canice E. , Billaud Feragen Kristin , Stueckle Laura P. , Mills Angela , Magee Leanne , Hotton Matthew , Tumblin Melissa , Schefer Amy , Drake Amelia F. , Heike Carrie L.
Published: April 2024

Objective

Children with craniofacial microsomia (CFM) have complex healthcare needs, resulting in evaluations and interventions from infancy onward. Yet, little is understood about families’ treatment experiences or the impact of CFM on caregivers’ well-being. To address this gap, the NIH-funded ‘Craniofacial microsomia: Accelerating Research and Education (CARE)’ program sought to develop a conceptual thematic framework of caregiver adjustment to CFM.

Design

Caregivers reported on their child's medical and surgical history. Narrative interviews were conducted with US caregivers ( n = 62) of children aged 3-17 years with CFM. Transcripts were inductively coded and final themes and subthemes were identified.

Results

Components of the framework included: 1) Diagnostic Experiences, including pregnancy and birth, initial emotional responses, communication about the diagnosis by healthcare providers, and information-seeking behaviors; 2) Child Health and Healthcare Experiences, including feeding, the child's physical health, burden of care, medical decision-making, surgical experiences, and the perceived quality of care; 3) Child Development, including cognition and behavior, educational provision, social experiences, and emotional well-being; and 4) Family Functioning, including parental well-being, relationships, coping strategies, and personal growth. Participants also identified a series of “high” and “low” points throughout their journey and shared their priorities for future research.

Conclusions

Narrative interviews provided rich insight into caregivers’ experiences of having a child with CFM and enabled the development of a conceptual thematic framework to guide clinical care and future research. Information gathered from this study demonstrates the need to incorporate evidence-based psychological support for families into the CFM pathway from birth onward.
Ethical Issues Confronting Namibian Hybrid Media Organizations in the Digital Age
Authors: Zviyita Itai , Mare Admire
Published: April 2024

There is a deep-seated realization that the uptake of digitization in newsrooms has necessitated the need for an ethical reformation. This article examines ethical issues confronting operations of selected Namibian hybrid media organizations. Using the Namibia Media Holdings and The Namibian as case studies, this article argues that the platformization of news work, ever-changing technological landscape, the immediacy of internet, media sustainability concerns, and the changing nature of public interest have reconfigured ethical decision-making in hybrid media organizations in Namibia. It demonstrates that although traditional journalism ethics are still relevant, there are new ethical issues confronting hybrid media organizations.
The Many Shades of Sexism: Female Journalists in Leadership Positions Reflect on Barriers to Career Advancement in Journalism
Authors: Urbániková Marína , Čaladi Tereza
Published: April 2024

Female journalists worldwide still struggle for adequate representation in leadership positions. This study contributes to the (mainly Western) scholarship on gender barriers in journalism by exploring the mechanism of vertical gender segregation in the journalistic profession in the Czech Republic, a non-Western country with the legacy of a women’s emancipation project sponsored by the former communist regime. Semi-structured interviews ( N = 17) with female journalists in leadership positions revealed five main barriers: overall gender inequality in the Czech society; family and household responsibilities; lower self-esteem and ambition in women; sexism and sexual harassment; and masculine newsroom culture and “old boys’ clubs.”
African American Language in Children’s Literature
Authors: Pittman Ramona T. , Piper Rebekah E. , McCoy Whitney , Alanis Melody
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study was to determine the most prevalent African American Language (AAL) phonological and grammatical features in slavery- and Civil Rights–themed children's literature. Seventy-six books were initially selected to determine if they used AAL in dialogue or in narration. Of the 76 books, only 39 included AAL. The 39 books were analyzed further to categorize the specific AAL features used. The results revealed that the reduction of the final g (e.g., thinkin’) was the most prevalent phonological feature. Moreover, phonological features were used more often in slavery-themed texts than in Civil Rights texts. Additionally, the most frequently used AAL grammatical features were negation tense markers (e.g., didn’t and neither) and subject-verb agreement ( he listen). Grammatical features of AAL appeared more often in slavery-themed texts than Civil Rights themed texts. Implications for practice include suggestions for selecting, evaluating, and reading the books from this study with students. Implications for research include investigating other AAL features in slavery- and Civil Rights-themed books, authenticating the storylines of slavery- and Civil Rights–themed books, and analyzing other books with AAL that do not use these themes.
Animal Handling Practice Among Rural Households in Northwest Ethiopia Increases the Risk of Childhood Diarrhea and Exposure to Pathogens From Animal Sources
Authors: Gizaw Zemichael , Yalew Alemayehu Worku , Bitew Bikes Destaw , Lee Jiyoung , Bisesi Michael
Published: April 2024

Background:

In Ethiopia, domestic animals and their feces are not properly contained. However, the risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens is not well documented. This study was conducted to assess animal handling practices and the risk of childhood diarrhea among rural households in northwest Ethiopia.

Methods:

This study was done among 403 randomly selected households. Information on animal handling was collected using a questionnaire and spot-check observation. The occurrence of childhood diarrhea in 14 days prior to the survey was assessed based on the reports of female head of households. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the association between animal handling practices and childhood diarrhea.

Results:

All the female head of households had contact with animal feces when preparing fuel disks and plastering the house components with animal dung. Domestic animals shared a corral within the living space of the humans in 20% of the households. Animals entered the human living quarters and accessed foods in 32% of the households. Moreover, 24% of the children aged 24 to 59 months had diarrhea in a 2-week period prior to the survey. Childhood diarrhea was associated with domestic animals sharing the same house as humans (AOR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.3, 8.6), presence of animal excreta in child playing areas (AOR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.6), contact of domestic animals with stored foods (AOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 2.0, 5.9), trapped dirt under fingernails of female heads (AOR: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.9, 7.5), open defecation (AOR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.8, 5.9), and unprotected sources (AOR: 4.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 15.3).

Conclusion:

Domestic animals and their excreta are not hygienically contained in the area. Animal handling practices including their excreta and the hygiene behavior of female head of households (eg, handwashing and food handling practices) should be improved to prevent childhood diarrhea.
‘An abundance of cakes’: Assigned female at birth queer joy and queer ethics across generations
Authors: Nicholas Lucy , Sullivan Corrinne T , Callahan Sarah
Published: April 2024

This paper charts how, in interviewing across generations of assigned female at birth (AFAB) queers in ‘Australia’ about their experiences of lateral violence in LGBTQ+ communities, we found dominant narratives of joy, solidarity and empathy across differences, generations and intersections that demonstrate the ongoing world-making inherent to queer communities. We chart the future-oriented, more utopian themes that came out, in particular around queer (as opposed to LGB) communities and the positive ethics and politics that emerge from and are forged in them.
Epistemologies with no name: Normalistas-teachers and their metaphorical knowledge
Authors: Fregoso Bailón Raul Olmo
Published: April 2024

Normalistas-teachers are not recognized as providers of epistemic insights in the development of knowledge. Canonical elites have excluded ordinary and anonymous people as active subjects in the epistemic construction of knowledge. In part, this is because normalistas-teachers make their epistemic contributions through non-traditional vehicles of knowledge, in other words, through metaphorical knowledge. This article looks at the case of one normalista-teacher, Vicky Rodríguez, and the epistemic insights she offers in one of her literary works, La Noria (The Water Borehole). This study addresses this research question: what epistemic notions does the normalista-teacher, Vicky Rodríguez, offer through her work, La Noria? This study utilizes the method of looking at the relationship between philosophy and literature developed by the Mexican–Catalan philosopher, Ramón Xirau, to study primary sources. The findings show how Vicky Rodríguez, like other normalistas-teachers, offers a critical epistemological notion of immediate power and whether or not there is a way of escape from it.
Enhancing graph drawings through edge bundling using clustering ensembles
Authors: Vieira Raissa dos Santos , do Nascimento Hugo Alexandre Dantas , Ferreira Joelma de Moura , Foulds Les
Published: April 2024

Edge bundling is a technique used to improve the readability of large graph drawings by grouping edges to reduce visual complexity. This paper treats this task as a clustering problem, using compatibility metrics to evaluate solutions in an optimization pipeline combined with a clustering ensemble approach. The aim is to present the Clustering Ensemble-based Edge Bundling (CEBEB) method for solving the General-based Edge Bundling (GBEB) problem and report results for some given graphs. The CEBEB method proved very promising and generated better solutions than an existing evolutionary algorithm. Additionally, the paper introduces a new ensemble algorithm, specific for the GBEB, and reviews some previous results.
Expecting the Expected? Documenting Nostalgia Effects on Baseball Card Prices
Authors: Aquino Michele J. , Gershenson Seth
Published: April 2024

Identifying anomalies, or empirical facts that contradict theoretical predictions, is a common form of proof by contradiction in economics and finance. We identify an apparent pricing anomaly in the market for trading cards: large and persistent death effects of about 20% are observed following the death of legendary baseball players. Rational investors should anticipate each player's eventual death, so these results suggest that profit opportunities are being left on the table. The arguably causal estimates come from interrupted time series models that adjust flexibly for time pre- and post-death and the time of sale using high-frequency sales data. The effect is largest in the days immediately following the death, but prices remain elevated for at least 60 days. Generally, our findings reaffirm the presence of a causal “nostalgia effect” of celebrity deaths on consumer demand for collectibles and products associated with the celebrity.
Endometrial Cancer Detection by DNA Methylation Analysis in Cervical Papanicolaou Brush Samples
Authors: Wang San-feng , Du Chong-yang , Li Mi , Wen Bin , Shen Qing-jun , Ma Fang , Zhang Liang , Deng Hua
Published: April 2024

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the leading gynecological cancer worldwide, yet current EC screening approaches are not satisfying. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the feasibility and capability of DNA methylation analysis in cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) brush samples for EC detection. Methods: We used quantitative methylation-sensitive PCR (qMS-PCR) to determine the methylation status of candidate genes in EC tissue samples, as well as cervical Pap brushes. The ability of RASSF1A and HIST1H4F to serve as diagnostic markers for EC was then examined in cervical Pap brush samples from women with endometrial lesions of varying degrees of severity. Results: Methylated RASSF1A and HIST1H4F were found in EC tissues. Further, methylation of the two genes was also observed in cervical Pap smear samples from EC patients. Methylation levels of RASSF1A and HIST1H4F increased as endometrial lesions progressed, and cervical Pap brush samples from women affected by EC exhibited significantly higher levels of methylated RASSF1A and HIST1H4F compared to noncancerous controls ( P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) analyses revealed RASSF1A and HIST1H4F methylation with a combined AUC of 0.938 and 0.951 for EC/pre-EC detection in cervical Pap brush samples, respectively. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that DNA methylation analysis in cervical Pap brush samples may be helpful for EC detection, broadening the scope of the commonly used cytological screening. Our proof-of-concept study provides new insights into the field of clinical EC diagnosis.
Transfer of Ideas and Exile Sociability in Paris, 1830–1848: A Localized Intellectual History
Authors: Creyghton Camille
Published: April 2024

In the 1830s and the 1840s, Paris was a gathering place for numerous political exiles from different nationalities, including Germans, Italians and Poles. The French capital offered them the opportunity to publish, debate and transnationally exchange ideas with one another in ways that were impossible in their home countries. This article develops a research perspective on these exiles that connects intellectual history with urban history and migration history. It proposes a localized intellectual history that studies how political thought emerges in interactions enabled by specific geographical contexts, in this case the Parisian urban landscape and metropolitan culture. The article first argues why the proposed connection between intellectual, urban and migration history needs to be made. Subsequently, three case studies are used to explore the methodological opportunities of this localized intellectual history: the salon of Marie d’Agoult, the Collège de France and the editorial offices of the German exile newspaper Vorwärts. While the three places largely differ in the kinds of sociability that they offered, the intended public and, by extension, the ways in which they stimulated the formation and exchange of ideas, they appear to be connected by the people who frequented them. It will be argued that focussing on these places enables us to study the process of intellectual transfer and how it is informed by the characteristics of very local geographies, which serve as junctions in the transnational contexts in which modern political ideas, such as nationalism itself, are produced.
World War II and the Theme of Genocide in the Public Memory of Socialist Yugoslavia
Authors: Sindbæk Andersen Tea
Published: April 2024

The internal Yugoslav massacres and genocide committed during the Second World War left the postwar Yugoslav state with a complicated legacy. How could the new authorities rebuild the country, drawing on the heroic memory of the victories of the communist-led partisans against the wartime occupiers and collaborators, while at the same time explaining the large-scale war crimes and genocide committed by Yugoslavs against other Yugoslavs? This article surveys the ways in which the internal Yugoslav war crimes were described and explained as part of public memory of the Second World War in Socialist Yugoslavia. It explores how the history of massacres and genocide coexisted with the glorious partisan myth and how the history of these massacres in a way contributed to creating a usable memory out of the Second World War. Moreover, it shows how wartime memory was profoundly changed when the history of internal Yugoslav massacres was increasingly understood as part of what Jasna Dragovic-Soso has called a ‘theme of genocide’ during the last decades of the socialist state. The article suggests that the thematisation may have been a logical and necessary rethinking of Second World War history. Yet, it also argues that the substantial revisiting of this history was sometimes accompanied by irresponsible manipulation which contributed to enabling highly problematic types of memory politics both during and after Yugoslavia's existence.
Ottó Kornis, a Forgotten Author and Survivor of the Nazi Camps
Authors: Tibori-Szabó Zoltán
Published: April 2024

In May 1944, at the age of 33, the lawyer and writer Ottó Kornis was crammed into a cattle car in his native Transylvanian town, Kolozsvár (in Romanian: Cluj; after 1974: Cluj-Napoca) with 72 of his fellow Jewish citizens, his parents included. They were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. His parents were murdered upon arrival. Out of all the passengers in that cattle car, only he and four other Jews survived the hell of the death and forced labour camps. As soon as he returned home, he wrote a book about his experience titled Smoke ( Füst), which was published in November 1945 in Cluj by the Minerva Literary and Printing Institute and was one of the very first books about the Nazi camps. The present study deals with Kornis’ career and fate from the early years of his youth until his death at the age of 38, only four years after the end of the war. It is a microhistory that explores the career and work of a celebrated and award-winning, then completely forgotten author. His life story reveals the central problems that preoccupied most of the survivors who returned from the Nazi camps to multi-ethnic Transylvania; it also helps to document the literary memorialisation of the Holocaust during the early post-war period.
Evaluation of stroke in pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive years: A multicenter ambispective cohort study in a low- to middle-income country
Authors: Dawood Muhammad Hamza , Mahmood Kauser , Roshan Mavra , Sherani Lailamah Rehman , Perveen Haseefa
Published: April 2024

Objective:

Early recognition of stroke symptoms and risk factors is important for timely intervention to improve outcomes. This study aimed to investigate differences in stroke frequency, risk factors, and presentation in pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive years.

Methods:

This multicenter ambispective cohort study, conducted from 4th August 2021 to 4th March 2023, examined strokes in women of reproductive years at the neurology outpatient/emergency department of five busiest/referred neuro-medical facilities in Karachi, Pakistan, where patients from across the nation are assessed. In all, 1210 patients were enrolled via consecutive or convenient sampling retrospectively from January 2017 to August 2021 and prospectively from August 2021 to March 2023. Pregnancy-related and non-pregnancy-related stroke occurrence and characteristics were compared using the chi-square/Fischer’s exact test.

Results:

56% were non-pregnancy-related strokes and 44% were pregnancy-related strokes with non-pregnancy-related strokes approximately equal throughout the reproductive years (15–24 years = 34%, 25–34 years = 25%, 35–45 years = 41%) and pregnancy-related stroke between 15 and 35 years (82%). In the non-pregnancy-related stroke, arterial stroke dominated (96.4%); while in pregnancy-related stroke, arterial stroke accounted for 61.4% and venous stroke for 38.6% of cases. Middle cerebral artery was a typical stroke site (66%). Infarction was the most significant CT/MRI finding (PRS = 89%, NPRS = 66%), with pregnancy-related stroke hemorrhagic stroke occurring in only 11% of cases and non-pregnancy-related stroke comprising one-third (34%). The most prevalent etiologies were eclampsia in pregnancy-related stroke (32%), hypertension in non-pregnancy-related stroke (40%), and cardiac problems among both groups (25%:33%). Weakness and headache were the common clinical manifestations among both groups. In the pregnancy-related and non-pregnancy-related stroke groups, the initial presentation of stroke resulted in severe disability for 91% and 75%, respectively. With timely treatment, the outcome improved significantly. The mortality rate was 7% for the pregnancy-related stroke group and 4% for the non-pregnancy-related stroke group.

Conclusions:

Our findings show that stroke is prevalent among reproductive-year women, posing a significant mortality risk if not adequately recognized and treated. Awareness, research, and screening of stroke risk factors and their often-overlooked early presentation (i.e., headache and weakness) in reproductive years are essential to reducing stroke occurrence among reproductive-year women.
Congenital continuous retrograde basilar flow suggests type B interrupted aortic arch in a neonate: A case report
Authors: Maertens Paul , Shrestha Diksha , Dolma Kalsang , Sucar-Marquez Jorge , Sharma Kamal
Published: April 2024

Reversed flow in the basilar artery can be acquired or congenital. Acquired reversed flow in the basilar artery can result from acute thrombosis of the basilar artery or retrograde vertebral artery flow. Congenital continuous retrograde basilar artery flow has not been described. We report a 2-day-old male presenting with hypocalcemic seizures which led us to obtain a Duplex echoencephalogram. An echocardiogram was subsequently ordered. In the coronal plane through the anterior fontanelle, retrograde flow was seen in the basilar artery and the right vertebral artery. In the axial plane through the temporal window, the flow was anteroposterior in both posterior communicating arteries. In the posterior cerebral arteries, the flow was retrograde in the P1 segment and anterograde in the P2 and P3 segments. An interrupted aortic arch was suspected. The echocardiogram showed a large perimembranous ventricular septal defect with bidirectional shunting, a hypoplastic and bicuspid aortic valve, an aortic arch interrupted between the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery (type B interrupted aortic arch), and a 5 mm patent ductus arteriosus with predominant right to left flow. Because of the patency of the large patent ductus arteriosus, our patient showed no sign of posterior circulation insufficiency. Prostaglandin E1 therapy was initiated immediately. Diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome was proven. The infant underwent interrupted aortic arch repair and anterograde flow was established in the basilar artery. We conclude that congenital asymptomatic continuous retrograde flow in the basilar artery and left vertebral artery is a medical emergency as it implies the presence of type B interrupted aortic arch with large patent ductus arteriosus in a neonate.