bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formación del docente universitario frente al contexto pluricultural, pluriétnico y plurilingüe
Authors: Guaita Lagua Zoila Clemencia , Guaita Lagua Luz Adelaida , Guaita Lagua Segundo Fidel , Guaita Lagua Segundo Martín
Published: December 2022

Introducción: en las últimas décadas, los pueblos indígenas y afrodescendientes del Ecuador y América Latina han venido logrando avances significativos en varios asuntos que competen a su calidad de vida. No obstante, estos avances son aún insuficientes en el campo educativo. Al respecto, la formación del docente universitario es trascendental para lograr la inclusión educativa de todos los alumnos de diferentes culturas. Puesto que, el docente con conocimientos de contexto pluricultural y plurilingüe contribuye a la aceptación de la complejidad de cada ser humano y reconoce que todos los actores educativos son pluriculturales y se puede trabajar juntos para lograr una sociedad intercultural. Objetivos: este trabajo investigativo se plantea con el propósito de identificar el rol docente universitario y su cumplimiento frente a la diversidad de sus estudiantes. De la misma manera identificar que andragogía se está utilizando para la inclusión de lo lingüístico, cultural, social, religioso y axiológico de los estudiantes. Metodología: esta investigación se realizó mediante un enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo que permitió apreciar la información obtenida sobre la práctica educativa incluyente en instituciones de pueblos originarios. La investigación se apoyó en la modalidad bibliográfica y de Campo con la sustentación teórica y acercamiento a la realidad educativa. El trabajo investigativo presenta un nivel exploratorio y descriptivo. Las técnicas que se aplicaron fueron la entrevista con una guía de 10 preguntas dirigidas a 20 docentes que laboran en diferentes Instituciones Educativas de educación superior. Resultados: los resultados expresan que las instituciones educativas no pueden seguir considerando como una educación compensatoria, si no es urgente crear condiciones necesarias para que los alumnos de diferentes culturas dispongas un tipo de procesos de aprendizaje pertinente a su realidad sociocultural. Área de estudio o rama de la ciencia:  Educación Básica
REGULATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF ROMANIA: CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
Authors: Sararu Catalin-Silviu
Published: December 2022

Background: In 2019, in Romania, a legislative event of special importance took place – the adoption of the Administrative Code. The scientific problem addressed in this article refers to the way in which the recently adopted Code realises the general regulation of public services respecting the best practices in order to create a good administration that is flexible and adaptable to the constantly changing needs of citizens today.
Methods: This article investigates how the general regulation of public services in the Administrative Code is realised, taking into account the trends manifested in the field at the EU level and in comparative law. The categories of public services with which the EU operates (services of general economic interest, non-economic services, and social services of general interest) and the concept of universal service are highlighted. Then, the principles of organisation and functioning of public services in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK are investigated. In a separate section, the challenges and limitations in the regulation of local public services are analysed critically against the Administrative Code of Romania, starting from the regulation of the EU and the good practices observed in comparative law.
Results and Conclusions: At the end of the article, I proposed we use the observations resulting from research on the Administrative Code to increase the degree of administrative convergence with the other member states of the EU.
O OLHAR DA PESQUISADORA SOBRE SUA TRAJETÓRIA INTELECTUAL
Authors: Zembruski Soeli Staub , Machado dos Santos Adelcio
Published: December 2022

O presente texto é resultado de pesquisa e reflexão sobre a identidade linguística da pesquisadora. Formada a partir de uma trajetória peculiar, a mesma é apresentada por meio de comparação de dados com pesquisas anteriores, desenvolvidas por outros pesquisadores da região, acerca dos falares regionais do oeste de Santa Catarina. E, se propõe a descrever o contexto multilinguístico vivenciado durante o período da primeira infância e adolescência. Ao refletir sobre sua trajetória, a professora identifica influências e confluências que compõem sua identidade linguística e as observa no contexto da docência identificando a presença, ainda que ocasional, de características linguísticas do período de aquisição da fala e escrita. O estudo é a primeira etapa de um projeto de observação das características e peculiaridades das manifestações orais no espaço acadêmico. Nesse sentido, introduz a discussão que será ampliada por um segundo texto, a ser publicado em breve, e que traz uma pesquisa e observação das manifestações de comunicação oral em turma de mestrado na qual a professora atuou no contexto pandêmico com a transição das presenciais para as síncronas. O estudo não se pretende conclusivo, e sim, mais um passo no sentido de maior compreensão do processo de comunicação humana.
Palavras chave: Linguagem. Pesquisa. Introspecção.
 
ABSTRACT
This text is the result of a research and a reflection about the researcher's linguistic identity. Built up from a peculiar pathway, it is presented in comparison with data provided by other previous researchers from the same region (Santa Catarina’s Westside). The purpose of this study is to describe the multilingual context that was experienced by the professor in her early years and adolescence. Thinking about her trajectory, she identifies influences and confluences that are part of her linguistic identity and observe them in the teaching process identifying the presence, event eventual, of característics observed in childhood and teenage years. The study is the first part of a project that observes characterics of oral communication in academic spaces. This way, it initiates the discussion that will be continued in a second text, that will be published soon, bringing a research on oral communication in a mastership program class in which the professor worked during the pandemic times and the transition from presencial classes into synchronous classes. This study does not intend to be conclusive, but another step to better comprehension about human communication.
Keywords: Language. Research. Insight.
Rancang Bangun Aplikasi Sistem Pakar Diagnosa Penyakit Stunting Berbasis Web Menggunakan Metode Certainty Factor
Authors: Fatimah Dini Destiani Siti , Septiana Yosep , Ramadhan Gilang
Published: December 2022

Stunting adalah penyakit tumbuh kembang anak yang ditandai dengan rendahnya tinggi badan serta dengan bertambahnya usia tubuhnya tetap tidak berkembang baik sesuai usianya dan berlangsung dalam waktu lama. Stunting bisa dipicu oleh beberapa faktor diantaranya infeksi atau kekurangan gizi pada ibu hamil, kekurangan gizi pada saat bayi, dan stimulasi yang buruk dari lingkungan. Seiring dengan adanya perkembangan teknologi didunia kesehatan seperti aplikasi sistem pakar yang dapat berfungsi untuk membantu seseorang untuk mendiagnosa suatu penyakit. Sistem pakar diagnosa penyakit stunting dapat membantu masyarakat dalam mengetahui keadaan anaknya apakah stunting atau tidak dengan begitu stunting pun dapat ditindak lanjuti dengan cepat. Maka dari itu tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah membuat sebuah sistem pakar yang dapat mendekteksi penyakit stunting. Metode yang digunakan pada sistem pakar ini adalah metode certainty factor dengan memanfaatkan data gejala penyakit stunting. Aplikasi dirancang berbasis web dengan menggunakan metode pengembangan aplikasi sistem pakar ESDLC (Expert System Development Life Cycle) dan metode pengujian dengan blackbox testing. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah aplikasi sistem pakar diagnosa penyakit stunting berbasis web. Penelitian ini diharapkan mampu menjadi alat yang mempermudah orang tua yang memiliki balita dalam mendiagnosa penyakit stunting.
Rancang Bangun Sistem Pengelolaan Kebersihan di Lingkungan Institut Teknologi Garut Berbasis Website
Authors: Latifah Ayu , Mulyani Asri , Agusviani Wahidah Tania
Published: December 2022

Pemanfaatan teknologi informasi cukup berpengaruh terhadap lingkungan hidup manusia seperti permasalahan pada lingkungan kampus. Lingkungan merupakan faktor yang mempengaruhi kehidupan manusia. Permasalahan yang dihadapi pada lingkungan kampus salah satunya mengenai pengelolaan kebersihan. Laporan pengelolaan kebersihan yang masih dilakukan secara konvensional membuat kesulitan dalam memantau ruangan atau area yang sudah dibersihkan karena bisa saja laporan yang diberikan tertumpuk dengan data lain. Maka dari diperlukan sistem pengelolaan yang mampu mempermudah dalam melakukan pelaporan atas ruangan atau area yang sudah dibersihkan dan juga pemantaun yang dilakukan oleh pihak terkait. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu membuat sistem pengelolaan kebersihan di lingkungan kampus yang berbasis website. Supaya dapat mempermudah pihak terkait dalam melakukan pelaporan kebersihan. Metodologi yang diterapkan dalam perancangan sistem ini yaitu Rational Unified Process (RUP) melalui tahapan inception, elaboration, constraction, dan transition. Pemodelan yang digunakan pada saat dilakukan perancangan sistem ini yaitu Unified Modelling Language (UML). Hasil dari penelitian yang dilakukan ini mengasilkan sistem informasi yang dapat mengatasi pengelolaan laporan kebersihan lingkungan.
Classification of Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia: Where does it End?
Authors: Appelhof Bart , Barth Peter G. , Baas Frank
Published: December 2022

Pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) represents a heterogeneous group of congenital neurodegenerative diseases. Patients are afflicted by severe motor and mental impairments and most patients die at a young age. The hallmark of PCH is hypoplasia of the cerebellum and the pons, often in combination with supratentorial involvement. PCH is caused by autosomal recessive mutations in genes, most of which play a role in RNA metabolism. Twelve types (PCH1-12) are described, mainly based on clinical features. Identification of the responsible genes showed that the clinical classification did not match with the genetic classification leading to definition of subtypes. The authors expect that the increasing use of next-generation sequencing will lead to the identification of even more new PCH genes, widening the genetic and phenotypical spectrum. This will expand the classification and make it more complex. Therefore, the authors suggest that a new adjusted classification should be formulated to save the functionality of the PCH group.
Aristotle and Modern Constitutionalism
Authors: Duke George
Published: December 2022

Any attempt to apply Aristotelian political categories to the principles of modern constitutionalism is undoubtedly at risk of anachronism. This paper acknowledges non-trivial differences between the Ancient Greek politeia, as theorised by Aristotle, and the modern constitution. It nonetheless argues that the central principles of the modern liberal constitution can be elucidated within the explanatory frame of the Aristotelian concept of the politeia as a political determination of institutional structures and competences oriented by an interpretation of the public good. The paper is divided in three sections. Section 1 outlines Aristotle’s account of the politeia. Section 2 considers some central principles of modern constitutionalism. Section 3 then examines these principles under an Aristotelian lens. The conclusion sketches a potential objection, implicit in the paper’s arguments, to a recent proposal for a ‘neo-Aristotelian’ normative constitutional theory.
How TikTok Served as a Platform for Young People to Share and Cope with Lived COVID-19 Experiences
Authors: Klug Daniel , Kaufman Geoff
Published: December 2022

The short-video app TikTok saw a large increase in usage during the COVID-19 lockdown because it provided entertainment, distraction and social interaction based on video content engagement. We present results from an interview study with 28 U.S. TikTok users on how they shared and engaged with lived pandemic experiences on TikTok to cope with and socialize after the first lockdown in the U.S. Participants had already established TikTok as a peer community platform on which sharing lived experiences felt appropriate, and was heard by others with similar experiences. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, participants started to look for TikTok videos of shared lived pandemic experiences to interact with others when physical interaction was made impossible. We find TikTok videos facilitated communication and parasocial interaction based on known audiovisual styles. Participants were able to communicate through video creation based on shared ways of presenting short-video content during COVID-19 physical distancing.
A escuta do feminino: o lugar do analista na transferência histérica
Authors: Sarmento Luany Thaieny Brambilla , Monção Maria Rosa Ferrucci
Published: December 2022

O presente artigo propõe, a partir dos conceitos de feminilidade e transferência, um questionamento sobre o funcionamento da transferência na clínica da histeria e o enfoque dado ao conceito de feminilidade neste contexto transferencial. O conceito de transferência surge em “Estudos sobre a histeria” (1895); para Freud, a transferência é a resistência mais poderosa do processo clínico e, também, a ferramenta mais necessária e fundamental deste mesmo processo. Desta forma, com o auxílio de materiais que abordam sobre o desejo da mulher, feminilidade, as formas de histeria – considerando o lugar da mulher na sociedade e o contexto socioculural – e por meio da análise do caso Dora, buscou-se propor novas condições de escuta que garantam a possibilidade dessas pacientes construírem para si mesmas uma resposta à pergunta “o que é ser mulher?”, que respeite o seu desejo e as formas de sublimação do mesmo. A partir deste trabalho, foi possível observar a importância do manejo da transferência e da contratransferência, que uma boa relação transferencial, junto a um setting acolhedor e seguro, fornece às mulheres histericas a possibilidade de entrar em contato com a sua feminilidade e a capacidade de ressignificar seu lugar enquanto mulher.
Branquitude como tecnologia da saúde hegemônica
Authors: Canhadas Gabriela , Brambilla Beatriz Borges , Jardim Luis Eduardo Franção
Published: December 2022

Um ensaio, um giro do gesto de cuidar, um devir antirracista da saúde. Retratamos aqui uma busca por compreender e produzir formas de cuidado e de saúde, que seguem em disputa de forma global, desde o início da modernidade. Partimos da lógica biomédica instrumental perspectiva ao debate sobre as formas de atualização da colonialidade no processo de cuidado, imbricandando-se nas estruturas de exploração-dominação-opressão, em especial a raça, como problema central da humanidade e invenção da modernidade, desdobrada nas expressões da desigualdade e do racismo. Considerando a complexidade dessas questões, este trabalho não tem intuito de reproduzir a lógica hegemônica, mas de produzir novas perguntas e incômodos. Assim com características ensaístas, ele está atravessado pelo pensamento decolonial, os fundamentos filosóficos e epistemológicos da fenomenologia numa perspectiva crítica, e as discussões sobre racismo e branquitude, refletindo sobre a normatização da branquitude como fenômeno que sustenta as tecnologias de produção de saúde hegemônicas.
Papel, lama e tábuas: a religiosidade em Carolina Maria de Jesus
Authors: Marçal Maria Antônia
Published: December 2022

O presente artigo visa apresentar considerações iniciais da pesquisa iniciada sobre a escrita de Carolina Maria de Jesus no qual se identifica as marcas religiosas presentes em sua escrita. Neste sentido, o presente texto será organizado a partir de três eixos: apresentação de Carolina personagem central desta trama pontuando como esta despontou como temática de minha pesquisa histórica, num segundo momento abordarei o silenciamento das marcas religiosas nas biografias sobre Carolina. E, por fim, apresentar as reflexões de Carolina na obra Diário de Bitita e Quarto de Despejo onde onde se evidencia as marcas religiosas desta escrita. É importante frisar que, este olhar sobre este indivíduo multifacetado, por vezes contraditório que é Carolina Maria de Jesus é orientado pelas reflexões de (LORIGA, 2011) na medida em que as experiências individuais asseguram a quebra de coerência no discurso historiográfico.
Mexico City—Ambitions and Challenges of Integrated Risk Management in a Fractured Urban Planning Context
Authors: Garcia Ferrari Soledad , Morales Emma R. , Bain Amelia A.
Published: December 2022

Among the growing number of megacities, Mexico City stands out for its size and population, but also for its challenges with respect to environmental risk management, fractured governance and marked contrasts in urban conditions. In the last couple of decades, Mexico City has been praised for pioneering new management structures for planning and policy development, driving an approach rooted in a strong social commitment and sustainability agenda, with more integrated decision-making across government institutions. Among these instruments is the recent Law of Integrated Risk Management and Civil Protection of Mexico City, which boldly steps ahead of national legislation, moving from a reactive to a precautionary approach to disaster risk under the banner of stakeholder co-responsibility. However, this paper shows that Mexico City has also been the stage of innovative policies that have been hijacked by the powerful, tainted by corruption and reinterpreted to fit financial interests, or simply abandoned with the arrival of new administrations. The efficiency of these innovative strategies has therefore thus far been limited by discretionary practices and poor communication and socialisation. Our research over the past 5 years has explored risk management processes in Mexico and Mexico City through a transdisciplinary investigation of the vulnerability to climate change-related hydro-meteorological risks in low-income urban areas, and the capacities to manage risk at the community and institutional levels. Drawing on this research, this paper describes a range of accomplishments in urban and environmental policy innovation in Mexico City in recent years with relevance to risk management, and the opportunities for learning arising from the challenges, limitations, and failures. The paper argues that, despite extensive existing knowledge of the socio-technical elements of risk in the city, in particular in relation to hydro-meteorological and seismic risks, fragmented urban development policies and institutions have contributed to increasing the vulnerability of poor communities in high-risk areas of the city. The paper concludes that addressing the challenges of integrated risk management in this fractured urban planning context will require that the recently-created institutions are adaptive, to cope with evolving socio-economic contexts and physical hazards, build strong links with academia to harness social and technical knowledge, design long-term plans integrated across tiers of government to increase coordination, and generate strong and inclusive engagement of the city’s heterogeneous communities. These elements are crucial to allow Mexico City’s ambitions of integrated risk management to survive political cycles and avoid appropriation by short-term financial interests over real risk reduction.
Growth and development of multiple waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) cohorts in corn and soybeans
Authors: Arsenijevic Nikola , DeWerff Ryan , Conley Shawn , Ruark Matthew Dwain , Werle Rodrigo
Published: December 2022

Waterhemp is a troublesome weed species in cropping systems throughout Wisconsin and much of the US Midwest. Coupled with extended emergence window, rapid growth, high genetic diversity, and herbicide resistance to multiple sites of action, waterhemp represents a major challenge for chemical-based weed control. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of soybean and corn canopy on growth and development of multiple waterhemp cohorts in 2019 and 2020. Treatments consisted of narrow- (38 cm row spacing) and wide-row (76 cm row spacing) soybeans, corn (76 cm row spacing), and fallow (no crop), with 6 waterhemp transplant timings (cohorts) in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Waterhemp seedlings grown in the greenhouse were transplanted at the 2-3 true leaves growth stage to the field at 10-day increments throughout the typical waterhemp emergence season for Wisconsin (June-July). Waterhemp plants were measured for height and harvested for biomass when they reached the flowering stage. The number of days from the first transplant timing to result in 50% and 90% biomass and height reduction (ED50 and ED90) of subsequent waterhemp cohorts were estimated and used as indicators of weed suppression ability by the respective crop. Narrow-row soybeans required fewer days to suppress 50% growth of new waterhemp cohorts followed by corn, wide row soybeans, and fallow, respectively (4, 6, 9, and 14 d for 50% biomass reduction, and 10, 14, 18, and 42 d for 50% height reduction, respectively). Similarly, narrow-row soybeans required fewer days to suppress 90% biomass of waterhemp, followed by corn, wide-row soybeans, and fallow (11, 15, 18, and 78 d, respectively). Conversely, narrow and wide-row soybeans required fewer days to suppress 90% height of new waterhemp cohorts followed by corn and fallow (20, 26, 43, and 85 d, respectively). Rapid soybean canopy closure (e.g., planting soybeans earlier and in narrow row-spacing) combined with other integrated weed management practices have the potential to reduce reliance on POST herbicide application and mitigate herbicide resistance evolution. In corn, mid- to late-season monitoring and management of later emerging waterhemp cohorts is recommended due to longer time required to reach 90% waterhemp growth suppression.
An experimental and numerical study of the microstructural and biomechanical properties of human peripheral nerve endoneurium for the design of tissue scaffolds
Authors: Yan Liwei , Entezari Ali , Zhang Zhongpu , Zhong Jingxiao , Liang Jing , Li Qing , Qi Jian
Published: December 2022

Graphical Abstract

MicroCT was used to obtain high-resolution/high-contrast images of human peripheral nerve endoneurium extracellular matrix (eECM). A numerical model was constructed to investigate the microstructural and biomechanical properties of eECM.
Antimicrobial peptides could antagonize uncontrolled inflammation via Toll-like 4 receptor
Authors: Buccini Danieli F. , Roriz Beatriz C. , Rodrigues Júlia M. , Franco Octavio L.
Published: December 2022

Antimicrobial peptides are part of the organism’s defense system. They are multifunctional molecules capable of modulating the host’s immune system and recognizing molecules present in pathogens such as lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). LPSs are recognized by molecular patterns associated with pathogens known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that protect the organism from pathological microorganisms. TLR4 is responsible for LPS recognition, thus inducing an innate immune response. TLR4 hyperstimulation induces the uncontrolled inflammatory process that is observed in many illnesses, including neurodegenerative, autoimmune and psoriasis). Molecules that act on TLR4 can antagonize the exacerbated inflammatory process. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising molecules capable of mediating toll-like receptor signaling. Therefore, here we address the AMPs studied so far with the aim of inhibiting the intense inflammatory process. In addition, we aim to explore some of the interactions between exogenous AMPs and TLR4.
Craniofacial and cardiac defects in chd7 zebrafish mutants mimic CHARGE syndrome
Authors: Sun Yuhan , Kumar S. Ram , Wong Chee Ern David , Tian Zhiyu , Bai Haipeng , Crump J. Gage , Bajpai Ruchi , Lien Ching Ling
Published: December 2022

Congenital heart defects occur in almost 80% of patients with CHARGE syndrome, a sporadically occurring disease causing craniofacial and other abnormalities due to mutations in the CHD7 gene. Animal models have been generated to mimic CHARGE syndrome; however, heart defects are not extensively described in zebrafish disease models of CHARGE using morpholino injections or genetic mutants. Here, we describe the co-occurrence of craniofacial abnormalities and heart defects in zebrafish chd7 mutants. These mutant phenotypes are enhanced in the maternal zygotic mutant background. In the chd7 mutant fish, we found shortened craniofacial cartilages and extra cartilage formation. Furthermore, the length of the ventral aorta is altered in chd7 mutants. Many CHARGE patients have aortic arch anomalies. It should be noted that the aberrant branching of the first branchial arch artery is observed for the first time in chd7 fish mutants. To understand the cellular mechanism of CHARGE syndrome, neural crest cells (NCCs), that contribute to craniofacial and cardiovascular tissues, are examined using sox10:Cre lineage tracing. In contrast to its function in cranial NCCs, we found that the cardiac NCC-derived mural cells along the ventral aorta and aortic arch arteries are not affected in chd7 mutant fish. The chd7 fish mutants we generated recapitulate some of the craniofacial and cardiovascular phenotypes found in CHARGE patients and can be used to further determine the roles of CHD7.
A machine learning–Based model to predict early death among bone metastatic breast cancer patients: A large cohort of 16,189 patients
Authors: Xiong Fan , Cao Xuyong , Shi Xiaolin , Long Ze , Liu Yaosheng , Lei Mingxing
Published: December 2022

Purpose:This study aims to develop a prediction model to categorize the risk of early death among breast cancer patients with bone metastases using machine learning models.

Methods:This study examined 16,189 bone metastatic breast cancer patients between 2010 and 2019 from a large oncological database in the United States. The patients were divided into two groups at random in a 90:10 ratio. The majority of patients (n= 14,582, 90%) were served as the training group to train and optimize prediction models, whereas patients in the validation group (n= 1,607, 10%) were utilized to validate the prediction models. Four models were introduced in the study: the logistic regression model, gradient boosting tree model, decision tree model, and random forest model.

Results:Early death accounted for 17.4% of all included patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that older age; a separated, divorced, or widowed marital status; nonmetropolitan counties; brain metastasis; liver metastasis; lung metastasis; and histologic type of unspecified neoplasms were significantly associated with more early death, whereas a lower grade, a positive estrogen receptor (ER) status, cancer-directed surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy were significantly the protective factors. For the purpose of developing prediction models, the 12 variables were used. Among all the four models, the gradient boosting tree had the greatest AUC [0.829, 95% confident interval (CI): 0.802–0.856], and the random forest (0.828, 95% CI: 0.801–0.855) and logistic regression (0.819, 95% CI: 0.791–0.847) models came in second and third, respectively. The discrimination slopes for the three models were 0.258, 0.223, and 0.240, respectively, and the corresponding accuracy rates were 0.801, 0.770, and 0.762, respectively. The Brier score of gradient boosting tree was the lowest (0.109), followed by the random forest (0.111) and logistic regression (0.112) models. Risk stratification showed that patients in the high-risk group (46.31%) had a greater six-fold chance of early death than those in the low-risk group (7.50%).

Conclusion:The gradient boosting tree model demonstrates promising performance with favorable discrimination and calibration in the study, and this model can stratify the risk probability of early death among bone metastatic breast cancer patients.
Machine learning for atrial fibrillation risk prediction in patients with sleep apnea and coronary artery disease
Authors: Silva Carlos A. O. , Morillo Carlos A. , Leite-Castro Cristiano , González-Otero Rafael , Bessani Michel , González Rafael , Castellanos Julio C. , Otero Liliana
Published: December 2022

Background

Patients with sleep apnea (SA) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are at higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) than the general population. Our objectives were: to evaluate the role of CAD and SA in determining AF risk through cluster and survival analysis, and to develop a risk model for predicting AF.

Methods

Electronic medical record (EMR) database from 22,302 individuals including 10,202 individuals with AF, CAD, and SA, and 12,100 individuals without these diseases were analyzed using K-means clustering technique; k-nearest neighbor (kNN) algorithm and survival analysis. Age, sex, and diseases developed for each individual during 9 years were used for cluster and survival analysis.

Results

The risk models for AF, CAD, and SA were identified with high accuracy and sensitivity (0.98). Cluster analysis showed that CAD and high blood pressure (HBP) are the most prevalent diseases in the AF group, HBP is the most prevalent disease in CAD; and HBP and CAD are the most prevalent diseases in the SA group. Survival analysis demonstrated that individuals with HBP, CAD, and SA had a 1.5-fold increased risk of developing AF [hazard ratio (HR): 1.49, 95% CI: 1.18–1.87, p = 0.0041; HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.09–1.96, p = 0.01; HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.22–1.94, p = 0.0039, respectively] and individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) developed AF approximately 50% earlier than patients without these comorbidities in a period of 7 years (HR: 3.36, 95% CI: 1.46–7.73, p = 0.0023). Comorbidities that contributed to develop AF earlier in females compared to males in the group of 50–64 years were HBP (HR: 3.75 95% CI: 1.08–13, p = 0.04) CAD and SA in the group of 60–75 years were (HR: 2.4 95% CI: 1.18–4.86, p = 0.02; HR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.14–5.52, p = 0.02, respectively).

Conclusion

Machine learning based algorithms demonstrated that CAD, SA, HBP, and CKD are significant risk factors for developing AF in a Latin–American population.
Intensity of hypertensive exposure in young adulthood and subclinical atherosclerosis in middle age: Evidence from the CARDIA study
Authors: Xiong Zhenyu , Li Jiaying , Lin Yifen , Ye Xiaomin , Xie Peihan , Zhang Shaozhao , Liu Menghui , Huang Yiquan , Liao Xinxue , Zhuang Xiaodong
Published: December 2022

Background

Chronically high blood pressure (HBP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We measured the intensity of hypertensive exposure in young adults and calculated its prognostic significance for subclinical atherosclerosis in middle age.

Methods

The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study enrolled 5,115 healthy black and white Americans who were 18–30 years old at baseline (1985–1986). The intensity of hypertensive exposure was calculated as the area under the curve (mm Hg × years) from baseline to year 15. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was identified at years 15, 20, and 25, and intima-media thickness (IMT) was identified at year 20.

Results

At baseline, the mean age was 40.1 years; 55.1% of participants were women, and 46.5% were black. After adjustment, cumulative systolic BP (SBP) was positively associated with CAC [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.23 (1.14, 1.32)] and IMT [β = 0.022 (0.017, 0.028)]. For CAC, the C-statistic for cumulative SBP was 0.643 (0.619, 0.667); compared to baseline SBP, the net reclassification index (NRI) of cumulative SBP was 0.180 (0.115, 0.256) and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) was 0.023 (0.012, 0.036). For IMT, the C-statistic for cumulative SBP was 0.674 (0.643, 0.705), the NRI was 0.220 (0.138, 0.305), and the IDI was 0.008 (0.004, 0.0012).

Conclusion

Greater intensity of hypertensive exposure in early adulthood is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in middle age and provides better prognostic value than baseline BP for early cardiovascular risk.
Servant leadership and job satisfaction: The mediating role of trust and leader-member exchange
Authors: Dami Zummy Anselmus , Imron Ali , Burhanuddin Burhanuddin , Supriyanto Achmad
Published: December 2022

Objective

The study aimed to examine the role of trust mediation and leader-member exchange in the influence of servant leadership on job satisfaction.

Background

Research on the relationship between servant leadership and academic job satisfaction is rare. The study of servant leadership in Christian higher education is dominated by non-research (conceptual), literature review, and church ministry, instrument development, verification, and validation, quantitative (pre- and post-test), quantitative (descriptive), and qualitative studies. Thus, there have been no studies that test and measure complex variables simultaneously in one model that includes servant leadership, trust (job-related outcomes + mediator), leader-member exchange (behavioral outcome), and job satisfaction (well-being + outcome) in the context of Christian higher education in Indonesia. Servant leadership still needs to be done in work-related outcomes such as trust variables. Research on academic job satisfaction in non-European and non-Western contexts is still dominant in Palestine. Finally, the placement of trust as a mediation variable needs to be more consistent because trust also has a role as a predictor of servant leadership.

Method

This study used quantitative methods with a sample of 160 lecturers from 26 Christian higher education in Indonesia. This study used the partial least square (PLS-SEM) approach to verify the proposed hypothesis.

Results

The results showed that servant leadership has a significant positive effect on job satisfaction and trust, and LMX mediate the influence of servant leadership on job satisfaction. Finally, trust and LMX are complementary mediation effects of servant leadership on job satisfaction.

Conclusion

Servant leadership increases trust, LMX and job satisfaction. Trust and LMX increase job satisfaction. Trust and LMX have a mediating role in the effect of servant leadership on job satisfaction.

Implications

Rectors/chairmen who engage in high-level interactions with lecturers will influence trust, reduce losses, and maximize gains in their interactional relationships. In addition, based on the theory of leader-member exchange, high-quality, trustworthy, and satisfactory leader-member exchange relationships positively affect the personal growth, work attitudes, and performance of lecturers. The Private Higher Education Organizing Body (BPPTS) needs to prepare for leadership regeneration by preparing future service leaders through training that directly supports the improvement of servant leadership behavior. This is important because servant leadership behavior becomes essential to increase trust, LMX and lecturer job satisfaction and achieve Christian higher education goals. Finally, Power distances, short-term orientation cultures, and paternalistic are not found to be obstacles to servant leadership practices in Indonesian Christian higher education.
Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites are positively related to serum testosterone levels of males and serum estradiol levels of females among U.S. adults
Authors: Yuan Qiming , Jin Kun , Zhou Xianghong , Qiu Zhimei , Li Jiakun , Jin Di , Zhang Zilong , Zhang Chichen , Yang Lu , Zhan Yu , Qiu Shi , Wei Qiang
Published: December 2022

Background

It has been reported for several years that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could disturb human endocrine function. However, there is still a short of consistent conclusion about the relationship between PAH exposure and levels of sexual hormones. The aim of our study is to explore whether exposure to PAHs and how PAHs affect the levels of serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in adults, hoping to fulfill the knowledge gap.

Materials and methods

This study included adults aged 20 and above who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2016. We included 10 PAH metabolites in this study. The levels of urinary PAH metabolites were log-transformed and divided into quartiles. The associations between PAH metabolites and both serum T levels of males and E2 levels of females were investigated using multivariate regression models. We furtherly calculated PAHs scores by sum of ranks across 10 PAHs metabolites, which represented the exposure levels of PAHs mixtures, and the association between PAHs scores and serum T and E2 levels were analyzed.

Results

A total of 4,654 subjects were included in this study, including 2,460 males and 2,194 females. After adjusting for confounders, 2-hydroxynapthalene and 3-hydroxyfluorene were positively associated with serum T levels of males (p-value for trend=0.047, and p-value for trend=0.006, respectively), while 1-hydroxyphenanthrene was positively associated with serum E2 levels of females (p-value for trend=0.013). In the adjusted models, no significant association was found between PAHs scores and either T levels of males or E2 levels of females (p-value for trend=0.615, and p-value for trend=0.241, respectively).

Conclusions

This study showed urinary 2-hydroxynapthalene and 3-hydroxyfluorene were associated with increased T levels of males, and urinary 1-hydroxyphenanthrene was associated with increased E2 levels of females. The observed association indicated disrupting effects of PAH exposure on reproductive health.
Benefits on pain and mental health of manual therapy for idiopathic scoliosis: A meta-analysis
Authors: Ren Jun , Kong Lingjun , Wu Zhiwei , Zhou Xin , Huang Qian , He Tianxiang , Fang Min
Published: December 2022

Background

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is a common spinal disorder. Although several studies have reported the benefits of manual therapy for patients with IS in improving pain, anxiety, depression, and spinal disorders, the efficacy of manual therapy in the management of IS remain controversial. Therefore, this review was conducted to assess effects of manual therapy in the management of IS, primarily on pain and mental health of the patients and secondarily on their spinal disorders.

Methods

Six electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of manual therapy in the management of IS. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale. The meta-analysis was conducted depending on different outcomes and control therapies using Review Manager version 5.3 software.

Results

Seventeen studies were included in the present review. The PEDro scores of the included studies ranged from 5-7 points. The aggregated results indicated that Tuina (a traditional Chinese manipulation technique) had valuable improvement effects on pain (standardized mean difference (SMD), 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59 to 1.25; P<0.00001), negative emotions (SMD, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.13; P<0.00001), and disability (SMD, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.39 to 2.19; P=0.005). For the radiographic outcomes including the Cobb angle and vertebral rotation, Tuina, especially when combined with other conservative therapies, showed potential complementary effects for patients with IS.

Conclusions

Tuina, as a complementary and alternative therapy, should be considered for the effective management of patients with IS, especially for the improvement of their pain and mental health. More randomized controlled trials are recommended to validate the current evidence.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42020165220.
Can digital financial inclusion help reduce agricultural non-point source pollution?—An empirical analysis from China
Authors: Lin Qiaohua , Cheng Qiuwangh , Zhong Jinfa , Lin Wenhe
Published: December 2022

In the context of financial support for rural revitalization, digital financial inclusion may become a new “gospel” to alleviate agricultural surface source pollution. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020, the study constructs a fixed-effects model to test the mitigation effect of digital financial inclusion on agricultural non-point source pollution empirically. The study finds that: 1) Digital financial inclusion has a mitigating effect on agricultural non-point source pollution, and the abatement effect still exists after the robustness tests such as replacing the explanatory variables, reducing the sample size, and endogeneity treatment. 2) The moderating effect test shows that the income structure of farmers strengthens the mitigation effect of digital financial inclusion on agricultural non-point source pollution, i.e., the more the income structure of farmers tends to be “non-farmed”, the stronger the mitigation effect of digital financial inclusion. 3) The heterogeneity test found that all three dimensions of digital financial inclusion, including the breadth of coverage, depth of use, and degree of digitization, can mitigate agricultural non-point source pollution, but there are differences in the intensity of the effect. Compared with the northwestern part of the “hu huan yong” line, the mitigation effect of digital inclusive finance is more significant in the southeastern part of the “hu huan yong” line. 4) The threshold effect test shows that the mitigation effect of digital financial inclusion on agricultural non-point source pollution has non-linear characteristics, and there is a double threshold effect of digital financial inclusion, and the mitigation effect will be enhanced as the development level of digital financial inclusion increases.
Variations of aerosol and cloud vertical characteristics based on aircraft measurements in upstream of Shanghai during the 2020 China international import expo
Authors: Yu Yang , Zhu Qing , He Qianshan , Gao Yang , Zhou Xu , Zhang Rong , Zhang Xiaotuo , Li Hongyu , Wang Weijie , Cheng Tiantao
Published: December 2022

Vertical information about aerosols and clouds is vital to understanding aerosol transport, aerosol-cloud interactions, and pollution-weather-climate feedback so as to reduce uncertainties in estimating their climatic effects. The combination of sounding, lidar, aircraft, and satellite measurements is widely used to obtain the vertical information of aerosols and clouds. We used an aircraft measurement over southern Anhui, the upstream regions of Shanghai, on 1 November which conducted to ensure good air quality for the Third China International Import Expo to examine the vertical characteristics of aerosol and cloud microphysical properties and their variations before and after cloud seeding. Observations showed aerosols and clouds were vertically stratified. Most aerosols trapped within the boundary layer are small particles with sizes less than 0.12 µm. Aerosol number concentrations (Na) generally decreased with altitude in the cloudless atmosphere, with the largest particles occurring in 2500–3500 m due to dust transported from distant regions and high ambient humidity. Four separate cloud layers with unequal depths dominated by altostratus and nimbostratus appeared at different heights. The maximum cloud droplet concentration (Nc) and the minimum cloud droplet diameter (Dc) that appeared in the mid-level cloud (2246–2482 m) were 107.7 cm−3 and 4.03 μm, respectively, owing to the high proportion of hygroscopic particles. Hygroscopic particles played an important role in the growth of droplets and the activation of cloud condensation nuclei, especially under high ambient humidity. Cloud droplet size spectrum showed a unimodal distribution with a single peak at 5 µm in low- (970–1000 m) and mid-level clouds, but a trimodal distribution with peaks at 7 μm, 12 μm, and 17 μm in the mid-high- and high-level clouds, indicating the broadening of spectra with increasing altitude. An artificial seeding experiment was conducted in the high-level clouds. Big cloud droplets and ice crystals increased significantly after cloud seeding. Meanwhile, cloud particle populations showed less Nc, larger Dc, and a wider size spectrum. Our results suggest that the artificial precipitation experiment promoted rainfall to a certain extent and contributed to the removal of pollutants from upstream regions, which is beneficial to the air quality of Shanghai.
Assessment of spatiotemporal changes of ecological environment quality of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China based on MRSEI
Authors: Shi Zhiyu , Wang Yating , Zhao Qing , Zhu Changming
Published: December 2022

The Ecological Environment Quality (EEQ) is an important foundation for the sustainable development of society and economy. To assess the spatiotemporal changes of the EEQ in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA), we selected MODIS images of 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 to construct the Modified Remote Sensing Ecological Index (MRSEI) based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Then, we evaluated the spatiotemporal changes and spatial autocorrelation of the EEQ in the YRDUA. The results showed that: the EEQ of the YRDUA was improved from 2001 to 2011, deteriorated from 2011 to 2016, and improved from 2016 to 2021. The overall EEQ of the YRDUA was at moderate or excellent level, and the EEQ in the south was better than that in the north. The EEQ of the southern cities in the study area was better and more stable, while that of the northern cities was relatively poor and changes relatively drastic. The EEQ of the YRDUA was mainly unchanged and improved from 2001 to 2021. The regions with improved EEQ were mainly distributed in the north and west, while those with deteriorated EEQ were mainly distributed in the east and south. The EEQ of the YRDUA was improved gradually from 2001 to 2006, and relatively stable from 2006 to 2011. From 2011 to 2016, the changes were drastic and the EEQ deteriorated greatly; while from 2016 to 2021, the EEQ of the YRDUA was improved, and the area of ecological deterioration was significantly reduced. From 2001 to 2021, the Globalmoran’s I value ranged from 0.838 ~ 0.918. In the past 20 years, NS area in the YRDUA accounted for the highest proportion, while the HH aggregation was mainly distributed in the southern part of the YRDUA, while LL aggregation was mainly distributed in the northern part, indicated that the EEQ in the southern part was better than that in the northern part. This study provides a promising approach to assess the spatiotemporal changes of EEQ in urban areas, which is crucial to formulate the ecosystem protection policies and sustainable development strategies of YRDUA.