bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the timing of iliac vein stent implantation on catheter-directed thrombolysis in acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis patients with severe iliac vein stenosis: a retrospective study
Authors: Liu Chunjiang , Zhou Yue , Sun Yifeng , Xu Miaojun , Wang Guohua , Tang Liming
Published: February 2023

Objective

To investigate the effect of the timing of iliac vein stent implantation on catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) patients with severe iliac vein stenosis.

Methods

The clinical data of 66 patients with acute lower extremity DVT complicated with severe iliac vein stenosis from May 2017 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups by timing of iliac vein stent implantation: group A (iliac vein stent implantation before CDT treatment) for 34 and group B (iliac vein stent implantation after CDT treatment) for 32. The detumescence rate of affected limb, the thrombus clearance rate, the thrombolytic efficiency, the complication rate, the hospitalization cost, the stent patency rate within 1 year, and the scores (venous clinical severity score, Villalta, and chronic venous insufficiency questionnaire (CIVIQ) score) at 1 year postoperatively were compared between the two groups.

Results

The thrombolytic efficiency of group A was higher than that of group B, while the incidence of complications and hospitalization expenses in group A were lower than those in group B. There was no statistical significance in the detumescence rate of affected limb, the thrombus clearance rate, the stent patency rate within 1 year, and the scores (VCSS, Villalta, and CIVIQ score) at 1 year postoperatively between the two groups.

Conclusions

For acute lower extremity DVT patients with severe iliac vein stenosis, iliac vein stent implantation before CDT treatment can improve the thrombolytic efficiency, and reduce the incidence of complications and hospitalization costs.
A SPECT-based method for dynamic imaging of the glymphatic system in rats
Authors: Sigurdsson Björn , Hauglund Natalie L , Lilius Tuomas O , Mogensen Frida L-H , Mortensen Kristian N , Beschorner Natalie , Klinger Laura , Bærentzen Simone L , Rosenholm Marko P , Shalgunov Vladimir , Herth Matthias , Mori Yuki , Nedergaard Maiken
Published: February 2023

The glymphatic system is a brain-wide waste drainage system that promotes cerebrospinal fluid circulation through the brain to remove waste metabolites. Currently, the most common methods for assessing glymphatic function are ex vivo fluorescence microscopy of brain slices, macroscopic cortical imaging, and MRI. While all these methods have been crucial for expanding our understanding of the glymphatic system, new techniques are required to overcome their specific drawbacks. Here, we evaluate SPECT/CT imaging as a tool to assess glymphatic function in different anesthesia-induced brain states using two radiolabeled tracers, [111In]-DTPA and [99mTc]-NanoScan. Using SPECT, we confirmed the existence of brain state-dependent differences in glymphatic flow and we show brain state-dependent differences of CSF flow kinetics and CSF egress to the lymph nodes. We compare SPECT and MRI for imaging glymphatic flow and find that the two imaging modalities show the same overall pattern of CSF flow, but that SPECT was specific across a greater range of tracer concentrations than MRI. Overall, we find that SPECT imaging is a promising tool for imaging the glymphatic system, and that qualities such as high sensitivity and the variety of available tracers make SPECT imaging a good alternative for glymphatic research.
A nomogram for predicting immunoglobulin-resistant Kawasaki disease in children
Authors: Pan Yan , Fan Qihong
Published: February 2023

Objective

This case–control study focused on the establishment and internal validation of a risk nomogram for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD) using the Kawasaki Disease Database.

Methods

The Kawasaki Disease Database is the first public database for KD researchers. A prediction nomogram for IVIG-resistant KD was constructed using multivariable logistic regression. Then, the C-index was used to assess the discriminating ability of the proposed prediction model, a calibration plot was drawn to evaluate its calibration, and a decision curve analysis was adopted to assess its clinical usefulness. Bootstrapping validation was performed for interval validation.

Results

The median ages of IVIG-resistant and -sensitive KD groups were 3.3 and 2.9 years, respectively. Predicting factors incorporated into the nomogram were coronary artery lesions, C-reactive protein, percentage of neutrophils, platelets, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine transaminase. Our constructed nomogram exhibited favorable discriminating ability (C-index: 0.742; 95% confidence interval: 0.673–0.812) and excellent calibration. Moreover, interval validation achieved a high C-index of 0.722.

Conclusions

The as-constructed new IVIG-resistant KD nomogram that incorporated C-reactive protein, coronary artery lesions, platelets, percentage of neutrophils, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase may be adopted for predicting the risk of IVIG-resistant KD.
Scale mismatches between predictor and response variables in species distribution modelling: A review of practices for appropriate grain selection
Authors: Moudrý Vítězslav , Keil Petr , Gábor Lukáš , Lecours Vincent , Zarzo-Arias Alejandra , Barták Vojtěch , Malavasi Marco , Rocchini Duccio , Torresani Michele , Gdulová Kateřina , Grattarola Florencia , Leroy François , Marchetto Elisa , Thouverai Elisa , Prošek Jiří , Wild Jan , Šímová Petra
Published: February 2023

There is a lack of guidance on the choice of the spatial grain of predictor and response variables in species distribution models (SDM). This review summarizes the current state of the art with regard to the following points: (i) the effects of changing the resolution of predictor and response variables on model performance; (ii) the effect of conducting multi-grain versus single-grain analysis on model performance; and (iii) the role of land cover type and spatial autocorrelation in selecting the appropriate grain size. In the reviewed literature, we found that coarsening the resolution of the response variable typically leads to declining model performance. Therefore, we recommend aiming for finer resolutions unless there is a reason to do otherwise (e.g. expert knowledge of the ecological scale). We also found that so far, the improvements in model performance reported for multi-grain models have been relatively low and that useful predictions can be generated even from single-scale models. In addition, the use of high-resolution predictors improves model performance; however, there is only limited evidence on whether this applies to models with coarser-resolution response variables (e.g. 100 km2 and coarser). Low-resolution predictors are usually sufficient for species associated with fairly common environmental conditions but not for species associated with less common ones (e.g. common vs rare land cover category). This is because coarsening the resolution reduces variability within heterogeneous predictors and leads to underrepresentation of rare environments, which can lead to a decrease in model performance. Thus, assessing the spatial autocorrelation of the predictors at multiple grains can provide insights into the impacts of coarsening their resolution on model performance. Overall, we observed a lack of studies examining the simultaneous manipulation of the resolution of predictor and response variables. We stress the need to explicitly report the resolution of all predictor and response variables.
Toward a Comprehensive Pavement Reliability Analysis Approach
Authors: Dinegdae Yared , Ahmed Abubeker , Erlingsson Sigurdur
Published: February 2023

Reliability has been incorporated in pavement design tools to account for input variability influence on predicted performance. As they are not based on a probabilistic method of uncertainty propagation, the reliability analysis methodologies that are currently implemented in pavement performance tools lack rigor and robustness. This paper investigates the potential of three reliability analysis methodologies for pavement application: the Pavement ME reliability analysis methodology, Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), and the first-order reliability method (FORM). The MCS and FORM involve a response surface method for the generation of a second-order surrogate model. The investigation was performed using inputs and performance data from accelerated pavement testing structures. Inputs that were identified as significant were characterized as random variables and their associated variability was established using measured structural and material properties. Pavement performance with respect to rutting was predicted using the ERAPave performance prediction tool, while MCS was used to generate the actual variability of the distress. The reliability analysis results have shown that a comprehensive reliability analysis methodology is required that effectively captures input variabilities and the error associated with surrogate models.
Experiences of Misattributed Parentage Communities: Impacts of Discovering New Familial Kinships
Authors: Lawton Bessie L. , Pyott Laura C. , Deyerin Kara Rubinstein , Foeman Anita K.
Published: February 2023

Finding out about misattributed parentage experiences often leads to identity shock and new medical histories. Many individuals learn about new genetic family members through direct-to-consumer DNA tests. These individuals’ relationships with their raising families are often upended, while new ones are formed with biological families. The paper reports findings from a survey of 605 individuals from Facebook misattributed parentage experience (MPE) support groups broken down into three communities (Adoptees, Assisted Conception, Nonpaternal Event (NPE), and Rape/Assault (a subgroup of NPE)). Findings reveal significant differences among MPE communities in terms of relationships with raising and newly discovered biological families, medical histories, identity impacts, attitudes, and resource use.
Atorvastatin prevents cadmium-induced renal toxicity in a rat model
Authors: Karami Esmaeil , Goodarzi Zahra , Ghanbari Ali , Dehdashti Alireza , Bandegi Ahmad Reza , Yosefi Sedighe
Published: February 2023

In many industrial processes, worker exposure to cadmium causes kidney damage; thus, protection against cadmium toxicity is important in workplace health. Cadmium toxicity involves oxidative stress by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species. Statins have shown antioxidant effects that might prevent this increase in oxidative stress. We investigated the potential effects of atorvastatin pretreatment in protecting experimental rats against kidney toxicity caused by cadmium. Experiments were performed on 56 adult male Wistar rats (200 ± 20 g), randomly assigned to eight groups. Atorvastatin was administered by oral gavage for 15 days at 20 mg/kg/day, starting 7 days before cadmium chloride intra-peritoneal administration (at 1, 2, and 3 mg/kg) for 8 days. On day 16, blood samples were collected, and kidneys were excised to evaluate the biochemical and histopathological changes. Cadmium chloride significantly increased malondialdehyde, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and decreased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase levels. Pre-administration of rats with atorvastatin at a dose of 20 mg/kg decreased blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and lipid peroxidation, increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and prevented changes in physiological variables compared with animals that were not pretreated. Atorvastatin pretreatment prevented kidney damage following exposure to toxic doses of cadmium. In conclusion, atorvastatin pretreatment in rats with cadmium chloride-induced kidney toxicity could reduce oxidative stress by changing biochemical functions and thereby decreasing damage to kidney tissue.
Voluntary Wheel Running Exercise Does Not Attenuate Circadian and Cardiac Dysfunction Caused by Conditional Deletion of Bmal1
Authors: Yusifova Musharraf , Yusifov Aykhan , Polson Sydney M. , Todd William D. , Schmitt Emily E. , Bruns Danielle R.
Published: February 2023

Circadian misalignment occurs with age, jet lag, and shift work, leading to maladaptive health outcomes including cardiovascular diseases. Despite the strong link between circadian disruption and heart disease, the cardiac circadian clock is poorly understood, prohibiting identification of therapies to restore the broken clock. Exercise is the most cardioprotective intervention identified to date and has been suggested to reset the circadian clock in other peripheral tissues. Here, we tested the hypothesis that conditional deletion of core circadian gene Bmal1 would disrupt cardiac circadian rhythm and function and that this disruption would be ameliorated by exercise. To test this hypothesis, we generated a transgenic mouse with spatial and temporal deletion of Bmal1 only in adult cardiac myocytes (Bmal1 cardiac knockout [cKO]). Bmal1 cKO mice demonstrated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis concomitant with impaired systolic function. This pathological cardiac remodeling was not rescued by wheel running. While the molecular mechanisms responsible for the profound cardiac remodeling are unclear, it does not appear to involve activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling or changes in metabolic gene expression. Interestingly, cardiac deletion of Bmal1 disrupted systemic rhythms as evidenced by changes in the onset and phasing of activity in relationship to the light/dark cycle and by decreased periodogram power as measured by core temperature, suggesting cardiac clocks can regulate systemic circadian output. Together, we suggest a critical role for cardiac Bmal1 in regulating both cardiac and systemic circadian rhythm and function. Ongoing experiments will determine how disruption of the circadian clock causes cardiac remodeling in an effort to identify therapeutics to attenuate the maladaptive outcomes of a broken cardiac circadian clock.
Deathbed Etiquette – The Guide: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Views of Practitioners on its Introduction into End-of-Life Care Settings
Authors: Kragh-Furbo Mette , French Maddy , Dunleavy Lesley , Hancock Sophie , Sanders Karen , Doherty Margaret , Gadoud Amy
Published: February 2023

Objectives: It is common for relatives to feel uncertain about what to expect at the bedside of a dying loved one. The Centre for the Art of Dying Well together with clinical, academic and communications experts created a ‘Deathbed Etiquette’ guide offering information and reassurance to relatives. This study explores the views of practitioners with experience in end-of-life care on the guide and how it might be used. Methods: Three online focus groups and nine individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 21 participants involved in end-of-life care. Participants were recruited through hospices and social media. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Discussions highlighted the importance of effective communication that normalises experiences of being by the bedside of a dying loved one. Tensions around the use of the words ‘death’ and ‘dying’ were identified. Most participants also expressed reservations about the title, with the word ‘deathbed’ found to be old-fashioned and the word ‘etiquette’ not capturing the varied experiences of being by the bedside. Overall, however, participants agreed that the guide is useful for ‘mythbusting’ death and dying. Conclusion: There is a need for communication resources that can support practitioners in having honest and compassionate conversations with relatives in end-of-life care. The ‘Deathbed Etiquette’ guide is a promising resource to support relatives and healthcare practitioners by providing them with suitable information and helpful phrases. More research is needed on how to implement the guide in healthcare settings.
Health-Related Quality of Life of COVID-19 Survivors Treated in Intensive Care Unit—Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Domazet Bugarin Josipa , Saric Lenko , Delic Nikola , Dosenovic Svjetlana , Ilic Darko , Saric Ivana , Stipic Sanda Stojanovic , Duplancic Bozidar
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To investigate the quality of life (QoL) of survivors from severe forms of COVID-19 treated in the ICU. Methods: In this study, we investigated the QoL of patients with severe COVID-19 treated in the ICU from November 2021 to February 2022. In the study period, 288 patients were treated in ICU and 162 were alive at the time of analysis. Of those, 113 patients were included in this study. QoL was analyzed 4 months after ICU admission using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire administered by telephone. Results: Of the 162 surviving patients, 46% reported moderate to severe problems in the anxiety/depression domain, 37% had moderate to severe problems in usual activities, and 29% in the mobility domain. Older patients had lower QoL in mobility, self-care and usual activities domains. Female patients had lower QoL in usual activities, while male patients had lower QoL in the self-care domain. Patients who spent longer time on invasive respiratory support and those with longer hospital lengths of stay had lower QoL in all domains. Conclusion: Severe COVID-19 reduces HRQoL in a significant number of survivors 4 months after ICU admission. Early recognition of patients at increased risk for reduced QoL could lead to early focused rehabilitation and improved QoL of these patients.
How Right-Wing Populists Influence Citizenship Education—Evidence from Poland
Authors: Zamęcki Łukasz , Załęski Piotr
Published: February 2023

As the importance of right-wing populist parties (RPPs) has grown significantly in Europe, with some even forming governments, the attendant political and policy programs are attracting greater attention. However, to date most of the relevant research has been focused on the core slogan policies of RPPs, relating to immigration and the economy. This has left the parties’ educational policies understudied. In seeking to address this situation, we analyse changes in the citizenship-education curricula that Poland’s schools pursued during the years 2017 to 2022, with the country’s ruling party ( Law and Justice— PiS), thus offering a case study of a typical RPP. This article scrutinizes citizenship-education curricular changes pursued by PiS—with an approach that regards this as the field that best allows the desire to reconstruct the model of citizenship to be discerned. We also explore a process of “civic de-socialization,” and the new system of values being put in place in the curricula, by the Polish government. We examine whether the new provisions this entails fit into the ideological system of right-wing populists, and we conclude by developing hypotheses, and seeking to conclude theoretically, that ideological radicalization in education is being observed, in the wake of years of rule by an RPP. Interesting in this regard is the finding that more profound changes were not put into effect until a second stage to the reforms was reached. Overall, the case of the curriculum pursued in Poland by PiS points to a new ontology of citizenship, more nativism, and an anti-progressive agenda.
Engaging With the Category: Exploring Family Business Longevity From a Historical Perspective
Authors: Haag Kajsa , Achtenhagen Leona , Grimm Julia
Published: February 2023

Longevity is at the core of what makes family businesses special. Unlike most attempts to explain longevity that have focused primarily on the factors within a family business that lead to longevity or the factors outside of an organization’s environment, we adopt a business-history perspective that enables us to show how the interplay between the organization and its environment can help to explain family business longevity. Building on the category literature, we trace the interaction of a small Swedish fourth-generation high-quality furniture manufacturer with its category over a period of more than 120 years. We identify the internal mechanisms driving family business longevity, the external mechanisms driving category development as well as the mechanisms underlying their interaction. Specifically, we provide new insights into how agency exercised by the family business contributes to the shaping of the category they are a member of, thereby nurturing their business longevity.
A fault diagnosis method based on improved parallel convolutional neural network for rolling bearing
Authors: Xu Tao , Lv Huan , Lin Shoujin , Tan Haihui , Zhang Qing
Published: February 2023

There are many disadvantages for traditional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in rolling bearing fault diagnosis, such as low efficiency, weak noise immunity, and poor generalization with changing load. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a methodology of improved parallel CNN (IPCNN). In IPCNN, the simple pooling layer is removed and the parallel structure is to stack directly convolutional layers, with three branches, each branch has 4 layers, where the convolution kernels are all 3 × 3 and the stride sizes are 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The structure that is capable of feature fusion can extract features from the input information. Subsequently, the global average pooling (GAP) layer is used for down sampling, and the bearing faults are classified by the fully connected (FC) layer. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed model structure is verified by testing the datasets. To further verify the validity of the model, the performance of the model was evaluated by diagnostic accuracy, prediction time, SD, and model size. In order to verify the noise immunity and generalization of the proposed model, the AlexNet, Vgg16, and ResNet18 models are compared, respectively. By performing 2D gray images transformation on the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) bearing data, rolling bearing fault diagnosis method based on IPCNN model has higher efficiency, stronger noise resistance in the noise environment, and better generalization ability when the load changes.
Numerical study of heat transfer and pressure drop of nanofluids in a combined porous media of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces
Authors: Babaei Amir , Aminian Ehsan , Saffari Hamid
Published: February 2023

The present study provides a 3D numerical research on the hydro-thermal performance of water-Al2O3/CuO nanofluids and water/Al2O3-CuO hybrid nanofluid inside a U-bend tube incorporating a porous medium with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Furthermore, a single-phase flow is adopted to simulate the nanofluid flow. Taking into consideration the equation of the Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer, to simulate the flow of fluids in the porous media. The influence of Dean number on hydro-thermal performance in the range of (600–1750) was investigated. And according to the results, Dn = 600 had the best performance. Considering the outcomes, a completely hydrophobic wall has a better hydro-thermal performance than a completely hydrophilic one and other hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity combinations. As well, improvement in heat transfer efficiency is considerably influenced by the Darcy number (10−4–10−1) and the augmentation of the porous thickness ratio. Additionally, average Nusselt number and pressure losses for any and all types of nanofluids show an incremental schema with augmenting volume fraction, while PEC exhibits a reducing pattern. Besides this, structures with permeable porous media or ones with Da = 0.1 and rp = 0.6 present the highest PEC. Also, among the reviewed nanoparticles, Al2O3 with a volume percentage of 1% had the maximum PEC.
Digital twin-based subspace model predictive control for thermal power plant
Authors: Zhao Yanbo , Cai Yuanli , Jiang Haonan
Published: February 2023

In this article, a digital twin-based subspace model predictive control scheme is proposed for solving model mismatch caused by parameter perturbations of thermal power plants. First, the rational range of essential parameters in the nonlinear model is identified based on the nominal data of an actual 600 MW power plant, which provides necessary foundation for subsequent studies. Second, to improve the load-changing capacity under parameter disturbances, a novel digital twin-based subspace model predictive control algorithm is established by regarding the crucial parameter as extended input of predictive model. Finally, the small fluctuations during steady-state operation are effectively restrained through transforming weights and constraints slowly and smoothly at the end of load change. Simulation results illustrate that compared with the conventional subspace-based model predictive control, the proposed digital twin-based subspace model predictive control scheme can obtain a better performance in terms of both dynamic regulation rate and steady-state performance under parameter perturbations.
Association of alcohol consumption and fatigue in SLE: A cross-sectional study from Lupus Registry of Nationwide Institution (LUNA) cohort
Authors: Katayama Yu , Miyawaki Yoshia , Shidahara Kenta , Nawachi Shoichi , Asano Yosuke , Ohashi Keiji , Katsuyama Eri , Katsuyama Takayuki , Narazaki Mariko , Matsumoto Yoshinori , Sada Ken-Ei , Yajima Nobuyuki , Shimojima Yasuhiro , Yoshimi Ryusuke , Ichinose Kunihiro , Kajiyama Hiroshi , Fujiwara Michio , Sato Shuzo , Wada Jun
Published: February 2023

Objective

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints and is a potentially modifiable issue in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Studies suggest that alcohol consumption has a protective effect against the development of SLE; however, an association between alcohol consumption and fatigue in patients with SLE has not been studied. Here, we assessed whether alcohol consumption was associated with fatigue using lupus patient-reported outcomes (LupusPRO).

Methods

This cross-sectional study, conducted between 2018 and 2019, included 534 patients (median age, 45 years; 87.3% female) from 10 institutions in Japan. The main exposure was alcohol consumption, which was defined as the frequency of drinking [<1 day/month (none group), ≤1 day/week (moderate group), and ≥2 days/week (frequent group)]. The outcome measure was the Pain Vitality domain score in LupusPRO. Multiple regression analysis was performed as the primary analysis after adjusting for confounding factors, such as age, sex, and damage. Subsequently, the same analysis was performed as a sensitivity analysis after multiple imputations (MIs) for missing data ( n = 580).

Results

In total, 326 (61.0%) patients were categorized into the none group, 121 (22.7%) into the moderate group, and 87 (16.3%) into the frequent group. The frequent group was independently associated with less fatigue compared with none group [β = 5.98 (95% CI 0.19–11.76), p = 0.04], and the results did not substantially deviate after MI.

Conclusions

Frequent drinking was associated with less fatigue, which highlights the need for further longitudinal studies focusing on drinking habits in patients with SLE.
The Impacts of Anxiety and Motivation on Spatial Performance: Implications for Gender Differences in Mental Rotation and Navigation
Authors: Lourenco Stella F. , Liu Yaxin
Published: February 2023

Despite extensive research on gender differences in spatial cognition, the potential roles of affective and situational factors in accounting for these differences remain relatively understudied. Here, we discuss the impacts of spatial anxiety and motivation in mental rotation and navigation tasks, particularly their roles in explaining the gender performance gaps. We highlight the distinction between approach and avoidance motivation, as well as interactions between anxiety and motivation. Attention, working memory, and response strategy are discussed as mechanisms by which anxiety and motivation may affect performance on spatial tasks. Implications for a broader approach that also considers other psychological variables, such as confidence, are discussed.
Near infrared spectroscopy for the identification of live anurans: Towards rapid and automated identification of species in the field
Authors: Torralvo Kelly , Durgante Flávia , Pasquini Celio , Magnusson William E
Published: February 2023

In megadiverse regions, such as the Amazon, the identification of species generally requires specialists that are often not available. Therefore, the use of new species-recognition tools is necessary to streamline surveys and avoid errors in species identification that lead to ineffective decision-making. Near infrared spectroscopy is a quick and non-destructive tool that has been widely used in the recognition of biodiversity. In addition to being used as an indicator group, anurans have species with high morphological diversity, which make them the focus of studies and application of new tools that help in the identification and recognition at the species level. In this study, the viability of recognition of species of live Amazonian frogs under field conditions using the near infrared technique and portable equipment was examined. The performance of classification models based on a linear discriminant analysis, built using spectra obtained from the dorsal and ventral surfaces of four pairs of phylogenetically-close and morphologically-similar species was evaluated. It was possible to distinguish the species of live anurans in five of the eight species studied with hit rates above 80% when using only one spectral reading per individual. The overall mean of correct prediction of the models was below that of previous studies that tested the method with anurans, which are likely to be due to particularities in the acquisition of spectra under field conditions and live species. Therefore, suggestions are made to improve the predictive capacity of the techniques.
Does money strengthen our social ties? Longitudinal evidence of lottery winners
Authors: Costa-Font Joan , Powdthavee Nattavudh
Published: February 2023

We study the effect of lottery wins on the strength of social ties and its different types, including support networks, in the United Kingdom. On average, we find that winning more in the lottery increases the probability of meeting friends on most days, which is consistent with the complementary effect of income on the strength of social ties. The opposite is true with regards to social ties held for more instrumental reasons such as talking to neighbours. Winning more in the lottery also lessens an individual support network consistently with a substitution of income and support network. However, further robustness checks reveal that such average lottery effects are driven by individuals exhibiting very large wins only, thus suggesting that small to medium-sized wins (below £10k) may not be enough to change people’s social ties and support network in a substantial way.
Comparison of echocardiography, biomarkers and taurine concentrations in cats eating high- or low-pulse diets
Authors: Karp Shelby I , Freeman Lisa M , Rush John E , Karlin Emily T , LaMastro Joey N , Hicks Jacqueline M
Published: February 2023

Objectives

There are ongoing investigations into diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, but there has been minimal investigation into possible diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in cats. The objective of this study was to compare cardiac size and function, cardiac biomarkers and taurine concentrations in healthy cats eating high- vs low-pulse diets. We hypothesized that cats eating high-pulse diets would have larger hearts, lower systolic function and higher biomarker concentrations than cats eating low-pulse diets and that there would be no difference in taurine concentrations between the diet groups.

Methods

Echocardiographic measurements, cardiac biomarkers, and plasma and whole-blood taurine concentrations were compared between cats eating high- and low-pulse commercial dry diets in a cross-sectional study.

Results

There were no differences between the high- (n = 21) and low-pulse (n = 31) diet groups with regard to age, sex and breed, but more cats in the high-pulse group were overweight or obese (67% vs 39%; P = 0.05). Diet duration was not different in the groups, but the range was wide (6–120 months). No differences were found between the diet groups for key cardiac measurements, biomarker concentrations, or plasma or whole-blood taurine concentrations. However, there were significant negative correlations between diet duration and measures of left ventricular wall thickness in the high-pulse, but not the low-pulse, diet group.

Conclusions and relevance

This study did not detect significant associations between high-pulse diets and cardiac size, function and biomarkers, but the secondary observation of significant negative correlations between time on high-pulse diets and left ventricular wall thickness warrants further evaluation.
“Appagalo” a Customized Mobile Health Intervention (mHealth) for Smoking Cessation in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Martinez-Gutierrez Javiera , Domínguez Angélica , López Carolina , Alcántara Juan , Althausen Carolina , Rojas Mildred , Véjar Leonardo , Bambs Claudia
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

Almost 30% of Chilean women report cigarette smoking with important repercussions on their health.

OBJECTIVE

Design and test a mobile phone intervention for smoking cessation in young women.

STUDY DESIGN

A mobile application (app) was created using the best available evidence and consumer input. Its effectiveness was assessed through a randomized clinical trial.

STUDY PARTICIPANTS

Women 18 to 44 years old from middle-class neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile. Inclusion criteria were intention to quit cigarette smoking in the following month and having a smartphone cell phone. Women with positive screening for risky alcohol consumption were excluded.

INTERVENTION

App with content to support cigarette smoking cessation over 6 months. The control arm included an app that delivered general messages to promote permanence in the study. Telephone follow-up was performed at 6 weeks, and at 3 and 6 months after randomization.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

No smoking in the past 7 days at 6 weeks from enrolment. Intention-to-treat analysis was carried out using SPSS 17.0 with a significance level set at .05.

RESULTS

309 women entered the study. Mean number of cigarettes smoked in a day was 8.8. 58.6% of the participants (n = 181) completed the follow-up for the primary outcome. With intention-to-treat analysis, 9.7% of participants in the intervention group reported not having smoked any cigarettes in the last 7 days vs 3.2% in the control group (RR 2.98 CI 95% 1.11-8.0, P = .022). Additionally, 12.3% vs 1.9% of the participants in the intervention group and control group reported continuous abstinence at 6 weeks, respectively (RR 6.29 95% CI 1.9-20.8, P < .001). Continuous abstinence was also significant at 6 months ( P-value of .036).

CONCLUSIONS

The “Appagalo” app is an effective tool to support smoking cessation in young women. It is a simple mHealth alternative for smoking cessation that can contribute to improving women's health in the Americas and worldwide.
Pancreatoduodenectomy after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: Single-center experience and literature review
Authors: Yaqub Sheraz , Tholfsen Tore , Waage Anne , Kleive Dyre , Labori Knut Jørgen
Published: February 2023

Background and objective:

Bariatric surgery with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is widely used to treat morbid obesity and present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in patients with pancreatic and periampullary tumors. The aim of this study was to describe diagnostic tools and challenges in performing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) on patients with altered anatomy after RYGB.

Methods:

Patients undergoing PD after RYGB from April 2015 to June 2022 at a tertiary referral center were identified. Preoperative workup, operative techniques, and outcomes were reviewed. A literature search was performed to identify articles reporting PD in post-RYGB patients.

Results:

Of a total of 788 PDs, six patients had previous RYGB. The majority were women (n = 5), and median age was 59 years. The patients most commonly presented with pain (50%) and jaundice (50%) with a median of 5.5 years after RYGB. The gastric remnant was resected in all cases, and reconstruction of the pancreatobiliary drainage was achieved using the distal part of the pre-existing pancreatobiliary limb in all patients. Median follow-up was 60 months. The Clavien–Dindo grade ⩾3 complications occurred in two patients (33.3%), and 90 days mortality occurred in one patient (16.6%). The literature search revealed 9 articles reporting a total of 122 cases, specifically addressing PD after RYGB.

Conclusions:

Reconstruction after PD in post-RYGB patients may be challenging. Resection of the gastric remnant and use of the pre-existing biliopancreatic limb may be a safe strategy, but surgeons should be prepared for other reconstruction options for creation of a new pancreatobiliary limb.
Additive manufacturing and characterization of titanium wall used in nuclear application
Authors: Veeman Dhinakaran , Subramaniyan Mohan Kumar , Kumar Raman , Sriram Gokulakrishnan , Browne Micheal Agnelo , Guo Lei , Nallathambhi Siva Shanmugam
Published: February 2023

Titanium and its alloy are attractive materials used worldwide for various applications, especially for manufacturing fusion reactors and pressure vessels. This study aims to provide knowledge on the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of titanium grade 9 wall fabricated using wire feeding additive manufacturing (WFAM) with gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)-aided technique. An inert environment is provided during the process to manufacture a defect-free wall. Due to varying thermal cycles, there is a variation in the microstructure of the WFAM processed wall. The change in the texture of the WFAM processed wall is analysed through electron backscatter diffraction spectroscopy (inverse pole figures and pole figures), which influences the material properties. The WFAM processed wall exhibits superior mechanical characteristics compared to wrought alloys. Numerous morphologies in the fractured surface infer the occurrence of ductile fracture. A comparative study has been conducted between the outcomes of finite element simulation and experimental results. The results of finite element simulation and experimentation were in good agreement. The compilation of results gathered from mechanical and microstructural characterization shows that gas tungsten arc welding-aided-WFAM titanium grade 9 wall is suitable for fabricating fusion reactors and pressure vessels. Hence, first-hand knowledge is gained on the fabrication of fusion reactors and pressure vessels in nuclear application using the tungsten arc welding-aided-WFAM titanium grade 9 wall.
Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation Narrative Therapy Delivered via Synchronous Telehealth: A Case Study of a Rural Woman Veteran With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Zaccari Belle , Lovejoy Travis I. , O’Neil Maya E.
Published: February 2023

The International Classification of Diseases– 11thRevision (ICD-11) includes the diagnosis of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Clinical practice guidelines support the use of phased care for individuals with CPTSD. This case study illustrates the use of synchronous telehealth to deliver phased treatment to a rural woman veteran with CPTSD. Mrs. A experienced sexual, physical, and emotional abuse throughout her life, perpetrated by family members, intimate partners, and military authority figures. She sought treatment for posttraumatic nightmares and body image issues; she also had pain related to fibromyalgia and chronic migraine headaches. Mrs. A participated in 19 sessions of Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) Narrative therapy via synchronous telehealth. Trauma and eating disorder symptoms were assessed before and after treatment and the patient demonstrated clinically significant improvement on measures of these disorders. Patient-provider working alliance and quality of life were assessed post-treatment. Synchronous telehealth use drastically increased with the onset of COVID-19; however, little information on treating CPTSD via synchronous video teleconferencing is available. This case study illustrates an evidence-based, phased therapy for CPTSD while highlighting the feasibility and value of in-home delivery of psychotherapy for CPTSD via synchronous telehealth.
Muscle Up: Male Athletes’ and Non-Athletes’ Psychobiological Responses to, and Recovery From, Body Image Social-Evaluative Threats
Authors: Brown David M. , Muir Cameron , Gammage Kimberley L.
Published: February 2023

Negative body image often occurs as a result of social evaluation of the physique in men. Social self-preservation theory (SSPT) holds that social-evaluative threats (SETs) elicit consistent psychobiological responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and shame) to protect one’s social-esteem, status, and standing. Actual body image SETs have resulted in psychobiological changes consistent with SSPT in men; however, responses in athletes have yet to be examined. These responses may differ as athletes tend to experience fewer body image concerns compared with non-athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine psychobiological (i.e., body shame and salivary cortisol) responses to an acute laboratory body image SET in 49 male varsity athletes from non-aesthetic sports and 63 male non-athletes from a university community. Participants (age range 18–28 years) were randomized into a high or low body image SET condition, stratified by athlete status; measures of body shame and salivary cortisol were taken across the session (i.e., pre, post, 30-min post, 50-min post-intervention). There were no significant time-by-condition interactions, such that athletes and non-athletes had significant increases in salivary cortisol ( F3,321 = 3.34, p = .02), when controlling for baseline values, and state body shame ( F2.43,262.57 = 4.58, p = .007) following the high-threat condition only. Consistent with SSPT, body image SETs led to increased state body shame and salivary cortisol, although there were no differences in these responses between non-athletes and athletes.
The Association Between Self-Reported Household Renovation and Semen Parameters Among Infertile Men: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lv Xin , Jiang Yuting , Wang Ruixue , Li Linlin , Liu Ruizhi , Wang Mohan
Published: February 2023

Previous studies have indicated that outdoor air pollution has a negative impact on semen quality; however, few studies have examined whether living in a recently renovated residence is one of the factors influencing semen parameters. We aimed to examine the association between household renovation and semen parameters among infertile men. Our study was conducted at the Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University (Changchun, China) from July 2018 to April 2020. A total of 2267 participants were enrolled in the study. The participants completed the questionnaire and provided a semen sample. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between household renovations and semen parameters. Of the participants, about one-fifth ( n = 523, 23.1%) had undergone renovations in the last 24 months. The median progressive motility was 34.50%. There was a significant difference between participants whose residences had been renovated in the last 24 months and those whose residences had not been recently renovated ( z = –2.114, p = .035). Compared with participants whose residences were not recently renovated, participants who moved into the residence within 3 months after renovation had a higher risk of abnormal progressive motility after adjusting for age and abstinence time (odds ratio [OR] = 1.537, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.088–2.172). Our findings indicated that progressive motility was significantly associated with household renovations.
Are syntactic representations similar in both reading and listening? Evidence from priming in first and second languages
Authors: Elkhafif Basma , Havelka Jelena , Burke Melanie Rose , Weighall Anna
Published: February 2023

It is unclear to what extent natural differences between reading and listening result in differences in the syntactic representations formed in each modality. The present study investigated the occurrence of syntactic priming bidirectionally from reading to listening, and vice versa to examine whether reading and listening share the same syntactic representations in both first language (L1) and second language (L2). Participants performed a lexical decision task in which the experimental words were embedded in sentences with either an ambiguous or a familiar structure. These structures were alternated to produce a priming effect. The modality was manipulated whereby participants (a) first read part of the sentence list and then listened to the rest of the list (reading-listening group), or (b) listened and then read (listening-reading group). In addition, the study involved two within-modality lists in which participants either read or listened to the whole list. The L1 group showed within-modal priming in both listening and reading as well as a cross-modal priming effect. Although L2 speakers showed priming in reading, the effect was absent in listening and weak in the listening-reading condition. The absence of priming in L2 listening was attributed to difficulties in L2 listening rather than to an inability to produce abstract priming.
Reactions of 4,5-difluoro-1,2-dinitrobenzene with amines in dimethylformamide or EtOH
Authors: Plater M John , Harrison William TA
Published: February 2023

Substitution reactions of 1,2-difluoro-4,5-dinitrobenzene were explored in dimethylformamide alone and with KOH/H2O, Hünig’s base or Et3N and with Me2NHCl/Et3N in EtOH. The fluorine atoms were always displaced in preference to the nitro groups. Three compounds were prepared from these studies and were characterised by X-ray single crystal structure determinations.
Challenging opacity, embracing fuzziness: Geographical thought and praxis in a post-truth age
Authors: Shelton Taylor
Published: February 2023

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in critical approaches to mapping and quantification within geography. Such works have embraced the potential of these methods to advance the cause of social and spatial justice in an increasingly data-driven world. But as more geographers are turning to these approaches, it seems that conventional sources of social data are less and less able to capture emerging forms of social and spatial inequality, or are made unavailable to researchers interested in uncovering and challenging these inequalities. This therefore opens up the question of how geographers interested in mobilizing maps and data for critical purposes can even study or make definitive claims about phenomena or processes for which there are no reliable or available sources of data? Together, these issues point to the fundamental challenge of opacity to the future of geographical thought and praxis, and the necessity for critical geographers to not simply abandon these methods because of such challenges, but rather embrace this fuzziness in new and productive ways.