bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults in Jordan, 2000-2017
Authors: Amarin Justin Z. , Mansour Razan , Nimri Omar F. , Al-Hussaini Maysa 
Published: June 2021

PURPOSE The epidemiology of cancer in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is distinct and underinvestigated. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan. PATIENTS AND METHODS We accessed all records submitted to the Jordan Cancer Registry between 2000 and 2017. We included all patients, age 15-39 years, who were ordinarily resident in Jordan. We then calculated frequencies, age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs), and annual percentage changes (APCs) and performed subgroup analyses by biologic sex, age subgroups, and site (SEER AYA site recode/WHO 2008). We also performed site-specific trend analyses using joinpoint models. RESULTS We identified 14,115 eligible patients, of whom 1,531 (10.8%), 4,278 (30.3%), and 8,306 (58.8%) were 15-19, 20-29, and 30-39 years old at diagnosis, respectively. The numbers of male and female AYAs were 5,792 (41.0%) and 8,323 (59.0%), respectively. The crude number of cases increased from 654 in 2000 to 954 in 2017 (APC, 2.6%). The overall AAIR ranged from 32.3 in 2000 to 24.3 in 2017 (APC, –1.7%). The AAIR was 27.6 over the full study period and was higher in females (34.1) than in males (21.6). Carcinomas, lymphomas, and leukemias were the most common cancers. The incidence rates of the majority of cancers trended downward over the study period. CONCLUSION The incidence of cancer in AYAs in Jordan is relatively low and declining. However, the absolute number of cases is increasing because this downtrend does not offset the effect of a high population growth rate; almost a 1,000 cases of cancer are now diagnosed every year, which represents a significant increase in the burden of cancer in a developing country with limited healthcare resources.
Superficial vs Deep Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue: Sex-Specific Associations With Hepatic Steatosis and Metabolic Traits
Authors: Brand Tessa , van den Munckhof Inge Christina Lamberta , van der Graaf Marinette , Schraa Kiki , Dekker Helena Maria , Joosten Leonardus Antonius Bernardus , Netea Mihai Gheorghe , Riksen Niels Peter , de Graaf Jacqueline , Rutten Joseph Henricus Wilhelmus 
Published: June 2021

AbstractContextSubcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is not homogeneous, as the fascia scarpa separates the deep SAT (dSAT) from the superficial SAT (sSAT).ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the sex-specific associations of sSAT and dSAT with hepatic steatosis and metabolic syndrome in overweight individuals.MethodsWe recruited 285 individuals with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 27 and aged 55 to 81 years. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging was performed around level L4 to L5 to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT), dSAT, and sSAT volumes. The amount of hepatic fat was quantified by MR spectroscopy.ResultsMen had significantly higher volumes of VAT (122.6 cm3 vs 98.7 cm3, P &lt; .001) and had only half the volume of sSAT compared to women adjusted for BMI (50.3 cm3 in men vs 97.0 cm3 in women, P &lt; .001). dSAT correlated significantly with hepatic fat content in univariate analysis (standardized β = .190, P &lt; .05), while VAT correlated significantly with hepatic steatosis in a multivariate model, adjusted for age, alcohol use, and other abdominal fat compartments (standardized β = .184, P = .037). Moreover, dSAT in men correlated negatively with HDL cholesterol (standardized β = –0.165, P = .038) in multivariate analyses. In women with a BMI between 30 and 40, in a multivariate model adjusted for age, alcohol use, and other abdominal fat compartments, VAT correlated positively (standardized β = –.404, P = .003), and sSAT negatively (standardized β = –.300, P = .04) with hepatic fat content.ConclusionIn men, dSAT is associated with hepatic steatosis and adverse metabolic traits, such as lower HDL cholesterol levels, whereas in women with obesity sSAT shows a beneficial relation with respect to hepatic fat content.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Higher Hospitalization Risk From COVID-19: A Retrospective Case-control Study
Authors: Jude Edward B , Ling Stephanie F , Allcock Rebecca , Yeap Beverly X Y , Pappachan Joseph M 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

Context
One risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is postulated to be vitamin D deficiency. To better understand the role of vitamin D deficiency in the disease course of COVID-19, we undertook a retrospective case-control study in North West England.

Objective
To examine whether hospitalization with COVID-19 is more prevalent in individuals with lower vitamin D levels.

Methods
The study included individuals with test results for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) between April 1, 2020, and January 29, 2021, from 2 districts in North West England. The last 25(OH)D level in the previous 12 months was categorized as “deficient” if less than 25 nmol/L and “insufficient” if 25 to 50 nmol/L.

Results
The study included 80 670 participants. Of these, 1808 were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, of whom 670 died. In a primary cohort, median serum 25(OH)D in nonhospitalized participants with COVID-19 was 50.0 nmol/L (interquartile range [IQR], 34.0-66.7) vs 35.0 nmol/L (IQR, 21.0-57.0) in those admitted with COVID-19 (P &lt; 0.005). In a validation cohort, median serum 25(OH)D was 47.1 nmol/L (IQR, 31.8-64.7) in nonhospitalized vs 33.0 nmol/L (IQR, 19.4-54.1) in hospitalized patients. Age-, sex-, and season-adjusted odds ratios for hospital admission were 2.3 to 2.4 times higher among participants with serum 25(OH)D &lt;50 nmol/L compared with those with normal serum 25(OH)D levels, without excess mortality risk.

Conclusion
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. Widespread measurement of serum 25(OH)D and treatment of insufficiency or deficiency may reduce this risk.
Thyroid Hormone Therapy and Incident Stroke
Authors: Papaleontiou Maria , Levine Deborah A , Reyes-Gastelum David , Hawley Sarah T , Banerjee Mousumi , Haymart Megan R 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

Context
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and there is a need to identify modifiable risk factors.

Objective
We aimed to determine the relationship between thyroid hormone treatment intensity and incidence of atrial fibrillation and stroke.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Veterans Health Administration between 2004 and 2017, with a median follow-up of 59 months. The study population comprised 733 208 thyroid hormone users aged ≥18 years with at least 2 thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurements between thyroid hormone initiation and incident event (atrial fibrillation or stroke) or study conclusion (406 030 thyroid hormone users with at least 2 free thyroxine [T4] measurements).

Results
Overall, 71 333/643 687 (11.08%) participants developed incident atrial fibrillation and 41 931/663 809 (6.32%) stroke. In multivariable analyses controlling for pertinent factors such as age, sex, and prior history of atrial fibrillation, higher incidence of stroke was associated with low TSH or high free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hyperthyroidism; eg, TSH &lt;0.1 mIU/L; OR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.24-1.43; free T4&gt;1.9 ng/dL, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.30) and high TSH or low free T4 levels (ie, exogenous hypothyroidism; eg, TSH &gt;5.5 mIU/L; OR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.26-1.33; free T4 &lt;0.7 ng/dL; OR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22-1.35) compared with euthyroidism (TSH &gt;0.5-5.5 mIU/L and free T4 0.7-1.9 ng/dL). Risk of developing atrial fibrillation and stroke was cumulative over time for both patients with exogenous hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Conclusion
Both exogenous hyper- and hypothyroidism were associated with increased risk of stroke, highlighting the importance of patient medication safety.
Virginia Woolf, Anechoic Architecture, and the Acoustic Hermeneutic
Authors: Nathaniel Steve 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
This article describes Virginia Woolf's preoccupation with acoustics and its relationship both to her writing process and to the development of sensibility that she narrativizes in The Waves. It situates Woolf's theoretical and fictional models of listening with respect to the rising science of architectural acoustics and to the social imperative to control sound in urban spaces. It argues that Woolf responds to the psychological and social exigencies of modern sound by integrating textual and architectural listening modes in an acoustic hermeneutic: a listening practice common to the objects of architecture and text, one that accommodates both scientific and aesthetic ends. The acoustic hermeneutic marks the convergence of oft-estranged listening practices—one that apprehends the silent materiality of the text as if it were an audible room and, conversely, one that apprehends architecture with the auditory imagination traditionally exerted toward literature. While the article explores Woolf's particular invocations of auditory science in her formal innovation, it also aims toward a widely applicable critical approach to the inaudibilities of the novel.
MyomiRs and their multifaceted regulatory roles in muscle homeostasis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Giagnorio Eleonora , Malacarne Claudia , Mantegazza Renato , Bonanno Silvia , Marcuzzo Stefania 
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACT
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of both upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). The main clinical features of ALS are motor function impairment, progressive muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and, ultimately, paralysis. Intrinsic skeletal muscle deterioration plays a crucial role in the disease and contributes to ALS progression. Currently, there are no effective treatments for ALS, highlighting the need to obtain a deeper understanding of the molecular events underlying degeneration of both MNs and muscle tissue, with the aim of developing successful therapies. Muscle tissue is enriched in a group of microRNAs called myomiRs, which are effective regulators of muscle homeostasis, plasticity and myogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions. After providing an overview of ALS pathophysiology, with a focus on the role of skeletal muscle, we review the current literature on myomiR network dysregulation as a contributing factor to myogenic perturbations and muscle atrophy in ALS. We argue that, in view of their critical regulatory function at the interface between MNs and skeletal muscle fiber, myomiRs are worthy of further investigation as potential molecular targets of therapeutic strategies to improve ALS symptoms and counteract disease progression.
Development and psychometric testing of the Thai impact and burden of care scale for caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use
Authors: Imkome Ek-uma 
Published: June 2021

Objective: The objective of the present study was to develop the Thai version of the Impact and Burden of Care Scale for Caregivers of Persons with Schizophrenia and Co-occurring Methamphetamine Use (TIBSCSM) and test its psychometric properties. Methods: This instrument development research subjects were 142 caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use. Sample size adequacy was tested by Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett's test of sphericity tested the adequacy of the item correlation matrix. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the theoretical model. Results The 32-item TIBSCSM showed convergent validity correlations with two quality-of-life measures. Additionally, KMO=0.9, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity χ2=5248.5, df=496, p<0.001, and internal consistency reliability was high (α=0.9). The CFA has shown that the findings are supported by the theoretical models (χ2=325.2, df=287, p<0.001, RMSEA=0.0, CFI =0.9). Conclusion: The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric care teams to measure the impact and care burden of caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and methamphetamine use in the areas of nursing, research, education, and clinical determination. The test results suggested that The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric and mental health care team to assess the impact and burden care of schizophrenic caregiver for both research and clinical purposes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing care to relieve the impact and burden of care.
Recognizing and mediating bureaucratic barriers: increasing access to care through small private providers in Kenya
Authors: Suchman Lauren , Montagu Dominic 
Published: June 2021

Background: Equitable access to health services can be constrained in countries where private practitioners make up a large portion of primary care providers, making affordability a challenge. Expanding purchasing arrangements in many countries has helped integrate private providers into government-supported payment schemes and reduced financial barriers to care. However, private providers often must go through an onerous accreditation process to enroll in government-supported financing arrangements. The difficulties of this process can be exacerbated where health policy is changed often and low-level bureaucrats must navigate these shifts at their own discretion, effectively re-interpreting or re-making policy in practice. This paper analyzes one initiative to increase private provider accreditation with social health insurance (SHI) in Kenya by creating an intermediary between providers and SHI officials. Methods: This paper draws on 126 semi-structured interviews about SHI accreditation experience with private providers who were members of a franchise network in Kenya. It also draws on four focus group discussions conducted with franchise representatives who provided accreditation support to the providers and served as liaisons between the franchised providers and local SHI offices. There was a total of 20 participants across all four focus groups. Results: In a regulatory environment where regulations are weak and impermanent, officials created an accreditation process that was inconsistent and opaque: applying rules unevenly, requesting bribes, and minimizing communication with providers. The support provided by the implementing organizations clarified rules, reduced the power of local bureaucrats to apply regulations at their own discretion, gave providers greater confidence in the system, and helped to standardize the accreditation process. Conclusions: We conclude that intermediary organizations can mitigate institutional weaknesses, reduce barriers to effective care expansion caused by street-level bureaucrats, and facilitate the adoption of systems which reduce rent-seeking practices that might otherwise delay or derail initiatives to reach universal health coverage.
EPIDEMIA DO SILÊNCIO: LEITURA COMPARADA DE DEMÔNIOS E CIDADE ADORMECIDA
Authors: Niels Karla Menezes Lopes , Borges Isabella Melim , Curanishi Fernanda Tonholi Sasso , Farinha Marciana Gonçalves 
Published: June 2021

O temor da morte e da doença são medos muito latentes no ser humano. Uma forma de exorcizar esses medos passa pela ficção. Por isso, a partir do diálogo entre os contos “Demônios”, de Aluísio de Azevedo, e, “Cidade Adormecida”, de Marcel Schwob, o presente artigo abordará questões intrínsecas ao medo da peste e da morte, sobretudo, o silêncio que tal medo enseja, como consequência das insólitas “epidemias” presenciadas pelos narradores. Trata-se de questões que se aproximam de experiências vividas em situações extremas, a exemplo, de outras pestes, como a que hoje presenciamos, isto é, a pandemia de Covid-19. Embasamos esse diálogo nos estudos seminais acerca do fantástico, bem como nos estudos de Jean Delumeau (2009), Eni Orlandi (2008) e Edgar Morin (1970).
As sociabilidades necessárias ao capital: o trabalho em migalhas no contexto da pandemia da Covid-19
Authors: Do Amaral Angela Santana 
Published: June 2021

Este texto discute as configurações do trabalho e as sociabilidades construídas pelo capital na fase atual da sua acumulação, destacando o contexto da pandemia, seus efeitos sobre o mercado de trabalho e as renovadas estratégias de gestão, controle e disciplinamento da força de trabalho. Analisa as determinações gerais da crise capitalista e os mecanismos de recomposição do seu domínio, através do trabalho mediado pelas tecnologias de informação e comunicação e formas de superexploração da força de trabalho que combinam o moderno e o arcaico. Nesse contexto, considera que a ampliação da informalidade e precariedade na sociedade contemporânea bem como as ideologias que orientam a formação de um trabalhador de novo-tipo, constituem os vetores que determinam os modos de ser, pensar e agir das classes trabalhadoras. Palavras-Chave: trabalho; sociabilidade; crise capitalista; pandemia; precariedade.
Development of a Small Electric Robot Boat for Mowing Aquatic Weeds
Authors: Kaizu Yutaka , Shimada Tetsuo , Takahashi Yusuke , Igarashi Sho , Yamada Hiroyuki , Furuhashi Kenichi , Imou Kenji 
Published: June 2021

HighlightsA small, automatically guided electric robot boat was developed to control the growth of aquatic plants in lakes.The robot boat was able to mow without becoming entangled with aquatic plants due to the paddle propulsion mechanism.The average speed was 0.41 m s-1, and the lateral deviation from the set path was 9.4 cm.The growth restraint effect was confirmed using aerial images collected by a drone.Abstract. At present, aquatic plants are becoming a problem in various lakes. Aquatic weeds that grow to high densities cause decreases in the oxygen concentration in the water, accumulation of sludge, and adverse effects on water use facilities and fisheries. Although there are large machines for cutting and harvesting aquatic plants, their use is limited due to their high cost, large size, and heavy weight. On the other hand, manual cutting is very labor intensive and inefficient. Therefore, in this research, we developed a labor-saving and low-cost robot boat to mow aquatic plants. This robot boat is automatically controlled by a real-time kinematic global navigational satellite system (RTK-GNSS) and is characterized by its small size, light weight, excellent portability, and low energy consumption. In addition, a paddle mechanism that replaces a conventional propeller was introduced as a propulsion mechanism to prevent entanglement of water plants and enable long-term automatic navigation. Mowing lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) in Lake Izunuma, Miyagi prefecture, Japan, confirmed that mowing could be properly conducted with a lateral deviation of 9.4 cm, average speed of 0.41 m s-1, and average power consumption of 518 W even when lotus was at its densest growth. If the cutting width of the robot boat was 1.2 m and the sidelap width was 0.3 m, the theoretical field work rate would be 0.133 ha h-1. Images captured by a drone confirmed that cutting with the robot boat was effective in suppressing the growth of lotus. It was found that the effect of suppressing growth was maximized by mowing at the time when the stopping leaves appeared in the late growth stage of lotus. Keywords: Autonomous navigation, Lotus, Moving baseline, Robot operation system, RTK-GNSS, Virtual private network.
Universal optical network architecture for future wireless LANs [Invited]
Authors: Edirisinghe Sampath , Ranaweera Chathurika , Lim Christina , Nirmalathas Ampalavanapillai , Wong Elaine 
Published: June 2021

Ultra-high-capacity indoor wireless connectivity is considered a key technology enabler to support end-to-end delivery of new services in the beyond-5G and 6G era. With physical layer data rates well beyond 10 Gbps, optical wireless communication (OWC) technology is positioning itself as a prospective candidate to support these services. While OWC is capable of handling multi-gigabit data rates in the wireless domain, the underlying distribution network architecture is not designed to transport the projected high volumes of data as well as the expected added complexity of managing and coordinating multiple narrow beams, beamsteering, and femto cells. To future proof wireless local area networks (LANs) including those using the radio spectrum, we propose a universal network architecture that features centralized software/hardware resource pools as well as control and data plane separation in conjunction with virtualization support and a high-capacity fiber distribution network. Such an architecture has the potential to realize interoperability between existing and future high-capacity wireless LAN technologies such as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi in the 60 GHz range, as well as dynamic and flexible allocation of resources in response to changing user bandwidth demand. Our results demonstrate the benefits of the universal network architecture in supporting high throughput performance, low delay, and increased resiliency.
Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in dairy cattle in China during 2010–2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gong Qing-Long , Chen Yu , Tian Tian , Wen Xiaobo , Li Dong , Song Yu-Hao , Wang Qi , Du Rui , Zhang Xiao-Xuan 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundBovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by members of theMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex bacteria, mainlyMycobacterium bovis(M.bovis), is a major threat to public health and economic development. There has been no systematic epidemiological assessment concerning bTB in dairy cattle in China.Methodology/principal findingsLiterature related to bTB in China was retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, ScienceDirect, VIP Chinese Journals Database, and Wan Fang Database to build the first meta-analysis for estimating the prevalence and infection moderators of bTB in dairy cattle in China. A total of 100 relevant studies published from 2010 to 2019 were included. We estimated the overall prevalence of bTB was 2.4% (95% CI: 2.1–2.8) during this decade. In the sampling year subgroup, the prevalence was lowest in 2017 or later at 0.8% (95% CI: 0.3–1.5). The lowest prevalence was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.5–1.0) in Northwestern China. The lowest prevalence was 2.1% (95% CI: 1.8–2.5) using SIT test. Heifer cows had the highest prevalence, which was 27.1% (95% CI: 9.7–49.2). The prevalence in scale farming was 3.7% (95% CI: 3.1–4.3), significantly higher than that in free-range farming (1.7%, 95% CI: 1.1–2.4). The prevalence of bTB was highest in summer at 4.0% (95% CI: 1.7–7.0). In addition, the influence of different geographical factors (altitude, longitude, latitude, precipitation, temperature, humidity) on the prevalence was analyzed.Conclusions/significanceThe results showed that bTB was widespread in China but has been gradually reduced through concerted national intervention. It is suggested that different countries should formulate corresponding prevention and control measures according to the epidemic situation in its cattle industry. Enhanced monitoring of warm and humid areas may play an important role in reducing the incidence of bTB. In addition, when large-scale breeding is promoted, attention should be paid to standardizing breeding management and improving animal welfare to reduce the prevalence of bTB in cattle.