bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Weather Prognostication in Late Imperial China as Presented in Local Gazetteers (1644–1722)
Authors: Agøy Erling 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This article examines Late Imperial Chinese prognostication practices in relation to weather and climate, as they appear in local gazetteers 方志 (fangzhi) – a sort of local history or reference book – from across the country. My focus is on the so-called “farmers’ prognostications 農占 (nongzhan).” Where and by whom were weather prognostications used? How great were the internal differences within China? What were the main methods used to predict the year’s harvest? The research’s scope is limited by the available sources: out of the many thousands of extant gazetteers, I strictly work only with those works published during the two first Qing 清 (1644–1912) reigns Shunzhi 順治 (1644–1661) and Kangxi 康熙 (1662–1722). The geographical area is determined by these sources but basically corresponds to the Han-majority provinces of “China proper.”
Medieval Divination by Unexpected Incidents: The Tabula prenostica Salomonis
Authors: Hertogh Tim , van Rhijn Carine , Schalekamp Bruno , Schmidl Petra G. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This article explores a little-known prognostic table, the so-called Tabula Salomonis, in its four oldest Latin manuscript witnesses from between ca. 1000 and 1300. Unusually for Latin prognostic texts, the table employs unexpected incidents such as animal sounds, sneezes, and bodily twitches combined with the signs of the zodiac as its starting point. Interestingly, the sources for the Tabula, a series of Late Antique texts from which the author “picked and mixed,” are not extant in Latin. Given a parallel tradition in Arabic, the authors argue that the Tabula’s direct precursor is not a Greek text (as is the case for many contemporary prognostic texts in Latin), but an Arabic work. This would make it the earliest attested prognostic text translated directly from Arabic into Latin.
State of the Climate in 2022
Authors: Blunden J. , Boyer T. , Bartow-Gillies E. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Editors note: For easy download the posted pdf of the State of the Climate in 2022 is a low-resolution file. A high-resolution copy of the report is available by clicking here. Please be patient as it may take a few minutes for the high-resolution file to download.
Vitamin B12 reference intervals on Beckman, Roche and Siemens analytical platforms
Authors: Jassam Nuthar , Bancroft Thomas , Luvai Ahai , Mbagaya Wycliffe , Barth Julian H. 
Published: September 2023

Background Vitamin B12 status is assessed primarily by measuring total serum B12 using competitive binding methods. The lack of availability of a standard material and high-level reference measurement procedure affect the trueness of B12 results; this results in variation between methods. This study aimed to determine the reference intervals for vitamin B12 on three routine analytical platforms. Method A prospective reference population of healthy individuals was recruited according to the IFCC CRIDL criteria. Vitamin B12 samples were measured on Roche, Beckman and Siemens analytical platforms. Results In total, 300 adult subjects were recruited; the central 95th centile values for B12 for Roche (190–678 ng/mL) and Siemens (181–562 ng/mL) analytical platforms were in a close agreement. Beckman DXi, however, showed a significantly lower reference limit (110–562 ng/mL). All reference intervals are in keeping with previously published data but some are not in agreement with manufacturer provided reference interval. Conclusion As the quality of the reference intervals plays a significant role in clinical outcome, it is of great importance that laboratories use a method-specific reference interval and if possible, locally derived reference intervals until further method standardization occurs.
Reliability testing of the Persian low-vision quality-of-life questionnaire based on Rasch analysis
Authors: Momeni Moghaddam Hamed , Heravian Shandiz Javad , Wolffsohn James S , Karimpour Maliheh 
Published: September 2023

Objective: Low-vision quality-of-life (LVQOL) questionnaire was recently translated to Persian. Its model fit and construct validity were assessed by exploratory and confirmatory analysis for adults with visual impairment, before. In this study, we aimed to test the reliability of the Persian LVQOL questionnaire based on Rasch analysis. Methods: Overall, 100 low-vision patients and 100 demographic statue-matched control subjects were participated for evaluating reliability aspects. All the participants were asked to complete the Persian LVQOL questionnaire. The low-vision group was asked to fill out the LVQOL 3 months after rehabilitation to determine how rehabilitation changed the quality of life. Rasch analyses of the survey items were conducted using WINSTEPS. Results: All items fitted the Rasch model. Point-measure correlations values varied from .13 to .70, providing a preliminary indication of adequate construct validity. All factor loadings found more than .4. infit values for all other participants were in the acceptable range. All items obtained infit and outfit MSQ values of < 2.0. Patients’ abilities relative to the item difficulty were analyzed. Item difficulty was estimated and item characteristic curves were included. Sufficient unidimensionality, hierarchical order, and equal interval scaring were obtained. Conclusion: The Persian LVQOL questionnaire was reliable enough and it will be valuable in both clinical practice and research.
Experimental investigation of the effect of functionalized graphene on the creep behavior of epoxy
Authors: Bakbak Okan , Colak Ozgen 
Published: September 2023

The objective of the current work was to investigate the creep behavior of functionalized graphene (f-GNF)-epoxy nanocomposite. Time and temperature-dependent mechanical behaviors were investigated by performing creep tests at three different stress levels and two different temperatures. Graphene produced by the electric arc discharge method was functionalized with Triton X-100 by a non-covalent method. Then, f-GNF-epoxy nanocomposites are produced by using the Three Roll Milling (3RM) method to eliminate nanofiller agglomeration. By performing quasi-static compression tests, stress levels for creep tests are determined as 50, 100, and 200 MPa to guarantee the viscoelastic deformation regime, around yield, and the viscoplastic deformation regime, respectively. The results indicate significant creep resistance in the nanocomposite with 0.1 wt% f-GNF. Depending on temperature and stress level, the effect of f-GNF is more pronounced at higher stresses and temperatures. f-GNFs have a significant effect on inhibiting the mobility of polymer chains, resulting improvements in the creep modulus. This indicates that thermally activated processes controlling the creep rate are in part inhibited by the presence of f-GNF. In the creep tests carried out for 2 h, a maximum improvement of 85% was observed in the creep modulus of epoxy-nanocomposite compared to pure epoxy at room temperature.
Intergenerational Continuity of Childhood Adversity and Its Underlying Mechanisms Among Teen Mothers and Their Offspring
Authors: Yoon Yoewon , Cederbaum Julie A , Duan Lei , Lee Jungeun Olivia 
Published: September 2023

The present study investigates how parenting stress mediates the intergenerational continuity of childhood adversity in teenage mothers. Childhood adversity experiences of caregivers significantly affect their offspring’s exposure to childhood adversity. However, little is known about the mechanisms linking childhood adversity across generations. The study measures how parental distress and parent-child dysfunctional interaction mediate the association between teen mothers’ childhood adversity and their offspring’s adversity, measuring when the offspring reached 11.5 years of age. The results revealed that parental distress, but not parent-child dysfunctional interaction, mediated the association between teen mothers’ child abuse and their offspring’s household dysfunction. This suggests that parental distress may be a crucial intervention target to prevent the intergenerational continuity of childhood adversity. The findings imply that efforts to prevent the intergenerational continuity of childhood adversity may be more successful if the public and professionals have a broader understanding of the associations between early adversity and parenting contexts. In conclusion, the study shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying the intergenerational continuity of childhood adversity and highlights the importance of targeting parenting stress, specifically parental distress, as an intervention strategy to prevent the perpetuation of childhood adversity across generations.
Psychosocial and Glycemic Benefits for Insulin-Using Adults With Type 2 Diabetes After Six Months of Pump Therapy: A Quasi-Experimental Approach
Authors: Polonsky William H. , Soriano Emily C. 
Published: September 2023

Background: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) use in adults with type 1 diabetes offers psychosocial and clinical benefits, but little is known about its impact on such outcomes in the type 2 diabetes (T2D) population. To address this gap, we conducted a quasi-experimental prospective study to assess psychosocial, glycemic, and behavioral changes over six months in T2D adults on multiple daily injections (MDI) who were interested in starting Omnipod DASH, comparing those who did versus did not start on it. Methods: In total, 458 adults with T2D completed baseline questionnaires assessing psychosocial dimensions (eg, diabetes distress), clinical metrics (eg, HbA1c [glycosylated hemoglobin]), and behavioral measures (eg, missed mealtime boluses). Six months later, 220 (48.0%) completed the same questionnaire again. To examine differences in outcomes over time between those who began CSII (n = 176) versus those who remained on MDI (n = 44), a latent change score approach was used. Results: The CSII users reported greater gains than MDI users on all major psychosocial metrics, including overall well-being ( P < .001) diabetes distress ( P < .001), perceived T2D impact on quality of life ( P = .003), and hypoglycemic worries and concerns ( P < .001). The CSII users similarly reported a larger decline in HbA1c than MDI users ( P < .05) and greater declines in two critical self-care behaviors: number of missed mealtime boluses ( P < .001) and number of days of perceived overeating ( P = .001). Conclusions: The introduction of CSII (Omnipod DASH) in T2D adults can contribute to significant psychosocial, glycemic, and behavioral benefits, indicating that broader use of CSII in the T2D population may be of value.
Vaping-induced acute epiglottitis: a case report
Authors: Khorrami Amir , Khorrami Mohammad Ali , Gheriani Heitham 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
E-cigarette use, or vaping, is an alternative nicotine delivery system that is becoming increasingly prevalent in adolescents and young adults. There is currently a lack of comprehensive research on the adverse effects of vaping on the upper airway.
Acute epiglottitis is a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to airway obstruction. It is commonly caused by bacterial infections such as streptococci, staphylococcus, and Moraxella. Adult patients with acute epiglottitis mainly present with odynophagia, dysphagia, and respiratory difficulties. The diagnosis of epiglottitis is made by direct laryngoscopy, and the mainstay of treatment is antibiotics.
Bozella et al. (2020) reported a case of subacute non-infectious epiglottitis associated with e-cigarette use in a pediatric patient (Pediatrics 145(3), 2020). Here we present a case of acute epiglottitis in a healthy young adult after vaping, with a negative infectious workup. To our knowledge, there has been no such reported case of epiglottitis associated with e-cigarette use in an adult patient.

Case description
A previously healthy 29-year-old male with daily e-cigarette use presented to the emergency department with a severe sore throat, dysphagia, mild hoarseness, and shortness of breath, especially when lying supine. A lateral neck soft tissue radiograph revealed a thickened epiglottis with a thumb sign. Direct bedside laryngoscopy showed a swollen epiglottis, partially obstructing the supraglottic region confirming the diagnosis of acute epiglottitis. Throat and nasal swabs were negative for streptococcus and COVID-19 infection, respectively. The patient’s condition improved significantly after receiving intravenous Dexamethasone and antibiotics for 2 days. Repeat laryngoscopy showed the resolution of epiglottis swelling, and subjective symptoms had resolved entirely 2 weeks following the start of the treatment.

Conclusions
Although bacterial infections usually cause acute epiglottitis, this case presents the second report of this condition associated with vaping with negative microbiological investigations. Therefore, we recommend that physicians consider non-infectious causes such as vaping in their differential diagnosis for patients with acute and subacute epiglottitis. More research is warranted on the utility of antibiotics in treating vaping-induced epiglottitis.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in the Global South: research findings, gaps, and directions
Authors: Hasselwander Marc , Bigotte Joao F. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundMobility as a Service (MaaS) – bundled mobility and transport services accessible on-demand and on a single platform – has been a popular research topic in recent years. Most MaaS studies, however, are embedded in the context of cities in the Global North, where most of the existing MaaS schemes are operational.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to give an overview of first findings of studies in the Global South. We aim to answer the following questions: Is MaaS likely to gain traction in the Global South? How does MaaS in the Global South differ from the known model? Can MaaS mitigate transport problems in the Global South?MethodologyWe conducted a systematic literature review with a thematic analysis and narrative synthesis. In total, we identified 23 relevant papers that were included for full-text analysis.FindingsA qualitative synthesis of the analyzed papers suggests that: (i) there is a considerable demand and preference for integrated, app-based mobility services and that both public and private actors are likely to push the MaaS concept; (ii) however, different regulatory frameworks, available infrastructures, and user preferences, among others, require an adjusted MaaS model; and (iii) there is initial evidence that MaaS can indeed promote more sustainable mobility behavior in the developing world, although these findings require further validation from MaaS pilots and comprehensive simulation studies.
Causal associations between thyroid cancer and IgA nephropathy: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Mei Ziwei , Li Fuhao , Chen Ruizhen , Xiao Zilong , Cai Dongsheng , Jin Lie , Qian Xu , Wang Yucheng , Chen Jun 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
The incidence of kidney disease caused by thyroid cancer is rising worldwide. Observational studies cannot recognize whether thyroid cancer is independently associated with kidney disease. We performed the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to genetically investigate the causality of thyroid cancer on immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).

Methods and results
We explored the causal effect of thyroid cancer on IgAN by MR analysis. Fifty-two genetic loci and single nucleotide polymorphisms were related to thyroid cancer. The primary approach in this MR analysis was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, and MR‒Egger was the secondary method. Weighted mode and penalized weighted median were used to analyze the sensitivity. In this study, the random-effect IVW models showed the causal impact of genetically predicted thyroid cancer across the IgAN risk (OR, 1.191; 95% CI, 1.131–1.253, P < 0.001). Similar results were also obtained in the weighted mode method (OR, 1.048; 95% CI, 0.980–1.120, P = 0.179) and penalized weighted median (OR, 1.185; 95% CI, 1.110–1.264, P < 0.001). However, the MR‒Egger method revealed that thyroid cancer decreased the risk of IgAN, but this difference was not significant (OR, 0.948; 95% CI, 0.855–1.051, P = 0.316). The leave-one-out sensitivity analysis did not reveal the driving influence of any individual SNP on the association between thyroid cancer and IgAN.

Conclusion
The IVW model indicated a significant causality of thyroid cancer with IgAN. However, MR‒Egger had a point estimation in the opposite direction. According to the MR principle, the evidence of this study did not support a stable significant causal association between thyroid cancer and IgAN. The results still need to be confirmed by future studies.
Disease progression model anchored around clinical diagnosis in longitudinal cohorts: example of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia
Authors: Lespinasse Jérémie , Dufouil Carole , Proust-Lima Cécile 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) are characterized by multiple and progressive anatomo-clinical changes including accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain, brain atrophy and severe cognitive impairment. Understanding the sequence and timing of these changes is of primary importance to gain insight into the disease natural history and ultimately allow earlier diagnosis. Yet, modeling changes over disease course from cohort data is challenging as the usual timescales (time since inclusion, chronological age) are inappropriate and time-to-clinical diagnosis is available on small subsamples of participants with short follow-up durations prior to diagnosis. One solution to circumvent this challenge is to define the disease time as a latent variable.

Methods
We developed a multivariate mixed model approach that realigns individual trajectories into the latent disease time to describe disease progression. In contrast with the existing literature, our methodology exploits the clinical diagnosis information as a partially observed and approximate reference to guide the estimation of the latent disease time. The model estimation was carried out in the Bayesian Framework using Stan. We applied the methodology to the MEMENTO study, a French multicentric clinic-based cohort of 2186 participants with 5-year intensive follow-up. Repeated measures of 12 ADRD markers stemmed from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), brain imaging and cognitive tests were analyzed.

Results
The estimated latent disease time spanned over twenty years before the clinical diagnosis. Considering the profile of a woman aged 70 with a high level of education and APOE4 carrier (the main genetic risk factor for ADRD), CSF markers of tau proteins accumulation preceded markers of brain atrophy by 5 years and cognitive decline by 10 years. However we observed that individual characteristics could substantially modify the sequence and timing of these changes, in particular for CSF level of A$$\beta _{42}$$

β
42

.

Conclusion
By leveraging the available clinical diagnosis timing information, our disease progression model does not only realign trajectories into the most homogeneous way. It accounts for the inherent residual inter-individual variability in dementia progression to describe the long-term anatomo-clinical degradations according to the years preceding clinical diagnosis, and to provide clinically meaningful information on the sequence of events.

Trial registration
clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01926249. Registered on 16 August 2013.
Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia epidemiology: resistance profiles and clinical outcome of King Fahad Medical City isolates, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hafiz Taghreed A. , Alanazi Sarah , Alghamdi Shahad S. , Mubaraki Murad A. , Aljabr Waleed , Madkhali Nouf , Alharbi Sarah R. , Binkhamis Khalifa , Alotaibi Fawzia 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background and objectives
Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is the second leading cause of community-acquired and hospital-acquired gram-negative bloodstream infection (BSI). This study aimed to assess the epidemiological and microbial-resistance characteristics and clinical factors associated with K. pneumoniae BSI in Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods
Data of 152 K. pneumoniae isolates diagnosed between January 2019 and January 2020 at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical records of the patients were collected and analysed statistically.

Results
In total, 152 cases of K. pneumoniae BSI were identified. Adult patients (66.4%) were at a higher risk of developing the infection than paediatric patients (33.6%). The rate of infection was slightly higher in women than in men. Neurological disorders were the predominant underlying conditions for the acquisition of K. pneumoniae BSI, at all ages. Most of the deceased patients were adults with multi-organ dysfunction. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed disturbing resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefuroxime (72.4%), ceftazidime (67.8), cephalothin (76.3%), and to Carbapenems (36.1%).

Conclusions
The impact of K. pneumoniae BSI was seen not only at the patient level, but also at the community level, and was related to multi-drug resistant infection. These findings provide a better understanding of microbial resistance and its association with patient clinical outcomes.
The role of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and pelvic floor 3D-ultrasound assessment during pregnancy predicting urinary incontinence: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Sartorao Filho Carlos Izaias , Nunes Sthefanie K. , Magyori Adriely B.M. , Calderon Iracema M.P. , Barbosa Angelica M.P. , Rudge Marilza V.C. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPostpartum urinary incontinence may have a severe impact on women’s health. Despite pregnancy and parturition being the most recognized risk factors, methods to identify new pregnant predictor risk factors are needed. Our study investigated the Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, clinical and pelvic floor 3D-ultrasound markers in pregnant women as predictors for 6–18 months of urinary incontinence. This prospective cohort study included nulliparous pregnant women submitted to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus screening in the second trimester. Pelvic floor 3D Ultrasound was performed at the second and third trimesters of gestation to evaluate the pelvic floor muscles and functions. Clinical data, the ICIQ-SF, and ISI questionnaires for urinary incontinence were applied in the third trimester and 6–18 months postpartum. Univariate analysis (P < .20) to extract risk factors variables and multivariate logistic regression analysis (P < .05) to obtain the adjusted relative ratio for urinary incontinence were performed. A total of 93 participants concluded the follow-up. Using the variables obtained by univariate analysis and after adjustments for potential confounders, multivariate analysis revealed that Gestational Diabetes Mellitus exposure was a solid and independent risk factor for 6–18 months of urinary incontinence (Adjusted RR 8.08; 95%CI 1.17–55.87; P:0.034). In addition, a higher Hiatal area observed in distension maneuver from the second to third trimester was negatively associated (Adjusted RR 0.96; 95%CI 0.93–0.99; P:0.023). In conclusion, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus was positively associated with 6–18 months of urinary incontinence, and higher Hiatal area distension was negatively associated.