bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parental perception of distance learning and homeschooling during COVID-19 pandemic: an empirical analysis in Sri Lanka
Authors: Priyashantha A.K. Hasith , Pratheesh N. , Pretheeba P. 
Published: November 2022

PurposeMany countries around the world were compelled to adhere to rigorous practices of school closures due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). During the lockdown period, distance teaching and learning have become the only form to keep students on track. Reports have revealed that during this period, parents and students have strived hard to cope up with the learning method, which is new to the school education system in Sri Lanka. Against this background, this study explored the perceptions of parents in distance learning and homeschooling of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. In addition, this study also attempted to assess the success of such educational practices in the country during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was used, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed via Google Forms to a sample of 587 respondents through snowball sampling across Sri Lanka.FindingsAccording to the collected data, about 52% of participants positively responded to the current distance learning practices adopted in school education. Meanwhile, about 57% of parents were negatively concerned about current practices. The respondents had negative concerns about the new role of teaching at home, difficulties in balancing work-from-home activities, too many distractions and unfamiliarity with the teaching methods and the subjects. Further with regard to depression, the majority of respondents have moderate depression which could be led to not favouring or being active in teaching. Accounting overall fact, the success of distance learning and homeschooling was higher with parents who have a good educational and socioeconomic background. The impact of these education systems appears to be long-lasting and may contribute to rising disparities.Research limitations/implicationsThis study will help to pay close attention to the constraints and implications of distance learning activities, along with homeschooling and its adaptation in the future as a matter of urgency.Originality/valueSeveral studies described obstacles encountered by students and academics in the higher education sector. However, this study helps to understand the existing difficulties experienced by parents/guardians with homeschooling and the introduction of distance education via the virtual platform in the primary and secondary education system in Sri Lanka. The findings highlighted the importance of developing sufficient information technology infrastructure facilities throughout the nation before hosting such virtual teaching and learning across Sri Lanka.
Use of chatbots for customer service in MSMEs
Authors: Cordero Jorge , Barba-Guaman Luis , Guamán Franco 
Published: November 2022

PurposeThis research work aims to arise from developing new communication channels for customer service in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as chatbots. In particular, the results of the usability testing of three chatbots implemented in MSMEs are presented.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology employed includes participants, chatbot development platform, research methodology, software development methodology and usability test to contextualize the study's results.FindingsBased on the results obtained from the System Usability Scale (SUS) and considering the accuracy of the chatbot's responses, it is concluded that the level of satisfaction in using chatbots is high; therefore, if the chatbot is well integrated with the communication systems/channels of the MSMEs, the client receives an excellent, fast and efficient service.Originality/valueThe paper analyzes chatbots for customer service and presents the usability testing results of three chatbots implemented in MSMEs.
Advertising and pricing of online direct selling considering network externalities
Authors: Shen Liang , Fan Runjie , Wang Yuyan , Li Hua , Tang Rongyun 
Published: November 2022

PurposeConsidering the network externalities of online selling, this paper builds three different online direct selling models: manufacturer direct selling (MN model), network platform direct selling (NN model) and retailer direct selling (RN model). The optimal advertising and pricing decision and corporate profits under each selling model are investigated.Design/methodology/approachCombining the characteristics of online direct selling, this paper formulates direct selling models that are dominated by different companies as Stackelberg game models. Numerical analyses are carried out, along with the comparison of the equilibrium solutions for each model.FindingsThe authors' research shows that increasing network externalities is conducive to the development of enterprises. The network platform's profit is the lowest in the RN model and the highest in the NN one. The comparison of manufacturers' profits between the MN model and the NN model primarily depends on consumers' sensitivities for sales price and advertising promotion level. The manufacturer does not benefit from the RN model due to the lowest efficiency.Originality/valueCoupled with three different online direct selling models and detailed analyses of the optimal solutions, this study has enriched the theoretical foundation of online direct selling. Moreover, this study extends the research of network externalities to the field of e-commerce, revealing the network externalities' influence on the decision-making of the e-supply chain.
Ankylosing spondylitis with Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease: A case report with literature review
Authors: Li Man , Hsu Jhe‐Yuan , Xie Yong‐Xin , Wu Yong‐Lan , Wei James Cheng‐Chung 
Published: November 2022

AbstractWe present the case of a patient diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) along with Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease (KFD), possibly triggered by infection or autoimmunity. Both AS and KFD involved a similar immune pathway. Hence, clinicians should consider the possibility of KFD when lymphadenopathy is observed, especially in patients with infection or underlying autoimmune diseases.
Acceptability and feasibility of telehealth outpatient video‐link consultations: A national cross‐sectional survey of surgeons prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Mackenzie Lisa , Noble Natasha , Proietto Anthony , Jones Julia , Norton Grace , Palazzi Kerrin 
Published: November 2022

AbstractObjectiveThis study explored use and perceived barriers to the use of post‐operative video‐link telehealth among a sample of Australian surgeons shortly before the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsDuring 2019–2020, a survey was mailed to RACS or RANZCOG Fellows.DesignCross‐sectional survey.Setting and ParticipantsA total of 907 surgeons practising in Australia completed the survey.Main Outcome MeasuresThe study‐specific survey assessed telehealth use in the last 3 months and the perceived barriers and enablers to the use of post‐operative teleconsultations, across the domains: quality of care; convenience and efficiency; legal/regulatory issues; financial issues and technological issues.ResultsTwenty‐five percent of eligible surgeons returned the survey, with n = 763 pre‐pandemic responses included in analyses. Approximately one‐quarter (26%) of surgeons had used telehealth post‐operatively with patients in the last 3 months. The most frequently endorsed barriers to use related to quality of care: ‘I cannot undertake a patient examination’ and ‘I cannot provide the same level of care as during an in‐person consultation’; and convenience and efficiency: ‘Teleconsultations are more difficult to arrange’. Surgeons who had recently used telehealth were less likely to endorse most barriers. Younger age, awareness of Medicare telehealth reimbursement and working in neurosurgery, urology, paediatric surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery (compared to general surgery) were associated with recent telehealth use by surgeons.ConclusionsSome surgeons' perceived barriers to telehealth pre‐COVID may be overcome by COVID‐19‐related telehealth uptake and familiarisation. However, many barriers will need to be addressed to ensure that telehealth adoption is sustained beyond the pandemic.
In response to ‘The Two of Us project: An exploration of the relationships of people with intellectual disability in different social contexts’ (Jack Kelly and Seren Wagstaff)
Authors: Townson Louise , Chapman Rohhss 
Published: November 2022

AbstractWe are Lou Townson and Rohhss Chapman and we have a long history of working together and being friends. Together we are responding to our selected British Journal of Learning Disabilities article, The ‘Two of Us’ project.
Compounds from diverse natural origin against triple‐negative breast cancer: A comprehensive review
Authors: Thilagavathi Ramasamy , Priyankha Sridhar , Kannan Manivel , Prakash Muthuramalingam , Selvam Chelliah 
Published: November 2022

AbstractTriple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is caused due to the lack of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) expression. Triple‐negative breast cancer is the most aggressive heterogeneous disease that is capable of producing different clones and mutations. Tumorigenesis in TNBC is caused due to the mutation or overexpression of tumor suppressor genes. It is also associated with mutations in the BRCA gene which is linked to hereditary breast cancer. In addition, PARP proteins and checkpoint proteins also play a crucial function in causing TNBC. Many cell signaling pathways are dysregulated in TNBC. Even though chemotherapy and immunotherapy are good options for TNBC treatment, the response rates are still low in general. Many phytochemicals that are derived from natural compounds have shown very good inhibitions for TNBC. Natural compounds have the great advantage of being less toxic, having lesser side effects, and being easily available. The secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and flavonoids in natural products make them promising inhibitors of TNBC. Their compositions also offer vital insights into inhibitory action, which could lead to new cancer‐fighting strategies. This review can help in understanding how naturally occurring substances and medicinal herbs decrease specific tumors and pave the way for the development of novel and extremely efficient antitumor therapies.
Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of secondary ocular adnexal lymphoma
Authors: Yang Yu , Jin Xuelian , Wang Yujiao , Ma Ruixin , He Weimin 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundTo describe the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of secondary ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL), and emphasise the impact of timely biopsy and systemic evaluation on the diagnosis and treatment.MethodsThe data of patients with secondary OAL in our hospital from January 2010 to June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsA total of 54 patients (30 men and 24 women) were included in the study. The mean age at presentation was 60 years (median 62 years; range 37–83 years). The main symptoms included ocular mass (74%), periorbital swelling (43%), and proptosis (39%). The main histopathological types were mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (30%), diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (28%), and natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma (18%). In particular, three patients exhibited different pathological types of ocular lymphoma compared to previously diagnosed systemic lymphoma. The most common site of ocular and systemic involvement was the orbit (85%) and lymph nodes (56%), respectively, and 25 (46%) patients had occult extraocular lesions. Additionally, the 5‐year overall survival rate of the entire cohort was 56%, and significant differences were observed between the three main pathological types and stages of the disease (all p < 0.001).ConclusionsSecondary OAL is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. That the disease is associated with a more aggressive pathological type is well established, indolent lymphoma is not uncommon. Furthermore, OAL and previously diagnosed systemic lymphoma may be pathologically distinct in some patients. Therefore, we recommend a prompt excision biopsy and a thorough systemic evaluation of patients with suspected OAL.
Sparse neural network regression with variable selection
Authors: Shin Jae‐Kyung , Bak Kwan‐Young , Koo Ja‐Yong 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis paper reports on our study of a sparse neural network regression method based on a single hidden layer architecture and sparsity‐inducing penalties. To determine the size of network in a data‐adaptive way, we adopt the lasso and group lasso penalty functions to simultaneously induce sparsity at node and predictor levels. We also devise several techniques to improve performance of the neural network regression estimator. We adopt a B‐spline activation function with a compact support to identify local trends of data. In addition, we develop an algorithm based on node addition process, in which additional nodes come into the network as a complexity parameter decreases. At each value of the complexity parameter, the algorithm initializes the additional nodes along the direction that best captures the unexplained functional relationship between the response and predictors. The optimization step is conducted based on an efficient coordinate descent algorithm. Numerical studies based on simulated and real datasets illustrate that the combination of the aforementioned devices significantly improves the performance of the neural network estimator.
“War Begins in the Minds of Men”: Luther's theological anthropology and anti‐muslim polemics
Authors: Kohli Candace L. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe Turk is a looming figure in Martin Luther's theological imagination, emerging again and again as a rhetorical tool and historical reality in his thought and work. Yet, Luther's treatment of the Turks has received relatively little attention despite continuities in his polemical project with the Jews. In the 1540s, Luther outlined a systematic theological interrogation of Muslims’ humanity and applied his own Christian theological anthropology to determine that, on the basis of belief in the Koran, Muslims do not fit the criteria to be human persons. This article examines this claim to identify ways theology and cultural bias worked in tandem to reinforce this nefarious commitment in Luther's thought.
Adult mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL): B/myeloid MPALisoMPO is distinct from other MPAL subtypes
Authors: Weinberg Olga K. , Dennis Jake , Zia Hamid , Chen Pu , Chu Andrew , Koduru Prasad , Luu Hung S. , Fuda Franklin , Chen Weina 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIntroductionMyeloperoxidase (MPO) is considered a specific marker of myeloid/non‐monocytic lineage in the diagnosis of mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). However, the clinical significance of isolated dim MPO expression in otherwise typical B lymphoblastic leukemia (B‐ALL; referred to as B/myeloid MPALisoMPO) in adult patients is unknown.MethodsWe compared flow cytometric immunophenotype and clinicopathological findings among cases of B/myeloid MPALisoMPO (n = 13), other MPAL subtypes (n = 10, B/myeloid and T/myeloid MPAL), B‐ALL (n = 64), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n = 58), using the 2016 WHO classification. For MPAL cases, MPO was reported as the percent of MPO positive blasts and its intensity (dim or moderate/strong). The pattern of heterogenous antigen expression (inversely coordinated expression between myeloid and lymphoid markers and cell size) was assessed.ResultsCases of B/myeloid MPALisoMPO showed a fairly homogenous single B‐lineage blast population with dim MPO expression whereas cases of other MPAL subtypes displayed heterogeneous antigen expression and moderate/strong MPO expression. The percent of MPO positive blasts in these two groups was similar. Expressions of CD15, CD117, and monocytic markers were more common in other MPAL than in B/myeloid MPALisoMPO. B/myeloid MPALisoMPO patients had similar overall and leukemia free survivals as B‐ALL patients and better than other MPAL patients.ConclusionThis is the first study to investigate the clinical significance of adult B/myeloid MPALisoMPO using the 2016 WHO classification. Our results suggest that B/myeloid MPALisoMPO clinically behaves more similarly to B‐ALL than to other MPAL subtypes, supporting the 2016 WHO classification to segregate this entity from other MPAL subtypes.
Hypertension in the older person: is age just a number?
Authors: Karayiannis Christopher C. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractOlder patients with hypertension are at a higher risk of cardiovascular events compared to younger adults but are also more vulnerable to the adverse effects of blood pressure (BP) lowering. Frailty is an important predictor of vulnerability to such adverse events, and age alone may not best reflect underlying risk. Therefore, an individualised approach to management of hypertension in the older person is required. Such an approach requires knowledge of frailty, the physiology of hypertension and ageing and a contextual understanding of best evidence. Management needs to be holistic and take account of the older person's care needs, wishes and priorities. This review describes physiological considerations and current guidelines and best practices regarding BP lowering in older people and highlights areas with paucity of evidence. A proposed and testable approach to managing hypertension in the older person (≥70 years) is discussed.
Cannula provoked upper extremity superficial vein thrombophlebitis: are we overtreating?
Authors: Yuen Hiu L. A. , Fang Wendy , Tran Huyen , Chunilal Sanjeev D. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractCannula provoked upper extremity superficial vein thrombophlebitis (UESVT) is common. Retrospective audit of 93 consecutive patients, 51% male, median age 57 years (range 20–91), with symptomatic UESVT revealed varied management including symptomatic management (37%), prophylactic (37%) and higher dose anticoagulation (27%). There was 2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0–7.6) thrombus extension and 1% (95% CI 0–5.9) major bleeding, both limited to cancer. We argue anticoagulation is unnecessary in most UESVT patients.
Overlooked species diversity in the hyper‐arid Sahara Desert unveiled by dryland‐adapted lizards
Authors: Liz André Vicente , Rödder Dennis , Gonçalves Duarte Vasconcelos , Velo‐Antón Guillermo , Tarroso Pedro , Geniez Philippe , Crochet Pierre‐André , Carvalho Silvia B. , Brito José Carlos 
Published: November 2022

AbstractAimHyper‐arid sandy and rocky fields rank among the least biologically diverse habitats of the desert biome, yet knowledge of local biodiversity patterns is also extremely poor. In the Sahara Desert, palaeoclimate oscillations affected the extent of hyper‐arid habitats, but it is unclear how these dynamics determined the evolution and distribution of local specialists. Herein, we assessed cryptic diversity, diversification patterns and spatial connectivity within a Sahara‐widespread group of dryland‐adapted lizards.LocationSahara‐Sahel ecoregions.TaxonAcanthodactylus scutellatus species group.MethodsInter‐ and intraspecific phylogenetic structure, divergence times, spatial genetic patterns and cryptic diversity were assessed using nuclear and mitochondrial loci. The effects of topography and land cover on phylogeographic structure and diversity were tested with generalized linear models. Interspecific hybridization was evaluated using 11 microsatellites across the group's major sympatry zone, predicted based on ecological niche models.ResultsSpecies of Acanthodactylus scutellatus group exhibit Late Miocene origins, followed by extensive intraspecific divergence throughout the Pliocene. The northern Sahara worked as a major diversification hotspot, harbouring a patchwork of small‐ranged, divergent lineages. These lineages are parapatric or sympatric and present concordant nuclear and mitochondrial differentiation, suggesting species status. Genetic connectivity increases in southern latitudes, with wide‐ranging lineages spanning from the Red Sea to the Atlantic coast. Within these potential corridors, mountain outskirts and sand fields in the Sahara interior seemingly acted as origins for recent population expansions. Genetic diversity and connectivity are favoured by terrain roughness and soft‐sand cover respectively. Three species inhabit the Atlantic Sahara sympatry zone without evidence of gene flow.Main conclusionsOverlooked species‐level diversity within a major specialist group of Sahara drylands exposes the recurrent knowledge shortfalls present in hyper‐arid desert environments. Humidity and sandy habitat shifts triggered potential successions of population isolation and re‐connectivity, which favoured cladogenesis in northern desert regions and population expansions across southern east–west corridors.
Beyond Big Five trait domains: Stability and change in personality facets across midlife and old age
Authors: Brandt Naemi D. , Drewelies Johanna , Willis Sherry L. , Schaie K. Warner , Ram Nilam , Gerstorf Denis , Wagner Jenny 
Published: November 2022

AbstractObjectiveAccumulated evidence indicates both stable and malleable parts of inter‐individual differences in the broad Big Five domains. Less is known, however, about stability and change at the more diversified facet level. With the current study, we fill this gap by investigating personality stability and change across midlife and old age.MethodWe apply local structural equation measurement models and second‐order growth curve models to four waves of data obtained with the full NEO Personality Inventory (NEO‐PI‐R) collected over 11 years from 1667 adults (Mage = 62.69 years, SDage = 15.62, 55% female) who participated in the Seattle Longitudinal Study.ResultsMeasurement invariance analyses indicated that the psychometric properties of the NEO‐PI‐R facets are comparable across time and age. Results revealed substantial rank‐order stabilities across all facets, yet the exact pattern varied strongly between facets of the same trait and across traits. Mean‐level change of facets from midlife to old age largely mirrored the mean‐level change observed for the broader traits.ConclusionWe discuss conceptual implications and argue that in the face of overall stability across midlife and old age, changes in the rank‐ordering of people reveals a much more complex and diverse pattern of development than analyses at the trait level suggest.